Tag: Messiah

Acts 4:32-5:11 — Great Power and Great Grace

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In this post, we will get a closer look at the moving of the Holy Spirit in the early church. The Spirit-filled believers in Acts 4 were of one accord because they were led of the Holy Spirit and they all followed the same Spirit-filled apostles. There was no one to sow division or preach false doctrine. When everyone submits to spiritual authority there is peace and harmony. This is the theme of a book I am reading by Watchman Nee, Spiritual Authority (Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc, 1972). It will be so in heaven. When we finally make it to the New Jerusalem, we will all be on the same page with Jesus, his Father, the Holy Spirit, and one another. There will be no more backbiting, no squabbling over doctrine, just perfect unity. 

Father, give us understanding as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Acts 4:32-5:11
32    And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33    And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

The Holy Spirit gave great power (Gk dynamei; where we get our English word, dynamite) to the early church as the apostles continued to give witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. That same great power and great grace is still available to us today. I need that grace. I want that power. 

34    Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35    And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36    And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

Here is the first mention of Barnabas, a man who lived up to his name. Barnabas will become an important figure in the Book of Acts. 

37    Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

With the great power and great grace came great giving to every man as he had need, but Ananias and Sapphira will be less than honest about their giving. Later in the New Testament, we see there were also those (and still are) who took advantage of the generosity of Christians. (Eg, II Thess 3:10f) We must therefore exercise discernment and ask to be led of the Spirit in our giving. 

BUT a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2    And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3    But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4    Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

There are a few key points here: First, Peter asks Ananias why he lied to the Holy Spirit; then Peter tells Ananias he lied to God. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is God. (Or, more specifically, the third Person in the Godhead, God the Holy Spirit.)

Second, Peter reminds Ananias that his possession was his own before he sold it, and afterward the money was still his to do with as he pleased. He was not obligated to give it to the church. Yet Ananias lied and said he gave it all, when in reality he kept back some for himself. In The Spiritual Man, Watchman Nee talks about how important motive is when we do things for God. In other words, doing the right thing is not always the right thing if we do it for the wrong reason, like to get a reward of some sort, and not simply out of love for Jesus. Barnabas gave out of love for God and love for his brothers and sisters in Christ. Ananias and Sapphira, on the other hand, not only gave with the wrong motive, they lied about it. Under New Covenant grace, our giving is not bound by the letter of the law. II Corinthians 9:7 says I am to give as I purpose in my heart (not a fixed amount). To me, that means I am to give as I am led by the Spirit. 

Third, although great grace was upon them all (4:33), the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable. (Jam 3:17) Grace requires repentance. (Luke 13:5 et al) Ananias and Sappira were engaging in hypocrisy, which literally means ‘acting’. They had not truly repented.

Fourth, Peter asks Ananias why Satan filled his heart. The Greek word for filled is the same word used for being filled with the Holy Sprit. It is often preached that a Christian cannot be demon possessed, and if a Christian is repentant and Spirit-filled, I would agree with that. (I John 4:4) But when a Christian grieves the Holy Spirit by engaging in sinful behavior like Ananias and Sapphira did, I think the Bible is pretty clear that it gives Satan legal ground to enter. That is why we must stay in the word and keep short accounts with God when we sin. I do not wait until I pray before I go to bed. If I sin, I immediately confess it and ask to be forgiven. (I John 1:9) If a Christian is involved in egregious sins like heavy drinking or drug use, homosexuality, etc either before or after he gets saved, I would highly recommend he seek biblical counseling and make a point of confessing and repenting of each and every aspect of his sinful behavior. Furthermore, he must purge his home and his life of all such materials (pornography, drugs, witchcraft books, etc). Not doing so leaves a door open for the enemy to possess or oppress him. Remember Matthew 17:21 (KJV).

5    And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6    And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7    And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8    And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9    Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10    Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
11    And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Acts 4:15-5:11

This matter of Ananias and Sapphira lying about their giving was so crucial that the Holy Spirit simply killed them rather than letting their sin hinder the progress of the church. Watchman Nee would have pointed out that they were rebelling against spiritual authority. Saul, for example, rebelled against spiritual authority by sparing the best of the sheep and the cattle to sacrifice to the LORD. Because he refused to destroy all the Amalekites along with their sheep and cattle, Saul (the first king of Israel) was killed by an Amalekite. This purged the throne of Saul’s rebelliousness, and his crown was given to the line of David.

In I Corinthians 11:30, Paul said that many in Corinth had become sick and even died because they were taking the cup and the bread of holy communion “unworthily.” These along with Ananias and Sapphira are examples of a sin unto death (I John 5:16f). 

Jesus said if we do our alms only to be seen, we have no reward (Matt 6:1). By going a step further and lying about it, Ananias and Sapphira were allowing Satan to get a foothold in the church. They may have even became influential people in the church. Wiersbe points out how God takes particular care to judge impurities when He is starting a new work. (Lev 10; Josh 7) If Ananias and Sapphira had not been judged for their sin, the power the church enjoyed would have soured and the unity would have given way to division.

Ananias and Sapphira were judged by God, but Church discipline is a different matter. Paul exhorted Timothy to rebuke those who sin before all, that others may fear. (I Tim 5:20) That is what happened when Ananias and Sapphira were killed. Great fear came upon all who heard these things. (5:5, 11) In other words, it had a purifying effect and the work of the Spirit proceeded unhindered. First there was great power and great grace. (4:33) Then, God used great fear to purify the body. Let’s pray about how we can purify our thoughts and actions, that the Spirit may feel more at home in our hearts. Let’s pray about how we can do better at submitting to spiritual authority, so the Holy Spirit can guide us and fill us with his power. 

In closing, please pray for a family I know in South Africa. The mom, like Sapphira, has fallen prey to the deception of the enemy. Traditional African healers posing as ‘Christian’ prophets have been telling her to keep away from family members who believe only in the Bible. She has had serious health problems since she started listening to these ‘prophets’. Pray she will have the discernment and courage to repent, trust God, and to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Prophecy Update: It cannot be denied that the structure whereby financial transactions take place is being reengineered into something never dreamt of, except by John the Revelator (Rev 13:16-18). The EU is moving forward with plans for a digital euro. The UK has joined the growing list of nations to require digital ID. The latest ‘improvements’ in transactions are being implemented via the integration of autonomous AI ‘agents’ to assist in the process. To me, these are all warning signs, like the little red light that tells you that you are almost out of gas.

In this post we saw how sin grieves the Holy Spirit. It ought to grieve us as well. In the Book of Ezekiel, an angel with an ink horn is commanded to go through Jerusalem and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof. In ancient Hebrew, each of the characters were pictographs with symbolic meanings. The word for mark is spelled תו. The ancient character for ‘tau’ was a simple cross (+). The symbol for ‘vau’ was a tent peg, or nail. The text literally said to set a cross and a nail on the foreheads of those who were grieved with the sin of the city:

  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark [ו+] upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Ezekiel 9:4

Then other angels with slaughter weapons in their hands were commanded to kill all those who did not have the mark of a cross and a nail on their foreheads:

    Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Ezekiel 9:6

    Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.
Ezekiel 9:9

I believe this was not necessarily something that Ezekiel meant for the people of his day, or if so, not exclusively. I believe Ezekiel was seeing into the future, after the third Temple is built in Jerusalem just before the great tribulation period (which technically is the last 3.5 years of Daniel’s seventieth ‘week’). The Bible says that shortly after the Temple is built, the Antichrist is going to set up the abomination of desolation in that Temple. (Matt 24:15; II Thess 2:4) The iniquity of that event will be exceeding great, but what about the rest of us? Whether one considers what is happening in Israel, America, or just about anyplace else in the world today, the iniquity is exceeding great and should cause all of us to sigh and cry.

Finally, I have a book that was printed in 1973 that said there were 200 priests in Israel who were being trained to perform temple sacrifices. Ever since I committed my life to Christ in 1995, I have been hearing about how they have already built the Temple in Jerusalem, and how it is ready to be assembled at a moment’s notice. We have been warned for a long time now. The Temple is going to be built eventually, just as the Bible says. We are living in the last generation. When judgment comes, only those who are mindful that Jesus was nailed to a cross for us (ו+) will escape. 

