By Pastor Hal Mayer
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Keep the Faith Ministry. Thank you for joining me once again as we look at another major development in the signs of the times that tell us that Jesus’ coming is near. An alarming global famine is already getting started. While that is very bad news, I know that when people finely realize that it is upon us, it will be too late for them to do much to prepare. What’s worse is that it has been created by individuals that have no interest in your well-being. But this very dark news, has some very bright and happy news behind it. A time is coming when there will never be another famine, never be another hungry person, and food will be abundant and plentiful. Today we’re going to explore the issues that face the nations of the world as they grapple with the consequences of the actions of global elites.
Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, how grateful we are that we have prophecy to tell us what to expect is coming upon the world, and how to prepare for the synchronized and rapid major catastrophes that will overwhelm the planet at the end of time. We pray that You will send Your Holy Spirit today as we study. Please teach us the truth as it is in Jesus who can save to the uttermost all who come to You by Him. We pray that first, we will be Your people, and second, that You will preserve us faithful until the end. Make us ready for heaven by giving us overcoming power. We want to prevail with You like Jacob in the time of trouble. Please help us to be victorious over the enemy in our lives. And help us to see the times in which we live for what they are, and not place our hopes in this world, for we cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand regarding important prophecies of the end times. In Jesus name, amen.
Turn with me in your Bibles to Isaiah 33:15, 16.
“He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.”
This is a promise for God’s people who have been faithful in the battle with the enemy. And while all around them is chaos, war, and famine, they will have bread and water. Though they are perplexed and anxious, they will be fed. Listen to this from Great Controversy, page 629.
“The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation and suffer for want of food they will not be left to perish. That God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children. He who numbers the hairs of their head will care for them, and in time of famine they shall be satisfied. While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous and supply their wants. To him that “walketh righteously” is the promise: “Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.” “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.” Isaiah 33:15, 16; 41:17.”
Friends, the Lord’s promises are very comforting. But you cannot presume upon His mercy. You must to be converted and live for Jesus every day, in order for you to be a partaker of this promise, ultimately. When I see my friends drifting spiritually, I am deeply troubled for them because I know that they are not seeking the shelter that Jesus will provide for His faithful ones.
By the way, what does taking of bribes mean? Does it mean just taking of money to do or not do something, or does it mean more than that? You know, you can take a bribe in other ways. You can be offered something such as influence, or power, or the approval of church leaders or some other intangible benefit for keeping your mouth shut. This gives them freedom to do what they want without accountability. A bribe can come in the form of implied influence too. For example, you can be so slavishly desirous of the approval of church leaders, which is essentially the praise of men, that you are unwilling to speak up when it is crucial. Think about it, today most people remain silent even in the face of gross apostasy because they think that they will fall out of favor with their church. And the consequence is that church leaders have a free hand to do as they please, even if it doesn’t please God and leads the church into further apostasy. Do you think these words from Isaiah 1:4-7 apply to us today?
“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.”
So, be aware of the praise of men. John 12:43 says, “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
The famine in the time of Joseph in Egypt is a type of the famine of the last days. Today, I’m going to share with you a number of signs that tell us that the prophetic time when a global famine affects many nations and the masses of people, is right upon us. The pace at which things are changing around the globe right now is absolutely breathtaking, but most people assume that life will return to normal soon, or eventually. Unfortunately, nothing could be farther from the truth. The truth is that a very real planetary emergency is developing right in front of our eyes. The emerging global food shortage should make you seek God as never before. But please don’t do it from fear, but rather to secure your soul in the truth so that when the real fear comes, you will be able to be at peace with God, knowing that He has control over world events and also your personal life.
He has a plan that He needs to develop in the world. That plan involves peace for his people amidst great conflict in chaos. It also involves their deliverance from the traps of Satan to cause them to forget God and bow to Satan’s delusions. But it will not happen until the last minute, because God also has to test your faith. Your trust in God will cause you to place your confidence in His promises and know for a surety that the word of God cannot fail. But it’s more than just trusting in His promises. You have to act upon His counsel and live your life in harmony with the inspired guidance. If not, the promises will mean nothing.
