Look Up Fellowship "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near." Luke 21:28

Heavenly Father, please have mercy on me and forgive me if I am writing out of turn here, or if I'm contributing to some kind of heresy. You know my heart, and You know that I'm only trying to discover the truth in accordance with what You tell me in Proverbs 25:2.


QUICK OVERVIEW:
> God reveals Himself (speaks) to us through His creation
> Are we paying attention? If so, are we paying attention to the right things?
> Could He use one of our idols to communicate with (chastise/warn) us?
> 'Antimony' in the news; Did you know there's a significant Biblical connection?
> A common theme has been present in all recent studies lately
> Conclusions - Judgment, War, Rapture, Rebuilding of the Temple, Revival?


THE ZHU ZHU PETS PROPHECY?


It's another one of those 'head-spinning' days on this end I'm afraid.

Am I certifiably nuts (akin to those who see the face of our Lord and Savior in their corn flakes) to suggest that Christians were given a 'message' (a back-channel communique) via a seemingly common news headline about the latest pop culture fad?

Even though I know that several of you are already feverishly typing a response in the Comments Section, please keep reading and finish this before you answer that question.

I also know how absolutely absurd the suggestion sounds, and I know that many of you cringe every time I write a piece like this for fear that it will only give more ammunition to our common enemy and paint Christians (once again) as being 'mentally unstable' in every way, shape, and form. So be it.

I'll try to keep this as short and sweet as I possibly can without leaving anything of potential prophetic substance out of the mix because believe it or not there's quite a bit.

For those without kids or grandkids, the 'hot' and 'must have' gift item this Christmas is the ever elusive 'Zhu Zhu Pet', which is nothing more than a mechanical hamster. How this toy turned into the latest version of the 'Cabbage Patch Kid' or the 'Tickle Me Elmo' I have absolutely no idea.

No, it's not flashy, but it's certainly flying off of store shelves as quickly as it's being put there. One of the 4 unique hamsters you can purchase is named 'Mr. Squiggles', and this past weekend he decided to steal the spotlight all for himself by participating in a 'safety alert' that got the world's attention (this nation's at least). More on that in a moment.

All that being said, I would actually go so far as to say that Mr. Squiggles was trying to tell us to not only get on our knees ASAP, but to also read our Bible because we've become far too ignorant of what's contained in its pages.

Ok, that's slightly inaccurate. Let me explain.

Sticking with MY OWN THEORY/PURE SPECULATION (explored here on several occassions since the launch of this blog) that because God loves us so much and does not wish to see any of us turn away from Him and perish (2 Peter 3:9), and knowing that He is a personal God involved in the intricacies of our daily lives, MAYBE -- just maybe -- He will often use anything and everything within His marvelous creation to try and get our attention and communicate with us (even if only on a spiritual, supernatural, subconcious level) especially if we've strayed from communicating with Him on a regular basis via prayer and by reading His Word.

Even though that is nothing more than my own theory and pure speculation at play it does seem consistent with our God as described and portrayed in the Bible. I don't remember if it was me or someone else who first thought of it, but what if it's sort of like our generation's version of the burning bush? No, not that we're on the same spiritual level as Moses or anything. I just mean that the supernatural event itself perhaps works under the same spiritual laws and principles. Sorry, I'm getting off topic.

Anyway, I readily admit that I could be way off base thinking that and playing with fire to even express such a thought publicly.

If so, Lord have mercy on me and forgive me for my sins in that regard. My own wish is to share with others how a random -- although extremely newsworthy -- story reported recently had sent me on a fairly straightforward journey that ultimately led me to a deeper understanding of You and Your holy Word. I pray that others begin to view the world around them with spiritual and eternal eyes, rather than always seeing the earthly, mundane, and physical characteristics.

So, the big news over the weekend was that Zhu Zhu Pets (particularly Mr. Squiggles) has 'higher than normal' amounts of a substance called 'Antimony'. Apparently, Antimony isn't as friendly a compound as Mr. Squiggles and his pals are. That's because in high doses in can cause a series of ailments with the worst being cancer.

I discovered -- no, the Holy Spirit took me on another exhilirating Proverbs 25:2 journey -- some interesting Biblical connections to Antimony, and thus have since attempted to interpret the potential prophetic significance.

Let's start with one of the primary reasons why I find this entire story very intriguing and perhaps applicable to a student of Bible prophecy.

