When a tornado siren sounds, we head for cover… When flood warnings are issued, we head for higher ground… When Winter storm warnings come, we prepare for life without utilities…Why, when “End Time” warnings are shouted from the rooftop do Christians stick their heads in the sand and refuse to act, refuse to prepare, refuse to warn those in harms way? Ostrich Christianity is alive and well…

Even though the “Ostrich hiding it’s head in the sand” is somewhat of a myth, it still is a great analogy of Christian behavior in these last days. Christians have become so entrenched and in love with this world that they themselves do not recognize the warning signs that are all around them. Some believers are shouting out the warning and blowing the battle trumpet but the sound is unfamiliar to the hearers because they do not know the Word of God and the warning signs that he has provided us for these last days. Again, I think the biggest problem is that “Christians” love this world more than they love God.. They don’t want him to come and mess up the cushy deal they have going on down here… We are warned against this in Romans…

Romans 12: 2...And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

My opinion is that these Christians who love this world, though they call themselves Christians, have never known God and are no more saved than is a wild pig..

Matthew 13: 22...Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

Philippians 3: 18 & 19...For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.

Those of you who faithfully follow this Bible study will most certainly agree with me that the real “Teachers” in this study are my Brothers Marty Ward & Mark McKinney. They have a true gift for teaching the word of God, where I on the other hand, do not possess this gift but I do it anyway because we have all been called to be teachers of the word to some extent. My gifts are “an understanding of God’s prophetic word” and a love for end time scriptures. God has given me an un-ashamed boldness to shout these warnings to anyone willing to listen. It seems to me that the closer we get to the last day, the more I shout it, the more I am ignored.

Let me give you an example of the prophetic word of God that is coming to pass right before our eyes that tells us beyond a shadow of a doubt that the end is very, very near…

Quick Lesson…(Condensed Version)

Around 600 years before the birth of Christ a Prophet of God named Ezekiel, who was in captivity in Babylon, described a future war that would happen in the last days. (On your own, please read Ezekiel 38 & 39). Ezekiel describes exactly who will be involved in this war consisting of Russia (Magog), Iran (Persia), Turkey (Togarmah) and other Arab States adjacent to Iran, will attack Israel without warning. God will put it into their mind to come against Israel to plunder the land and take a spoil (the oil Israel has recently discovered). God says that he will put hooks into their jaws and basically drag them to the battlefield. Other Nations around like Saudi Arabia (Sheba) & Yemen (Dedan), will only mildly protest as these armies march unimpeded upon the Nation of Israel.

God will supernaturally protect Israel (Eze 38: 19 - 22) and will kill 5/6 of the attacking armies (39: 1-6) and will send fire on their homelands. Why will God do this?

Ezekiel 38: 23...Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”’

And concerning Israel…

Ezekiel 39: 28 & 29...then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.”

Now that is the War of Gog & Magog (Ezekiel 38 & 39) in a nut shell. Why is it so important in the times we are living in? Well, knowing that this war is a war that will take place in the last days, we only have to turn off American Idol long enough to watch the news and we will see these same Nations mentioned in Ezekiel, lining up against her (Israel) in the exact way it was prophesied over 2500 years ago. For years now Russia has been sending their nuclear scientist to Iran to help them obtain nuclear technology. The world objects but they have pressed on with little resistance. Iran has sworn to annihilate Israel as soon as they succeed in acquiring this nuclear bomb. For years prophecy teachers knew that Turkey was mentioned in this prophecy but Turkey has had peaceful relations with Israel since March of 1949. Just recently, June 3rd, 2010, the Israel & Turkey relations took a 180 degree turn with the flotilla incident we have all heard of by now. Turkey has since signed a pact with Iran who is Israel’s number one enemy. Do you see how this prophetic puzzle has all come together in the past years and days? Even though the World is sliding into some serious turmoil & judgment, it is very exciting to me because I know when these things are at the brink, so is the return of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These prophecies were not given to us just to scare the Hell out of us, they were given so that we would know that the time is near and to prepare for his return. When we Christians see the fulfillment of Prophecy that will usher in the return of Christ, we need to be shouting it from the rooftops. We don’t shout “Sinner your going to Hell!”, we shout out “The return of Christ Is near!”.

Just as many Old testament prophetic scriptures about Christ were given to the Jews so that they would recognize the Messiah when he arrived, so these end time scriptures are given to us so that we will recognize the end times. The Jews neglected to recognize Jesus when he came the first time because they embraced the world and man made doctrines. The Church today has taken that same fatal path and if not awakened, will miss his second coming and find themselves right in the middle of the tribulation. It is time that we wake up, take our heads out of the sand and begin living for Christ with what time does remain. How many people will not hear God’s word or his warnings because you refused to shout it aloud? How many will find themselves in the Tribulation experiencing God’s wrath because you were too lazy to be the watchman that God intended for you to be? How many will go to Hell because you were more concerned about worldly pleasures than you were about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ? We need to examine our lives and determine what parts are Holy and what parts are worldly and leave the worldly parts in the dust. I will leave you with this scripture that I believe says it all…

Rev 22: 11 -12...He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

Thank You
Tim Barrett