Three articles: Rise of the Tyrant, Who is God's Candidate?, Things Are Bad!

Today's essay brings you three different media on a similar topic: World Affairs. The first is from Robin Schumacher of The Confident Christian. Schumacher is a highly intelligent Christian writer and apologist who writes at The Christian Post. I always enjoy his articles. Recently he published an article about America's decline, and the rise of the tyrant. His essay is titled Rise of the Tyrant.

The second is John MacArthur's sermon, Who Is God's Candidate?

The third is Pastor Nate Pickowicz and his Fire Away! podcast, this episode titled Things are Bad!

I posted Schumacher's first because it grounds us in history. MacArthur's is second because it gives a biblical overview and a celestial perspective. Pickowicz's is third because of the Christian encouragement from scripture. The order I placed these will hopefully educate, strengthen the Christian's biblical perspective, and encourage despite knowing the times in which we live are more chaotic each day.

Jesus ordains all things- even the disruptive and dizzying times in which we live. Schumacher wrote of it, MacArthur senses it, Pickowicz sees it, and we know it. Therefore I posted these resources in hopes that through each of their careful and restrained biblical lessons by mature pastors of the faith, we would be helped and calmed.

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1. Rise of the Tyrant

Schumacher opens by quoting a recent article by:
Andrew Sullivan in his recent New York Magazine article, “America Has Never Been So Ripe for Tyranny”, merit your attention. Although clearly no conservative (he has Donald Trump squarely set in his article’s sights), Sullivan rightly identifies how well-intentioned democracies slide into the arms of despots who quickly then short-circuit the system and rule with terror and absolute power.
Schumacher goes through his summary of the Sullivan article, extends our view back through history with a short treatment on past tyrants, and then looks toward The Future Fuhrer and from a stance of biblical Christianity, wrote,
As America continues to both implicitly and explicitly hold God’s funeral, it forgets that someone is always waiting to take the Creator’s place. ... Rest assured, he’s coming. Scripture clearly describes a point in the future when that Caesar will be crowned by a fawning world desperate for peace and prosperity. The new emperor will seem to have all the answers, and will rise from the chaos of the nations (Rev. 13), but after he has delivered a false veneer of peace, the Bible says he will then, “cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they [the people] feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes” (Dan. 8:25).
It is a piece worthy of your attention.

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2. Who Is God's Candidate?

In the same vein, if you are concerned about the state of the American Presidential election and how to think about it biblically, Pastor-Teacher John MacArthur has delivered a two part series of sermon lessons titled Who Is God's Candidate?

The sermons are not a political, no candidates are named. They do not focus on the American political, nominating, or election process. Instead, MacArthur focuses on Old Testament promises of God to bless and curse nations that worship Him, follow His laws, and do their best to hold back sin on a national scale. He notes that every time a nation refuses God, it crumbles, and that IS what WILL happen to America in the future, he said. Here is the link to Part 2 of Who is God's Candidate?

Who Is God's Candidate? Part 1

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3. Things are Bad!


Pastor Nate Pickowicz labors for the kingdom in the spiritual desert of New England. He and co-host Landon Chapman have a weekly podcast in which Christian matters are discussed. I liked what Pickowicz had to say in his introduction. He decided to title the podcast episode "Things are Bad!" because as he stated, we can't help it when we look out over the world in the school systems, the economy, the government, world affairs...we cannot look out and think to ourselves, 'wow things are getting so much better! Things are going so well!' We want to give voice to the things that we see happening.

I agree. And so, things are bad. We would be foolish not to acknowledge that and attempt to learn more of how to behave and what to think with a biblical perspective during these chaotic and dizzying times. We are not OF the world, but we are IN the world, so we have to deal with it. We can do that by continuing to encourage one another, not whitewash away the news, and learn how to better focus on Jesus. I also liked the podcast because of the heavy scriptural emphasis in the second half of biblical encouragement. The podcast is also in iTunes.

PODCAST  Things Are Bad!

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I named this blog The End Time because the time is near. (Revelation 1:3, Revelation 22:10). The events that are occurring on earth speed up with dizzying pace in prophecy as we live it each day and toward the final prophecy as predicted and ordained by Jesus. Since my growing up days to now the difference in the world, especially America, is astounding. Prophecy says it will always only get worse. Jesus could come today or tomorrow or in a few more years, but He is always just about to come, because the time is near. We are living in the time of the end- the end of the Age of Grace is hurtling toward us and the unsaved with dizzying speed. How are we to think? How are we to act?

I said this at the outset and it bears repeating. Jesus ordains all things- even the disruptive and dizzying times in which we live. Schumacher wrote of it, MacArthur senses it, Pickowicz sees it, and we know it. Therefore I posted these resources in hopes that through each of their careful and restrained biblical lessons by mature pastors of the faith, we would be helped and calmed.



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