Aslan Is on the Move!

“What in the world is going on? How can I survive it? And what can I do about it?”

Here are five things to look for as we approach the rapture of the church and the great tribulation, and how to stay sane in an insane world.

“Aslan is on the move — he may have landed already.”

Mr. Beaver spoke in hushed tones around the tiny table while Mrs. Beaver provided supper for the Pevensie children.

When the children heard the name Aslan, they suddenly felt lighter, happier. As if there was hope.

In CS Lewis’ book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, we learn of the lion Aslan who was not tame, but he was good. He had been away from Narnia for many years while the White Witch kept the land in winter and never Christmas. But he is back. And things are happening. The old prophecies are starting to be fulfilled. The witch’s power is starting to crumble.

God is on the move in our world today.

Incredibly, the fear of getting the COVID-19 virus, as it is called, has swept the entire globe and has caused the closure of all businesses and travel around the world. This is unprecedented in my life-time. It is not just the United States or a few other countries. This thing has swept the whole world.

Many people are terrified of getting the virus and possibly dying from it. Governments around the world have reacted with extreme measures.  We see the global economy swirling into a decline that may mean the end of all things as we know them now — buying and selling, working, going to school, traveling freely, and getting the medical and professional help we need and have come to expect. The fear of the virus has done us much more damage than the virus itself.

There are many calling for all nations to become a “global community.” This quote surfaced on April 22 from CBS news:

“It is critical we come together as one united global community to defeat this disease, and protect the most vulnerable nations and communities from this potential and devastating effects.” David Beasley, Director of the UN Food Program

There have been reports that a vaccine chip is being developed that will be implanted on people to keep you from getting the disease. Others have stated that soon it will become mandatory for us to have this or else we will not be able to drive, work, access our money from the bank, or shop.

While many people are starting to protest and defy governmental controls, many are asking: is this the end of the world?

How does this tie in with biblical prophecy?

The world is teetering on the verge of destruction. It is descending into a series of horrible scenarios, things that are almost too terrible to contemplate. And where is God in this?

Ah, my friend. He is here. He is strong. His Word is true.

God is on the move. The old prophecies are coming to pass, and Satan’s kingdom is beginning to crumble. Christ will soon return for His church, and God will judge the ungodly on this earth for their rebellion against Him and for breaking His laws.

What should we expect next and how can we prepare ourselves for what is to come?

First of all, I would like to assure you that this is NOT THE END OF THE WORLD!

Really? Yes, really. The Bible is clear about the timeline.

Now pay attention. The following is important:

1. Rapture of the church (all true believers), I Thess. 4:13-18, I Cor. 15:51-57
2. The Great Tribulation, a 7-year world-wide time of God’s judgments poured out to judge sinners and bring the repentant to Himself, Rev. 6-18
3. The Second Coming when Christ returns with all the saints to the earth, sets down His feet on the Mt. of Olives, and begins His 1,000 year reign on the earth. Rev. 19
4. Rebellion against God by Satan at the end of the Millennium, Rev. 20:7-15
5. The old earth and heavens burned up and the new city of Jerusalem coming down from God. All those who have put their faith in Christ will live forever with Him in glory. Rev. 21-22

According to this, we have at least 1,007 years before this world is burned with fire if the Lord were to come back today.

God is on the move.

The beginning of the end is near because God is on the move. He is right around the corner.

I believe the Covid-10 virus scare harolds the beginning of the end times.

It is going so fast. Every day, every hour we hear news that points to the end times. God is on the move, folks.

Usually when we hear a dire prediction, we take precautionary measures to ensure our safety, comfort, and well being. It would be stupid for us to hear of a hurricane coming, for instance, and do nothing about it, thinking we are strong enough, smart enough, or rich enough to weather the storm without aid from anyone or without changing our lifestyle.

And so, for this time, we need to prepare ourselves for the future God is planning. Make no mistake, God is in control. God is on the move. God is calling the shots.

What in the world is happening? And what is next? 

Take a few moments. Get your mind focused on Jesus Christ and His Word as I explain some things you need to know about the last days as revealed for us in the Word of God.

MISCONCEPTIONS concerning end times.

• America is not Israel.

Some Bible scholars and popular authors of end times would have us believe that America is Israel. This is commonly known as “replacement” theology where the church (all true believers in Christ) replace Israel. According to this theology, all the promises God gave the Jewish people in the Old Testament revert to the church, or to the “British Israelites,” (the WorldWide Church of God which is now extinct but their doctrines lives on).

Going even further, some authors teach that a sign or event in America or Europe signifies an important prophecy, such as the sabbath year, or a harbinger of prophecies of doom for America. An example is a book that one author wrote, stating that the tragedy that occured on 9/11 was a fulfillment of an old prophecy found in Isaiah 9:10, a harbinger of doom for America. This author confused America with Israel.

The Bible is clear that God is still interested in His people, the Jews, and He will honor the covenants He made with Abraham and David. During the Tribulation period of 7 years, God is going to work mainly with His people to restore them to fellowship with Himself. He will return to this earth and set up an eternal kingdom in Israel, fulfilling all His promises to the Jewish people. (Dan. 9:24-27)

America is not mentioned in the prophecies but that does not mean it will not play an important part in the events that lead up to the day of the Great Tribulation.

• Jesus did not prophesy about the Rapture in Matt. 24-25.

A careful reading of the text (Matt. 24:3), will reveal that Jesus answered two of the disciples three questions. They asked, “Tell us when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered the last two questions but not the first. The WHEN was not information they needed to know.

They wanted to know the signs of His second coming to the earth to set up His kingdom. Taken in this light, the rest of the chapter can be understood to mean the time just prior to when He would return (the Second Coming), the days of the Great Tribulation. This is the 7 years of judgments that we find in Rev.  6-18. This is also known as  Daniel’s Seventieth Week (see Dan. 9:24-27).

This “week,” or 7 years, of tribulation will begin with a “firm covenant” the Antichrist will make with the nation of Israel. He will also rebuild their temple for them. At the middle point of the tribulation, he will break his covenant with Israel, enter the temple and set himself up as God.

When we come to Matt. 24:40, we read, “Then there will be two men in the field, one will be taken and the other one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.”

Taken in context (the end of the Tribulation and the beginning of the Millennium) the one TAKEN is taken away to judgment and the one LEFT will be allowed to enter the kingdom of Christ alive. This is just the opposite of what many believe concerning this verse.

While it is true that Jesus was speaking of the kingdom age, He gave signs that are coming to pass in our day and time. This means God is on the move and the time is very close.

• The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ are often combined or confused. They are two different events.

There is a Part A and Part B of His return to the earth.

Part A is the rapture.

 

We have no time frame for this, yet we know it is a definite part of His return. Read I Thess. 4:13-17 to see what will happen. The church will be taken from this earth in a twinkling of an eye and remain with the Lord in heaven until He comes back to set up His kingdom.

In Rev. 4-18, we see no reference to the church. Not until Rev. 19 do we see the church again as the Bride of Christ in heaven. All true believers will be taken from the earth BEFORE the Great Tribulation occurs. See Rev. 3:10, II Pet. 2:9, I Thess. 1:10.

I believe in the imminent return of Christ, meaning He could come back at any time. God is on the  move. He is coming soon.

Part B will be Christ’s physical appearance to the earth.

 

This will occur 7 years later at the end of the Tribulation, Rev. 19:11-16 when Christ with all the saints (believers) from heaven will descend and avenge the righteous, destroy Satan and his angels, and send the Antichrist and all his evil followers to hell. Christ will then set up a worldwide government which He will rule for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1-6).

What will happen next?

Some of these signs are taken from Jesus’ prophecies in Matt. 24:5-8, those things that Jesus says are merely the “birth pangs” of what is to come. As time goes on, these will intensify and grow closer together. When you see this happening, it is time to “straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Lk. 21:28) The signs Jesus gave just prior to this verse indicate the end of the Tribulation period when He Himself will appear in the sky, Dan. 7:13.

