Recognising Self-Righteousness
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)
The Two Trees
When we think of self-righteousness we might think of two different categories of people; firstly those Christ mentioned in Matthew 6:1-6, who loved to parade their 'righteousness', i.e. their alms giving and prayers, before an audience, and others who superciliously look down their noses at lesser mortals, while being blind to their own faults and sins (Luke 18:11). The truth of the matter is however, that self-righteousness is something that all humanity suffers from because it's just natural to want to be thought well of by others, and it wouldn't be wise to think we're immune from that proclivity! So during these days of Unleavened Bread, it would do us all good to look in the mirror, and consider how much we personally are affected by this all too common failing, because at times we still take from the tree of good and evil. But notice what Mr. Armstrong describes as the 'good' associated with that particular choice:
God started his supreme mission and PURPOSE of reproducing himself through the first human, Adam. But to become a begotten child of God, so that he might, on acquiring the spiritual character of God, be BORN into the divine FAMILY OF GOD, Adam was required to make a choice. He chose apostasy, rebellion, self-righteousness mixed with evil – the way of the kidnapper of the potential family of God. (A World Held Captive, p20)
Satan and the Book of Job
So important is this subject that an entire book of the Bible – the book of Job – has been devoted to it. Through the best part of 30 chapters, Job's three friends gave him a wealth of advice, but until Elihu ventured to speak, (Hebrew; "God is he") they remained blind to the heart and core of Job's problem. At the very start of the book, Satan is also depicted as being totally oblivious to the monumental problem that God needed to correct in His servant Job. For Job was indeed humanly righteous and Satan couldn't see beyond the physical, because his understanding is limited to his own self-centred approach of vanity and self-importance. Notice how often "I" is mentioned in just these two verses:
- For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
- I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High (Isaiah 14:13,14)
Satan's basic problem stems from his arrogance and conceit ... his "beauty and brightness" as mentioned in Ezekiel 28:17. And so it is with self-righteousness. PRIDE in righteousness lies at the heart of the problem – righteous acts done, but done with the INcoming, SELF-centred attitude or frame of mind. True repentance is not merely turning from the things we have done, but turning from the self-centred approach of a carnal mind to the entirely opposite God-centred character and frame of mind. From the world's way to God's way, in absolutely everything. What God truly requires of us is brought out in verse eight of Micah 6, as humility in a human being is the crucial starting point.
- Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
- Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
- He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and [Heb: humble thyself to walk] with thy God? (Micah 6:6-8)
- Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
- For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is [humble] and of a contrite [repentant] spirit, and trembleth at my word. (Isaiah 66:1,2)
Sons of God
God's very purpose in creating humanity is to reproduce Himself within a family of spirit-born children, who will not only have a glorified body, but – more importantly – with the character to match! That spiritual character is what God is moulding and shaping in each one of us right now. In several places throughout scripture God is depicted as a potter fashioning and shaping us as clay in His hands. So the verse quoted initially – about our righteousness being nothing more than filthy rags – should ideally be read within its context.
- For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
- Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those [ways] is continuance, and we shall be saved.
- But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
- And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
- But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. (Isaiah 64:4-8)
The fact is, "that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;" (I Corinthians 15:50) but neither can flesh and blood character, flesh and blood thinking, nor flesh and blood righteousness. In all cases such things must be spirit-motivated from a spirit-begotten mind if they are to be any use at all in the future. As Mr. Armstrong pointed out to us, it's the DEGREE of change that we were not getting.
In the account in Matthew 19, when the rich young ruler approached Christ with the question what good thing must he do to inherit the Kingdom of God, the answer was to keep the commandments but in the same breath, Christ also gave the WAY in which those commandments were to be kept, as He pointed out that there is NONE good but One and that is God. (Matthew 19:17) Mere self-righteousness does not cut it, and if that is the only righteousness we have – like the rich young ruler – we make ourselves unfit to inherit the Kingdom prepared for us, as a major lesson from this past 6000 years is that human thinking has proved itself totally unfit for righteous rulership. We have to make sure that our thinking and deeds are indeed "wrought in God" (John 3:21) ....
- Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
- Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
- And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23)
Mankind left to himself cannot rise above self-righteousness with his good deeds, as he is not being led by God's spirit. Conversion is the key, and willingly following where the Holy Spirit leads us, trusting the fact that God knows best.
- Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
- For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
- For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
- For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of [sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father (Romans 8:12-15)
Faith OF Christ
The problem is not only are we blinded by our own humanity into thinking of righteousness in only human terms but so often when we catch a glimpse of the actual REALITY of the situation we are liable to throw up our hands in despair. The reality is the need to change us – nothing more than lumps of clay – into God. To change the thinking of man into the thinking of God; the character of man into the character of God; the righteousness of man into the righteousness of God. And as Christ had to point out to His discouraged disciples, after His discourse with the rich young ruler: "with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible". (Matthew 19:26).
At the time – before their conversion on the day of Pentecost – the disciples, like so many of us in this generation, simply could not "get it", as to truly grasp the transcendental magnitude of what needs to occur requires the faith OF Christ – the same kind of faith that Christ had in His father, who is our Father also (John 20:17). This is THE faith once delivered we find mentioned in the book of Jude: it is the absolute trust that Jesus Christ had in the Father, the same kind of faith that we too need to accomplish the humanly totally impossible – converting a human being made of nothing more than dirt into a glorified son of God, complete with the character and righteousness to match. This faith requires placing God at the centre of everything in our lives – just as Christ Himself did:
- Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. (John 5:19)
- For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (John 6:38)
- Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. (John 7:16)
- For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
- And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. (John 12:49,50)
- Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (John 14:10)
Paul's Example
The apostle Paul declared himself "a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee," (Acts 23:6) which indeed he had been. Unlike the twelve apostles, many of who were fishermen, Paul had been extensively trained in Judaism – "brought up ... at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers," (Acts 22:3) Yet on his conversion he finally saw the vast difference between carnal Pharisaic self-righteousness and the righteousness God requires, something he briefly expounds on in his epistle to the Philippians:
- ... as touching the law, a Pharisee;
- Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
- But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
- Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
- And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:5-9)
We tend to think of Paul as one of the great men of the Bible and a pillar of the New Testament church, and indeed he was, but thankfully for us he mentioned in Romans 7:9-10 the ongoing struggle he had with his carnal nature (as we so often do) when he realised the DEGREE of conversion required – i.e. the spiritual implication of the commandment on coveting. This is something we just cannot achieve by ourselves. Our attempts at righteousness on a human level can bring good physical/temporary results, but we need to go further than that if we are to be granted eternal life. Paul gives us the answer at the close of chapter 7:
- My inner being delights in the law of God.
- But I see a different law at work in my body– a law that fights against the law which my mind approves of. It makes me a prisoner to the law of sin which is at work in my body.
- What an unhappy man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is taking me to death?
- Thanks be to God, who does this through our Lord Jesus Christ! This, then, is my condition: on my own I can serve God's law only with my mind, while my human nature serves the law of sin. (Romans 7:22-25 GNT)
Elihu's Assessment
And so we come to the book of Job – the key example God gives us in scripture concerning this vital subject. Notice what Mr. Armstrong had to say concerning the parallels between the conversion of Job and that of his father:
But my father was actually so good, humanly speaking, and so void of vices and any of the commonly accepted “sins” that he was actually in the same category as Job. Job was so righteous that even Satan could not find anything of which to accuse him. Actually Job’s one great sin was his own righteousness. It blinded him to his HUMANITY, the actual NATURE of sin in every human. Job was the most difficult man on record for God to convert. Finally, God brought Job to the place where he did REPENT, and come to completely ABHOR himself!
My father had come to that same place. He came to realize that mere human goodness and uprightness is not, after all, the true RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD, which is received only from God’s Holy Spirit after the painful and suffering experience of repentance. But now he had repented. And now he had come to recognize his real NEED of Jesus Christ as personal Saviour. He had thrown himself on God’s mercy, in faith believing. (The Autobiography - Chapter 28)
Previous to Elihu's comments, Job's three friends presumed these catastrophes were the result of him having sinned in some way – even though he was adamant ... My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live." (Job 27:6) What they weren't able to see was the problem of the exalting of the self – vividly brought out in chapters 29-31 – which resulted in him effectively attempting to diminish the righteousness of God, and even castigating Him for being unfair: "Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book." (Job 31:35)
Elihu points out to Job the absurdity of mere dirt – which we all are – criticising the One that gave us life in the first place. It is this lack of comprehension as to the mind-numbing difference between our existence, character and righteousness and that of the eternal God that lies at the heart of self-righteousness.
