By Pastor Hal Mayer
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Keep the Faith Ministry once again. As we rapidly near the close of human probation we need the assurance that Jesus is our guide, provider and protector. And as we look at another prophetic trend, we can be assured of His tender mercies for His people. If there is one thing that calms my soul it is the knowledge of His deep love for me and His longing to have me where He is. The fearful time before us should make us trust Him all the more.
Before we begin our study I want to say thank you for listening and for your prayers for me and for your gifts. Your faithfulness has sustained us and will continue to sustain our work. They are very important right now at this time. So, thank you again from the bottom of my heart.
Let us pray, Father in heaven, as we open Your word to shed light on our pathway, please fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Help us to understand what is happening to our society and its prophetic destiny. Open our eyes to the nearness of Jesus’ coming and see Your plan for our lives. In Jesus name, amen.
As we begin our study, I want to call your attention to the time in sacred history when God’s judgments were poured out on Egypt. We are told in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 281 that the Hebrew slaves and the Egyptians were affected quite differently by the plagues. “[This] manifestation of God’s power had kindled faith in the hearts of the bondmen and had struck terror to their oppressors…”
So, in the struggle that lies ahead, as it becomes clear that God’s judgments are being poured out; the same effect will be felt. While they will kindle faith in God’s people and increase anticipation of the Second Coming, they will kindle fear, terror, and anger in their enemies. Think about the seven last plagues, for instance. It will be terrible for the wicked, but God’s people will be specially protected.
But it will also be an almost overwhelming surprise, at least for the people who aren’t studying Bible prophecy. Here is a familiar statement from Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8 page 28. “Transgression has almost reached its limit. Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near. We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise.”
Doesn’t that describe what we are experiencing right now? That great terror could be disease, a disease more deadly than COVID-19; disasters, deadly riots, etc. What lies in the future? Will it ever get back to “normal?”
Friends, if there is no intervention by forces seen and unseen, we are facing the direct overthrow of Western society. Right now, the attention is on the riots in cities across America, Portland, Chicago, New York, and other places. and they’re trying to destroy everything involving the justice system, the police, the prisons, even the rule of law. But it won’t stop there. The peace and safety of your home and community will be violated unless specially protected.
But there are protests in various parts of the world, all tending to break down and change Western societies. The rule of law is being broken down so that the rule of a dictator can be installed. And strong actions, even dictatorial action, will be seen as necessary to restore order. People will demand it. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and other fundamental freedoms will be lost even in America. The precious document known as the US Constitution is despised by many. And there are forces at almost every level and every branch of government that are seeking its demise. The United States will lead the world in apostasy from God and in its demise as a nation state.
First though, let us consider what is the foundation of a prosperous society and a nation state? Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” How do we know what sin is? The Bible says that “sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. Which law? The law of God. Where do we find that law? We find it in the Word of God. David equates God’s Word with His righteous commandments: “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.” Psalm 119:172.
So, a nation prospers by hearing or allowing the free expression of the Word of God. That’s why freedom of speech is enshrined in the first amendment. That’s why it is under assault from secular forces. The Bible has been the basis of freedom and the power of the nations that adopted its principles. It has also been the basis of the rise and prosperity of many nations, whether they are the Protestant countries of Europe, or those of the former British Empire, or America. They all prospered and became powerful because of the Bible.
That’s why there is so much hatred toward the Bible, actually. Satan hates the Bible and the resulting prosperity, so he creates powerful forces that are opposed to God and His law that seek to change society into secularism, Marxism, Fascism, or some other ism. As long as the Bible is still influential, he will be working for its overthrow. This is the essence of the great controversy. And many of God’s people get distracted by the surface politics and movements. They endorse, if not by their action, in their hearts, the things that are not for their eternal salvation.
These powerful forces are leading America and the west away from its founding principles and seek to destroy it. Its result will be similar to the destruction of Jerusalem.
Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem “Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” Luke 19:42-44
“The tears which Christ shed upon Olivet as He stood overlooking the chosen city were not for Jerusalem alone. In the fate of Jerusalem He beheld the destruction of the world.” That’s Christ’s Object Lessons, page 302. And from Desire of Ages, “From the fall of Jerusalem the thoughts of Jesus passed to a wider judgment. In the destruction of the impenitent city He saw a symbol of the final destruction to come upon the world.” That’s page 743.