This is one of the 'major' news headlines of the past weekend, about one of the 'major' products that everyone wants to get their hands on (they retail for about $10 apiece, but they're being sold on eBay and Craigslist for $60-$80 instead!), and yet there's no claim that the levels of Antimony found are 'toxic', and that's why there hasn't been a 'recall' by the manufacturer. In fact, as of this writing the Consumer Advocate Group that released the claim just came out with a new Press Release apologizing for their 'error' in reporting it and causing alaem. The claim by the group that studied this toy line is that they found levels above the 'allowable' federal limits.

'Toxic' and 'allowable' limits are two very different things. When the government sets allowable limits they normally build in safety margins that are often in the range of a ten fold difference. The group's claim should be looked into, but there's no need to start panicing parents into throwing away their kids' Zhu Zhu's lest they poison their children.

The bottom line is that this should've been a non-story, but because of our nation's insane (sinful) desire for material possessions, and our sinful elevation of Christmas the commercialized version over Christmas the religious version, it's almost as if the Lord used that to His advantage in another last ditch effort to wake some of us up before it's too late and the full weight of His judgment comes down on us.

How did He do that exactly? Is it possible -- not even likely, but just possible -- that He could've used those disgusting truths about us and our nation to His advantage by trying to communicate a specific message (even if it was sent and received on an entirely spiritual and subconcious level)?

First things first. For whatever reason, the very first thing I thought of was how if we are to assume that there's some kind of 'encoded' message in here for Christians with ears to hear and eyes to see (those aggressively trying to apply the truth found in Proverbs 25:2), then isn't this just a perfect commentary (albeit a sad one) on the contemporary Christian church especially as it exists here in America?

After all, what do we know about a majority of Christians? That, unfortunately, too many of them are Christians in name only, and they rarely exhibit any kind of spiritual fruit that would indicate they believe that living the type of lifestyle they preach is a noble and worthy cause.

I would argue that 99% of the time these are people who sincerely want to have a deep, personal, powerful relationship with Jesus Christ, but there's something holding them back.

2 Timothy 3:5 (KJV) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

I would also argue that 99% of the time the 'thing' that's 'holding them back' is none other than some unconfessed sin in their life that they haven't repented of yet. Either that, or it's a lack of faith in Him and His Word. If that's true, I find the 'spiritual commentary' contained within this story about how there's a key difference between something being 'toxic' and something being 'allowable' quite profound.

It's almost like we could read this as being applicable to people, but mainly to Christians alive today in this nation. And if you really want to blow your mind, then all you have to do is quickly recall what we just looked at together in the last 2 columns published on this site that speak to this very same idea:

The 'Children Of Issachar' In The 'Kosmos'

The Prophecy of Issachar

How ridiculous is it that they express the very same theme? Remember that we concluded that 'uncleanness', or the 'defilement of this world', can be transferred from one person to another, but holiness cannot. Likewise, righteousness, character, and preparedness for God's Kingdom cannot be transferred from person to person because they represent internal qualities, matters of the heart.

Echoes of the whole 'toxic' versus 'allowable limits' debate from this Zhu Zhu Pets story? Don't misunderstand me, no amount of sin present in our lives is 'allowable' to our Lord. That's not what I mean by pointing out this possible connection. I simply mean to say that perhaps the 'spiritual message' encoded here in this safety alert (that's not really a safety alert after all, and never really was one to begin with) is much easier to decipher than we think.

What if the spiritual message encoded here is that those people (those Christians who are genuine, true blue believers) who have 'allowable limits' of sin present in their lives are those who still have the chance to repent, turn from their wicked ways, and remind themselves that Jesus Christ is the only One who can save them and give them what they need in that regard?

On the flip side, what if the spiritual message encoded here is that those people (those Christians who are Christians in name only) who have 'toxic' levels of sin present in their lives are those who are truly lost because they no longer recognize their sorry state and/or need for a Savior?

Holy character and righteousness are personal matters, intangibles that accrue from spending long periods of time learning, applying, and honing spiritual skills in the daily experiences of life. It is too late when one needs a skill immediately, and it is not there. The same is true of character: It cannot be borrowed. Perhaps more importantly, we cannot borrow a relationship with God.

This ought to teach us that opportunity knocks and then passes. In the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), the foolish virgins fail to anticipate the possibility that the Bridegroom might come later than they expect. When they are awakened, there is no time to do anything except fill their own lamps. This proves that nobody can deliver his brother. Each person, within his relationship with God, determines his own destiny.

