I’m sure this is just a weed, but in the fall it looks quite beautiful with its white fuzz and shiny golden stems.
Here’s a Monarch sharing space with a Bumblebee.
Autumn Closeups
1
Monthly Archives: December 2020
How Will the Evils of Today Be Stopped?
So how will the evils of today be stopped? This is the question many are pondering. It seems that evil is rampant and ever growing, and no one is putting out much effort to stop it—not even our highest elected officials or our judges. Our police forces are being defunded and stifled, and as a result the crime rate is sky-rocketing—thefts, murder, rape and more. We have allowed mail-in-voting, and as a result we have voter fraud that has jeopardized the results of our elections. A tragedy! We have a media that is covering up crime and corruption so that many are not even aware of what is going on. We have an entertainment industry that makes a profit on feeding the flames of lust and greed and murder.
We indeed are living in the last days and Paul’s list of evils (2 Tim. 3:2-4) definitely can be seen today. Here are the ones I see most clearly: Men are “lovers of self, lovers of money… ungrateful, unholy…without self-control…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”
Later in verse 13, Paul says, “But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse.” We definitely see this happening. Evil, if left unchecked will multiply. If there is one bad apple in the barrel that is not removed, soon the entire barrel will be rotten.
Let me say as strongly as I can: unless we deal with those that have corrupted out elections, unless we find and prosecute them, many more will be encouraged to do the same thing and our election system will never be the same.
Similarity, unless we restore and correctly fund our police department, and thus crack down on crime, we will continue to see wide-spread crime all over our country.
Unless we are able to vote out (by fair voting) the corrupt and evil people in our government, we will continue to see corrupt and self-seeking power grabbers in our leadership, which in turn will leave out society defenseless against crime and evil.
I want to say as strongly as I can that God sees what is happening and He cannot be mocked.
He will judge evil. No one will get away with anything. Soon, very soon all true Christians will be taken from this world and the rest will be left to be judged by God. You who have rejected Him will experience His wrath for 7-years or until you die. Then you will be resurrected and judged by God to be cast into the lake of fire forever.
Here are three Scripture passages that describe the soon-coming 7-year Tribulation, which is also called “The Day of the LORD.” I will highlight the words I want to emphasize.
Isaiah 24:3-6
[In that Day] The earth will be completely laid waste and completely despoiled, for the Lord has spoken this word. 4 The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away. 5 The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. NASB
Zephaniah 1:14-18
Near is the great day of the Lord,
Near and coming very quickly;
Listen, the day of the Lord!
In it the warrior cries out bitterly.
15 A day of wrath is that day,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of destruction and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of trumpet and battle cry,
Against the fortified cities
And the high corner towers.
17 And I will bring distress on men,
So that they will walk like the blind,
Because they have sinned against the Lord;
And their blood will be poured out like dust,
And their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
Will be able to deliver them
On the day of the Lord’s wrath;
And all the earth will be devoured
In the fire of His jealousy,
For He will make a complete end,
Indeed a terrifying one,
Of all the inhabitants of the earth.
NASB
Revelation 6:12-17
And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?” NASB
This is your doom! This will be God’s wrath upon you unless you change your ways, unless you give up your sin and turn to Him. Yes, God will eventually be the one to stop all the evils of today—His way! If you don’t want to experience His wrath you must repent now before it is too late.
Late Autumn Scenes
Stephen to Write A Book On the Tribulation
The 7-year Tribulation is coming soon. It is closer than we think. We must prepare for it, and Christians must warn sinners of its horrors.
So far, I’ve written three books on bible prophecy, all focused on the Rapture of the church. Now I’m excited about writing on the Tribulation, the 7-year Tribulation. Most books I’ve seen on this subject focus mainly on the judgments in Revelation: the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls; and they also go at length to try to figure out all the details of Revelation. My focus will be different. I want to pin-point my focus on what the Tribulation will be like in all of its horrors. And I will not only look at the book of Revelation, I will look at all of the bible, especially the Old Testament books. We sometimes miss those books. And sometimes we see them just as history. But they also are prophetic.
My idea is to stir people up as to what is ahead and thus to bring sinners to repentance before it is too late. I know that we as Christians will be raptured just before the Tribulation, but that does not mean that we can relax and just wait to be taken. I think we have a responsibility to warn unbelievers of what is coming. I think I will try to show how the world is leaning toward these terrible days, and that it is closer than we think. I will show the indicators of these soon coming tribulation events.
I am just now doing my research, mostly gathering Scripture from the Old Testament: from Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, Zephaniah, Zechariah and others. And many of those references can be cross referenced to Revelation. I’m getting a lot of help from the book Things To Come, by the late Dwight Pentecost. He has gathered a lot of material on the subject of the Tribulation. But what he has is more of an outline, and he shows many different views. My work will be more focused, and, like I said, pin-pointed toward what it will be like—the wrath of God on the earth!
I’m just starting my research, so my ideas could change along the way. Of course, I will want to show and explain the reasons, or God’s purpose for the Tribulation, and to detail as well as possible the whole doctrine of the Tribulation. As is my usual approach, it will be well organized and a teaching not just for the reader but to me. I’m sure I will get more out of it than anyone else.
This work may take a couple of years, so patience is required. Please, your prayers are very welcome and needed, that I will be persistent and patient in the work, especially in the research and study—to lay the foundation for the writing.
Natures Reflections
After walking on the narrow path along the river for a while, I decided to walk on this broad path–the way that leads to destruction, and there are many that go this way (Matthew 7:14).
It’s beautiful how the light reflects off this grass.
There is a place in this field where this type of grass grows so much taller. It ‘s a mystery to me why it grows so tall in this one particular area.
So beautiful how the setting sun lights up this bare tree.
Five Reasons Why the U. S. May Have No Significant Role in End Time Events
Bible prophecy scholars say that the United States is not a player in the end times. There seems to be no key role that the U. S. will play. Here are five reasons why we see this happening:
1. The U. S. may have a President that doesn’t take a stand on anything. Thus, the U. S. may just blend in with the rest of the world. If Biden becomes our next President, we definitely see this happening.
2. Bill Barr is now saying that there is no wide spread evidence of voter fraud. That is hard to hear. He is wrong. There is plenty evidence—a lot of it. Evidently, he is looking to stay in his position in a Biden administration.
3. Many judges are not doing their jobs. Some are refusing to even look at the voter fraud evidence.
4. The media is praising Biden and Harris and what they intend to bring to America. Thus, they are casting a cloud of delusion over America.
5. The Rapture of the Church may soon occur. With all Christians gone, how will America survive? There will be no true spiritual voice, no true guidance. America will be easily taken over by Communism. We already see this happening.
America seems to be headed for disaster. However, for the Christian, we can look up and rejoice because our redemption draws near!
Stephen Nielsen 