We are living in an age of great disconnect in which the very source of truth and prosperity is being rejected by many just like Jerusalem of old before her devastating overthrow. You see the falsehood everywhere. And the result has been media lies and persistent chaos and destruction in some major cities. As the Spirit of God is being withdrawn it will only get worse. America will completely overthrow its Constitution. Friends, I hate to say it but we are seeing the end of the American republic right before our eyes. And it will have a global effect.
Listen to this familiar statement. “When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5 page 451.
Protestantism has already stretched her hand across the gulf and is very ecumenical with Rome. America is foremost in liberty and freedom. Since the enemy hates liberty, especially religious liberty, he hates America. Now it’s time for the next step in overthrowing the system of government so America, which figures so prominently in the history of liberty, can be stripped of its power and prestige.
Yet, at the same time as he is creating animosity and chaos, the enemy is seeking to empower an opposing force, a religious force that is not aligned with the principles of heaven, to oppose the secularization and destruction. This religio-political power will seek to impose worship laws contrary to God’s law to restore America’s stability. While seeking to uphold America, this threefold union will only lead the nation into deeper apostasy, and irredeemably further away from its principles.
Many people, and tragically many of God’s people among them, don’t see the connection of prosperity and freedom to the Protestant Bible and the US Constitution. As a result, they imbibe the spirit of the age, with its focus on worldliness and politics. They have also for years refused to move out of the cities and their spiritual sensibilities are warped. They vainly think we’re going back to normal. But friends, we have reached a new level, something on the scale of 9/11, only bigger, when all things are changed forever. The calculous is different. But it hasn’t happened by chance. The enemy has been systematically working to bring on the current set of circumstances for a long time. Most of the people living in the big cities are already trapped and don’t even realize it.
For years they have been law abiding citizens. They don’t steal, commit adultery, or murder. They appreciate the laws of the land because they are a level of protection for their stuff and their persons. But now things have changed dramatically. Their possessions aren’t safe anymore. They feel personally vulnerable. The dramatic increase in violent crime and theft is noticed by city residents and police alike. And as the movement to defund police grows and police do less policing of their regular beats because of being diverted to riot control, and because of budget cuts, etc., their possessions and their personal safety will also become more insecure and vulnerable.
Minneapolis residents received an email from the police at the end of July that said they should be prepared to be robbed. “Be prepared to give up your cell phone and purse/wallet,” the police said in their email. The email said citizens should listen to criminals and “do as they say.” The message also warned that “some victims have been maced, dragged, assaulted, and some threatened with a gun.”
Minneapolis police tell residents to obey criminals and ‘be prepared’ to be robbed [1]
This is from CBN… “From Los Angeles to New York City, from Philadelphia to San Francisco, the movement to defund police departments across the country is growing. This, as at least 12 other cities also brace for severe budget cuts not seen in more than a decade. The result some say is a spike in violence nationwide…” In Texas, “the state’s governor warned the cuts in police funding will “pave the way for lawlessness…”
“Violence is now erupting in other major cities across the country as well. In New York City, more than two dozen shootings occurred in less than 48 hours. In Philadelphia, a mass shooting at a block party injured three teens and two others. Shots were also fired at police officers. More than 60 shell casings from several weapons were found on the scene, including rounds from an AR-15.
“On Sunday, in Cincinnati, 18 people were shot, including four killed in four different incidents. ‘Horrific and tragic that we have this much violence and potential for that much loss of life in our city,’ said Paul Neudigate, a spokesperson with Cincinnati’s Police Department…
“All this happening as a new study shows violence and crimes are on the rise nationwide. Murder rates in 20 major cities have spiked by 37 percent between May and June of this year. Aggravated assaults also jumping by roughly the same number during this same period.”
Violence Spikes Nationwide as ‘Defund Police’ Movement Grows Louder [2]
Attorney General William Barr had some comments about the matter, “I think some of it may be the pent-up aggression prompted by state and local quarantine orders,” he said. “I definitely feel a lot of it is due to the premature release of dangerous criminals by the courts and by prosecutors, and I also think it is related to the efforts we’ve recently seen to demonize police – to defund their work.”
And by the way, this rise in crime is mostly in the inner cities, again disproportionately affecting black Americans. Defund police advocates, like Black Lives Matter and Antifa don’t seem to care about that effect. And the violence won’t be stopped by community policing, in spite of nice soundbites and platitudes spewed out by politicians and others who actually support the “defund” movement.
Barr: Calls to Defund Police Contributed to Rise in Violent Crime [3]
Whatever the case, violence and chaos are on the rise. Like it was in the days of Noah, violence fills the earth (see Genesis 6:11, 13). But this is only one factor leading to the rapid demise of the current system of government and its replacement with an autocratic system of government. There are worse things coming.
Listen to this. In Louisville, KY the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on June 26 seized a cache of 10,800 Assault Weapons parts being smuggled into the country. Smuggled, mind you. “The importing of any type of munitions is regulated by the ATF,” said Thomas Mahn, Port Director of Louisville. “This smuggler was knowingly trying to avoid detection; however, our officers remain vigilant, ensuring our community is safe.” On the large package, the manifest stated that it contained “100 Steel Pin Samples,” in an obvious attempt to hide what was truly in the parcel. The package originated in Shenzen, China.
Is the community safe? Don’t take the statement as it is meant to be understood, to calm your fears. Surely these smugglers are trying more than one package. If one gets confiscated another will get through. They’re trying many ways of getting weapons into the country. It’s only a matter of time until groups like Antifa are weaponed-up. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Antifa in Europe is being weaponed-up too. We saw the effect of smuggling in the powerful use of automatic assault weapons in recent terrorist attacks in Europe on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper, the Bataclan theater and other incidents.
10,800 Assault Weapons Parts Seized by CBP in Louisville [4]
What would China be smuggling assault weapons parts into America for? I can’t think of any legitimate reason. Could China be fomenting insurrection? The package was destined for a residence, of all places, in Melbourne, FL and was valuated at $129,600. When everything is in place we’re going to see violence on a scale that will make Antifa’s current antics look like child’s play.
10,800 Assault Weapons Parts Seized by CBP in Louisville [4]
Friends, we are about so see unleashed on America a perfect storm of violence in the big cities as the take down of government rapidly takes place. It is important to live in the country and follow God’s counsel. He will keep His people safe, but only if they obey His counsel. That means to study God’s word as your life depended on it, because it does! This is from the devotional book That I May Know Him, page 196. It’s the reading for July 9.
“When reading the Bible with humble, teachable heart, we are holding intercourse with God Himself. The thoughts expressed, the precepts specified, the doctrines revealed, are a voice from the God of heaven. The Bible will bear to be studied, and the mind, if not bewitched by Satan, will be attracted and charmed…. The light which beams through the Scriptures is light from the eternal throne flashed down to this earth….
“All who make the Word of God their guide in this life will act from principle. Those who are vacillating, vain, and extravagant in dress, who are gratifying the appetite and following the promptings of the natural heart, will, in obeying the teachings of God’s Word, become balanced. They will devote themselves to duty with an energy that never falters, and they will rise from one degree of strength to another. Their characters will be beautiful and fragrant and devoid of selfishness. They will make their way and be acceptable anywhere among those who love truth and righteousness.
The psalmist prayed, ‘Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.’ The Lord heard him, for how full of assurance are the words, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” (Psalm 119:18, 103; Psalm 19:10.). And as the Lord heard and answered David, so He will hear and answer us, making our hearts full of gladness and rejoicing.
That’s what is needed in times like these. You’re going to need peace when things get rough. You are going to need Jesus, because you will face unprecedented events and strong opposition.
Secular forces and those who promote Marxist teaching are targeting Christians because these forces are fundamentally opposed and hostile to the principles of righteousness. This might explain why so many governors have allowed protests without social distancing, but don’t allow churches to meet. This speaks volumes about their real agenda.
But listen to this statement from Desire of Ages, page 306. “Hearts that respond to the influence of the Holy Spirit are the channels through which God’s blessing flows. Were those who serve God removed from the earth, and His Spirit withdrawn from among men, this world would be left to desolation and destruction, the fruit of Satan’s dominion. Though the wicked know it not, they owe even the blessings of this life to the presence, in the world, of God’s people whom they despise and oppress.”
I listened to the California Governor Gavin Newsom (I think it was last March), tell of the “wonderful” state of California, and how progressive they are, and how it is leading the rest of the nation in certain economic indicators, like his $21 billion operating surplus, record-low unemployment, etc. I felt like he was sneering at conservatives who oppose his liberal policies, and I thought about the deadly and destructive fires raging all over his state presently, just over five months later. Or the terrible infernos in recent years that razed Napa Valley and Paradise in smoke and ashes. He would brush it off with some rationale, but he will one day recognize them, albeit reluctantly, as God’s judgments on his state.
In fact, this year, in just one week in mid-August, California had “Eleven thousand lightning strikes, 370 wildfires, a pandemic, a heat wave, and rolling blackouts. Hundreds of thousands of acres have burned, and tens of thousands of people have had to evacuate…
“One disaster is bad. Two are worse, but the damage doesn’t just double. This confluence of circumstances can seem like a series of independent misfortunes, when in fact it is a tangle of loose contingencies” (probably orchestrated by unseen supernatural forces).
“A single high-pressure system rolling in from the Southwest initiated the heat wave and the thunderstorms, which together created the conditions for the fires, which will likely both exacerbate and be exacerbated by the pandemic, which has diminished firefighting resources and, along with the heat wave, contributed to the blackouts by keeping people at home with their air-conditioning on full blast.
“These overlapping disasters compound. “It’s more than [one] plus one,” says Susan Cutter, a disaster researcher at the University of South Carolina. To her knowledge, no one has quantified this synergy exactly, but ‘it certainly affects the response, probably in exponential ways.’
Two Disasters Are Exponentially Worse Than One [5]
But it isn’t just California that has offended God with abortions and gay marriage, and other extremely sinful policies. New York, Illinois, with its city of Chicago, Florida, with its Miami, and Orlando, Nevada with its two sinful cities of Las Vegas and Reno, Oregon, with Portland, Washington, with Seattle, and indeed the whole country to a greater or less degree, has been in defiance of God’s holy law. And other nations too. Australia, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, the Papacy, perversely called the Holy See, and the list goes on. These are all secular states with many sinful policies. God is very longsuffering and very patient, but these nations, states and cities are storing up wrath against the day of wrath. When it comes, it will be overwhelming.
The judgements of God are being poured out, my friends. They are restrained at the moment, but they are nevertheless a warning. Listen to this statement from Great Controversy, page 627. “When Christ ceases His intercession in the sanctuary, the unmingled wrath threatened against those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark (Revelation 14:9, 10), will be poured out. The plagues upon Egypt when God was about to deliver Israel were similar in character to those more terrible and extensive judgments which are to fall upon the world just before the final deliverance of God’s people. Says the revelator, in describing those terrific scourges: ‘There fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshiped his image.’ The sea ‘became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.’ And ‘the rivers and fountains of waters … became blood.’ Terrible as these inflictions are, God’s justice stands fully vindicated. The angel of God declares: ‘Thou art righteous, O Lord, … because Thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.’ Revelation 16:2-6. By condemning the people of God to death, they have as truly incurred the guilt of their blood as if it had been shed by their hands. In like manner Christ declared the Jews of His time guilty of all the blood of holy men which had been shed since the days of Abel; for they possessed the same spirit and were seeking to do the same work with these murderers of the prophets.”
As lawlessness builds and law-breakers abound, God’s true people will study how they can better keep God’s law. They will see their slowness in obeying Him and abandon their lackadaisical ways, becoming fervent, earnest and committed to the truth. They will plead for the Holy Spirit to fill them full of His righteousness. Then they will separate completely from lawlessness and law-breakers. And Jesus can leave the sanctuary in heaven and deliver His people who cry to Him day and night.
Consider this. In an article published in many news outlets, it is being reported, almost nonchalantly, that there is going to be food shortages ahead. Listen.
“In Washington state’s new food warehouse, there’s enough Jif peanut butter to make nearly 3 million sandwiches. Barilla pasta boxes stretch to the ceiling, 100,000 in all. Large stacks of TreeTop applesauce, pancake mix and canned green beans sit on pallets, like soldiers waiting to be sent into duty.
“Since the coronavirus crisis first rocked Washington in March, nonprofits and state agencies working in food assistance have been forced to draw a completely new road map for getting food to people who need it.
“The warehouse in Fife is part of that new model. After seeing food banks struggle to meet demand once the pandemic hit and the economy tanked, the Washington state Department of Agriculture (WSDA) began preparing to buy and stockpile tons of food to ward off a shortage in the months ahead.”
So, food shortages are in our future, and the state of Washington is trying to prepare with at least survival food. The Bible gives us examples of food shortages and famine. Think about the time of Ahab. The Phoenician religion of Jezebel was being forced on the people, with all of its perverted rights and practices. Her policies included prostitution and homosexuality among many other deviant practices. Something like the policies of the state of California and other states and nations today. But the worst thing that offended God was that Jezebel hunted down and murdered the prophets of the Lord. That is coming to America! Those that keep God’s law and are loyal to Him will be targeted for destruction.