The Laodicean's faith, however, has become perfunctory. He attends church and is involved with brethren socially, but privately, he merely goes through the motions in much the same way as the Israelites did in Amos' day. Absent is the fervency that develops through careful analysis and evaluation of the world and its corrupt promises against God and His holy promises.

God shows that the unprepared will not be admitted to His Kingdom. We should not construe this as a calloused rejection of a person's perhaps lifelong desire, but we should realize that the Laodicean has rejected the Kingdom of God on a daily basis over a long time! God is not unfair in His judgment. He gives the Laodicean what he showed he wanted. God reciprocates in kind.

Perhaps we can understand God's judgment if we imagine what ours would be if we were engaged to someone who never prepares for our upcoming marriage. What person would want a wife or a husband who had no enthusiasm for the marriage? Or perhaps we can compare it to a person who meets someone who would make a wonderful mate, but despite having ample opportunity and mutual admiration, the relationship never develops due to the other's being constantly distracted.

At this point in my study, I found myself imaginging Mr. Squiggles just sitting there staring at me with those little beady eyes that seem to whisper, "Read your Bible! Know the truth of how you are to live, by knowing His Word, and then live obediently to it -- not as a form of Legalism, but out of fear, love, and respect for the Lord because you know it please Him and will produce spiritual fruit!"


THE WORD 'ANTIMONY' IS ACTUALLY FOUND IN THE HOLY BIBLE!


Hopefully, you're still with me on this because what I'm going to present next is more Biblically sound and less tenuous.

Did you know that the word 'Antimony' appears in the Holy Bible? Yes, as a matter of fact, in certain translations of the Bible we find that very word used. When it's not used it's replaced with 'stones of turquoise', 'precious jewels', or 'fair colours'.

The first instance comes to us from Isaiah 54:11, which tells of the restoration of Israel (if we look at the chapter as a whole). This particular verse and those surrounding it talks about how only God will provide prosperity, peace, and protection.

Charles Spurgeon wrote:


"Try and suck all the sweetness that you can out of this chapter while we read it. The personal application of a promise to the heart by the Holy Spirit is that which is wanted. The honey in Jonathan’s wood never enlightened his eyes until he dipped the point of his rod into it and tasted it. Try and do the same. This chapter is the wood wherein every bough doth drip with virgin honey. Sip: taste, and be satisfied."


Take a look at what Matthew Henry wrote about this passage and count all the occurrences of the conclusions we've been making ourselves, and then tell me if you still doubt the Holy Spirit is working through even the seemingly absurd and trivial like a major news story about a current fad and popular consumer product:


"Let the people of God, when afflicted and tossed, think they hear God speaking comfortably to them by these words, taking notice of their griefs and fears. The church is all glorious when full of the knowledge of God; for none teaches like him. It is a promise of the teaching and gifts of the Holy Spirit. All that are taught of God are taught to love one another. This seems to relate especially to the glorious times to succeed the tribulations of the church. Holiness, more than any thing, is the beauty of the church. God promises protection. There shall be no fears within; there shall be no fightings without. Military men value themselves on their splendid titles, but God calls them, Wasters made to destroy, for they make wasting and destruction their business. He created them, therefore he will serve his own designs by them. The day is coming when God will reckon with wicked men for their hard speeches, Jude 1:15. Security and final victory are the heritage of each faithful servant of the Lord. The righteousness by which they are justified, and the grace by which they are sanctified, are the gift of God, and the effect of his special love. Let us beseech him to sanctify our souls, and to employ us in his service.


The second instance comes to us from 1 Chronicles 29:2, which tells us how David, as he came to the end of his reign over Israel, made preparations for his son Solomon’s reign of peace. David, the warrior king, had expanded the borders of the kingdom so his son could reign over a peaceful kingdom. Rather than build a kingdom, Solomon’s purpose as king was intended to focus on construction of the temple of God, a project for which David had yearned.

The construction of the Temple, huh? Now, where have we highlighted that recently in this forum? In none other than those reflections on the previously written columns about the Book of Haggai!

As amazing as that is in defying the odds, Matthew Henry wrote the following about this passage:


"What is done in works of piety and charity, should be done willingly, not by constraint; for God loves a cheerful giver. David set a good example. This David offered, not from constraint, or for show; but because he had set his affection to the house of God, and thought he could never do enough towards promoting that good work. Those who would draw others to good, must lead the way themselves."


Plus, another look at this chapter and we find that even though David was forbidden from building a house in which the Ark of the Covenant would rest, he spent years preparing, collecting, and providing for its construction. In this final chapter of First Chronicles, a testimony to David’s preparation reveals to us several principles which we can apply as we offer to God gifts from our free will.

Thus, these two instances where the word 'Antimony' appears is even consistent with the theme we just explored about the possible prophetic symbolism inherent in the 'toxic' and 'allowable limits' argument, and the need for Christians to be GENUINE in their faith as expressed on a daily basis!

Unreal sometimes how it all seamlessly connects, which is why I'm writing about this for us. For all we know, it could be important and much more than just a coincidence.


THE WORD 'ANTIMONY' IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WORST FALLEN ANGEL!


I wish that statement was one that I made up, but it's the truth. At some point, I think we need to recognize that if we truly believe that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible, divinely inspired, Word of God (all of it! every letter and word!), then when do we start to seriously ponder the meaning of instances like this when things we find in the Bible show up in the secular society?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't we supposed to filter EVERYTHING through our Biblical wordview? Well, this next section is something we might want to filter for sure because I think this whole Antimony business could be a serious warning to us.



As mentioned, the Biblical connection doesn't with the word 'Antinomy' merely showing up in two Old Testament passages. In fact, this next connection is the one that makes me think this could be a harbinger, or a warning of what's to come.

His name is 'Azazel' and he shares a very unique connection to this whole 'Antimony' business. The word's first appearance is in Leviticus 16:8, where a goat is designated "for Azazel" and outcast in the desert as part of Yom Kippur.

He is considered by many to be a supernatural being mentioned in connection with the ritual of the Day of Atonement (Lev. xvi.). After Satan, for whom he was in some degree a preparation, Azazel enjoys the distinction of being one of the most mysterious beings in Jewish sacred literature. Actually, he belongs to the class of 'se'irim', or 'goat-like demons', which calls to mind the creatures that will be released upon the world from the Bottomless Pit one day in the future.

The Book of Enoch (why does it seem like that book is becoming more and more applicable to this day and age?) brings Azazel into connection with the Biblical story of the Fallen Angels. In fact, Azazel is represented in the Book of Enoch as the leader of the rebellious Watchers in the time preceding the Flood!

1 Enoch 8:1-3a And Azazel taught men to make swords and knives and shields and breastplates; and made known to them the metals [of the earth] and the art of working them; and bracelets and ornaments; and the use of antimony and the beautifying of the eyelids; and all kinds of costly stones and all colouring tinctures. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray and became corrupt in all their ways.

And this is after we just pointed out how the Sons of Issachar numbered 200 as did the Fallen Angels in a post from yesterday! By the way, I'm really struggling for adjectives to describe these uncanny connections.

Azazel taught men the art of warfare, of making swords, knives, shields, and coats of mail, and women the art of deception by ornamenting the body, dyeing the hair, and painting the face and the eyebrows, and also revealed to the people the secrets of witchcraft and corrupted their manners, leading them into wickedness and impurity; until at last he was, at the Lord's command, bound hand and foot by the archangel Raphael and chained to the rough and jagged rocks of [Ha] Duduael (Beth Ḥadudo), where he is to abide in utter darkness until the great Day of Judgment, when he will be cast into the fire to be consumed forever.

There are some researchers who claim that historically Azazel corresponded with the Judeo-Christian concept of Satan/Lucifer in that they are one and the same. You can read much more about this sinister being online if you choose to, but I think for now I've made my point.


HOLLYWOOD ADDS TO THE NARRATIVE TOO!


Lastly, you just knew there was an obscure Hollywood connection to all of this, right? Believe it or not, I actually found a pretty popular Hollywood connection as well that was...curious for sure.


Apparently, 'Mister Squiggle' (see the image above) was also the name of Australia's longest-running children's series, and the name of the title character from that ABC TV show. ABC, huh? The same channel that now gives us 'Lost', 'Defying Gravity', 'FlashForward', and 'V'. How appropriate.

Mr. Squiggle (the main character) was a marionette with a pencil for a nose who visited his friends from his home on...drum roll please...the Moon (93 Crater Crescent)! Mr Squiggle was a cheery, scatter-brained character who would often be distracted and would occasionally go for "space-walks", and his assistant would need to calm him down to get him to focus on the task of drawing. Some websites describe the show as "an alien who lives on the Moon and occassionally visits his friends Rebecca, Bill Steamshovel, and Gus the Snail. He travels either by rocket or taking a space walk." You can listen to the 15-second theme song about 'the man from the Moon' right HERE.

Why does it always come back to this somehow in some way?

In a sense, he's the first popular Hollywood 'Alien' who contributed significantly to the entire 'Alien/UFO - Full Disclosure Meme' impacting an entire generation or two worldwide. Man, how many more 'connections' are there stemming from one story about a silly toy?

In every episode he would create several pictures from 'squiggles' sent in by children from around the country. Mr. Squiggle was created by Norman Hetherington, and the show first aired on July 1, 1959. Hetherington voiced all the show's puppets, while his wife Margaret wrote the scripts. The last episode went to air just over 40 years later on July, 9 1999.

Here's what E.W. Bullinger found about the number 40 in the Bible:


> 40 has long been universally recognized as an important number, both on account of the frequency of its occurrence, and the uniformity of its association with a period of probation, trial, and chastisement -- (not judgment, like the number 9, which stands in connection with the punishment of enemies, but the chastisement of sons, and of a covenant people).

> It is the product of 5 and 8, and points to the action of grace (5), leading to and ending in revival and renewal (8). This is certainly the case where 40 relates to a period of evident probation. But where it relates to enlarged dominion, or to renewed or extended rule, then it does so in virtue of its factors 4 and 10, and in harmony with their signification.


Wow! I really don't think I can do these discoveries any justice by continuing to try and come up with the proper adjectives to describe them. Besides, if you made it this far with me I know you feel the same way that I do so there's really no need to be redundant.

Hey, does anyone else find it ironic that here we are trying to interpret what we're seeing (if anything) and that the original Mr. Squiggle was a show about trying to interpret lines until you could see the big picture? Again, how appropriate. Oh yeah, there's even a 'squiggly line' drawn on the backs of the Zhu Zhu Pets. Yep, 'Theater of the Absurd' for sure.

Want to tie a nice little bow on things? We just looked at the significance of the number 40. In that text of 1 Chronicles 29 that we touched upon, we find David at the end of the trail, as far as this life in concerned. He is 70 years old, but he has reigned as king for 40 years! He is about to pass the torch to the next generation. Before he does, David has some last words for those who have gathered around him (1 Chronicles 28:1). In these last words of David, we can see what occupied his thoughts as he reached the end of his life. In his last words, we can read about a dignified ending to a life pleasing to the Lord.


CONCLUSIONS - CAN WE DRAW ANYTHING FROM ALL OF THIS?


Ok, time to put the brakes on this one because there's a lot to digest here. So, what do we make of all of this? You gotta admit, all most people can think about these days is Christmas even despite the horrible state of the economy (an economic crash that I maintain was a judgment from God).

The fact that so many have refused to repent and seek Him in response, preferring instead to continue on in their merry way, buying extravagant gifts for Christmas just like they always do, not to mention the fact that so many are so insane when it comes to trying to get their hands on one of these Zhu Zhu Pets, you have to wonder if our sovereign Lord is desperately trying to get our attention using the only thing we seem to care most about right now -- the beloved toy hamster rather than out beloved Heavenly Father.

Should we call this the 'Zhu Zhu Pet Prophecy' from now on? I shudder to think what it all might mean for us relatively soon if even one iota of what's been presented here is merely 'on-to-something'. No cause for concern though. We already know what to expect courtesy of the Bible. What we don't know is when Daniel's 70th Week will actually begin in relation to real time (although some say it's already begun).

In the end, I'm left wondering if we're on the cusp of not only the Tribulation, but of some kind of intense Revival? It's not a stretch when you consider Bullinger's findings about the number 40 in the Bible, and even the mutiple presentations on the Sons of Issachar from only yesterday.

Only God knows the answer to that. All I know is that, for whatever reason, every single thing I've read, listened to, studied, and/or written the past few days has all inexplicably been linked to this concept of repentance, righteousness, and revival not to mention the fulfillment of some of the major end times prophecies to occur during the Tribulation.

I pray that the good Lord uses me as He sees fit to reach the lost with His life changing and life saving Gospel while there's still time.

