The Cycles of History, ending sooner than we think!

Isaiah 60:3 – Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

This verse is about the LORD using Jerusalem upon HIS triumphant return, a prophecy in the making.

I have been giving thought and prayer to where the United States is heading.
How can a generation become so disconnected with reality and choose to make a reality based on their ‘feelings’.
And in doing so, they want to destroy a nation that has provided the freedom they want to destroy.
How is it that the men and women who fought in so many aspects building a society that has made life easier for these generations; now they want to tear it down?

There is a saying about a cycle that is playing out right before our eyes, a cycle that has been proven throughout recorded history.
Hard times create strong men;
Strong men create good times;
Good times create weak men;
Weak men create hard times;
And this cycle repeats over and over again throughout history.

And we see it playing out in our times right now.
When men are scared to stand out from the herd of goats, they just happily march along ‘feeling’ they are on the right side of issues.
When, in reality, they are a product of good times that were built by strong men.
Men need a purpose, and hard times truly do build men who are strong – physically and mentally, and ever so more important- emotionally.
But most importantly we should be strong men spiritually!

In Genesis 1, GOD created man in HIS image.
The CREATOR of all things made man to be like HIM.
Don’t confuse this with being created as equals, or to be identical to HIM.
But rather look at it as humans are intellectual, creative, and meant to be driven with purpose!

This purpose is what separates us from all other animals.
Animals in their natural habitats will do what they are created to do.
Their purpose does not change, it has never been witnessed to change without human intervention.
Humans, however, can change their purpose on a simple whim!

If humans don’t know or have a purpose, they will lose their focus on what truly matters most, and can be easily manipulated.
Our true purpose is coming to know who GOD is, developing a relationship with HIM, and having HIM first in every aspect of our lives.
The Bible gives us multiple examples of GOD’s chosen people (the Israelites – todays Jewish people) to fulfill HIS plan from conception to fruition.
In multiple books throughout the Old Testament we see the tribe of Jacob (Israel) follow this cycle:
Israel goes through hard times;
Israel turns to GOD and strengthens their faith in GOD;
Israel receives good times for multiple generations;
Israel turns back to their worldly ways, weakening their faith in GOD;
Israel goes through hard times again…

This cycle repeats itself again, and again throughout the Bible.

This also happens in multiple empires that are created throughout human history.
As if it were programed into human DNA that if we lose our purpose of strength,
We will become complacent and morally weak.
Giving in again, and again to the Powers and Principalities that the Prince of the World uses to separate us from GOD!

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

The Bible gives us clear instructions on how to stay focused on our true purpose!
To become strong spiritually, fully trusting in JESUS CHRIST, even when our physical bodies become weak and frail or when we become ill.
GOD made us in HIS image, and the Prince of the world – Satan- despises us for this very reason.

For in HIM all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through HIM and for HIM. (Colossians 1:16)

Satan waits for the cycle to continue on so he can manipulate people to turn away from GOD.
That is Satan’s only victory against GOD.
Satan tried to do this very thing with Job. (Book of Job)
Yet Job, who was living in good times was a strong man spiritually.
And when hard times came upon Job, he lost everything except his wife.
Job lost his home, his sons and daughters, his belongings, even his health.
Job was then ridiculed by his wife and friends who saw all that was worldly failing Job, and asked “where was Job’s GOD?!”
Job shows us though, that none of the worldly items mattered, but rather his strength was held up to endure because of GOD!
Finally, Job, suffering in his ‘hard times’ forges through with strength and is restored to ‘good times’.

We are going through the last phase of ‘good times’ which has created weak men.
Men who refuse to stand up and be a voice of reason in a time when people’s ‘feelings’ dictate their reality is the truth.
Men who are afraid to be men, but would rather be complacent and uninvolved in the world around them.
Men who speak out against with hate and malice toward men who are strong and stand up against the morally bankrupt reality that the world wants to move to.
Or worse, they become the men who ridicule JESUS CHRIST, asking where is your GOD, just as Job’s “friends” did to him.

This is a warning to all people.
That a war is coming.
This war will be the final war, a war that will be unlike any other.
Jesus said the following: (Matthew 10:34-36)
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to turn
“ ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

History will continue to repeat itself.
We refuse to learn from the past, but rather destroy reminders of the past and hide the truth from the following generations to appease ‘feelings’.
The Bible gives us example after example of these cycles, and as we watch the prophecies within are being fulfilled.
And they will be as the Day of the LORD fast approaches.
Micah 7 gives us a great insight of what we are witnessing right now.

Let the LORD be your strength! (Psalms 18:2; Psalms 46:1; Philippians 4:13)
Praise JESUS CHRIST, tell the world you are HIS! (Matthew 10:32-33)