Acts 4:15-31 — The Power of the Holy Spirit

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In our last post, Peter and John used their arrest as an opportunity to preach the gospel to the Sanhedrin. In this post, we will see how the Sanhedrin responded to the witness of the Holy Spirit (v 8), and how the church in turn responded afterwards. Give us understanding, Father, as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Acts 4:15-31
15    But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16    Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17    But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. [Jesus]
18    And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19    But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20    For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21    So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
22    For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

These scholarly religious leaders continue to resist the voice of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because they were in the flesh, as we saw in our last post. (So they that are in the flesh cannot please God. –Rom 8:8) On the other hand, the common people whom Peter and John reported back to are being led of the Spirit:

23    And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
24    And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
25    Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26    The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. [Ps 2:1f]
27    For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
28    For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
29    And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30    By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

There is power in the name of God’s Son. The church understood this just as Peter and John did when they were threatened by the council. I believe almost everybody understands this at some level. If they did not, they would not use Jesus’ name to curse.

31    And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:15-31

When Peter and John are threatened, they turn it around and ask their persecutors to judge what is right — to obey them or to obey God. (Luke 21:15)

When the church heard about what happened, they accepted it as God’s will (v 28) and glorified God. When they prayed, they did not ask for the persecution to stop, but rather that they would be given boldness to preach the word, and also that they could see more healings (vv 29f). God must have been pleased with these prayers as the place where they were assembled was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (v 31). Their prayers were answered and they spake the word of God with boldness. That is some powerful prayer. I want that power. 

Father, help us to be bold like they were in the early church. Help us to be led of the Spirit as they were. Help us to be faithful unto death that we may receive a crown of life, the same as them. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Prophecy Update: When Peter and John reported back to their friends after their arrest in the passage above, the situation was urgent. Peter and John being arrested and threatened by the high priest would be sort of like if your pastor was thrown in a federal jail in DC, then threatened by the president. They therefore had a prayer meeting. In their prayer, they viewed Psalm 2 as a prophecy that spoke to their situation. The kings of the earth … and rulers — ie the Jewish leaders, the Roman leadership such as Pilate, and Rome’s vassal, Herod — had set themselves, and taken counsel together against the LORD and his Anointed. When I read Psalm 2, I see the world leaders of our day, nearly all of whom are rebelling against the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as the rebellious leaders in Acts 4 were unable to stop God’s program in the first century, the rebellious leaders of today are powerless to stop his program in the twenty-first century. Psalm 2 goes on to say that God is laughing at these rulers and He is going to break them with a rod of iron. Yet the psalmist says they can still repent: Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Jesus said And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 

The situation is urgent for us too. The gospel has been preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, which means that the end is coming. The chaotic nature of current events can seem at times bewildering, but what seems clear is how the chaos is being used to steer us in a certain direction. Current events, together with information online and elsewhere, are whipping up passions and nudging people towards a race war, if not a civil war. I believe this is by design. I believe there is an evil spirit behind it. I believe it has been going on for a very long time. Over 55 years ago, the Manson cult committed murders for the expressed purpose of starting a race war. They tried to make it look like black people did it. Think about that, and remember that God hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. Remember God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God knows what He is doing. We need to trust Him, not the latest narrative on Rumble. We are living in the age of deceit and the biggest hoax of all is ready to be rolled out as soon as God removes his people from the earth — the aliens did it.

Would to God that we could have power like they had in the early church — prayer meetings that make the place where we are assembled together shake and fill us with the Holy Spirit, that we may speak the word of God with boldness. 

Let’s start with the assumption that such a move of the Holy Spirit is possible. (Mark 9:23; Phil 4:13) First, to have powerful prayer meetings, prayer needs to be inspired by the word of God, like in our passage above. (John 15:7) Second, our prayers must be according to God’s will and in harmony with the mind of Christ. (I John 5:14f) Third, powerful prayer is often prayer that is accompanied by fasting. (Neh 1:4; Ps 35:13; Dan 9:3; Matt 17:21; Mark 9:29; Luke 2:37; 5:33; Acts 10:30; 13:3; 14:23; I Cor 7:5) Each of these verses calls for both prayer and fasting. (KJV) The Christians in our passage practiced Hebrews 4:16 before Paul even wrote it; we can pray this way too. When Christians pray out loud, pray often, pray together, when they pray in accordance with God’s will, when they strengthen their prayers with fasting, and when they pray like lives depend on it, miracles happen.

Acts 4:1-14 The Witness of the Holy Spirit

~ mikethemissionary

Dear Friends,

Greetings in Christ!

In this post, we continue with the scene that erupted after Peter healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. While Jesus got in trouble for deliberately healing on the Sabbath, Peter and John are going to get it for healing in Jesus’ name and preaching through Jesus the resurrection of the dead — both of which are central themes in the Book of Acts. 

The Sadducees, who will confront Peter and John, did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. You might say they were the liberal theologians of their day. Yet while the doctrine of the resurrection was offensive to them, the name of Jesus was especially egregious. 

Father, give us understanding as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Acts 4:1-14
AND as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple [a priest who had the Levitical guard under him(1)], and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2    Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3    And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4    Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

First a man who was lame from birth was healed; then 5000 are saved through Peter’s preaching. Which then was the greater miracle? 

They say no good deed goes unpunished and I have found that to more or less be true. Anyone who preaches the gospel can tell you that the attacks and false accusations come out of nowhere, even in a ‘free’ country. John and Peter get to spend the night in jail for healing a lame man and preaching the gospel.

5    And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6    And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John [possibly Johanan ben Zaccai], and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7    And when they had set them [Peter and John] in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

When Jesus healed on the Sabbath the religious leaders could not have cared less that a blind man was given sight. They were driven to madness because Jesus did not follow their misinterpretation of the law. Once again, these ‘rulers’ (ie the Sanhedrin; cf v 15), Annas, Caiaphas, along with the elders, scribes, and others — the very ones who condemned Jesus to death — do not care that the lame man was healed. They are irate that Peter healed him by the power and name of Jesus.

8    Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9    If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10    Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 

There Peter goes again, preaching on the resurrection — just like Jesus. (John 12:24 et al). And Paul: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (Col 3:1)

11    This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. [Ps 118:22]
12    Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
13    Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14    And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
Acts 4:1-14

The Sadducees are resisting the witness of the Holy Spirit (v 8), which has been telling them to repent for years now. When God first spoke to his people after 400 years of silence, his very first word to them (through John the Baptist) was ‘Repent’. (Matt 3:2) Then when Jesus began his ministry, the first thing He preached was repentance. (Matt 4:17) Likewise, Peter preached repentance on Pentecost (Acts 2:38), and again in his second sermon as well. (Acts 3:19) Repentance is a theme that continues throughout the Book of Acts. (5:31; 8:22; 11:18; 13:24; 17:30; 19:4; 20:21; 26:20) Everyone needs to repent, which, of course, simply means to change your mind. Why were the religious leaders unmoved and oblivious to the witness of the Holy Spirit? Answer: Because they were in the flesh. 

One day as I was reading Notes on the Pentateuch by C H MacKintosh, I realized that trying to keep the law (Old Covenant) is not merely a theological error, it is in fact a matter of being in the flesh. 

MacKintosh explained how Romans 9 is not only about predestination. Predestination is there, but Romans 9 is also about following the law (in the flesh) versus salvation by grace through faith. Paul uses the examples of Esau and Pharaoh and compares them to Israel after the flesh (I Cor 10:18). Paul said the Jews, who continued to seek righteousness through the law, hath not attained to the law of righteousness (Rom 9:31) because they stumbled at the stumblingstone — Jesus. (Rom 9:33) Yet the Gentiles received the righteousness which is by faith (Rom 9:30), ie faith in Christ. Whether one is a Jew or a Gentile, trying to keep the law is trying to attain righteousness by one’s own merit, or what Paul called ‘dead works’. (Heb 6:1) Therefore, not only is the law powerless to save (Gal 2:16), but legalism is of the flesh. (Rom 7:5f) Contrariwise, those who are led of the Spirit are not under the law. (Gal 5:18) The Sadducees’ flesh would not suffer them to listen to a ‘nobody’ like John the Baptist who lived out in the desert, a Carpenter like Jesus, or the fishermen He chose to be his disciples. Although they marveled that these fishermen could preach boldly and quote the Scriptures, their flesh (pride) blinded them. Yet they seemed to understand that the power Peter and John possessed came from their connection to Jesus (v 13).

The flesh may look good when we are young — and even then, usually only after ample washing, primping, and perfuming — but sooner or later, the true nature of the flesh is revealed. The flesh is ugly, stinking, rotting, and dying. 

