Category: Prophecy

PTNews

P r o p h e c y T o d a y N e w s

September 2021

Published monthly

All Bible references are from the KJV

(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

P.O. Box 13006, Roanoke, VA 24030-3006

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By Mike Wingfield

We have all experienced the radical changes in our lifestyles since the onset of COVID-19. As 2020 began, who would have predicted the global repercussions of a virus that would impact almost every person on the planet? This serves to illustrate that at any moment, our world can experience a development that can radically alter our lives.

The Bible indicates in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 that at some point in the last days, an event or series of events will bring sudden destruction upon the entire world. No one can pretend to know what will happen or what will trigger this abrupt and life-threatening event. But the Bible does tell us that it will be like a woman who suddenly gives birth to a baby. While no one can predict with exact precision when a baby will be born, there is usually some evidence that gives us an idea of its approximate time of arrival. So, the Bible is saying that the world will be pregnant with warnings of the sudden destruction before it arrives.

One such life-altering event for our world is rapidly approaching. The world has been warned in the last 40 years that Islam is serious about the destruction of America and Israel, the eradication of Christianity, and the establishment of a one-world Islamic Empire, called a Caliphate.

About a year ago, President Donald Trump was leading the United States to openly support Israel. He moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. He declared that the Golan Heights should be recognized as a legitimate part of Israel. He publicly announced that the Jewish communities in the West Bank [biblical Judea and Samaria] were not in violation of any international law. He withdrew the U.S. from the Iranian nuclear deal brokered by President Barak Obama’s administration in 2015. And he advanced peace between Israel and many of her Arab neighbors, called the Abraham Accords. All of these policies helped to make the Middle East more secure with the hope of peace for the first time since Israel became a nation in 1948.

Within a few months of his arrival in Washington D.C., Democrat President Joe Biden took a wrecking ball to all of President Trump’s accomplishments. In the aftermath of his actions, the Israelis and the Sunni Arabs are warning President Biden that he is bringing the region to the brink of a major confrontation with Iran. President Biden refuses to listen to the voices of warning of his own friends in the Middle East. He is determined to renew the former nuclear deal with Iran and to pay them tens of billions of dollars in sanctions relief. Everyone in the Middle East knows that this will further embolden Iran to develop a nuclear weapon and ramp up their terrorist war against Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other Sunni Arab states in the Persian Gulf.

In his first 6 months in office, President Biden has consistently stood on the side of evil in the Middle East. In February, Biden removed the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen from the international terrorist list. He has made known that he supports a two-state solution, forcing Israel to surrender the heart of the Promised Land to an enemy that is sworn to its destruction. He wants the Palestinians to have the old city of Jerusalem [the ancient biblical city of Jerusalem] as their capital. He has unconditionally resumed U.S. financial aid to the Palestinians, who continue to pay terrorists in Israeli jails that have murdered Israelis in the past. In recent weeks Biden has pledged $75 million of U.S. aid to rebuild Gaza, after Israel’s war with them several months ago. Recent history would demonstrate that these funds will end up in the pockets of Hamas to be used to fund the next round of war against Israel.

In a high-level meeting in June with Russian President Vladimir Putin (see photo above), President Biden informed the Russian leader that he did not support Israel’s right to attack Iranian military positions in Syria. For years, Israel has made it clear to the Russians and everyone else that they will not tolerate Iran’s efforts to set up military bases in Syria only a few miles from Israel’s northern border along the Golan Heights. As a result Russia has turned against Israel and is installing a more advanced antiballistic missile defense system in Syria to make life more dangerous for Israeli pilots who attack Iranian military positions in Syria.

It is very apparent that, like President Obama, President Biden is strengthening the enemies of Israel and other U.S. Arab allies in the region. This is dangerous. It is fueling the eruption of a major war in the Middle East. It is a threat to the entire world. He is strengthening the enemies of America – Iran, Russia, and China.

Furthermore, President Biden has ordered the removal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by August 31. This withdrawal of the U.S. military presence in the Middle East is sending the wrong message to the enemies of Israel. They view this as a sign of weakness. It invites them to attack and defeat America and her allies.

A recent article in the International Jerusalem Post listed “10 possible outcomes that American politicians, the military, and intelligence services will have to grapple with in the coming years.

