Stand fast!

God judges nations in time, but will judge individuals in eternity. Nations are judged by God and His judgment is executed against those nations by other nations (e.g., Babylon carrying Israel away into captivity), through natural forces (e.g., plagues and famines), or by forces within the nations themselves (e.g., the American Civil War). God also uses nations as His instruments in time, regardless of whether the nation or its leaders are God-fearing or godless or idolaters. Consider the fact that, in Isaiah 45:1, God calls King Cyrus His “anointed” (~ “christ”) to execute certain task in the judgment of Babylon. God is, in these last days, separating the “sheep” nations from the “goat” nations and executing His just judgment.

In our Lord Jesus’ first coming, the scriptures declare that He came “in the fullness of time.” Apparently, “the fullness of time” was in the heyday of the Roman Empire (an idolatrous nation). But it was this very idolatrous nation that also provided the proper environment for the going forth of the gospel. Pax Romana was enforced across a huge expanse of Europe, the Middle East, and into portions of Asia. A common language was used across much of this empire for commerce (i.e., Latin), common coinage made trade simpler, and the Roman Roads made travel easier. All of these environmental forces working in concert made the extension of the gospel across Europe and the Asia Minor much easier than if each geographic area had its own unique government with varying laws and abilities to enforce those laws with regard to travel, trade and transportation.

The scriptures are very clear: a collapse of catastrophic proportions will come, and this collapse will affect every nation on the globe. Such calamity will certainly contribute to the rise, the power and the authority of the antichrist for, even as we have seen in the last 60 days in this nation, perceived calamity will cause people to accept government actions that under any other circumstances would have been inconceivable.

However, my prayer, and the prayer of the saints with whom I gather, has been that there would be no collapse in the U.S. before God’s appointed time; that Satan and his cohort would not have their way, but rather that God would shame His enemy and plunder his house!; and further, that the economy and strength of this nation would yet revive and survive to provide an abundance for the sake of the work of the gospel (economically) and peace and safety (practically) for the going-forth of the gospel to other nations in these last days.

With Muslims moving to the U.S., Canada, and many European nations, the children of Ishmael -- the faith that declares "God has no son!" -- at last are in an environment where they have opportunity to hear the genuine gospel of the Son of God and His glorious saving grace. May God have mercy on the children of Ishmael in these last days!

My faith is fully confident toward God in this matter despite all of the evil reports in the present hour. As the Roman Empire was divinely appointed in the first coming of Christ, so also (I believe) this nation has been appointed to stabilize the world for the running of the gospel horse in the days preceding Christ’s second coming.

May wickedness and deceit be exposed in these days before the election, and may righteousness and integrity be lifted up for all to see! The saints are given authority to bind kings with fetters and nobles with chains! The prayers of the saints are “the tracks” on which God has liberty to move in the earth. (Psalm 149:8, 9)

Stand fast!