These are the things we should expect in the near future because God is on the move:

1. Leaders pressing for a global community.

Pope Francis recently called for the people of the world to unite with him to pray for our world, and, further than that, to sign a pact to promote a new “humanism,” unity and education among the world’s nations. He is summoning all world leaders to a summit in Rome on May 14th for this purpose.

Leaders in various aspects of governments are predicting a famine and calling for a worldwide community to help.

The reason we see more activity in this “whole world” doctrine is because when the Antichrist appears, he will gather to himself 10 nations (first 3, then another 7) that will make up the Revived Roman Empire. (Dan. 7:7-21) Then he will set out to conquer the whole world and set up a worldwide government.

 

The first judgment of God on the earth is the first “horseman” released, Rev. 6:1-2, the white horse. This is the Antichrist, going forth to conquer the world.

For this to happen, I believe there has to be in place across the face of the globe an atmosphere of fear, despair, and utter panic like we have seen on the news media for the past month.

2. Natural catastrophic events occurring more intensely and more frequently.

These include: earthquakes, volcanoes, fires, famine, crop failures, hurricanes. God is on the move.

3. Persecution of God’s people will reach to all parts of the globe, including the United States and Canada.

The persecution of Christians is escalating around the world. This is a quote from Open Doors:

“In just the last year*, there have been:

• Over 260 million Christians living in places where they experience high levels of persecution
• 2,983 Christians killed for their faith
• 9,488 churches and other Christian buildings attacked.
• 3,711 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned”

*2020 World Watch List reporting period

This is astounding. Pray like you have never prayed before for our brothers and sisters in these countries!

4. Christians will grow cold in their devotion, passion, commitment, and zeal for God and for worship in His house.

As persecution increases, many will fall away from the faith, denying God to keep their jobs and their properties and to stay alive. There is pressure from within the organized church to accept homosexuality, abortion, immorality. There are many who deny the creation account and the flood in Genesis, saying God started the process but left it all to evolution.

Lawlessness abounds. I recently saw a picture of a poster someone made saying, “Come back to earth, Jesus. We will nail you to the cross again.” This kind of clenched fist rebellion raised in the face of God will increase and become more common in our society.

5. As the world situation grows worse, people will begin looking for a “savior”, someone who can bring peace to the world. Someone who will provide for their needs and give them hope for the future.

This man, of course, will be the Antichrist, the evil dictator, who will rule the entire earth and claim to be God. You have been warned. The prophecy is there for you to read.

One part of the reign of terror the Antichrist will have on the earth is that he will force everyone to take his mark. (Rev. 13:16-18) The mark signifies that this person has sold their soul to him. It is a religious act, and everyone will know that when they take this mark — they are pledging themselves spiritually to the antichrist.

Without this mark or chip (whatever form it takes), a person may not drive, work, access their money or credit cards, or buy and sell. 666 is the number. Some have said it is six numbers of six digits, and that every person on the globe could be numbered this way.

The next thing on God’s calendar of events is the Rapture!

Are you listening for that trumpet call? You better be ready because He is coming soon!

Here are some things to do to stay sane in an insane world:

1. Keep a schedule. Believe me, it will help you stay balanced and happy.
2. Limit the time you watch/listen to/look at news stories about the virus, affairs of the world, or local events. As we all know, the media can be biased, negative, and fear-mongering.
3. Spend extra time in the Word and in prayer.
4. Eat wholesome food. Resist “comfort” foods or fast foods.
5. Get outside and get some exercise. This is the time to do those yard projects you’ve been putting off.
6. Resist fear like you would the devil. Fear makes you selfish, scared, worried, and useless for God. “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear), but of power and love and discipline (a sound mind).” II Tim. 1:7
7. Do a kind deed for someone every day. Intentionally find something to do for someone, even if its a phone call. This will lift you out of the doldrums and give you joy.

I want to see my Savior, Jesus Christ, and hear from His lips the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord.” Matt.25:21

In the meantime, I am going to do what He has called me to do every day, listen for the trumpet call, and give Him my heart, my life, my all.

God is on the move.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psa. 46:26

God has never failed… and He will not fail you now.