Peter and John were not in the flesh; they were filled with the Holy Spirit (v 8; Mark 13:11; John 14:26). Although they were unlearned and ignorant men (v 13), the power of their message was validated not only by the word of God (v 11), but also by the healing of the lame man, which the Sadducees had no answer for (v 14). These miraculous healings were common in the early church, but the real proof of a gospel message is in the word of God, especially now that the canon of Scripture is complete. (Rev 22:18) Satan can perform miracles too. (Mark 13:22; II Thess 2:9) Therefore, the Bible is the final authority. (John 17:17; II Tim 3:16; et al)

The learned Sadducees knew the Bible. However, despite their vast knowledge of the Scriptures, they were kept back by their flesh from seeing the plain truth. One thing I hope we can all get out of this study in Acts is the importance of walking in the Spirit. The law cannot save us. Our flesh will only lead us astray. The Spirit is the key. When we are perfected, we will be raised in a spiritual body. (I Cor 15:44) One of the great witnesses of the rapture will be the missing corpses which will be raised first, before those of us who are alive and remain are translated. First the morgues will start emptying of Christians. (I Thess 4:16) Then the living saints will be caught up. (I Thess 4:17) If anyone thinks to exhume the body of a Christian from the grave they will find her or him missing. Maybe that is one of the reasons the enemy hates the preaching of the resurrection so much (v 2).    

To be led of the Spirit is to believe in the resurrection. To be led of the Spirit is to emphasize salvation by grace through faith — and love. (Eph 2:1-9; I Cor 12:31-13:13; I Pet 4:8) To be led of the Spirit is to [t]rust in the LORD with all thine heart [not head]; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

In the early days of the colonies in America, Quakers were considered radicals because they believed in being led by the “Inward Light” of the Holy Spirit (not just by ordained ministers). Quakerism has been described as proto-evangelical. The tree is known by its fruit, and the Quakers were pioneers in the abolition movement; they were eventually even strong supporters of the Revolution in some cases, but in the early days of the colonies they were horribly persecuted by their legalistic Puritan peers in Massachusetts. Four Quakers were even hanged in Boston between 1659 and 1661.(2) Those who are in the flesh persecute those who are led of the Spirit. It has always been so. (Gal 4:29)

Father, help us to be Spirit-filled Christians who follow You with pure hearts. Help each of us to crucify our flesh, that we may live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Prophecy Update: Tragedy was a worldwide theme this week. In Kathmandu, Parliament, the Supreme Court, the homes of several prominent politicians, and other high-profile buildings were burned down as politicians fled the capital in helicopters. This was ostensibly over a ban on social media. In the end, the government backed down and rescinded the ban. Protests in Paris and cities across France continued, in an attempt to ‘Block Everything’. Israeli Bombing in Doha, which targeted five Hamas leaders, drew ridicule from Israel’s staunchest allies. (Qatar was only one of five countries attacked by Israel this week, in addition to Gaza.) Populist Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, was sentenced to 27 years for an ‘attempted coup’. There was yet another school shooting near Denver.

Husband, father, rising star in conservative circles, and follower of Jesus Christ, Charlie Kirk, was shot dead at a Prove Me Wrong event on the campus of Utah Valley University. The reaction from some of the haters on social media (and even some in government) to Charlie’s murder seemed to me almost an eerie foreshadowing of the way people will react following the murder of the two witnesses in Jerusalem, in the middle of the seventieth week of Daniel. (Rev 11:10)

Some might say it has always been this way, but I don’t think so. In her State of the Union Address on Wednesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said, “Battle lines for a New World Order, based on power, are being drawn right now. So yes, Europe must fight for its place in the world in which many major powers are either ambivalent or openly hostile to Europe. A world of imperial ambitions and imperial wars. A world in which dependencies are ruthlessly weaponized, and it is for all these reasons that a new Europe must emerge.” She went on to say, “We will put our bilateral support to Israel on hold. … We will propose sanctions on the extremist ministers and on violent settlers. And we will also propose a partial suspension of the Association Agreement on trade-related matters.” The Bible says Jerusalem will become a cup of trembling in the last days (Zech 12:2), and that seems to be happening. 

