ECCE

     Although some churches do not study the Old Testament, future events, as well as our future, are written in it, as they are also revealed in the New Testament.        The prophet Daniel was given a timetable of prophetic events that are continuing to be fulfilled, and will be fulfilled in the future. Daniel had been reading the prophecy of Jeremiah "whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." (Dan. 9:2,  see Jer. 25:1-11 ). This caused Daniel to come before the LORD in prayer, seeking forgiveness for himself and the people of God who had failed to listen and obey the Word of the LORD through His prophets, and through the statutes of God's Word: "We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, w...

When considering the troubling events of this week, my wife, Pastor Mary, made a comment that "there's nothing new under the sun". This is found in Ecclesiastes, written by King Solomon: "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun...it hath been already from old time, which was before us." (Eccl. 1:9-10). The prophets were given the Word of the LORD in warning to God's people, and they were often ignored or accused because of it. The prophet Amos, a humble shepherd who was called by the LORD to be a prophet to Israel, wrote of the threat of war and conflict, and the judgment of the LORD upon those nations who attacked Israel. Amos wrote of the judgment against Damascus and Syria (Amos 1:1-5, see also Isa. 17:1). Amos also wrote about Gaza, the territory in our headlines today: "...For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the ...

While we do not know the day nor the hour of Christ's return, we belevers are expected to know the signs of the times, if we are to be obedient. Jesus told His disciples the signs that would signal His return and the end of the age, and we should understand them: "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet . For nation (ethnicity) shall rise against nation (ethnicity), and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." (Mt. 24:1-8). All of these signs are just the beginning. The end is not yet at hand. Often in modern history, people have mis-identified a war as "the last war", but it has not been so. Jesus continued, warn...

General William Sherman, who led Union troops during the Civil War, issued the famous quote, "...War is Hell". Experienced soldiers often make up many of those who are the most reluctant to see a war begin, because they have seen first hand the horrors that it brings. We are seeing a war currently in the Middle East, and innocent blood is being spilt on both sides. We have also seen and heard the reports about those who have no respect for human life boasting of the beheading of children and other civilians. They took joy in it. Scripture tells us how war and other tragedies come upon one's land. The prophet Hosea wrote the Word of the LORD: "...there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish...My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge, because tho...