- The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
- If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up.
- Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay. (Job 33:4-6)
Even though we all only have this clay-based perception of the situation, all mankind should still be able to grasp the eternal power and Godhead of the Almighty and the vast difference between our physio-chemical existence and that of the Creator God. This Elihu graphically points out to Job within the following two passages:
- Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.
- If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
- If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? (Job 35:5-7)
- And [the rain and clouds are] turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.
- He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
- Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. (Job 37:12-14)
The Conversion of Job
And then finally Jesus Christ Himself gives the true assessment of the situation by questioning Job from HIS perspective. And at last, Job grasps what God required him to learn, with the words: Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further." (Job 40:4,5) We can then see just how profound that change of attitude was – from self-centred to God-centred – when we take his final recorded words ...
- Then Job answered the LORD and said,
- I know that You can do all things, And that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained.
- You said to me ‘Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel by words without knowledge?’
- Therefore I now see I have rashly uttered that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
- Hear, please, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’
- I had heard of You only by the hearing of the ear, But now my spiritual eye sees You.
- Therefore I retract my words, And I repent [mere] dust and ashes. (Job 42:1-6 Amplified Version)
... and compare them with his self-centred, negative approach just a few chapters earlier:
- My feet have carefully followed His steps; I have kept His ways and not turned aside.
- I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
- But He is unique and unchangeable, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does.
- For He performs what is planned and appointed for me, And He is mindful of many such things.
- Therefore I would be terrified at His presence; When I consider all of this, I tremble in dread of Him.
- For God has made my heart faint, And the Almighty has terrified me, (Job 23:11-16)
The thing to notice is how in chapter 23 above it's all about Job, but in chapter 42 his centre had changed – from self to God. He is no longer mystified at what is happening to him, but rather accepts his position in a trusting way. The total centrality of God is what Job needed to recognise – the vast difference between his thinking and that of God's; between his accomplishments (even the pyramids) and those of God's; of his meagre life-span and that of the Eternal; of his SELF-righteousness and that of God's. And THIS is the about-face that Job had to come to and to get to grips with, and is also the true antidote to SELF-righteousness in our case as well.
And then, with God's own righteousness being formed in him, rather than self-righteousness, God blessed him physically, but even more importantly Job was then spiritually equipped to fulfil his ultimate God-ordained potential... the same potential available to all of us, IF we recognise where we are "missing the mark"! And God has given us these seven days of Unleavened Bread in particular to do just that – to ask Him to show us where we need to change, that all and any righteousness is of God, and not of ourselves.
- Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
- Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [proud, arrogant] sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
- Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer (Psalm 19:12-14)
America… Britain… Europe… Africa… Middle East… Far East…
Everywhere you look, all you see is:
DISRUPTION
The Big Question Is - Why?
God‘s End Time Apostle Explains “Why”!
“Between them the British and American peoples had acquired more than two-thirds – almost three-fourths – of all the cultivated physical resources and wealth of the world. All other nations combined possessed barely more than a fourth. Britannia ruled the waves – and the world’s commerce was carried on by water. The sun never set on British possessions.
Now think! Could the British and American peoples be ignored in prophecies of world conditions that fill a third of the entire Bible – when some 90 percent of all those prophecies pertain to national and international world happenings of our time, now?
Staggering?
Indeed it is.
And yet, precisely as prophesied, Britain’s sun has now set.
As these same prophecies that foretold Britain’s greatness revealed far in advance, Britain has already been reduced to a second-rate or third-rate power in the world.
And the United States? Today America finds herself heir to just about all the international problems and headaches in this post-World-War-II, chaotic, violent world. And the United States has won her last war – even little North Vietnam held her at bay. Many other nations sap America’s national strength, ‘and he knoweth it not,’ as God long ago foretold! …And now, unless the people and the government of the United States will heed and take immediate and drastic action, THE AMERICAN NATION IS SLATED TO GO DOWN EVEN MORE SUDDENLY TO UTTER IGNOMINY AND LOSS OF ALL NATIONAL WEALTH, GREATNESS AND POWER!