1 Pulpit Commentary, s.v. Acts 4:1.
2 Ahlstrom, A Religious History of the American People, pp 177-181

Thank You for Charlie, Father. Watch over his family until they meet him again in your kingdom, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

#ProphecyUpdate June 2025 #MustReading #IntelligenceBriefing:

~ mikethemissionary

Prologue

Dragon Slayer (2014),  P 161:

A well-rounded worldview is one that incorporates not just religion, philosophy, history, and current events, but politics as well — a reasoned view of politics. In order to truly understand an organization, one needs to understand its roots. Although the Democratic Party has styled itself as the party of civil liberties, their true roots are such that they were indeed the party of slavery. This is what they stood for historically. The Republicans, the party of Lincoln, started out well but have been co-opted in the twenty-first century by the ‘neocons’, a name they adopted for themselves. The neocons no longer represent American values as defined by the founding fathers. The anti-slavery stance for example was a founding-father value. Many of the founding fathers were abolitionists. The Declaration of Independence itself attacked slavery by declaring that all men are created equal. However the neocons are now championing the end of civil liberties by destroying the Bill of Rights, and by subjugating the modern populations of the world. The Democrats are complicit with them. 

Dragon Slayer (2014),  P 215:

The New World Order, with its intervention policies that erode national sovereignty, used to only appeal to the left. Then along came the neocons. The neocons have been in control of the Republican Party ever since George H.W. Bush. Irving Kristol is the “godfather of neoconservatism.” This is what Irving Krostol’s Wikipedia page says: “As a former Trotskyist, Irving was indeed himself mugged by the “reality” of conservative philosophy and enfolded leftist policies such as a lack of objection to welfare programs, international “revolution” through nation-building/ militarily imposed “democracy” and application of Fabian Socialism/Keynesianism coupled with a socially conservative viewpoint. These concepts lie at the core of neoconservative philosophy to this day.” [Emphasis added.] 

Dragon Slayer (2014), P 43:

After our involvement in Iraq, it was admitted that Iraq had nothing to do with September 11, nor were there any WMDs in Iraq.  Instead of liberation, our involvement only badly destabilized the area, forcing the Christians to flee the country. They sought refuge in Syria, where it was granted. Then we aided in the destabilization of Syria by supporting the Syrian rebels. The Christian refugees and the local Christians were badly persecuted by the very rebel forces the United States was supporting. The Christians were raped, killed, forced to convert to Islam, or beheaded in many cases. Many fled for their lives back to Iraq again. 

Notes on John (2020):

Essentially what we are looking at is Obama 2.0. [Biden] We can expect all the things I wrote about in Dragon Slayer Jesus Christ to resurface. For example, expect to see ISIS come back and wars in the Middle East to return. Added to this is the fact that Biden is 100% committed to medical tyranny in the name of COVID. Take heart though. All these are the beginning of sorrows [birth pangs]. Although dark times are upon us, the good news is we have a new birth of freedom coming. [Ie, 1000 years of peace (Rev 20)]

Notes on John (2021):

One of the greatest achievements of the Trump Administration was the defeat of ISIS and a drawdown of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention the multiple peace treaties between Israel and her neighbors. Following the stolen presidential election of 2020, I wrote that we will soon see a return of the failed policies of the Obama Administration. Right on cue, Washington has been busy rebranding Mohammad al Jolani, the founder of al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, as a legitimate head of state dressed in Western business attire. In Dragon Slayer Jesus Christ, I wrote about how this shell game is played with al-Qaeda, blaming them for terrorism while at the same time using them to fight proxy wars. Now, they are being presented as our new ally, the legitimate government in Syria.

Fast forward to 2024: As the Biden Administration (Obama 2.0) was winding down, Syria was taken over by HTS in a lightning-fast eight-day blitz. Shortly afterward, the US lifted the terror designation from HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. The wars in the Middle East are following a predictable pattern, ie the final stages of a plan set in motion over 25 years ago by the Project for a New American Century. After September 11, General Wesley Clark learned of these plans directly from the top brass in DC and made them public. The plan was to take over seven nations in the Middle East starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and finishing off, Iran. (See Dragon Slayer, p 179) 

That brings us to where we are now in 2025:

These events were orchestrated and executed by the Republican neocons. The Democrats under Obama were complicit with them. Now Trump — either wittingly or unwittingly, who knows — is embroiled in this plot. The momentum of this agenda is an unstoppable force, on a crash course with the immovable object of Bible prophecy. From a worldly perspective, what we see transpiring in the Middle East is essentially the Great Game Part II. This, however, is a very short-sighted perspective. To have an accurate worldview, one must examine everything through the lens of Scripture. 