So, let’s get started. Listen to this from Politico:
“France’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the EU must get to grips with the prospect that the war in Ukraine could prompt an “extremely serious” global food crisis. Russia and Ukraine are both enormous exporters of grain. Half of Africa’s wheat imports come from the two countries. At the same time while food commodity prices have already surged as a result of the conflict and will surge more. Ukraine’s food exports have all but ceased and its capacity to plant and harvest food this year is threatened by the war.”
“We must take charge of this new situation quickly,” Le Drian said, when arriving at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels Monday. But he gave few details about what the EU should do, [except] working closely with international agencies, partners and NGOs.
French foreign minister warns of global famine [1]
Data Dive: How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will impact Africa [2]
Not only is the war the most dangerous and volatile situation in Europe since World War II, but the pandemic had already set in motion supply chain difficulties and shortages of all manner of goods including food. But the war is making it much worse. Already some of the shelves in supermarkets were empty, or at least had greatly reduced supplies and products from what they once had. Recently, when I went to find some things that I usually purchase at the grocery store, they were unavailable. And I’m talking about several items.
President Joe Biden recently admitted that food shortages are “going to be real” and his administration is now openly using the word “famine” to describe what is coming…
“‘The Biden administration is worried Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will cause famine in parts of the world,’ White House Council of Economic Advisers Chair Cecilia Rouse told CNBC. Rouse noted that Russia and Ukraine serve as “the breadbasket” for many parts of the world, because the two countries are major producers of wheat, soybeans and other agricultural commodities.”
“It’s Going to be Real,” President Biden on War-Related Food Shortages [3]
White House is worried about famine overseas due to Russia-Ukraine war, economic advisor says [4]
Further, “Just days after Germany reported the highest inflation in [a] generation (with February headline CPI soaring at a 7.6% annual pace and blowing away all expectations), giving locals a distinctly unpleasant Deja vu feeling[s] even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine broke what few supply chains remained and sent prices even higher into the stratosphere…”
Recently, Germany took a step closer toward a reappearance of the greatly feared Weimar hyperinflation. “According to the German Retail Association (HDE), consumers should prepare for another wave of price hikes for everyday goods and groceries with Reuters reporting that prices at German retail chains will explode between 20 and 50%.
“…German supermarkets have even started limiting the purchase of cooking oils and flour in particular to prevent a mad rush to stock up on items that customers believe will run out.”
German Retailers To Increase Food Prices By 20-50% On Monday [5]
This is called rationing. Goods that are especially in demand during panic buying are rationed by allowing only so many items of those products to be sold to a customer. We have had this happen in the United States, Australia and Europe, as well as other places during the early part of the pandemic with toilet paper and paper towels. It was less formal than during World War II, but this is the start of rationing. When the crisis becomes more intense, and limits are made on people based on weekly or monthly purchases, it could become more formal with digital ration cards and other devices to limit purchases of certain items.
And now Spain allows supermarket rationing to prevent shortages as well. Spain saw sporadic shortages of different products like eggs, milk and other dairy products almost immediately following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. In early March, major supermarkets like Mercadona and Makro began rationing sunflower oil.
Spain allows supermarket rationing to prevent shortages [6]
In Greece, at least four national supermarket chains have started rationing food products like flour, sugar and sunflower oil due to critically low supplies caused by the crippled supply chains coming out of Russia and Ukraine.
“Supermarket chains are now resorting to rationing the sale of products in their brick-and-mortar stores too, with AB Vassilopoulos setting a maximum limit on the purchase of all brands of corn and sunflower oil and of flour per customer.”
Also, “Mymarket has now imposed a limit on sunflower oil while Sklavenitis has added sugar to the rationed sales of corn oil through its online store, setting a maximum limit of four packs of sugar.”
Supermarkets in Greece start rationing sugar sales too [7]
“Millennials (born between 1981 to 1996) have spent much of their lives living in an economic utopia where goods are cheap and plentiful. Unlike the generations before, these youngsters have yet to experience rapid inflation and shortages until now.
“On Tuesday, BlackRock Inc. President Rob Kapito told an audience in Austin, Texas, hosted by the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, that an entire younger generation is quickly finding out what it means to suffer from shortages…
“For the first time, this generation is going to go into a store and not be able to get what they want,” Kapito said. “And we have a very entitled generation that has never had to sacrifice.”