So, God sent a famine to awaken the people and to appeal to them to return to God. And it was effective.
And there’s good reason for Washington state’s hoard. “The new stockpile is driven by two major factors: A nearly doubling in demand for food assistance across the state and a national food supply chain that is bogged down amid an overwhelming surge in demand.”
So, while food can be grown, it may not make it through the supply chain. The supply chain is made up of carefully calibrated networks of organizations to bring just-in-time products to the shelves in your local stores. These have been upended by the virus as factories and processing centers have been forced to shut down because of a viral outbreak that has punctured a hole in the supply chain. By the way, this has happened in many industries and we may be short of many things in time. But food is critical and therefore the food supply infrastructure is critical infrastructure.
The recession’s long tail could worsen food insecurity for years to come. The state of the economy is becoming more and more tumultuous as storm clouds continue to build and economists are sounding the alarm. Friends, that’s why God counsels us to plant gardens and orchards. You can only do that in the country.
I’ll read on.
“As many as 2.2 million Washingtonians — about 30% of the state’s population — are facing food insecurity, according to Katie Rains, WSDA food policy advisor. That’s more than double the 850,000 state residents who sought help from food assistance programs last November, before the pandemic.
“‘We’ve been in this very desperate situation starting toward the end of March,’ said WSDA Director Derek Sandison. ‘This [warehouse] is a continuation of our efforts to make sure we have fusions of product that will help us to continue to weather the storm.’”
“The storm took hold in mid-April, Sandison said during a tour of the warehouse on Friday. That’s when the state’s three main food bank distributors — Food Lifeline, Northwest Harvest and Second Harvest — told the WSDA that based on the spike in requests for food assistance, the organizations had roughly a two-week supply of food for hunger relief.
“‘We went into panic mode,’ Sandison said. ‘That’s not an exaggeration. … So we jumped in with both feet and started active procurement on our end.’
“‘But as the WSDA was trying to buy as much nonperishable food as it could to increase the state’s emergency reserves, so was everyone else. Not only was the WSDA competing with other states and large national food-assistance programs, it also faced competition from grocery stores as national supplies of products such as pasta and peanut butter were becoming increasingly hard to come by.”
So, every state, or at least many states are looking to do the same thing! Probably many countries are doing it too.
“‘Peanut butter was a very highly wanted and needed commodity,’ said Gary Newte, sourcing and product director for Northwest Harvest. ‘Peanut butter prices have probably tripled in the last three to four months.’ These high costs are having significant effects on the big food bank distributors’ bottom lines…
“With the food reserve in place, rather than having to wait up to three months for a new shipment of pasta to come in, Sandison said the warehouse will be able to supply distributors like Northwest Harvest with the product they need in 24 to 48 hours.
“The new food reserve is a cushion against whatever supply chain upheavals or demand spikes lie ahead, Reynolds said. Reynolds and others worry about an increase in demand with the expiration of enhanced federal unemployment benefits at the end of July. Some food banks are already reporting an increase in visitors, Rains said.
“The need is so high across the state,” Newte said, “that even as we have ebbs and flows, there’s already a need for everything that’s in [that warehouse].”
From peanut butter to applesauce, Washington state stockpiles tons of food for the need ahead [6]
That will only last so long, and not very long! If further declines in food chain shipments occur, these warehouses will become empty and the food crisis will worsen. We are in a precarious position. With unemployment at an all-time high, and it will be a long time before employment comes back again, the demand on food banks will also be at an all-time high, putting enormous demand on the system.
A storm is coming that will tear society apart, not just fray around the edges. Each of us need to seek the Lord and prepare for what is coming. Get out of the cities and warn your friends to get out of the cities too. Be like Lot. Don’t worry about the ridicule. Just tell them what is coming. You will be accused of being an alarmist, but don’t worry about that.
Let’s think about the economy for a minute. Nations around the world have borrowed trillions of dollars, or Euros or whatever currency to stave off the effect of the economic shock that the COVID-19 virus imposed on the economy, including job losses and the shuttering of businesses. It has been devastating to families everywhere. But it’s going to get worse as subsidies and government support come to an end.
And the more the Government borrows, the less the money is worth, which translates into inflation of prices. Food, large white goods, vehicles, building supplies, and more are going up in price faster than you can imagine. In fact, we could see huge price increases in the next few months. People are going to default on their loans and credit cards. It will be worse than 2008. And the default deluge is going to be big and painful. People are already struggling to put food on the table.
People will behave quite differently when confronted with the plethora of crises described here. And they won’t care much what happens to the constitution so long as they have a little peace and safety. The constitution has already taken a big hit.
Just think about the damage to the US Constitution and to society that has occurred in recent times. It has been frightening. A major social earthquake has shaken these things tremendously. Here is a list of the things that have happened in the last year. Many of them have been a feature of what is happening in many countries. Think about your country and count up each of the items that apply.
First, the media pushes a narrative that really can’t be trusted to tell the truth. And that’s on either side, left or right. They sow confusion. It’s the old King of the North and King of the South controversy. It’s a Hegelian dialectic. But what’s more sinister is the fact that it is leading to where our constitutional rights and religious freedoms will be indefinitely suspended during a national emergency. This is preparatory to suspending them all together. For national emergencies now follow one another in rapid succession and they’re growing.
Second, huge social media companies have a bias and restrict and de-platform with impunity most accounts that challenge the prevailing views. This allows only one-sided views to be aired and restricts the free exchange of ideas. No society is truly free if freedom of speech is not in place.
Third, people who dissent from the main line of reasoning are demonized in the media and they have the worst possible motives ascribed to them, such as they’re part of a hate group, they’re anti-gay, or racist. This causes people to abhor them and truly hate them. You can see how this tactic can be used against God’s people. People are getting used to responding to this demonization with increasing violence.
Fourth, people are encouraged to call hotlines and report to authorities those who they think are not in compliance with lockdowns and other mandates from officials. This creates fear and distrust of neighbors and friends in society. This was a key feature of the inquisition and is now being promoted in modern society and will be for a very long time.
Fifth, track and trace apps for your mobile phone are able to monitor the movements of large segments of the population, which gives authorities unparalleled and extraordinary surveillance over the population. Along with other apps and features of “smart” phones, it is a further intrusion of privacy and is unconstitutional in the USA and other nations. But that doesn’t matter. When the Remnant are hated and demonized authorities can easily find out your contacts and trace your connections with anyone you are associated with. Even if you no longer have your phone, they can still look at your history and learn very much about you and your associates.
Sixth, the state is used to forcefully destroy families and their income, including shuttering their businesses and removing their children. Think for example of florists, photographers and bakers that refused to serve gay weddings, and the confiscation of children in homeschool out from under their family’s protection and care.
Seventh, closure of churches, worship centers, and evangelism meetings indefinitely with fines and even threatened imprisonment for violations. In some places this even included drive-in worships.
Eighth, truth is treated as lies and “hate speech” and those promoting it are banned from public discourse.
And remember, we still have in place the key principles used to prosecute terrorists such as torture in secret prisons, trial by tribunal, not by a jury of peers, indefinite detention, pervasive surveillance, and other abuses that can be resurrected and used when needed.
Friends, we’re there. Here’s a statement from Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, page 315. “A storm is coming, relentless in its fury. Are we prepared to meet it? We need not say: The perils of the last days are soon to come upon us. Already they have come. We need now the sword of the Lord to cut to the very soul and marrow of fleshly lusts, appetites, and passions.”
As society frays and people become desperate, they will see that the judgments of God are grievous and demand that everybody get back to church. The stage is being set, my friends.
The global COVID-19 pandemic is an international emergency just suited for end-time prophecy. Expect global solutions as well as national ones. When enough emergencies and disasters have happened, extreme national stress will lead to national Sunday laws decreed or enacted by the 2nd beast of Revelation 13. This opens the way for an international Sunday law promulgated by the Papacy to be introduced. And this will lead to the nations acquiescing to a global or universal Sunday law and its corresponding death penalty.
Don’t wait any longer to learn of Jesus and surrender to His love. And specifically learn from Him how you may overcome temptation. Follow His directions for everything in your lifestyle and personal life. Seek Him with all your heart.
Let us pray, Father in heaven, we are amazed to see the current developments in our society. We sense that these problems are a result of the sins that have caused you to gradually withdraw your protection from the world. Please convert us. Cause us to walk in your ways and live by your laws. May we live righteously in your sight and be a blessing to those around us. But most of all, make us ready for the latter rain and heaven. In, Jesus name I pray, amen.