Thursday, September 4, 2014

Four Blood Moons: Dealing With the Changes to Come

Last week, I was at my hairstylist’s salon, which was busy with much talk, and among varying conversations the topic of the current Arab-Israeli conflict came up. Some were saying this is confirmation of the prediction of the four blood moons teaching by John Hagee and other authors, others insisted it was just another incident in the Middle East. Then there was a sense of fear concerning the entire episode: fear for Israel, for ourselves and for the world.

The conversation touched on three major events that took place after previous blood moons, for example the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, and victory of the Jews at the Yom Kippur war in 1967. And though two of the three events were positive for Israel, yet because the blood moons of this year and next year foreshadow events that are unknown, there is fear for Israel and the world at large.

Naturally, the greatest fears of humankind are the fear of death and fear of the unknown, and it is quite easy for us humans to accommodate these fears.

In the book "Breaking Through the Barriers" you can read about the root of all fear and how we can deal with it. The book says:

“Self-preservation—our most basic human trait—and imagination are at the root of all fear. These partners sometimes create a negative belief or acceptance of information based on the assumption that we will be hurt in one way or another, and we become filled with fear. And naturally, we do not want to perish. However, adverse forces use this weakness to instill in us a toxic combination of indecision, procrastination and expectation of evil. And this deception often works as a tool of obstruction to keep our minds off the greatness and goodness of God.

Here is a description of fear:
   F Faithless
   E Expectations
   A Assuming
   R Reality”

What lies on the horizon for Israel and the world? We do not know all the details but God knows, and He does not want us to live in fear. However, there is one great principle of God we know that can be comforting: God is “longsuffering, patient, gracious and kind” and will hear and answer our prayers for peace in Israel, Canada, America, the entire Middle East and nations all over the world if we will reach out to Him in earnest intercession. The effectual fervent prayer of righteous persons avail much.

John Hagee and other authors have done what they could to alert their readers of Bible prophecy and its value and we are to do the rest. What can we do? How can we deal with the changes that are expected to come? We can be vigilant in intercessory prayer and we can set our houses in order (Isaiah 38:1), worshipping Almighty God and trusting Him for guidance, direction, protection and safety.

The Scriptures hold the answers to today’s turmoil and give us sound counsel on the entire episode; they say: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6). And in praying for Israel, let us remember to pray also for her neighbours.

Don’t panic. God is in charge and will oversee His plans for His highest and best for us. Remember y2k just 14 years ago? We navigated through y2k predictions. Many people took money out of the bank and made a mess of their finances, and other issues in their lives because of fear of what would happen with computers and other electronic devices. Remember?

I believe, if by some miracle, everyone in the world should pray fervently to the Lord God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, for peace in the Middle East and the world at large, we would see God’s greatness and goodness as His plan unfolds. And as believers in the God of grace and peace, we could and should share our God-given grace as a praying people with others.

I have not read any of the books on the four blood moons, but I have watched the documentaries on the television and heard enough narratives about the subject to know and understand what it is all about: the pending doom and eventual triumph of Israel.

Something ironic is that in the midst of all the turmoil going on in Israel, many people are still booking flights and tours to that mysterious land. This is because to the believer of the Scriptures, the place is biblically historic and going there feels like going home. The land is magnetic to a lot of people, including me. Yes, Israel holds a fascination for me. I have been there twice and hope to go again.

What makes the land so attractive and magnetic to visitors? As believers of the Scriptures, it is the land that holds our spiritual DNA. Spiritually, we belong there and believe there is a time when all will be well and there will be SHALOM in Israel.

READ MORE OF THE BOOK "Breaking Through the Barriers" at: http://www.breakingthroughthebarriersbook.com