“The economy is reckoning with what he dubbed “scarcity inflation,” or the fallout from a shortage of workers, agricultural supplies and housing, and of oil in some regions.
“I would put on your seat belts because this is something that we haven’t seen,” Kapito said.
BlackRock’s Kapito Says ‘Scarcity Inflation’ Is Driving Economy [8]
To add to the pain, “fertilizer prices have skyrocketed as much as 300 percent since early 2021,” and farmers are struggling to keep up with the quickly rising costs of fertilizer.
“Surging fertilizer costs are projected to continue for at least the first six months of 2022, says American Farm Bureau economist Shelby Myers… She says a variety of factors are contributing to the problem. This includes the increased global demand for fertilizer outpacing production, pandemic-related and weather-related supply chain disruptions and increases in production costs, which includes soaring prices of natural gas required for making inputs.”
Farmers Struggle to Keep Up With the Rising Costs of Fertilizer [9]
Add to that, Union Pacific, a railway company in the US, mandated its customers reduce their shipments by 20%. One of their customers is CF Industries, a fertilizer production company. Its CEO, Tony Will said, “The timing of this action by Union Pacific could not come at a worse time for farmers. Not only will fertilizer be delayed by these shipping restrictions, but additional fertilizer needed to complete spring applications may be unable to reach farmers at all.”
And in Africa, many farmers will not be able to afford fertilizer at all this year. It is being projected that this will reduce agricultural production by an amount capable of feeding millions of people.
“With prices tripling over the past 18 months, many farmers are considering whether to forgo purchases of fertilizers this year. That leaves a market long touted for its growth potential set to shrink by almost a third, according to Sebastian Nduva, program manager at researcher group AfricaFertilizer.Org. “That could potentially curb cereals output by 30 million tons, enough to feed 100 million people, he said.
“We’re already seeing energy prices rise and commodities futures for wheat and corn spike. That’s going to prompt concern when costs to make and ship goods continue to set records and consumer demand continues to be above levels not seen since March 2020,” said Katie Denis, vice president of communications and research for the industry organization Consumer Brands Association. “There is no slack in the system, making weathering disruption significantly more difficult.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will likely ratchet American food prices even higher, experts say [10]
In a typical year, Russia and Ukraine collectively account for approximately 30 percent of all global wheat exports. Half of Africa’s wheat imports are dependent on Russia and Ukraine.
“A crucial portion of the world’s wheat, corn and barley is trapped in Russia and Ukraine because of the war, while an even larger portion of the world’s fertilizers is stuck in Russia and Belarus. The result is that global food and fertilizer prices are soaring. Since the invasion… wheat prices have increased by 21 percent, barley by 33 percent and some fertilizers by 40 percent.
“The upheaval is compounded by major challenges that were already increasing prices and squeezing supplies, including the pandemic, shipping constraints, high energy costs and recent droughts, floods and fires.”
“Now economists, aid organizations and government officials are warning of the repercussions: an increase in world hunger.”
The looming disaster is laying bare the consequences of a major war in the modern era of globalization. Prices for food, fertilizer, oil, gas and even metals like aluminum, nickel and palladium are all rising fast — and experts expect worse as the effects cascade around the world.
“Ukraine has only compounded a catastrophe on top of a catastrophe,” said David M. Beasley, the executive director of the World Food Program, the United Nations agency that feeds 125 million people a day. “There is no precedent even close to this since World War II.
“Around the world, the result will be even higher grocery bills.”
“For those living on the brink of food insecurity, the latest surge in prices could push many over the edge. After remaining mostly flat for five years, hunger rose by about 18 percent during the pandemic to between 720 million and 811 million people. Earlier this month, the United Nations said that the war’s impact on the global food market alone could cause an additional 7.6 million to 13.1 million people to go hungry.
“Armenia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Eritrea have imported virtually all of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine and must find new sources. But they are competing against much larger buyers, including Turkey, Egypt, Bangladesh and Iran, which have obtained more than 60 percent of their wheat from the two warring countries.”
Ukraine War Threatens to Cause a Global Food Crisis [11]
Wheat from Russia and Ukraine is not easy to replace from other sources because supplies are already tight in other parts of the world. So, the inevitable consequence of famine will form especially in vulnerable parts of the world.
