Wars and Rumors...

 Daily message of hope...
For Thursday, September 11, 2025:

Matthew 24:6...8 NIV: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning.”

I remember when 911 was only the phone number you’d dial in an emergency. Nowadays, 9/11 (2001) is remembered as the day the United States was attacked by radical Muslims, killing about 3,000 people and destroying the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the worst attack ever on the continental US. In retrospect, we should not have been surprised.

Jesus told us that there would be wars and rumors of wars until he returns. We’re often told to pray for world peace, but I pray, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.” That’s when we’ll see peace! Currently, the goats and the sheep are roaming the earth together. When Jesus returns, he will separate the goats from his flock. Evil will be sent down, and believers will enter God’s eternal Kingdom, where Jesus has already prepared a place for us. This is God’s plan, and in the end, God always wins. A created being who became evil can never overtake its creator (God.)

People tend to be stubborn, stuck in their ways. If Hamas returned the Israeli hostages, Netanyahu could back off on trying to capture Gaza City. Neither side will budge, neither wants to lose face, and so the war continues. 64,000 (some say 84,000) innocent civilian lives have been lost in this conflict. God cannot be pleased.

Three years ago, Putin’s Russia invaded Ukraine. There was no good reason. Putin just wanted a bigger chunk of our planet. Over 1M people have died in the fighting. Despite US attempts to broker peace, the war continues. Nowadays, a drone can be dispatched to blow-up the opposition, with no risk to the sender. Ukrainian people are quite religious, exalting Jesus. Putin doesn’t believe in any god, so the conflict continues. Again, our Lord cannot be pleased.

What is your territory, and what is mine? The lines on a globe separating different countries were drawn by mankind, often the result of harsh conflict. These lines and country names mean little to God. He has no obligation to honor mankind’s divisions. But he did give the promised land to the Jews!

With over 40 conflicts worldwide, it would be easy to surmise that we’re nearing the beginning of the end. Only God knows the exact date. But I can promise you that each day we’re one day closer to the end of the age!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship

End Times Signs!

For Sunday, July 27, 2025:

Mark 13:4 NLT: “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?”

We can identify with these disciples who had questions about the end times. Most of us have similar questions. Let’s have a look at Jesus’ answers.

Beware of false leaders who lie. Many will come claiming to be the Messiah or the Christ or his representative. They are not. Don’t be fooled. Only Jesus is the real deal! Only the Son of God deserves your loyalty.

There will be many wars and even more rumors of war. There are currently over 40 conflicts in our world where people are shooting real bullets at each other. Real bombs are being dropped, and real rockets and drones are being sent into the air. We should pray for peace, which will certainly come when Jesus returns. He is, after all, the prince of peace! We probably won’t see worldwide peace until then. Our prayer for peace should be, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

There are nearly 200 countries on our planet, lines drawn on maps by imperfect humans. I hate to say this, but most of them really don’t matter. Most countries are too small and/or lack the resources for worldwide influence. Keep your eye on China and Xi Jinping, with the world’s largest army; Russia and Vladimir Putin, who never ended their Cold War dislike for the US; the US and Donald Trump, home of the free; and Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu, who seem to be running the show in the Middle East. Much will happen in the Middle East in the end times scenario, as Israel and Jerusalem function as God’s headquarters.

In a recent sermon, the pastor preached that we’re currently in the end times of the end times! Possibly! Are you ready to go, to move to the next reality? Have you repented and given up the world to return to the Father and His Son? The time to do this is now. Each of us can sign up for the Jesus team before the end times, and we would be wise to do so. If we wait until Judgment Day, it will be too late, a missed opportunity with eternal ramifications. Don’t be left on the outside!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship