In recent months there have been news reports to the effect that as a result of the conflict going on between Russia and Ukraine several countries have gone from a peacetime, “life is normal” mode, to a declared and almost frenzied “war footing”. A few have openly publicized it while others by their actions have implied that that is the state of their defensive mood. Specifically—Russia is preparing for a war with NATO and the U.S. and China is preparing to invade Taiwan with a resulting war with the U.S. and perhaps 3 or 4 of its neighbors (including nuclear India) when it moves against Taiwan.
Then there are the preparations in the Middle-East involving a coming war against Israel involving Iran and military groups from within Syria, Lebanon, and perhaps involving other neighbors, and by smaller factions even within Israel itself. In general terms, many significant countries on the planet are gearing up for a war with particular goals in mind but(!) much like two or three regional violent weather storms that begin to converge into one monstrous and destructive super-storm, these regional wars will quickly merge to become the 3rd world war.
Hundreds of millions will die in a matter of days (even hours) once the use of nuclear weapons is unleashed upon the world. When a country’s government goes onto a war footing—its common people need to pay attention and themselves begin serious preparations for the purposes of staying i of the way and trying to survive. The world today is on an expanding war footing.
War footing : The condition of being prepared to undertake or maintain war. To be ready or preparing to fight a war. A readiness to fight a war.
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[Referenced: Matthew 24:6-8, Luke 21:9]
Now you know that I am no stranger on the issue of preparing our families and homes for very serious trouble in our country in the physical realm. If you are an adult with access to even modest amounts of disposable money you are responsible (response-able—according to God’s Word) to do something regularly to store up non-perishable food, some water, and other kinds of needed items for yourself and family, if you have one.
[Referenced: 1 Timothy 5:8, Proverbs 6:6-7, Proverbs 22:3]
Now having said these things about the trouble ahead for us, under the title of “War Footing” I am going to move into a different dimension on the issue of war. There is coming the nightmarish and surreal physical dimension of war that we will have to cope with very soon—but a more threatening consideration is the spiritual dimension of warfare that we also face as genuine Christians.
You and I must become hypersensitive to the spiritual military action that is forming against us as the true followers of Jesus Christ. As in the natural realm, there are spiritual preparations that must be made if we are to each endure to the end of our appointed time according to God’s plan for our lives; else we will be overcome by the spiritual warfare against us and either fail in our faith and be eternally lost or—we will not fail in our faith to be saved but are unprepared to rely on God and believe His Word, and thereby not obey His voice and critical direction with the consequence of our physical lives ending sooner than God planned and we go to Heaven early.
This discussion called “War Footing” is about “The condition of being prepared to undertake and maintain spiritual warfare. To be prepared and ready to fight a spiritual war. A readiness to fight a war” that is against the powers of darkness and be an overcomer according to God’s intention for our lives. You need to believe me that this is both true and it will involve you! Believe the Word!
[Referenced: Matthew 24:4-13, Luke 22:31-32, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Daniel 11:31-33, Revelation 12:9-11/17, Revelation 13:16-17]
Do you understand the need for you and me and all true followers of Jesus to move from a peacetime and prosperous lifestyle to a war economy and footing? In peacetime we make cars and computers and nice clothes but under threat of war and then actual war an economy instead makes uniforms and boots, bullets and tanks, and military aircraft and their bombs!
The physical war that is about to break forth upon the earth is the result of the spiritual war that is unseen but already well underway. World War III is the catalyst for the blatant and open warfare against all humanity but especially all Jews and the blood-bought people of God. The true church must right now shift from life as usual to a life under fire in both the physical and spiritual realm.
I believe the predicted “beginning of sorrows” is soon to give way to Great Tribulation as the end of a very short nuclear world war is set for one man with answers to step out of the shadows and into full view of the world—the antichrist.
QUESTION: What am I asking of you when I say we must now shift to a spiritual war footing?
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1.) Learn of and understand the devil’s plans against you and your family—both by considering daily news reports but especially by reading and rereading Daniel, Matthew 24, et al, and Revelation 6 to 14—recognize the relevance!
2.) Pay attention to the spiritual road signs, look at the subtle warnings of danger aimed at you (government speaking against the righteous, rapidly rising prices, dwindling foods and needed products on store shelves, the revolt of the wicked); recognize the rising trouble for the danger it is
3.) Be mindful of unusually vivid dreams or the meaning of unusual developments in your life or a strong sense to do something. Spend time each day looking to the Lord for intuitive guidance, special instructions, or warnings.
4.) Even more important in value and effectiveness than your physical guns and bullets during the wars in these last days is your knowledge and belief of the written Word of God. Read it, grow your faith by it, and only in doing so, you will be able to ask for the protection and provision of God and have them. Our spiritual military weapons are declaring and then standing on the memorized Word of God effective against both things of a physical war and also the spiritual attacks against us. Using the Name of Jesus and proclaiming the power of His shed blood are our personal nuclear options.
5.) A war footing includes staying alert in both the physical realm each day but also spiritually alert. A military has defense-alert levels ranging from peacetime security to the state of open and destructive warfare—we need to move from peacetime green past yellow to bright orange and be prepared for the red alert times of real danger to be defended against.
6.) Allow yourself to be trained by the Holy Spirit to recognize and obey His voice—His voice spoken by the Word that you know and by His real-time instructions or warnings. Someone recently said that “our many deliverances during these dangerous times ahead depend on our obedience”—deliverance requires obedience. Obey and be delivered from trouble or an early death or ignore the voice of the Lord and either be deceived and lost or your physical life ended and your heavenly Home-going sooner than God planned.
7.) Ask the Lord to grant and develop the spiritual gifts or callings He desires you to be used-in for these last days (1 Cor. 12, Rom. 12, Eph. 4) and exercise them by the leading of His Spirit; such things are acts of faith.
9.) Prepare yourself to be a witness to others that have become very frightened by the events ahead or happening—as the Lord leads, do not be too timid to offer understanding by the Word and hope through Jesus Christ. Pray for them!
In a phrase: Pay Attention! For Christians it is a matter of either Luke 17:26-29, or Daniel 11:31-33 and RFevelation 12:11
Today’s exhortation is about you and your family’s help, protection, and deliverance in the midst of the physical and spiritual wars even now developing against the true people of God. Today is about the need for you and me to raise our physical and spiritual alert levels and make needed preparations in both realms to do what many will not do—live through Great Tribulation. For the people that survive the coming nuclear war and the invasions of foreign militaries—even more than all physical preparations—one’s spiritual readiness is the key to enduring to the end of your and my appointed times.
Luke 21: [34] And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. [35] For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. [36] Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape (flee away from) all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
With "The Right Word" ...