In closing, I want to briefly go back to one of the instances in the Bible where the word 'Antimony' appears (or a variation of it through translation) -- 1 Chronicles 29.

While there we can find a beautiful prayer by David I began to think about this portion of Scripture in the context of where we find ourselves along God's prophetic timeline today. Look, we know we're in those prophesied last days. We also know that Satan loves to mimic our Father whenever he can. Well, something about this chapter made me think of the Coppenhagen Summit that's underway especially in light of all this Third Temple talk amongst this fellowship of believers in the last couple of days.

To set the scene, David has just appointed his son, Solomon, as king. That made me think of President Obama as a counterfeit who's 'corronated' with the acceptance of his Nobel Peace Prize.

To mark the occasion, David has brought all his officials and leaders together. The world leaders are all gathered in Coppenhagen.

They are about to set out to build the permanent Temple, an enormous task since the Temple they are about to build is "not just another building -- it is for the Lord God Himself!" We know how the rest of the story goes if I'm right, don't we?

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if I'm 'right' or 'wrong' about all of this. I engage in these types of discussions and studies because I already know that God has intervened in my life -- on more than one occasion -- in very real and personal ways, defying all expectation and logic. Given that fact, and given the fact that I have an intense interest in end times Bible prophecy (so that I can demonstrate to people how time is short and they need to accept Jesus Christ today), I'm constantly fascinated by these sorts of unexplained connections.

The only thing that matters, however, is your current relationship with Jesus. Repent! Seek the Lord's face! Pray for the blood of Jesus Christ to wash over you and yours, and for it to protect you, and that you are counted worthy to escape the things to come because it's certainly coming, and it's coming fast!

Regardless of where you're coming from as you visit this site please join me in saying one of the following prayers since one of them will most certainly apply:

"Father God, I know I need You because I am a sinner, but also know that I can never get to You on my own. There's nothing I can do on my own to make up for my sins; nothing I could do on my own to earn favor and forgiveness from You or to secure my place in Heaven when I die. The only thing I can do is to make a conscious decision that You sent Your one and only Son Jesus Christ, and that He came to this world for me. He took my sins upon Himself, was crucified in my place, died for me, and was resurrected so that I may live forever. I accept Him and His sacrifice, and desperately want to receive Your Son Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. When He conquered death for my sake He gave me access to You. Thank You for Your grace and Your mercy. Thank You for forgiving me and for sending the Holy Spirit to transform my life from this moment forward. I pray that You transform my life from this day forward and give me a heart and a mind that desires to not only get to know You, but to be with You as much as possible. Teach me how to live, and teach me how to share this message with others before it's too late for them. Please count me worthy to escape the things to come. Amen."

If you're already a saved Christian, but you haven't repented for your sins or sought the Lord for His mercy, forgiveness, salvation, or prayed that you are counted worthy to escape the things to come as we're instructed to, if you haven't done all these things in awhile, then please say the following prayer right now:

"Dear Lord, I pray that you will not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Please think of me according to Your mercy and for Your goodness' sake, O Lord. Lord I turn from all of those sins that I committed and I ask for Your help in washing the memory and thoughts of that sin completely from my mind. Please restore me to faithful obedience to Your Word, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit anew, so that I may keep Your commands all the days of my life. Lord Jesus, I invite you into my heart anew today, and I ask forgiveness for all of my sin. Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins and for forgiving me of them through your shed blood for me on the cross. Please take away all the sinful 'old things' in my heart that defile me, and replace them with the 'good things' that you desire to grow in to my life. Please wash away all the sinful crud and tendencies toward evil and replace them with a hunger and thirst for your righteousness. I need your help, Lord God, in living this new life in Christ. Please send your Holy Spirit afresh into my life to help me, heal me, lead me and transform me. I also pray that your shed blood washes over me, protects me, and that I am counted worthy to escape the things that are coming upon this world in the form of your righteous judgment. Lastly, I pray that you have mercy on this nation even though we deserve your fierce judgment for our blatant sins that are before you. Help us to see the error in our ways as individuals and as a nation, and lead us to repentance before it's too late for us. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

Now that we're back on the right track in this life let's all use what little precious time we have left drawing that much closer to God while sharing His life-saving message with as many people as we can before it's too late for us and too late for them.

Remember that if you're worth dying for, then maybe He's worth living for. Begin a new life in Jesus Christ today and commit to getting to know Him and serving Him daily.

Keep looking up. Come quickly Lord.