1. Islamic terrorism will find both new and old havens from which to plot mayhem against the U.S. and Israel.

2. Iran will increase its military activity at the region’s two strategic choke-hold points at the Straits of Hormuz and Babel Mandeb, threatening international shipping lanes.

3. With America’s retreat, allies worldwide will know that American security commitments can be expected to have expiration dates.

4. Iran, Russia, and China will be the new superpowers of the Middle East.

5. Israel will be more isolated if Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states move toward Iran out of desperation. Still, Israel hopes they decide to continue normalization (Abraham Accords), seeing them as the better choice of an ally.

6. Iran will feel less inhibited in risk-taking, knowing the U.S. will not want to challenge the Islamic regime, lest it withdraw from the nuclear agreement.

7. Iran will set its sights on Jordan, the next domino to fall, after Iraq and Lebanon, under Iranian influence.

8. The Taliban will retake Afghanistan (see photo on this page), making all the gains achieved for women and minorities disappear instantly. [Note: This has already happened.]

9. The chance for regional conflicts will grow.

10. Nuclear proliferation will arrive sooner or later in the Sunni [Arab] world, to nobody’s benefit.”

Michael Oren, Israel’s former ambassador to the U.S., has said, “If you think the United States as a global power can pull out of the Middle East and not endanger itself, you are deluding yourselves” (The International Jerusalem Post, May 14-20, 2021, p. 19).

Most significant of all, these latest decisions by the U.S. administration to stand with the enemies of Israel will force the curse of God upon the America (Genesis 12:3). President Biden is standing against God. God is the one who has sworn to defend Israel (Psalm 121:4-8; Isaiah 29:7-8; 54:17; Zechariah 12:9).

As the clock keeps ticking toward the day when Iran will have a nuclear weapon, will Israel move against Iran to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities? In recent weeks, the new Israeli leadership has promised that it will do just that. If this happens, what will be the world’s reaction? When Israel defended itself against Hamas in Gaza a few months ago, the world erupted in acts of hatred toward Israel and Jews living around the world. What will be the reaction of Iran’s allies – Russia and China? This could set the stage for the military attack against Israel mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39.

Friends, it is my opinion we are watching the calm before the storm. As America is about to remove its restraining force against Islamic terrorism in the Middle East, evil is ready to escalate at a rapid pace. In the midst of it all, this would be the perfect time for the Rapture.

Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

Islamic Goal: Eradicate Christianity

While American believers sit comfortably in their homes and worship the Lord in their churches without fear, many Christians around the world are suffering for their Lord. In a recent article for Gatestone Institute, Raymond Ibrahim, wrote a shocking 10-page report entitled, “Their Goal is Really to Eradicate Christianity.” (www.gatestoneinstitute.org). Reading this report is very troubling. It openly states and illustrates that the elimination of Christianity is a major goal of Islam. For Islam, Christianity is a religion of infidels that must be eradicated. It is the belief of radical Muslims that this would allow them to invite their Islamic messiah, known as the Mahdi, to appear on the global scene and rule the world.

This is a stark reminder of what is in the future for all believers in Jesus Christ during the horrific Tribulation Period. Jesus warned His disciples, “the time cometh, that whosoever kills you will think that he does God service” (John 16:2).

It is chilling to think that there are people brutalizing, persecuting, and killing believers in Jesus because they believe it pleases their god. To my knowledge, there is only one global religion that promotes this kind of hatred – radical Islam. According to www.opendoors.org, one out of every eight Christians in the world, 340 million, is suffering “high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith” (World Watch List 2021: Trends  · Serving Persecuted Christian’s Worldwide (opendoors.org) ). This trend is growing each year.

In our world today, 50 nations are listed as the top persecutors of Christians. They are all Islamic Republics and Communists nations. Where Muslims, Communists or socialists are in control, Christians are facing dangerous trials, unspeakable suffering, and rejection (see photo below). As we watch the advance of socialism in America, Christians have a right to be concerned. It is time to wake up! Christianity is in the cross hairs of the radical left in America. They want to silence us by intimidation and elimination.

The book of Revelation testifies that during the Tribulation Period the persecution of believers in Jesus Christ will become global. The Apostle John in Revelation 7 reported that he saw the souls of the martyrs of Jesus that came “out of great tribulation” (verse 14). These dear saints of God were “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (verse 9).

The Lord has a special reward for those who suffer and die in His Name. Revelation 7 records the honor that will be given to them, “Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 7:15-17).At the end of the Tribulation, these martyred saints will live and reign “with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4) in His earthly kingdom.

