Patriotism Versus Eternal Expectations

Patriotism Versus Eternal Expectations – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config/2020/12/7/patriotism-versus-eternal-expectations The America into which I was born and grew up now seems like a far distant memory. I was only ten at the time of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, but I remember an entirenation engulfed in grief regardless of party affiliation or political ideology. As someone taught to love my country from childhood all the way through my college days at John Brown University, I feel a deep sense of sadness by what I now see happeninghere in the United States and I suspect that those living in other countries have similar feelings. On the one hand, I believe that God’s tribulation judgments are very close at hand. How much longer will He wait before He intervenes and judges the United States for thedaily toll of murder via abortion and the rampant wickedness here on our shores? On the other hand, I often find myself pleading with the Lord for justice to prevail in the final outcome of the U.S. 2020 Presidential Election. I desire to live undera President who will protect our freedoms, particularly those of worship and speech. Donald Trump has a proven track record in this regard, which will surely not be the case with a Joe Biden administration. I have reached the point where I no longer want to hear more stories of how people cheated while counting ballots so Biden would win. How could so many people have actedso treacherously as to steal an election from a sitting United States’ President? Do they not understand the consequences of such evil behavior? I long for a fair and quick resolution to the election drama. Yet . . . I surely know that my ultimate hope lies elsewhere. I dare not forget the myriad of prophetic signs that point to the soon and imminent appearing of Jesus to takeall those who belong to Jesus home to heaven. How do I resolve the tension within me between patriotism and my expectation of Jesus’ soon return for His bride, the true church? THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE RESTRAINER OF 2 THESSALONIANS 2 I believe the Holy Spirit is the one to whom Paul refers to as restraining the appearance of the antichrist (see 2 Thess. 2:3-8). Yes, the Holy Spirit will remain activeafter our departure; many people will come to Christ during the tribulation. However, in some way the rapture will end His restraining work in regard to the antichrist’s rise to power and domination of the world. As I read articles and watch a video or two about The Great Reset on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) website, I see the work of Satan and his demons setting up the worldfor the coming kingdom of the antichrist. I see the beast of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 forming before right before my eyes. This Communist agenda is also readily apparent in the details of the New Green Deal in America and in the UN’s Agenda 2030. However, as long as the Holy Spirit remains in His current restraining role through New Testament saints, I believe He will continue to hold back the full implementationof the globalists’ demonic agenda for the coming totalitarian world government with the antichrist at the helm. I believe Ephesians 6:12 also speaks to this matter, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmicpowers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” This verse tells me that through prayer, we can battle the demonic forces that seek to plunge our world into the horrors of a government that will enslave all those underits jurisdiction. In this sense, we can join forces with the Holy Spirit in resisting Satan’s plans for the world by praying against these “spiritual forces of evil.” With this understanding, I will continue to pray for justice to prevail in the results of the 2020 United States Presidential election. Those behind the great election fraudin American have as their goal the surrender of the United States to The Great Reset (see It’s All About the Moment and Our World Hangs on the Edge of Eternity for the reasons why a Biden presidency would rapidly place America under the umbrella of the WEF). AMERICA DESERVES GOD’S JUDGMENT I also realize America deserves God’s judgment as a result of its great wickedness and that at some future time the United States will find itself under the control of aworld government during the seven-year tribulation. In 2012, Billy Graham quoted his wife Ruth as saying, “If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” The wickedness to which she referredhas grown exponentially worse since she spoke those words sometime before her death in 2007. In a previous post, Not Now, I Have My Life to Live, I examine several reasons why America stands at the edge of paying a sorrowful and devastating price for the great wickednessthat’s so prevalent here. It’s only a matter of time. However, God’s tribulation wrath will not descend upon America or the world until after all the New Testament saints are safely with Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, “ForGod has not destined for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The context specifies that this is “day of the Lord” wrath rather than hell. The story in Genesis 19 foreshadows our future deliverance from this world. This chapter records how the Lord used angels to lead Lot, his wife, and his two daughters outof Sodom before the Lord destroyed the city. God will severely judge the United States along with the world during the tribulation, but not before He sends His Son to fetch His bride and take her home. WHAT DO I VALUE THE MOST? In one of his recent prophecy updates, J.D. Farag asked whether believers in America longed for the rapture or four more years of President Trump? That brought me face toface with the heart of the matter. What do I really value in this matter? What is more important to me? The key here consists of valuing “the things that are unseen” over “the things that are seen” as the apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 4:18. One reality, the “unseen,” is “eternal” while the one that so often captures our attention remains “transient;” it’s temporal and fleeting. It’s not that we forget about the things of this life or never plan for our future on the earth, but that we do so recognizing the relative value of the temporary worldcompared to the exceeding value of eternal glory that will someday surely be ours at Jesus’ appearing (see Rom. 8:18-25). A just outcome to the Presidential Election in the U.S. would definitely be welcome news to my weary soul, but it falls under the category of “transient” aspirations. Myimminent departure, on the other hand, ushers me into eternity, which is far, far better than four more short and fleeting years. The reality is that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). What could possibly be more important than that(I keep asking myself)? So, while patriotism and flying the American flag remains important, my expectations of the Jesus’ appearing trumps my temporal and fleeting aspirations every single time. PRAYING WITH AN ETERNAL AWARENESS As a result of the above considerations, I will remain fervent in prayer for a just outcome to the election with an eternal awareness through which I understand that: 1. I prefer Jesus’ appearing to take me home above all else. I am not saying I feel this way 24/7, but that I always come back to this mindset when despair from currentevents overwhelms my soul. 2. We live in the last moments of human history as we know it. For now, I pray against the powers that seek plunge the world into the darkness of a New World Order. However,I know that eventually every nation will fall under the umbrella of The Great Reset, including America. 3. I know that Ruth Graham is absolutely correct; God’s punishment is coming to the United States and deservedly so. However, the Lord’s tribulation wrath will not fallon the United States or any other nation until after Christ takes all who belong to Him out of this world. We do not know for sure what lies ahead for us during our time remaining on the earth or even how much more time we have before Jesus appears. We also do not even know thefinal outcome of the election in America. On some days, the news for President Trump seems rather hopeful, on other days not so much. What we do know is that the tribulation now appears on the horizon like dark ominous clouds before a powerful and destructive storm arrives on our street. Even so, we restin the assurance that Jesus is coming for us before the one the Bible calls the “man of lawlessness” rises to power and begins his deadly reign of terror over those that dwell on the earth. So, I will continue to pray passionately for the best outcome for my country and its citizens in full awareness that by far the best future outcome for believers like meis Jesus’ appearing, which will usher us into His presence with immortal and imperishable bodies. This, after all, is the “blessed hope” of the Gospel into which Jesus has saved all those who know Him as their precious Savior (Romans 8:23-25; Titus 2:11-14). VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM