The Economic Collapse in End Days

Revelation 18:1-2, 9-11, 20

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory.  And he called out with a mighty voice,

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!

(9)And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.  They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,

“Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon!  For in a single hour your judgment has come.

And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore

(20) “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

In Chapter 17, we saw the fall of the One World Church under the new 8th kingdom, overtaking Babylon, the prostitute.  Likewise, we now see that a single world economy has come to be, under the great prostitute – Babylon.  All economic trade requirements will fall under her control.  She has lured mankind into materialistic possessions, living in abundance and luxury, and power associated with wealth.  The people will be intoxicated with an idolatry of those with plenty, and reach for that over the call and love of God, the Father.  God calls His people out of Babylon, and the addiction that exists within this materialistic society.  His wrath and plagues will fall upon Babylon in those days, just as they did upon Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament.  God warns His people to leave before the wrath falls upon them.

Many believe that the Spiritual fall of Babylon will take place in the first 3.5 years of Tribulation, while this fall of the Economic World system will happen in the second 3.5 years of Tribulation.  God’s plague of burning will fall upon the great city of Babylon, to the point where the economic system they had built will be useless to all of those involved in trade during those days.  None will purchase their merchandise anymore, and the luxuries will fall as their wealth is lost.

This economic collapse will impact the entire globe, and people will be thrown into extreme poverty and want.  What they have done to acquire their wealth will be gone.  The immoral and unethical actions that allowed them to gain wealth will be taken away.  The kings (referenced in Ch 17) will remain afar and watch as the people suffer the results of the economic collapse.  The kings remain covered in wealth, separated from the merchants and masses.  Today, we see the separation of the great wealth and the rest of us.  But, alas, there will come a day when even those who are wealthy by trade, by investment, and by hoarding their materialistic treasures will be swallowed up in the collapse, as well as the suffering.  In one hour, God can take it all away.

The realization that these material possessions do not last will become very real.  We are told to store up our possessions in heaven and not on earth.  This grants you eternal prosperity rather than wealth here on earth.  God will avenge the injustice of wealth on the earth in the end days.  Our focus needs to be on living for God, and not for wealth in this life.  Living for God means spreading His grace, His love, His salvation, and His promise to those in need.  We are called to step away from materialistic livelihood and sinful, self-righteousness to humility and servanthood to help others step away from sin.  The great harlot Babylon will one day be thrown down, and all of those who are tied to her seductive ways with her.  The economic wealth and power will not last in an eternal perspective.  It's not say that God detests wealth.  No, He owns it all, and can distribute in the best manner for His Kingdom growth.  Using these things for His purpose is the way to true wealth.  Wealth that extends beyond these worldly causes.  Focus your efforts there.

You Can’t Have That

"The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him."  - Exodus 15:2

Imagine that you come home from a vacation on Saturday afternoon to discover that a tornado had completely wiped out your neighborhood while you were gone.  Sticks, boards, sheetrock and shingles lay all over what used to be the front yard of your home, as well as all of the homes around you.  The swing-set is gone, the pool sidewall is cracked from the tree that fell in, the shed you and your son built with your own hands is now a pile of twisted wood and metal.  Your loss is 100%, not a single thing is salvageable - not your brand new car in the garage, your big screen television, your computer, your appliances, your beds, your furniture, your photo books, your old video tapes are all either destroyed by the fire that ensued after the tornado hit or they were washed away by the fire hose and torrential downpour that occurred after the twister hit.  Walking up to the pile of rubble, with your only possessions in hand; I ask you – Can you still praise God?

  I propose that most of us would be looking heavenward with 2 things on our mind: "Thanks to be alive." & "Why me God?"  Both are legitimate thoughts, but which of the two are more aligned to God's expectations?  "Have no idols" rings a bell as a pretty strong statement from our Creator.  So consider what sits between you and God?  It's so easy to put things between God and oneself.  If something is taken away from us and our life becomes shattered because of it, then we have to ask "Was this object more important than God?"; "Am I still capable of living out God's plan for my life without these things?"; “Can I still love God when everything else is gone?”

  So often, our lives get wrapped around things and become distracted from the One that seeks our attention. When that is the case you need to honestly look at how much you are missing out on from God in order to give your attention elsewhere.  If it is that easy to cause separation between you and God, don't you think Satan will use it?  I propose that the more things you are centering your life around, the more opportunity you are giving Satan to own your life.  Center your life on God and at the same time create a stronghold against the will of Satan's attack.  Then when tragedy does happen and you are left with only the clothes on your back you can look heavenward and state with confidence, "Okay God, here we go" and mean it.



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Silently Addicted

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” –Isaiah 41:10

 

Who are you trusting in?  For if it is any but the Lord, than you have established a barrier between you and Him.  The message from the very center of the scriptures is to take refuge in the Lord, not to trust in man (Psalm 118:8).  We have created separation from the Lord in our pride and arrogance in thinking that we have this life under control.  Do you not realize that tomorrow, everything you have can be taken from you.  Fire, floods, tornado, violence and theft are just examples of every day occurrences in this world.  There is no written by-law that says you will not suffer from these things in your lifetime.

Therefore, when we put our trust in things, in people and in ourselves; we are destined for disappointment and suffering at some point.  We’re all familiar with the story of Job.  If not, you really should take the time this week to read through that book in the Bible.  It’s right after Esther and right before the Psalms.  Job was a wealthy man by the standards of that day.  His house was filled with love, laughter, and joy.  His pastures were covered with livestock and his barns were full.  It was all taken away in a matter of days and he was stricken near death with sickness.  Everything he had been blessed with was lost and all he had left was his God, and that was enough.

Is God enough for you?  If your family were lost tomorrow in a tragic accident.  If your house burned to the ground, including your computers, TVs, cell phones and tablets.  Your insurance doesn’t cover it and your bank accounts are frozen to cover the loss.  You lose your job the very next day and as you leave the parking lot you run out of gas.  You have no money in your wallet, nowhere to go and no way to get there.  What will you do?  You are now homeless, penny-less, out of work and then you find yourself breaking out in a skin rash that covers your body with sores. 

I realize it seems extreme, but there is nothing in this world that cannot be taken from you.  We have become so dependent on the world around us and trusting in our own capabilities to solve problems in life that we have become vulnerable to the evil in this world.  We have turned from trusting in our Creator for our daily bread and our livelihood and taken the responsibility upon ourselves.  We must examine those dependencies in life and ask ourselves what happens when it’s gone?  Are you dependent upon your spouse, your children, your parents, your siblings?  Are you dependent upon a job, a mortgage, a creditor, a vehicle?  Are you dependent upon an ATM machine, a grocery store, a cell phone, an internet provider or social media giant?  How did we get here from where we were when Christ died on that cross?

Over 2 thousand years have passed and in that time frame the gospel has been watered down to something that we use for convenience rather than something we depend on.  God is viewed as the “Big Guy in the Sky” looking down like a puppet master, rather than our Father and Lord.  The message of Christ has been changed along the way to a To-Do list item rather than a lifestyle.  The fall of mankind started with a single bite of an apple, but has transcended into a life where evil is accepted and tolerated rather than challenged because of our weakness and unwillingness to stand up for righteousness.  So, again I ask you; “Is God enough for you?”  Could you give it all up today if He asked?   Recall in Matthew when the young rich man said to Him, “All these things [commandments] I have kept; what am I still lacking?”  Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”  I propose to you than many of us are silently addicted to the ways of this world, just as this man was.

In looking at your goals and resolutions created in the last few weeks, did you honestly address what’s keeping you from pursuing those things?  Would they change if you created those lists assuming you had nothing to your name?  No car, no money, no home, no job, no cell phone, no internet, no family.  What would you do for God today?  Put aside your self-righteousness, pride and arrogance.  It’s just you and God taking on the world.  What will you do?  Write it down as we discussed the other day.  It makes it much more concrete and actionable when it’s written. Think big, for our God is the Creator of the Universe and cannot be limited by our materialistic thinking.   





© Sondove Enterprises, 2019
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Finding Me – Day 19

October 3, 2014

What if it’s all gone?
What are you going to do if it’s all taken away today?  You’re life is a compilation of people, events, actions, words and things.  If you step out your front door today and that all changes, what will you do?  I often find myself a steward of this world and the “things” I have, rather than a steward of the One who gave them to me.  I sit in my comfortable leather chair, head phones on, listening to Kari Jobe singing “Overcome” as I type this, and I try to take in all that He has given me.  I’m amazed at every little thing as I look around; the piano, the guitars, the dining room set, the appliances, the TVs, the furniture, the computers, cell phones and tablets.  The amazing thing is I act as if I am the provider, as if I am the reason we are blessed to have these things.  What is it that I have done to deserve such things.

A new friend opened my eyes this week to the possession syndrome we have in America.  We are driven by our accomplishments, our possessions and our pride in being able to accumulate success.  It has made me ask this one question, “If it’s all gone, who am I, then?”  I found myself realizing that I am driven, I am dependent upon and I am addicted to the things and people around me.  I cannot imagine if today I lost my home, my family, my job, my vehicles and possessions.  I cannot fathom what this life would be like if it were all gone and I stood alone with absolutely nothing to my name, and that scares me.

It scares me because it makes me realize that I am bound by worldly things and less by heavenly things.  Do I truly believe that God is all I need? 

Day 19: I Am Bound
“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.  He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”” – Job 1:20-21

God is our provider and has given you and I the blessings we have around us.  Everything you have is because He has given you the capability, the talent, the wisdom to achieve in life.  Satan has made us arrogant, prideful and possessive.  He uses our pride and our success to drive us to be satisfied and dependent on worldly possessions.  We must all realize that we are only here as servants of the most High God Almighty.  Being in His presence, enveloped in His Holy Spirit is sufficient and satisfying.  Take it all away, and discover who and/or what you are addicted to.  Will you fall to your knees and praise the Lord for all He is, despite all He has given you? 

Evaluate where you are with the Lord.  Right now, stop and lift your voice to God in thanksgiving for providing all that you have.  He alone is your provider, your supplier, your source and strength.  Do not take for granted all that He has given you including your very salvation. 

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