Winston Churchill declared before the United States Congress: ‘He must indeed have a blind soul who cannot see that SOME GREAT PURPOSE AND DESIGN IS BEING WORKED OUT HERE BELOW of which we have the honor to be the faithful servants.’ But he did not understand that purpose! That great purpose long ago was master-planned by the Master Mind of the universe.
The Prophecies Are There - But Not Understood!
At the very close of his book, Daniel wrote: ‘And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end… and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand’ (Dan. 12:8-10).” (The United States and Britain in Prophecy - Chapters 1-3 as serialised in the Plain Truth Oct/Nov 1978)
WHY The “DISRUPTION”?
The Answer Is Hidden In Plain Sight
As with many of today’s problems, the answer is hidden in plain sight. Available in over 3,000 languages, and with an estimated 5 billion copies in circulation, God has given mankind revealed knowledge in the Bible. The problem is few actually read it - even fewer still understand it!
Here Is What The Bible Has To Say About Today’s World Problems:
This is not God’s world - Satan is the god of this world. (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Satan has deceived the whole world! (Revelation 12:9)
God reveals the source of this world’s problems:
“For THE LEADERS of this people cause them to err.” (Isaiah 9:16)
How do the leaders get to lead?
“Those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” (Romans 13:1, NLT)
Look How God Refers To These Leaders…
See How He Controls Them To Fulfil His Plan!
Pharaoh of Egypt:
“And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them;” (Exodus 9:12)
King Cyrus of Persia, “My anointed”:”
“Thus saith the LORD to HIS ANOINTED, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him;” (Isaiah 45:1)
God motivated King Cyrus, “My Shepherd”:
“That saith of Cyrus, He is MY SHEPHERD, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” (Isaiah 44:28)
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, “My servant”:
“And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, MY SERVANT; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.” (Jeremiah 27:6)
The end time “Assyrian” given a special job:
“O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I WILL SEND HIM against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I GIVE HIM A CHARGE, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets!” (Isaiah 10:5-6)
The final 10 nation Beast power:
“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” (Revelation 17:12-13)
Europe has been trying, unsuccessfully, to unite for many years - but suddenly it all comes together.
WHY?
“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, UNTIL THE WORDS OF GOD SHALL BE FULFILLED.” (Revelation 17:17)
Winston Churchill was used by God to lead Britain to victory in WWII. He declared before the United States Congress:
“He must indeed have a blind soul who cannot see that SOME GREAT PURPOSE AND DESIGN IS BEING WORKED OUT HERE BELOW of which we have the honor to be the faithful servants.” (nationalchurchillmuseum.org)
Today’s Leaders?
Right now, God is using today’s leaders in a similar way - to bring about the end time events that are essential to His overall plan!
This requires major disruption!
As Mr Armstrong wrote:
“EDITORS, NEWSCASTERS, FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS do not understand the real meaning of the world news they report, analyze and discuss. HEADS OF GOVERNMENT are utterly unaware of the true significance of the very world-shaking events with which they deal. They have no conception of where these events are leading.
INCREDIBLE? PERHAPS – BUT TRUE!” (The United States and Britain in Prophecy - Chapter 1)
Disruption Feeds Major Change!
For example, the war in the Middle East is causing the Arab states to unite against the common enemy, Iran, forming what could be the foundation for the end time King of the South.
China and Russia have been pushed into working together, forming the base for the end time Eastern army - Gog and Magog.
America’s attitude towards Europe is pushing Europe together. The Europeans don’t trust US protection. The present world financial situation is at the point of collapse, and when it does, this will finally force a group of ten European nations together to form the end time Beast power.
Both Britain and America will be shattered, then Europe becomes the world’s strongest power. “Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4)
“I Will Break The Pride Of Your Power!” (Leviticus 26:19)
According to God’s end time Apostle:
“Britain has already been reduced to a second-rate or third-rate power in the world.” (The United States and Britain in Prophecy - Chapter 2)
Suddenly, Britain’s global reputation is shattered!
According to a former British Prime Minister:
“Britain is now not merely a laughing stock but something actually worse – a piffling irrelevance.” (dailymail.co.uk)
The special relationship with America is all but destroyed.
