He is being Groomed

Matthew 17:22-23

To live in such a time as this, and you may be asking what time is it; a time of change, a time where the foundation of nations are crumbling, lies and deception are taking place, and sin (and I do understand that word is no longer in vogue) is everywhere.   It is a time where many claim to understand the financial markets, some say all is well and paint a beautiful picture, and others, who also claim to understand paint a very different picture, but from the investors viewpoint there is uncertainty.  We are living in a very special time, a time ripe for a leader to step on the world stage that has answers to the many problems that face us.  This person will be at least 80% correct on what they say will take place. 

This leader is being groomed and he will smell good, look good, and even have unbelievable gifts and powers that will sway the masses to declare him king of the world, but he will be a deceiver, a man controlled by the evil one, he will be a counterfeit; an imitation of the real thing.  We had the real thing come into the world over 2000 years ago, but He came as a servant, in fact, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed many years before He came to planet earth these truths: “For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”  (Isaiah 53:2,3)

John the apostle tells us this about the One he refers to, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  (John 1:1)  This Word that we have come to know as Jesus Christ came into the world and yet not only the world, but also His own chosen people rejected Him, but that will not be the case with the counterfeit.  You may or may not understand the counterfeit, he will come on the world stage with powers and gifts that will make him look like a divine being, but like his father the devil, he will be a created being under the control of the Creator.

It gets real simple, all of us who live would like to have a leader who tells the truth, who is honest, who has integrity, and who can tell us 100% of the time what is going to happen.  Over 2000 years ago Jesus did just that, but many were not listening, and many had agendas that conflicted with what Jesus said.  Jesus said this about His death and resurrection:  As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.  (Matthew 17:22-23)  Why were they distressed, that was not their plan for Jesus, but remember that was God’s plan for our redemption.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice