Have you been wondering “What in the world is going on?
With all the catastrophes such as earthquakes all over, train wrecks, explosions, threats like those posed by the huge, suspected surveillance balloons in many places, the strange blue lights in the sky over Japan, plus so many health issues, one hardly knows who or what to pray for 1st. Yet my thoughts and prayers keep going back to Turkey. Turkey that was highlighted in the Bible as having the 7 churches JESUS speaks directly to In Revelation 2 and 3. Turkey I’m sure you know has had more than 90 aftershocks (both big and small) after the 1st two huge earthquakes (7.6+) with the NY Post reporting on February 18, 2023 of over 46,000 casualties. Geophysicists also say there is more coming.
I wonder if the LORD keeps turning my mind (Proverbs 21:1) to Turkey to remind me of GOD’s faithfulness to me personally when I was in Turkey. For as I remember HIS faithfulness to me, I am not fearful but can trust HIM, the only great GOD, while the world is in such an upheaval. For only as I look to HIM in trust am I able to walk by faith in my Sovereign good GOD and not by what I see around me (Habakkuk 2:4, 1 Corinthians 5:7).
I thank GOD for the 30+% of the Bible that is prophesy (telling of things to come before they happened). So many of those prophesies have already come true which assures us that the rest will materialize as well. The prophesy fulfilled gives credence to the Bible and is never meant to scare people but to prepare them for what is coming. JESUS also said, “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe” (John 14:29).
In October of 1995 a team us traveled to the Muslim country of Turkey, on what was called a prayer journey. We went to pray for the people of Turkey, to confess the horrible sins of Christians during the Crusades and to pray at the locations of the 7 churches of Revelation 2 and 3. What we saw in those 7 locations was mostly ruins. The picture shows some of my teammates going down in the ruins of the amphitheater in Ephesus.
We arrived in Istanbul and experienced a mild earthquake, just a tremor- a shaking more than anything. During our travels, one late afternoon before dusk, we were headed up a winding mountain road. It seemed like one lane to me, but vehicles traveled both ways on it. Occasionally a car would be coming down from the opposite direction and we would pull closely to the edge of the road and stop. Suddenly, we saw a bus headed straight toward us and there was nowhere to pull over to, but we stopped. I was sure we would go over the ledge so took a deep breath and prayed. The bus barely missed us. Though shaken we continued to the high place we had been heading for.
Once back in the States, I visited a Bible study of ladies who had promised to pray for me on the journey to give a report detailing highlights of the trip. Before I began to speak, one gal said tearfully, “I promised to pray for you, but I kept forgetting. Then early one morning while still dark, on the way to work, I just had to stop and pray for you. I prayed and prayed until the burden lifted.”
I asked Monica about what time that happened. As far as we could figure with the time difference between the countries, GOD made her stop and pray just as that bus headed our way. To me that shouted GOD’s word is true.
“Faithful is HE who calls you who will also do it.” GOD was faithful to protect us and faithful to enable Monica to do what HE had assigned for her to do at the right time, which enabled her to be faithful to her promise.
“So that we may boldly say, The LORD is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” (Hebrews 13:6). That adventure speaks loudly of the faithfulness of GOD, and enable me to trust in GOD’s goodness and control in what I don’t like or understand.
To us who belong to JESUS, HE said, “Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid believe…” (John 14:1) and we are also told to, “examine yourself to see if you are in the faith…” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
To the church of Ephesus JESUS said, “You have left you 1st love… repent… or I will remove your lampstand” (Revelation 2:4-5). There is no lampstand/ church (Revelation 1:20) in Ephesus. What does that tell you? It tells me that GOD keeps HIS word.
For GOD declares HE is going to punish sin, since sin destroys. On the other hand, there is forgiveness if one believes in the LORD JESUS CHRIST and GOD is faithful to all believers in JESUS who have become HIS children by believing the Gospel which is the good news that GOD loves mankind and sent HIS only SON to earth (John 3:16) to reveal the nature of GOD to us (John 14:7) and then to die for the sins of mankind that we might be forgiven and reconciled to GOD. and that JESUS was raised again to life to be declared the Son of GOD with power- (Romans 1:4). GOD promises to work all things (good and bad) together for an end result of good for those who love HIM (Romans 8:28).
If you who do not know JESUS, I urge you in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, call upon the name of the LORD and be saved (Romans 10:9-10, 13).
Hugs
Sharon
wakemyear 