For a comprehensive daily report of global Islamic terrorism, go to: www.thereligionofpeace.com/ . Every believer needs to know about the global advance of Islamic terrorism. We can be glad that we will be raptured before the greatest persecution comes. However, we have no guarantee that American believers will not suffer persecution for their faith before the Rapture takes place. Be aware and pray!

“Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19).

Pray for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted. “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body” (Hebrews 13:3).

Jesus declared, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Islam is trying to destroy the church by killing and persecuting Christians. However, their scheme will not work. Church history demonstrates that when the enemies of Christ attempt to destroy the church, it has just the opposite effect. Where the church is persecuted, it grows rapidly. That is what is happening today. The fastest growth in Christian evangelism is in Iran. The second largest is in Afghanistan. Statistical data indicate that in the top 20 countries where the gospel is being accepted, 11 of them are Muslim countries!

This is a testimony to the mercy, grace, and power of the Lord Jesus. Satan cannot stop the gospel. “It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Romans 1:16).

As Muslims suffer at the hands of their religious leaders, Jesus appears to them and comforts them, calling them to salvation. Next month I will share with you why this is a powerful indication that the Church Age is coming to completion.

Israeli Archeologists Discover Ancient Jerusalem Wall

Most of the world continues to deny Israel’s historical right to the Promised Land. However, Israeli archeologists continue to dig up more compelling evidence that proves the accuracy and reliability of the Bible. The Bible repeatedly and consistently declares that in an unconditional, eternal covenant with the Jewish people, God gave them the Promised Land (Genesis 13:14-17; Joshua 1:3-4).

While almost being driven to tears, recent Israeli archeological teams found the remains of a massive wall [16.5 feet wide] that is 2,700 years old. This wall (see photo on previous page) was a part of the defense structure of the city of Jerusalem when the Babylonians defeated and plundered Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

According to the Bible, Jerusalem had survived many attacks until the Babylonians were successful (2 Kings 25:1-10).

An article in The International Jerusalem Post, reports that this team of archeologists found the remains of the wall and some of the houses that were behind the wall. The article reports as follows: “We found ashes that we believe date back to the Babylonian invasion…. [We] uncovered multiple artifacts that offer a glimpse into the daily life of Jerusalem when the wall was still standing, and after its fall in 586 B.C.: fragments of pots, pans and other vessels, seal impressions, some of them carrying inscriptions – for example, ‘lamelech’ (Hebrew- ‘to the king’), which was usually featured on jars used for tax collection. The jars bear ‘rosette’ type handles, in the shape of a rose, associated with the final years of the kingdom of Judah. A bulla, stamp seal impressions made of clay, bearing a personal name, Tsafan, in ancient Hebrew script (see photo on this page) was found not far from a small Babylonian seal stamp made in stone, depicting a figure standing in front of symbols of the two Babylonians gods Marduk and Nabu” (The International Jerusalem Post, July 23-29, p. 17).

The Iranian Threat

The clock is ticking towards Iran’s creation of a nuclear warhead. Thanks to North Korea and others, the radical mullahs in Iran already have the technology to deliver a missile with a nuclear payload. The world has been forewarned. A nuclear Iran will alter the balance of power in the Middle East and threaten to interrupt international peace. Iran is dead serious about its plans to rule the world through an Islamic Empire. This development is one giant step toward the Tribulation Period.

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East, in an article for Gatestone Institute writes, “The Iranian regime appears just a few months away from obtaining nuclear weapons, all while the Biden administration is completely silent and has not articulated any clear policy for preventing this dangerous and predatory regime from becoming a nuclear state like North Korea.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz told ambassadors from countries on the United Nations Security Council during a briefing at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on August 4, 2021: ‘Iran has violated all of the guidelines set in the [2015 nuclear agreement] and is only around 10 weeks away from acquiring weapons-grade materials necessary for a nuclear weapon… Now is the time for deeds – words are not enough. It is time for diplomatic, economic and even military deeds, otherwise the attacks will continue” (www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17653/iran-obtaining-nuclear-weapons, August 21, 2021).