People are asking:
“What happened to us? How did we fall so far, so quickly?” (telegraph.co.uk)
Concerning the United States, Mr Armstrong wrote:
“Today America finds herself heir to just about all the international problems and headaches in this post-World-War-II, chaotic, violent world. And the United States has won her last war… the American nation is slated to go down even more suddenly to utter ignominy and loss of all national wealth, greatness and power!
So the prophecies of Daniel were CLOSED, sealed, locked up until now! But today we are living in ‘the time of the end.’ Today the ‘wise’ do understand! But who are ‘the wise’? Only those who fear and obey God – and who have the master key to unlock the locked-up prophecies. God says: ‘The fear of the Eternal is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments’ (Psalm 111:10). And even most professing ‘Christians’ refuse utterly to do that. No wonder they can’t understand.” (The United States and Britain in Prophecy - Chapters 1-3 as serialised in the Plain Truth Oct/Nov 1978)
Today’s Disrupter-In-Chief
God is using the leaders that he has put in control right now to ready the world for the coming end time events.
President Trump uses disruption to achieve his goals.
“During the past three weeks, the President has often suggested that the war has been won and then, almost in the next breath, threatened escalation. One moment he is musing about withdrawing, the next he is doubling down.
He has claimed that American and Israeli bombing has ‘obliterated’ Iran’s military infrastructure and neutralised its navy. And yet Iranian missiles continue to be fired in all directions, and its small boats threaten Western shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Last Tuesday Trump declared that the United States didn’t ‘need any help’ in reopening the Strait. Then on Friday he said it would be ‘easy’ for NATO allies to clear it, implying that it was their job to pick up the pieces of a war he had started.
The latest thought to tumble out of Trump’s mind about the Strait of Hormuz is that unless Iran reopens it within 48 hours he will ‘hit and obliterate’ the country’s power plants.
And then there is the abuse. NATO countries are dismissed as ‘cowards’ even though some of them have stood by America in several of its misguided wars, with 457 British military personnel dying in Afghanistan. It was a contemptible thing for Trump to have said.
It’s no wonder America’s allies are keeping their distance.
They don’t know what he is trying to achieve.
They don’t trust him.
And they don’t relish being abused by him.
All Iran needs to claim victory is to survive in some form. For them, NOT BEING DEFEATED AMOUNTS TO WINNING. If they are undefeated, they will continue to threaten Western interests. In the shorter term this will mean pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and continuing disruption of the free flow of oil and gas, all of which will weaken the global economy, not least already fragile Britain.
I suspect that Trump will declare victory quite soon, since he can’t afford for this war to go on for much longer if he wishes to reclaim some of his damaged reputation. We could then be left with a vengeful Iran, more determined than ever to attack America and its allies.” (dailymail.co.uk)
Pride Before The Fall?
“Trump is the center of his own universe; so, as he said again today, ‘I can do whatever I want.’ He has the hubris of a demigod… Yesterday, he started referring again to his next plans to take Cuba — to do, as he said, whatever he wants with it. He talks like Cuba is his toy to do with as he pleases — again like a demigod — AN INCREDIBLE LEVEL OF HUMAN PRIDE.” (citizenwatchreport.com)
To President Trump: Remember The Bible Example Of King Nebuchadnezzar Of Babylon
The US is the most powerful military force in the history of the world. President Trump controls this great power, but like today’s other leaders, they have no idea why! Is the President in danger of repeating history? Remember King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon? He had a lesson to learn. “…till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” (Daniel 4:25)
He Had To Learn The Hard Way!
“The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, THAT I HAVE BUILT for the house of the kingdom by the might of MY POWER, and for the honour of MY MAJESTY? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.” (Daniel 4:31)
THIS LEVEL OF HUMAN PRIDE IS DANGEROUS!
God Is Allowing The Disruption
God is preparing today’s world for end time events.
Massive change requires massive disruption. The prophesies of Matthew 24 are being fulfilled right now.
“Take heed that no man deceive you…
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars…
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:4-8)
This describes today’s world!
Could President Trump’s Wrecking Ball Be What Forces The World To Wake Up And Act?
“Europe’s biggest surplus economy, Germany, has abandoned its debt brake to spend hundreds of billions of euros more on defence and infrastructure renewal, while China plans a significant fiscal loosening to help boost endemically poor consumer spending.
Trump’s wrecking ball has also galvanised the rest of the G7 into thinking about alternative trading alliances, a development that could ironically end up lowering barriers to trade in the world beyond the walled garden of Trump’s America.” (telegraph.co.uk)
“AFFORDABLE ENERGY”
WITHOUT IT, THERE IS NO WESTERN ECONOMY - THERE IS NO WEST!
“Hardliners in Iran smell weakness. They now know where the West is most vulnerable… and have no reason to hold back. I fear something has started that cannot be stopped.
The reasons for Trump’s change of heart, including tumbling stock markets and pressure from US allies in the Gulf, are not so hard to see. Cratering markets in Japan, South Korea and Singapore were threatening a world-wide recession that would engulf America, too. At home, big donors to the Republican party are pressuring the President to find a way out of the conflict.
While Trump’s initial response to Iran’s blockade of energy exports from the region were upbeat – the US is self-sufficient in oil, why worry? – it turns out that AMERICA’S FARMERS RELY ON IMPORTS OF FERTILISER which is made with hydrocarbons from the Gulf.
Affordable energy is the key vulnerability for America and its allies. WITHOUT IT, THERE IS NO WESTERN ECONOMY – THERE IS NO WEST. And the Iranians know that now for sure.
Indifferent to the vast suffering of their own civilians, Iran’s hardliners scent weakness. Iranian media outlets are crowing that Trump has blinked first – and with some justification.
The mullahs have few incentives to throttle back now. Besides, as Trump himself admits, it’s no longer clear who in Iran – a vast territory the size of Western Europe – is in charge.
While both Tehran and Washington would welcome an end to this horrific exchange of fire, Benjamin Netanyahu – the prime minister of Israel, whose air force has played such a key role in the attacks – will be harder to persuade. The Jewish state feels it is in mortal danger from the Islamic Republic and its chants of ‘Death to Israel’. Netanyahu has no intention of stopping the raids until the mullahs are crushed or, at the very least, have lost all ability to exploit nuclear technology. Neither outcome seems likely in the short term.
I fear that Trump and Netanyahu have started something they cannot stop. And that any ‘peace’ will merely be a ceasefire before the bloodshed – and paralysing economic crises – break out anew.” (dailymail.co.uk)
God Warns: “I Will Break The Pride Of Your Power”
“THE AMERICAN NATION IS SLATED TO GO DOWN EVEN MORE SUDDENLY TO UTTER IGNOMINY AND LOSS OF ALL NATIONAL WEALTH, GREATNESS AND POWER!” (The United States and Britain in Prophecy - Chapter 3)
As Sir Winston Churchill said:
“He must indeed have a blind soul who cannot see that some great purpose and design is being worked out here below OF WHICH WE HAVE THE HONOR TO BE THE FAITHFUL SERVANTS.” (The United States and Britain in Prophecy - Chapter 1)
We have been called out and given God’s Holy Spirit. We understand the plan of God. Our Job is to be witnesses, to watch as God fulfils His great plan and to be made ready to teach God’s way of Life in the Millennium.
Here is what God wants all of mankind to understand:
“The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has sworn this oath: ‘It will all happen as I have planned. It will be as I have decided.
I will break the Assyrians when they are in Israel; I will trample them on my mountains. My people will no longer be their slaves nor bow down under their heavy loads.
I have A PLAN FOR THE WHOLE EARTH, a hand of judgment upon ALL THE NATIONS.’
The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has spoken — who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?’” (Isaiah 14:24-27, NLT)
Remember What God Promised
“I have A PLAN FOR THE WHOLE EARTH, a hand of judgment upon ALL THE NATIONS.” (Isaiah 14:26, NLT)
After all the wars and destruction, after all the disruption and upheaval, after this world - Satan’s world - has been totally destroyed, here is the result of this part of the plan of God!
“In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.
In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:
Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:23-25)
Latest Audio - 2026-03-28
“Just what is an APOSTLE?”
Today we find the Church of God in a “wilderness of religious confusion!”
The confusion is not merely around the Church – within the religions of the world outside – but WITHIN the very heart of The True Church itself!
Read online or contact email to request a copy