Each stage in this process that kicked off on September 11, 2001 has antagonized various players in the Magog scenario of Ezekiel 38, 39. After the rapture of the church and the fulfillment of Ezekiel 37 (ie, the worldwide return of the Jews to Israel), Russia (Magog), Iran, and the other Muslim participants are going to be so incensed over their many losses that they are going to rise up in unison against Israel. They will feel invincible as they descend on their tiny adversary, only to be obliterated. After their defeat, their corpses will be buried in the valley of Hamon-gog. Their weapons will be burned for seven years. (Ez 39:1-16) Nevertheless, world sentiment will continue to turn against Israel (and toward the Antichrist) until Israel has to flee to Jordan, where they will find refuge in Petra. (Isa 16:1-4) When Jesus returns at the end of the Great Tribulation Period, Israel will receive her Messiah. (Zech 13:6) 

End of Prologue. Now we are prepared to proceed with this prophecy update:

In Daniel 9, Daniel recognized his people would soon be released from Babylon just as Jeremiah foretold. (Jer 29:10) Daniel knew that God was about to do something big. Daniel therefore prepared himself with prayer and fasting. God is preparing to do something big in our day too. The ‘great men’ of the earth make their plans. The Bible says God is laughing at them. (Ps 2:4) Father, give us understanding as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daniel 9:1-21

1  In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;

2  In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

3  And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

4  And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

5  We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

6  Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7  O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

8  O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

9  To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

10  Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11  Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

12  And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

13  As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.

14  Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

15  And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16  O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

17  Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.

18  O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

19  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

20  And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;

21  Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

Daniel 9:1-21

In Daniel’s prayer, we see that one of the curses Israel brought on themselves through their transgressions was confusion. Daniel mentioned this twice. Daniel said this confusion had permeated their culture, affecting everyone from the head to the tail (v 7f). Mark Twain said history does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Much like Israel, the church in these last days has sinned too. Hence, we are cursed with confusion just as they were. Let’s take a step back:

Do you remember where you were the first time you used the Internet? I certainly do. I also remember where I was when I first heard we were attacked on September 11, yet my emotional response to the one seemed to be an inverse function of the other. Like the precious Ring of Power in a Tolkien novel, the Internet captivated us. It then lured us away from our books, our critical thought patterns, and our communion with God. It was available to all, unprejudiced and nonthreatening. It was like a lotus salad on a silver platter served by an enchantress named Pandora. Once the Internet became part of our daily lives, I could not help but notice how people were embracing the opinions of total strangers. If their site appeared near the top of the search results, they were automatically an authority on any given subject. Before anyone even knew who was running Snopes it was widely regarded as the final arbiter of truth. When search results were later manipulated to hide certain hits and magnify others, the cancer metastasized. 

The complete control of the Internet was always the plan of the New World Order. I wrote about this in the 10-Year Anniversary Edition of Dragon Slayer (available for free here). Controlling the narrative is necessary for their plan of world domination, especially their plans to depopulate the world through vaccines, or what the Bible calls sorceries (Gk pharmakeia, Rev 18:23). Artificial Intelligence is taking the deception to the next level. I think the question we need to ask ourselves is whether we are going to let this trend affect us as Christians. Daniel serves as a model for us to follow in this regard. He refused to eat the rich food the Babylonians ate. He refused to follow their laws when they conflicted with his faith. Daniel was in Babylon but not of Babylon. Daniel was knowledgeable of the times and he exercised discernment; he prepared himself accordingly.

As for us, our King is coming back for us soon. Will He find you watching? Or will you be lulled to sleep by the alternate reality of Satan and his silicon army? Timothy Leary told his followers to “Turn on, tune in, drop out.” I say Turn off, tune out, unplug. I have never used Siri and I never will. I will always choose reality over AI. I do not own a TV. Digital lotus may be pleasurable for a season, but the end thereof is death. AI amounts to lies and deception. The Bible and analog reality point to the truth. Consider:

They are preparing to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. (Matt 24:15)

They are preparing the new economy of the New World Order. (Rev 13:16-18)

They are preparing the worldwide deception of the Antichrist. (2 Thess 2:11)

Are you prepared?

Whatever turn current events may take, the key thing to keep in mind is where all this is leading. Jesus is coming back soon. Jesus is not worried about the news headlines. We need to stay focused on Jesus. (Isa 26:3) Everything else is a distraction. 

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Hebrews 10:37

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:13

Keep your attention fixed on Christ and his kingdom. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Jesus is coming. In the final analysis that is all that really matters. Tell others. Be ready. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen.