Hi all,
World focus on Jerusalem – where the world is headed
Zechariah 12: 1-9 contains a prophecy about Jerusalem being the focus of the world’s attention that brings about Armageddon and the Lord’s return.
“I am going to make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the people round about, when they shall lay siege on both Judah and Jerusalem. And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people, and all that burden themselves with it will be cut to pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered against it.”
In prophecy there are often many things at work at once. Jesus said of Jerusalem about its destruction in the year 70: “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword and be taken captive to all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Luke 21:24
From the year 70 to 1967 Gentiles controlled Jerusalem. Israel took control of Jerusalem in 1967, so that started the end of the ‘time of the Gentiles’ Jesus taught. Added to this is Paul’s revelation in Romans 11;25: “For I don’t want you to be ignorant of this mystery brethren, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the time of the Gentiles has been fulfilled.” This means as the time of the Gentiles winds down, blindness about Israel’s Messiah will be lifting – and that is what we’ve been seeing since 1967, explosive growth in Jewish people finding Jesus as Messiah.
So we know we are in the end time of the ‘time of the Gentiles’. Though Zechariah’s word about Jerusalem takes place at Armageddon the build up to that point is happening now. With President Trump’s announcement about moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which could take 3-4 years, we now have the President of Turkey announcing he will set up a Turkish Embassy in East Jerusalem in a bid to Muslim leaders to recognize it as the capital of Palestine.
It is interesting the prophecy mentions a siege on Judah and Jerusalem; Judah is the area that includes Jerusalem in the north with Gaza in the southwest corner, and the south end of the Dead Sea on the southeast corner. Watch for news about Jerusalem as the spirit of hatred that will one day lead to Zechariah 12:1-9 happening, is already at work…we just see the start of it now, but the momentum will increase over the coming years.
Cultural bias
On Friday I walked into the group home where our oldest son (Chris) lives most of the week, to pick him up for his weekly weekend home overnight, and he excitedly showed me a present ‘Santa’ had given him at the group home Christmas party Thursday night. Most readers know Chris had the cord wrapped around his neck during labor and delivery, which caused brain damage, ‘cerebral palsy’ being the name assigned to any brain injury incurred during labor or delivery. His functioning level is about 4 years of age, though Saturday he will turn 38 years old.
The present ‘Santa’ had given him (he knows the truth but enjoys the whole season of celebration) was a book about the ‘Cars’ characters from the movie series ‘Cars’, and included several small toy cars from the movie franchise. The house manager walked up to me a bit nervous because Chris was so excited about his present and she explained “I know you don’t celebrate holidays but I saw him sitting there and thought he could at least have this one.”
I was shocked that she thought that, explaining we don’t celebrate Halloween because of the satanic nature of it and that we know that power is real, but we do celebrate holidays including the Lord’s birthday – and she was dumbfounded. Evidently because we don’t celebrate Halloween all the staff had assumed we don’t celebrate any holiday at all. (Yes, I know He wasn’t born December 25)
What do they think we believe, and where is it going?
For those who don’t know the Lord and don’t know any Christians, their ideas of what we believe are shaped by gossip, culture, and media, and from those inputs they draw conclusions about us that are often completely false, as in the case of Chris and our family above.
But there is a spirit behind that twisting of the truth as the ‘accuser of our brethren’ is in the world. In Roman days the ‘fake news’ about Christians included the idea they were cannibals because they ate the body and blood of this man Jesus, and that they were actually atheists because there were no idols in their homes, and so on.
Beyond ‘photoshop’
In Jesus’ day false witnesses consisted of either people who twisted one’s spoken words (as they did the Lord’s) or were paid to twist words or take them out of context. In the 20th century technology became involved, including the bugging of rooms, spy cameras, and other ‘James Bond’ era spy devices.
Today the technology exists to take audio and video of someone that had been recorded earlier like on social media, and edit it visually and in sound to make it appear that person was saying or doing an immoral or dishonest act. They could put someone’s head and face on someone else’s body to make it appear that person is doing something immoral if they wanted to, or say things they never said, by editing individual words and images into compete sentences and different thoughts seamlessly to the eye.
Basically, if a government turns against a people, they can not only track all that is done by that person, but take that information and twist it to mean anything they want.
But the Lord is doing…
Christianity is the fastest growing religion in the world, growing by 500% between 2000 and 2005, with about 25 million new believers every year. That growth is largely in the east, China, India, and Asia and Africa in general. The center for Christianity is no longer Europe and the west. Here are some web sites for references: http://www.gordonconwell.edu/ockenga/research/Resources-and-Downloads.cfm and http://www.joshhunt.com/mail383.htm
Kenya well update – An independent company in Kenya has given us a bid of about $7500 US of which we have received donations for about 30% of that, and we are now discussing things like solar power versus generator, and security issues. It is a process, but needed. If you would like to help this village receive a working well when donating just write a note ‘Kenya’ and we will put it in that fund.
CWOWI web site changes and webinars next year
Next year our web site will have a new look and will better answer questions on the home page for those interested in house church, which will cut down some of the email and phone load currently, as many of the same questions are asked each time. I’ll also be re-doing videos on house church Q&A as well as other related videos, and we’ve hired part time for now our youngest son to help in these areas, and already some great progress is being made.
He will also help with webinars I plan on doing monthly, which will be live broadcasts of 30-60 minutes with a sign in required. Participants can electronically ‘raise their hands’ for questions, and a white board on my end will provide the ability to post notes and outlines. We’ll probably do 1 session for the Americas and Canada, another session at another time for Europe/Africa, then another for Australia/New Zealand/Asia, as that is the only way to cover wide swaths of time zones.
More and more people who are meeting in homes are contacting us saying they don’t want to be ‘Lone Rangers’, and want to be connected with people doing the same church in the house as they – Some of that growth has come through contacts made in my weekly Facebook live/YouTube teachings. If you aren’t on Facebook you can go to YouTube and search for John C Fenn videos or SuperHouseChurch and you’ll see them. I’ve been doing them weekly for over a year, and keep it to about 10 minutes.
I don’t like talking about money or needs and do so reluctantly as we’ve always seen the Father move on the hearts of people, so if you could pray and as led remember us in your giving here at the end of the year it would be appreciated. Know that I am praying for you, my phone is filled with pictures I take of prayer requests written in by mail and email that I go through daily. You are so appreciated.
Barb and I give our heartfelt thanks for your prayers, friendship, and support this year. We are a small ministry touching a lot of lives in many nations, and when you give, it goes further and means more than in a larger ministry where each gift is a drop in the bucket. Thank you so much, and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Praying for you, blessings!
John & Barb
