"...ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"

For [ wo ] men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof ...   Little wonder then that the great apostle Paul then adds: From such turn away.  And correct my scriptural misapplication if you must, folks, but the context of his words seems to be including so-called 'Christians' as much as it surely is the unbelieving world at large... So, yep, just as 'not all that glitters is (in fact) gold', not everyone 'naming the name of Christ' Jesus is in reality one of the King's true dinkum kids, but, as the selfsame apostle states elsewhere, The Lord knoweth them that are [ H]is. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ de...

And although this particular blogpost was neither prompted nor occasioned by it, a little booklet Yours Truly chanced upon and has since carefully perused, digested and subsequently treasured...deals with this selfsame matter/subject... ... GOD'S AMAZING SEAL in His written Word 777: Astounding New Discoveries of intricate numeric patterns in the Holy Bible ... 'largely based on the writings of Dr. Ivan Payne  who spent more than 50 years of research into Bible numerics'... Incidentally, this blogpost, my 11th upon this blogsite, is my 670th overall (6 +7 = 13); upon this the 21st of June, 2020 (New Zealand time, anyhow): 2+1 +6+ 2+2 (=13)... Nuff Said!

Except to add that it's very appropriate to do so at a time when conspiracy theorists with a fairly superficial approach to, and surface reading of the Scriptures, especially the Book of Revelation , are fairly running rampant with the perennial digital imprint theory of things...aka the likes of Bill Gates, no less... But sorry to disillusion y'all. folks, the devil's a far more cunning and subtle, much craftier foe than that... ...but as for the world presently facing its biggest financial downturn/reverse in 150 years, though that might be pushing it, certainly we're globally facing the greatest depression, surely, since the Great Depression itself... And as for the use of boycotts to effect 'community' will, one need surely look no further than the latest daily news to see that sort of thing coming to the fore more and more...

(From the opening words of chapter fifteen, 'The Final Crisis', from Prophet of the End  (Vance Ferrell); with extensive direct quotations from the writings of Ellen Gould White, at one time - and perhaps still? - the world's most prolific female author.)

Or as the (inspired) 'Apostle to the Gentiles', Paul - formerly Saul of Tarsus - expressed things in the pivotal Reformation-heralding book of Romans : He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth . In, again, a time wherein there will be distress of nations, with perplexity... Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth...

All of which - if in a somewhat different context as waves of persecution pursue the saints - is but what the Master Himself counselled (in the gospel of Matthew ) when, after citing the unnatural enmity that steadfast adherence to the gospel and the proclamation thereof would create amongst people's own kindred, their 'nearest and dearest', and declaring ye shall be hated of all men for [M]y name's sake He stated: But when they persecute you in this [particular] city, flee ye into another: for verily...Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of Man be come  [again].

But isn't that just an elaboration, admittedly vivid at that, of the emotional fall-out from the events outlined in the Scriptural injunctions issued by our LORD and Saviour Himself - in all three of the 'synoptic gospels', i.e. those of Matthew, Mark and Luke - that (As Matthew states): [At ' the end of the world ']... there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places...All these are the beginning of sorrows . (As Mark puts things): [The ' sign when all these things shall be fulfilled ']... shall [include] earthquakes in divers places, and...famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.   (And as the 'beloved physician' Luke expresses matters): " And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences... " ? And as Timothy, the Apostle Paul's later missionary companion, put things rather more succinctly: Mark my words, in the last days there will be times of g...

Unfortunately, Folks, Methinks this very time  has likewise now well and truly come upon us - all...

And though I'm quoting directly from the 'minor' Older Testament prophet Amos, folks, His method of working hasn't changed, even through and beyond the Newer Testament era, and on down to our own, last/latter days period in Earth's history... To Be Continued... Friday (Sabbath) evening, (1st) May Day, 2020: Though loathe to use the sacred spaces of God's Own Special Day for personal pleasure or pursuing my own ways, or for that matter speaking my own words... s ome matters are so all-important that they cannot really justify being relegated to secular time, time being so absolutely precious at present, with events moving along so very rapidly and locomotive-like ... Now if as so many actually believe (and/or appear to, or at least lay vocal claim to believing) that we are really, truly living in the very last days  of   (phase one, anyhow, of)  Planet Earth's history... ... or anywhere near it... ...one would surely - and perfectly naturally -...

Regarding selfsame author, the book Prophet of The End , by Vance Ferrell, states the following: In 1865, Ellen White commented that "rooms that are not exposed to light and air become damp...The atmosphere in these rooms is poisonous, because it has not been purified by light and air." And further: "Death-producing germs abound in dark, neglected corners." And to top it all off, take the following (added commentary) in: The solution given was "perfect cleanliness, plenty of sunlight, careful attention to sanitation" and "thorough ventilation and plenty of sunlight. Let there be a current of air and an abundance of light in every room in the house." There's more, folks, but I'll leave you to ponder that for now, before - in a short while - adding the real clincher, a major scientific discovery eighty years on, which fully authenticated Ms White's 'insights'... A good month (Anzac Day, April 25th) on... To continue...