But listen to what the former Russian president and now a senior Russian security official has said.
Dmitry Medvedev… has threatened that Russia may soon cut off the West from food exports. According to Medvedev, Russia, a major player in the global market for wheat and other agri-food products, will instead focus on keeping itself fed, alongside supplying its friends and close allies.
Posting on his Telegram Medvedev said that cutting off the likes of North America and the European Union from its agricultural produce would be a very good way of retaliating against sanctions imposed by the West. Here is what in his mind, and no doubt Putin’s.
“It so happened that the food security of many countries depends on our supplies,” the Russian official wrote. “It turns out that our food is our quiet weapon. Quiet but ominous.”
“The priority in food supplies is our domestic market. And price control,” he continued. “We will supply food and crops only to our friends (fortunately, we have a lot of them, and they are not at all in Europe and not in North America). We will sell both for rubles and for their national currency in agreed proportions.”
“We will not supply our products and agricultural products to our enemies,” he went on to say. “And we won’t buy anything from them (although we haven’t bought anything since 2014, but the list of products prohibited for import can be further expanded).”
Medvedev’s threat echoes others being made by the Russian government, such as that reportedly “unfriendly” nations will soon be forced to pay for a variety of Russian resources — including the country’s much sought after gas exports — in rubles only or be cut off from supply completely.
Global Food Crisis: Russia Threatens to Limit Vital Agri Supply to ‘Friendly’ Countries Only [12]
These things are causing the world to tremble, my friends. They are also stoking war over food. There will be civil unrest and riots in parts of the world that are especially affected. There may be civil wars and other conflicts related to the food shortage.
And China’s agriculture minister recently said that winter wheat condition could be worst in history.
China Ag Minister Says Winter Wheat Condition Could Be Worst in History [13]
We are also being warned that the winter wheat harvest in the United States will be “disastrous” due to severe drought.
During a recent interview, one prominent U.S. farmer stated that most Americans won’t like it when “your grocery bill is up to $1000 a month.”
The head of the UN World Food program says that what the planet is now facing is unlike anything that we have seen since World War II.
“Ukraine has only compounded a catastrophe on top of a catastrophe,” said David M. Beasley, the executive director of the World Food Program, the United Nations agency that feeds 125 million people a day. “There is no precedent even close to this since World War II.”
This is a perfect storm. And you can add to the perfect storm in manufacturing and supply chain troubles, natural disasters such as droughts in China, the US and in some parts of Africa that will further stress the food supply.
We have been warned over and over again that this day was coming. Now it is here. This crisis really is going to affect every man, woman and child on the entire planet.
Jesus warned us that food security would be a major issue at the end of time. And it’s because of the wickedness of man. If man works against God, it will lead to catastrophe and disaster. So, a perfect storm is brewing of synchronized catastrophes that fall on the agriculture industry, the supply chain, and the delivery system. And it’s about to break upon the world in our time. Circumstances have developed that will make food very difficult to get in many places. And even the basics are becoming so expensive that it is difficult for poor people to buy them. You can see why people will panic, especially in the big cities. There will be riots, conflicts, and unrest in big cities. But the food crisis will affect everyone, even those living in the country. You might have thought that world hunger was going to be a result of only disasters and catastrophes of nature. But think again. Globalization has had a big part to play in it. Monopolistic policies of industries have played a part in it. Man is his own worst enemy. God has allowed rebellious man to organize the world into large confederacies. And this has brought misery and suffering upon the world that will extend everywhere.
Listen to this from Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, page 27, 28. “The world is a theater; the actors, its inhabitants, are preparing to act their part in the last great drama. With the great masses of mankind, there is no unity, except as men confederate to accomplish their selfish purposes. God is looking on. His purposes in regard to His rebellious subjects will be fulfilled. The world has not been given into the hands of men, though God is permitting the elements of confusion and disorder to bear sway for a season. A power from beneath is working to bring about the last great scenes in the drama,—Satan coming as Christ, and working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are binding themselves together in secret societies. Those who are yielding to the passion for confederation are working out the plans of the enemy. The cause will be followed by the effect.”
And here is another interesting statement from The Review and Herald, June 2, 1903. “The end of all things is at hand. The men of the world are rushing on to their ruin. Their schemes, their confederacies, are many. New devices will continually be brought in to make of no effect the counsel of God. Men are heaping up treasures of gold and silver to be consumed by the fires of the last days.”
A truly nightmarish global food crisis really is upon us, and hundreds of millions of innocent people are going to deeply suffer as a result. The Bible has warned us over and over again that famines will come at the end of time. This would bring distress upon nations. It may even bring war and pestilence. The situation will get worse and worse until Jesus ends his work in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. Then the world will be plunged into a time of trouble such as never was.
In my entire lifetime, I have never seen anything like this, and conditions are getting worse with each passing day. You need a plan that follows God’s word to survive this crisis. I have been warning over and over again that it is past time to leave the cities. Terrible things are coming to the cities of the world. They are not only hotbeds of violence and evil and wickedness, but they will be the center of distress through famine, want, and the corresponding strife. We are told to move to the country to take advantage of nature and agricultural benefits.
Listen to this from Country Living, page 7. “Calamities will come—calamities most awful, most unexpected; and these destructions will follow one after another. If there will be a heeding of the warnings that God has given, and if churches will repent, returning to their allegiance, then other cities may be spared for a time. But if men who have been deceived continue in the same way in which they have been walking, disregarding the law of God, and presenting falsehoods before the people, God allows them to suffer calamity, that their senses may be awakened.”
Here is another statement from Ministry of Healing, page 365. “It was not God’s purpose that people should be crowded into cities, huddled together in terraces and tenements. In the beginning He placed our first parents amidst the beautiful sights and sounds He desires us to rejoice in today. The more nearly we come into harmony with God’s original plan, the more favorable will be our position to secure health of body, and mind, and soul.”
And here is one about Lot and his experience in Sodom. It’s from Testimonies for the Church, Vol 5, pages 232 and 233. “The prophet Ezekiel thus enumerates the causes that led to Sodom’s sin and destruction: “Pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hands of the poor and needy.” All who would escape the doom of Sodom, must shun the course that brought God’s judgments upon that wicked city.”
Start your garden. Grow your own veggies. Your survival depends on it. If you don’t already, you should learn how to preserve food by canning, drying, and freezing. You can also vacuum pack certain things.
My guess is, that in the time of trouble that is coming, we will be eating things that we don’t normally think of eating, like chestnuts, black walnuts, hickory nuts, and other unusual things. These are all valuable sources of proteins and fats.
You need to think about how to simplify your lifestyle and live without so much variety, and cooking or preparing in complicated recipes, or with processed foods.
The world has never faced this kind of difficulty. But there’s a larger issue to consider. And I will conclude with this important consideration. It has to do with how Satan is arranging everything to bind men in bundles and prevent them from hearing the truth. It also has to do with how he is isolating God’s people so they can be persecuted.
The world is having many crises. One follows on the heels of another. And they happen in rapid succession. With each subsequent global crisis people feel more and more justified in hating and mistreating the “enemy.”
First it was the unvaccinated. It was ok to limit their freedoms and not allow them to meet with others or go to a restaurant. People were cultivated to treat them as if they had leprosy. They didn’t want to associate with them or contact them in person.
Now the next crisis is upon us. This time it’s the Russians. And people think it’s ok to freeze their bank accounts, prohibit them from studying at university, and stop selling their products in shops. In some places around the world, Russians have been restricted in their ability to buy and sell, or participate in the marketplace, or sports, the arts, or other entertainment.
There will be one crisis after another, and with each subsequent crisis people will feel more and more justified in harming the “enemy.” And because of the prevailing opinions, even nations will not protect their own citizens that fall in the category of “the enemy.”
In the final crisis, the wicked will feel that it is appropriate to even kill God’s people who run amok of the prevailing laws and sentiment. It doesn’t start with killing. It starts small by limiting personal freedoms. Then there will be increasing financial restrictions, culminating in the no buy, no sell law. There will be no mercy for anyone who resists compliance with the forthcoming religious laws.
The minds of people are presently being trained to see certain groups as “the enemy,” rather than seeing the situation for what it is. They fail to look at it with biblical eyes and see what the real issues are. People are being trained to unquestioningly accept the narrative that is presented in the news media or by governments. They don’t realize that their thinking has been molded over time to accept what was once unacceptable. They are being trained in very black and white thinking. There are only two categories. There are the good people who support the narrative, and the evil people that don’t, with nothing in between. And mass psychosis is driving them to do things that they wouldn’t ordinarily do under the old normal circumstances.
The reason it is possible to create this mass psychosis is because now global communication between individuals is so fast through social media and the internet. Without this speed of communication, ideas and trends would die out in one place before they had the time to arrive by slower forms of communication in another place. In the past it has not been easy to create global fear and obsession. But now it’s becoming the norm. Satan is taking control of the minds of men and women through social media. And now, he can very easily manipulate them into one worry after another, one fear after another, one delusion after another.
People are now getting very involved in all the global crises and taking sides even when the matter doesn’t directly affect them. People spend an enormous amount of time online engaging with these global issues because their mindset has been changed by the experience they had during the pandemic. Now people see a problem anywhere in the world as something that affects them a lot, even if it actually doesn’t affect them that much. And they become obsessed with it.
As society becomes more and more polarized there is social pressure to take a side in any global crisis. For example, you are either for Ukraine or for Russia, or you are for vaccination or not. There is no space for alternative views. And depending on what side of the issue you are on, there are consequences. You might even get cancelled from communication platforms or even in the larger society. You are not permitted to have a well-balanced view, and express them in public. You are either with us or against us. There’s no middle ground. That’s the way it is in the great controversy. You are either all in with Christ, or all in with the devil. There is no middle ground. There is no room for alternative views.
And people live in fear of the next crisis. They feel that their lives are being threatened (by covid, by possible nuclear bombs, etc.), so they are likely to take extreme measures for even minor crises. In this state of ever-growing anxiety and fear, the vast majority of people are more and more likely to only think what they’re told to think, believe what they are told to believe, or what is suggested to them.
One of the greatest challenges facing God’s church during these times of crisis and mass psychosis is, how to resist the influence of the world around us and to not bring this type of thinking among us. And we are not doing well in this area. Typically, church people are the same as the world. They think like the world, and so they will act like the world when they are afraid. And many of God’s people are not connected with Christ, so they will inevitably fall for the delusions of the enemy.
For example, churches were split down the middle over the vaccination issue. People who chose not to be vaccinated where called “unloving” and “not Christians” by those who were strongly supportive of vaccination. So, this black and white thinking pervaded the church too! Rather than being willing to respect that everyone has a choice in the matter of what they put into their body, people took sides either for or against vaccination. And tragically, the church organization refused to recognize individual liberty and freedom to choose. Therefore, how can you trust them to defend your liberties in other areas when they become part of the crisis? Some people stopped coming to church because of the “vaccine wars” going on in the church.
God’s people need to be very closely connected to Him during these times of mass fear and the herd mentality so that they can resist this influence all around them, and that they can view things from heaven’s point of view. This is the groundwork for persecution. It’s not focused on Sunday yet. But eventually, it will. Ultimately, it’s all a battle for the mind. The devil comes with mass fear and worry, and God comes with the truth. We will choose which one to believe. The enemy will cause pressure by suffering on the faithful believers in Christ.
Here is one last statement from Acts the Apostles, page 541. “It is no part of Christ’s mission to compel men to receive Him. It is Satan, and men actuated by his spirit, who seek to compel the conscience. Under a pretense of zeal for righteousness, men who are confederated with evil angels sometimes bring suffering upon their fellow men in order to convert them to their ideas of religion; but Christ is ever showing mercy, ever seeking to win by the revealing of His love. He can admit no rival in the soul, nor accept of partial service; but He desires only voluntary service, the willing surrender of the heart under the constraint of love.”
Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we are so grateful for these revelations from Your word that tell us what is coming. That way we can prepare spiritually to endure them. With Christ, we can endure the worst calamities and pressure. Please help us today to prepare for what is coming. And if there’s any hope of still getting out of the city for some, please help them. And please help those of us who are trying to live by Your principles, to have a sense of Your presence, and learn what we need to know to survive the coming famine. There is coming a famine for the hearing of the word of the Lord too. Please help us to be filled with Your word. Help us to understand the times in which we live, and the warnings that You have given us in Your word. In Jesus name, amen.