PTNews

May 2021

Published monthly

All Bible references are from the KJV

(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)

P.O. Box 13006, Roanoke, VA 24030-3006

God’s Judgment of America

“Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD:

and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? Jeremiah 5:9

By Mike Wingfield

I am convinced that the days before the crushing judgment of God falls upon America are numbered. Each day when I awaken, I wonder if the Lord will come that day for His church in the Rapture, or if it will be the day He humbles America in devastating judgment. Either way, the Judge is standing “before the door” (James 5:9). The Bible teaches that our holy God has a toleration point. I believe deeply in my soul, America has reached that point! Soon, the heavy judgment of God will fall upon this nation that was once so greatly blessed by Him.

The Spirit of God is conveying this conviction of America’s judgment upon the minds of many conservative, God-fearing men. Just the other day I received an e-mail in which Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, said, “God’s judgment is coming to America.”

Godly men who study the Bible know the character of our Lord and the history of His wrathful judgments against wicked cities and nations in the past. They know God is merciful, gracious, and patient. But eventually, the time of divine judgment arrives when a culture becomes immersed in wickedness. Such a culture is enslaved in a lifestyle that brings death and chaos to those who have been created in the image of God. Because God cares about people, He refuses to allow that wicked culture to continue to perpetuate itself. He has no choice but to bring about a radical, severe judgment that will remove the wicked from that culture. It happened in the immoral and violent days of Noah. It took place in the homosexually-obsessed culture of Sodom and Gomorrah. And, after great patience, the Lord brought divine judgment upon the 10 Jewish tribes called Israel, and ultimately upon Judah.

Because of their spiritual blindness, the wicked seem to be oblivious to their offense against a holy God and their subsequent impending doom. Psalm 10:4, 6 says, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. … He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.” Only a few decades before God judged Israel by the hands of the pagan Assyrians, they had no idea that divine judgment was imminent. God said about them, “All of the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor [calamity come before] us” (Amos 9:10).

Most people in America have no clue what is about to take place. They are out of touch with God, and thus out of touch with reality! If some of them were to read this newsletter, they would dismiss this warning as the writing of a religious fanatic who is simply trying to scare people.

Even within the church, there seems to be a sense of religious pride that views the America as God’s prize possession. A great number of professing Christians believe America is a godly nation and is exempt from the wrath of God. Thus, they are woefully unaware of the imminent judgment of God. They are void of a basic understanding of the holy character of God and they do not realize how offensive the American culture is to Him. Sadly, far too many churches have adopted the values and methods of the world as a way to do business in the local church. Just like the world, they are out of touch with God, and thus out of touch with reality.

As believers in Jesus, we need to love sinners, but at the same time we need to hate the world system. The world system is not of God. It is the representation of the god of this age – Satan.

We must realize that when we stand with God, it will bring fierce opposition. Standing with God and His truth will always bring conflict. Just like with Elijah, the world will say people who stand with God are the trouble makers (1 Kings 18:17). Jesus has warned us that the world loves it own kind, but rejects His people. He said to His disciples, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world [hates] you” (John 15:19).

Just like the prophets of God, we must be the proverbial watchman on the walls of America. Read Ezekiel 2 and 3. We must warn those around us that we are locked in a deadly spiritual conflict and we are about to be judged by a holy God. God told Ezekiel it was his solemn duty to warn his rebellious nation, even if they did not want to hear it!

As we consider God’s approaching judgment upon America there are three practical questions we must consider. (1) How will God judge America? (2) When will God judge America? (3) Why will God judge America? No one can know the precise answer to these questions. However, the Scriptures give us some valuable insights into what God has done in the past when He judges nations. God has not changed. His values and standards have not changed. Therefore, we can glean great insight into the future possibilities that await America in God’s coming judgment.

Let us clearly understand what we are about to examine. As in the past God in His mercy, sends many warnings and judgments of divine discipline upon a culture to warn it of its sinful ways. These acts of discipline are a warning to people. God wants them to know that a sudden and radical divinely-orchestrated calamity awaits them if they do not repent and turn from their wicked ways. During my lifetime, God has mercifully been judging America. However, a most severe judgment is about to take place that will shake the entire world to its core!

How will God judge America?

Before God judged the wicked 10 tribes of Israel in 722 B.C., He sent several prophets to warn them of His coming judgment. One of these prophets was a farmer, named Amos. The theme of the book of Amos is “National Accountability for National Sins.” At least 100 years prior to Amos’ prophecy, God began to judge wicked Israel. The parallels between the Israel of Amos’ time and the America of today are amazing. Amos was preaching to a nation that was prosperous and safe. The late Dr. John Phillips, a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, conference speaker, and prolific author of biblical commentaries, summarizes the nature of Israel during the days of the prophet Amos. “Formerly the Hebrews had been fighting farmers, but they had experienced a cultural revolution: now they were citified, sophisticated, worldly wise, cultured, proud, and – they imagined – safe. They had taken a giant step from an agricultural economy to an urban form of life” (John Phillips, Exploring the Minor Prophets, An Expository Commentary, p. 87). It is amazing to read the five disciplinary judgments of God that lead up to His final massive judgment. Israel was slaughtered by the cruel Assyrian army, and surviving Jews were scattered to the nations of the world. In Amos 4:6-13, this godly farmer listed the disciplinary judgments as famine, drought, agricultural disasters, diseases and wars, and finally, overwhelming natural disasters. At the end of each of these disciplinary acts of judgments, God said to Israel, “Yet, have ye not returned unto me” (Amos 4:6, 8, 9, 10, 11). Finally, God said to this rebellious nation, “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel” (Amos 4:12).

Reading this list of judgments is almost an exact reproduction of the history of the U.S. However, we cannot pretend to know the form of the final devastating judgment of God against our nation. Will it be a massive natural disaster, like the eruption of the volcano at Yellowstone national park? Will God allow the U.S. to be destroyed by a nuclear bomb from Russia or China? Could we be devastated by an Electro Magnetic Pulse bomb by a rogue nation such as North Korea or Iran? Will we be gradually humbled by a financial implosion, or meet our demise as the consequences of our liberal leaders who want to force us into socialism? Only God knows. God has many tools of judgment – including human instruments and the forces of His creation at His disposal.

I am absolutely convinced that the judgment of God will be a massive, life-changing event that will garner the attention of the world. In the Bible, the severity of God’s judgment is not always due to a level of wickedness or rebellion against God. God’s most severe judgment is for cultures that have had the greatest opportunity to hear and know the truth of His Word, and yet refuse it. In Matthew 11:20-24, Jesus rebuked three cities of His time – Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These people had heard His message and experienced more miracles than any other people in all of Israel. In His scathing remarks to the people in those cities, Jesus said they would receive more condemnation and stricter judgment that other pagan Gentile cities that never had heard His messages nor seen one of His miracles. Here is the spiritual application – those who are given the greatest spiritual opportunities deserve a more strict judgment.

When a person examines the last 100 years of the history of the nations, there is one nation that has been spiritually blessed more than any other – America. We have more churches and have had a greater opportunity to hear the Word than any other nation! However, look where we are as a rebellious nation at this hour! As a result, our judgment will be more severe than the evil nations of China or Russia. This is a very sobering thought!

When will God judge America?

The Bible teaches that when a culture collectively sears its conscience, and it is deaf to the warnings of God, judgment will come. God loves sinners. It is His desire to reconcile them to Himself. For this to happen, the Spirit of God must be able to strive in the consciences of people to convict them of their sin and bring them to a point of repentance and ultimately to salvation. The condition of the person’s conscience is vitally important. It is important that we strive to have “a good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:5). When our conscience is sensitive to sin, the Holy Spirit can strive in us to bring us to repentance by confessing our sins to maintain fellowship with our holy God (1 John 1:5-10).

The Bible teaches that when man refuses to listen to his conscience, it is gradually silenced by his disobedience. If this situation persists, that person can arrive at a point when the conscience is silenced, as if it were “seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2). When this happens, that person suppresses the work of the Holy Spirit to the point that God gives them up to follow the ways of their depraved heart (Romans 1:18-32). In the days of Noah, the global culture had reached such a point. God said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man” (Genesis 6:3).

When a culture has silenced its collective conscience it has no spiritual restrain and people live like brute beasts. They become immoral and violent. At this point, they become unredeemable. Therefore, God must remove that culture by divine judgment and begin with another godly remnant of people. This process has been repeated many times in the Bible. [For more details, read my book, Living in a World with No Conscience.]

The nature of the people in a culture that have collectively destroyed their consciences is clearly marked by the character descriptions given in Romans 1:24-32. Reading this list perfectly describes the current American culture. We are ripe for the final judgment of God as a nation! It is only a matter of time.

Why will God judge America?

The battle within the American culture, and the entire global society, is a war between God and the devil. It is a battle between the forces of good and evil.

Many days it looks as if Satan and his forces of evil are winning the war against God. However, that is an illusion. The Bible emphatically declares that when the end comes, sin and Satan will be defeated forever. In the meantime, God is redeeming and reconciling a people unto Himself. When the war of evil is raging and it looks like all is lost, God steps in and judges the culture that is promoting the way of death. He must do this so that He can continue to rescue the survivors from the slavery of sin and death. He is doing it today, and He will do it again in the future.

In this war against evil, God is very patient. However, He does have a toleration point of no return. The Bible tells us there are things that try the patience of God to a point where there is no way to escape his judgment. The prophets of Israel speak about how God will put up with a variety of sins, like unbelief and disobedience. However, the one thing that the prophets are consistent about is that the shedding of innocent blood is, for God, the last straw.

When a culture reaches a point when innocent people are murdered with no consequences, that culture is ripe for the wrath of God. For God, this comes down to one basic truth. All human beings have been created in the image of God. The Bible states, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27). God has made it clear that He hates “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17).

God holds people who murder innocent people responsible for their sin. Man alone has been created in the image of God. The lack of respect for human life strikes the heart of God. Such acts are a rejection of the Creator and His creation. When people murder a person, they are not acting like God. They are acting like the evil one – Satan. Jesus said that the devil “was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). The Bible declares, “For this is the message that ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. … We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that [loves] not his brother [abides] in death. Whosoever [hates] his brother is a murderer: and we know that no murderer [has] eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:11-12, 14-15).

When Cain murdered his brother, God said to him, “The voice of thy brother’s blood [cries] unto me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). After the time of the great global flood, God established human government. His plan was for mankind to have a God-ordained authority over society that would rule over man with the application of the law of God (Romans 13:1-7). The basic cornerstone of human government was to provide security for mankind. That was stated in Genesis 9:6, “Whoso [sheds] man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” Today, this is called capital punishment.

God made it very clear to His people that the murder of innocent people must not be taken lightly. In Numbers 35:30-31, 33, the Lord said, “Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses, but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. … So you shall not pollute the land wherein you are: for blood it [defiles] the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.” God makes it clear that only capital punishment will remove the guilt from a culture. When people in a society refuse to obey God, they are living with the blood of the innocent victims of murder on their hands.

The death penalty existed as a law in the U.S. since colonial times until about 50 years ago. Since that time, our nation has become more and more lenient in punishing murderers as demanded by God. The death penalty laws were based upon the law of the Bible. Therefore, the disappearance of the death penalty in the justice system of America is a testimony to our rejection of the Creator and His law. During this period of time, the disrespect for human life has continued to deteriorate. And it will grow worse.

According to the Bible, there is no more sacred and holy matter than the subject of abortion. According to the Scriptures, abortion is the greatest offense against God, and it demands His most severe judgment. There is no greater bond of love and commitment than the one that exists between parents and their children. When this has failed it is the greatest evidence of that culture’s rebellion against God! The Bible teaches that this sin destroys that culture and invites the judgment of God!

The history of the Jewish people in the Old Testament shows they failed God in this tragic sin. God had warned them against following the practices of the Canaanites that were in the land prior to them. This godless culture was thrust out by God because of their immorality, worship of demons, and the sacrificing of their children to demons. Read Deuteronomy 18:9-14. Eventually, Israel followed in their footsteps and copied their deadly and offensive sins before God. The Jewish people were so far away from God that they offered their children up as a burnt offering to the idols and gods [demons] of the land. God called these practices an abomination. These wicked practices were eventually promoted by the wicked kings of Israel and Judah (2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6). God made it clear that this was the final sin that brought about His divine judgment upon the Jewish people (2 Chronicles 33:1-11; Ezekiel 16:21). This is clearly spelled out in Psalm 106:35-42.

America is following in the same immoral and wicked patterns of the nations that preceded it. Since the early 1960s, the U.S. has increasingly become a very spiritually dark nation. The militant minority that clings to abortion and every form of wickedness and immorality is forcing its agenda upon America. It has the support of the federal government, and many state and local governments. It is promoted by the media, the entertainment industry, and the education systems across the land.

In the last 48 years, America has witnessed the painful and tragic deaths of more than 62 million babies. This battle is still raging. Only a small remnant of godly people is willing to take a stand against the murder of innocent babies. At this point we have the most radical and leftist presidential administration at the head of the federal government in the history of America. They are threatening to expand abortion and punish those who are pro-life. They are promoting a bill that will make the abortion bill available by a mail request. This will open the doors to millions more babies being killed in the early stages of their development in their mother’s womb.

An average of 1.5 million babies is being killed every year in America. That is three every minute! There are currently several basic types of abortions being performed in America today. There is the suction type of abortion. This is where the unborn child is literally vacuumed from the mother’s womb during the early stages of pregnancy. Another abortion method is performed with a spoon-like object, where the child is cut from the mother’s womb. Some abortions are similar to a Caesarean operation. The baby is surgically removed from the mother and allowed to suffocate, because the child’s lungs have not completely developed. Another horrific method is the Salt Brine technique. With this method, the unborn child is literally chemically killed by the injection of a strong salt solution. After a few days, the remains of the child are removed. Perhaps the cruelest method is a partial-birth abortion. This is where a child is partially delivered, then stabbed in the back of the neck to suck out its brains. Then the body is disposed of. Is it any wonder that this is enraging a holy God! We should all be filled with anger over these murderous practices on a helpless baby.

Why are these abortions taking place? Overall, it is seen as a sinful matter of convenience for the mother. The woman says it is her body and she can do as she pleases. The Bible and medical science prove this is a lie. The body inside of her does not belong to her. It is the creation of God. She is the child bearer. From the moment of conception of the life in her womb, it is only dependent upon her for oxygen and blood supply. The conception and development are orchestrated by God.

Abortion is also a sinful lack of “natural affection” due to a sinful exclusive love of self (2 Timothy 3:1-3). God has given a woman a natural affection or love to care for her children, even to the point of sacrificing herself for them. This is normal. So, when a mother reaches a point where she no longer has this basic natural affection, it demonstrates that she has destroyed her conscience and has been abandoned by God (Romans 1:28). The only thing that matters to her is her rights.

In America, abortions are performed 93 percent of the time due to the wishes of the mother. Only 3 percent of the time is abortion performed due to concerns of the health or life of the mother. About 3 percent of the time babies are aborted due to health concerns of the baby. Finally, only 1 percent of abortions occur due to rape or incest.

There is now overwhelming medical evidence that human life begins at conception. “Just 18 days after conception, the baby’s heart begins to beat. At six weeks, brain waves can be measured. At eight weeks, the vital organs are functioning and fingerprints have formed. At nine weeks, the unborn is able to feel pain” (www.bibleresources.org/abortion).

The Bible speaks of an unborn baby as a human being. God said to the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before [you came] out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). An angel told the father of John the Baptist that “he shall be filled with the Holy [Spirit], even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15). When the baby was six-months-old in the womb, he leaped when Mary the mother of Jesus came to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:41).

The Bible gives great testimony to the divine development of a baby in the womb. In Psalm 119:73, the psalmist said to God, “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me.” The writer of this Scripture is stating that God has developed him. In Psalm 139:13, the writer said to God, “thou [has] covered me in my mother’s womb.” The Hebrew word, “covered,” indicates God has weaved his body parts together. The word means to “cause a biological body to form and grow, with a focus on the structure of the body” (Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains).

Psalm 139:14 declares that we have been “fearfully and wonderfully made.” These two words are very important. The word “fearfully” means we have been respectfully made by God. We have been created to show a high status and honor. The word “wonderfully” indicates human beings are to be treated with distinction. We are different than animals. We were created in the image of God.

Psalm 139:15-16 speaks clearly of the divine work of God in the human womb. The writer of Scriptures testifies to the fact that God was not oblivious to what was happening in the womb of a mother. Rather, He was intricately involved when it was only a “substance.” This word speaks of the beginning of life – the unformed body in the womb of the mother. This speaks of life in the womb of the mother before it takes on the physical characteristics of human form. Verse 16 testifies that when God formed or fashioned the baby in the womb, He was carrying out His divine will which He has decreed for that child. The words “when as yet there was none of them,” literally means that God began this process at the moment of conception when the person was only a single cell in their mother’s womb.

The wickedness of a culture that demands the judgment of God can always be seen in their attitudes and actions toward the gifts of God – human life in general, and children in particular. The practice of abortion and its support by our government is an invitation to God to judge this nation. When it comes, it will be massive and severe. I love America. But I must confess that we deserve the judgment of God.