20 Signs of the Last Days (Revisited)
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1. The Spirit poured out on all flesh (Joel 2:28)
2. Israel restored as a political state (Deuteronomy 28:64, 30:3 Jeremiah 29:14, 30:3 Isaiah)
3. Universal apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)
4. The watering down of the gospel (2 Tim 3:5, Matthew 15:9)
5. False prophets and false Christs (Matthew 24:24)
6. Good will be called evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20)
7. Worldly knowledge will increase (Daniel 12:4)
8. Earthquakes, floods, famines, plagues and diseases such as the world has never seen (Matthew 24 and Luke 21)
9. Peace will be taken from the earth and wars will increase throughout the world (Matthew 24 and Luke 21)
10. Wickedness, murder and crime among men, while the belief in the occult will increase (Matthew 24, Luke 21, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 4:3-4)
11. People will not believe the signs of the Last Days (2 Peter 3:3-4; Matthew 16:1-4)
12. Increase in persecution of the Christians (Matthew 24:9; Mark 13:9)
13. Spread of Nuclear Weapons as predicted by the Bible (Isaiah 24:1; Zechariah 14:12; Matthew 24:21,22)
14. Middle East Tensions and an unified Arab league (Genesis 16:12; Psalm 83; Isaiah 2:3-4)
15. The new tower of Babel (Genesis 10; Isaiah 13:1-11; Jeremiah 50-51 Revelation 18)
16. Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:1-4; Revelation 20:8)
17. The Revived Roman Empire (Daniel 2:34-45; 7:7-24; Revelation 13:1-2; 17:3-16 )
18. The Anti-Christ (1 John 2:18-19; 4:3; 2 John 7)
19. The Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:18)
20. The FINAL SIGN: The Gospel will be preached to end of the world (Matthew 24:14, Revelations 14:6-7)
Bulgarians Unite in 3 Days of Public Prayer
Chicago Tribune
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgarians set aside religious and political differences on Friday at the start of three days of prayer, as President Rosen Plevneliev sought to heal rifts following protests over poverty and the deaths of four men who set themselves on fire. The country has been rocked by demonstrations which brought down the center-right government in February and in particular by the self-immolations highlighting low living standards and suspected corruption among the political elite.
The prayer initiative, which drew more worshippers than normal to mosques on the Muslim day of prayer on Friday, came after Plevneliev met leaders of the dominant Orthodox Christian church and minority Muslim, Jewish and Catholic communities. Orthodox Christianity accounts for more than 80 percent of the 7.3-million population of Bulgaria, a country where 45 years of Communist rule undermined its influence.
“We need to have more hope and believe that we can pull through,” Plevneliev told reporters at his presidential offices. “As we face up to the challenges, we should draw lessons and believe more. “We need solidarity – personal, human, fraternal solidarity,” Plevneliev added. “Let us look after the sick, give a hand to a neighbor who is in distress. Let us not leave people alone.”
Special prayers will be held at mosques across the country, the synagogue in the capital Sofia and all Bulgarian Orthodox and protestant (evangelical) churches over the next three days. The Armenian church will also hold prayers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Widespread protests over low incomes and a political elite accused of maintaining a corrupt system since the collapse of communism in 1989 forced the resignation of the cabinet led by Boiko Borisov. New elections are set for May 12, and, although Borisov’s center-right GERB party is leading in the polls, it is unlikely to command a majority and will have to try and form a coalition.
End of Days Revival Series
Cup & Cross Ministries International is presenting a five part special teaching series on the End of Days Revival starting Monday December 17, 2012 at 8 PM. Services will be held every day of the week through 12.21.12 and then starting again on Sunday December 23 with our 2012 Christmas service. Please join us in prayer as we will be ministering extensively while broadcasting the services LIVE to our audience abroad.
40 Days of Prayer to Change the Heart of a Nation Begins
Church of God General Overseer Mark Williams has urged Church of God congregations to consider joining the interdenominational prayer effort, “40 Days of Prayer to Change the Heart of a Nation!” The forty-day prayer emphasis takes place from September 28 to November 6, 2012. Tens of thousands of other congregations will participate in the joint prayer venture.
Williams noted, “While there is an obvious urgency for prayer here in the United States, this theme can be applied to any nation! And yet, our situation is particularly acute, and it affects the globe – financial crisis, the lack of repentance, unchecked sin and greed, national disunity, a disregard for all things sacred. We need a ‘great awakening.” Materials to assist with the ’40 Days of Prayer’ beginning on September 28, can be downloaded at www.40daysofprayer.net, and www.40daystosaveamerica.com.
Doug Small, coordinator of Prayer Ministries for the Church of God, noted that this effort is being led by the National Prayer Committee and the National Day of Prayer leadership team. A prayer guide is available on-line. In addition, both Dave Butts and Greg Frizzell have produced excellent resources. The first is available at www.prayershop.org and the second, through David Gosnell’s office, who leads Church of God Men’s Discipleship Ministries.
Here are some ways congregations can be involved in the 40 Days of Prayer effort:
1. Observe the Great Day of Prayer, early in the 40 day period – October, 7.
2. Plan additional corporate prayer meetings.
3. During this period, forgo the typical topics of prayer and focus on the nation.
4. Pick a day or week in which you will do a prayer-chain, 24-7 prayer, one day, as a minimum, to pray 24 hours. Or, for one 7 day period, engage in a concentrated season of prayer.
5. Set a room aside at the Church where people can come and pray. Better yet, open the sanctuary. Turn on the music. Dim the lights. Make it reflective and prayerful. Keep it accessible. Establish prayer stations. Lay out prayer helps with a focus on the nation.
6. Create a chart, divide the day into 24 one-hour or 48 thirty minute segments. Keep someone in the sanctuary praying for a day – or a week.
7. Do a fasting chain. Have people sign up to fast one meal, and another the next – until you fill up a week. People are then asked to pray at that time and around that period.
8. Join with other churches your community. Set up a schedule so that one church prays this week – and it is open, and another the next week. Unity and prayer must be partners. Seven churches can cover the period of prayer, one per week. And 40 churches, can each take a day.
The first ‘Great Day of Prayer,’ on October 7, will be a part of this solemn call to pray for the nation, beginning with our own need for repentance and re-dedication to God. Church of God Prayer Ministries has produced support materials for this Sunday. They can be downloaded at www.praycog.org.
50 Bibles in 50 Days
September 15th in Bulgaria marked the first day of the school year. The Sofia Echo reported that Sixty-three thousand young Bulgarians entered school for the first time on this day. School opening ceremonies include the playing of the national anthem, raising of the flag, speeches and of course giving the teacher a bouquet of flowers.
Naturally, the month of August marks a time of preparation, when students are finishing up their summer and will begin buying their supplies for classes. In past years our ministry has assisted several underprivileged children in nearby villages of the Yambol region with providing these much needed supplies, however this year we decided to do something a bit different. Instead of giving notebooks or pencils, 50 days prior to the 15th, we gave out Bibles to these children getting ready to attend school. With the help of our team and regional youth ministers and ministry leaders we were able to reach 50 young students. This may not sound like much when you look at numbers but we have found throughout the years that ministry with a personal touch is much more effective than ministering to the unknown masses.
With the temptations that these children will be faced including alcohol, drugs, sex and the unimaginable, we believe that the Bible is the most needed instruction manual that can serve as a life resource for when these difficult times come. The follow are a few statistics on the influence of peer pressure that we pray will be confronted with the Power of the Word:
* About 50% of teenagers feel pressured with regard to sex in relationships (The Kaiser Foundation).
* Bulgaria has the highest Teen Birth Rate internationally with the United States coming in a close second (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion).
* 9% (14 years), 18% (15 – 17 Years), 22% (18 – 19 Years) of teens experience a pregnancy every year. (Communities Responding to the Challenge of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention)
* Right around 30% of teenagers are offered drugs in middle school and high school (Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base).
* The use of marijuana has risen by a staggering 275% from the years ’92 – ’97.
* Nearly 10% of teens have tried some form of cocaine in their lives. (Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base)
As we are finishing up our 30 days of prayer campaign in the month of September we request special prayer for these students that they will not leave there new Bibles on a shelf for display, but that they will read them and hide the Truth in their hearts.
20 Signs of the Last Days
1. The Spirit poured out on all flesh (Joel 2:28)
2. Israel restored as a political state (Deuteronomy 28:64, 30:3 Jeremiah 29:14, 30:3 Isaiah)
3. Universal apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)
4. The watering down of the gospel (2 Tim 3:5, Matthew 15:9)
5. False prophets and false Christs (Matthew 24:24)
6. Good will be called evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20)
7. Worldly knowledge will increase (Daniel 12:4)
8. Earthquakes, floods, famines, plagues and diseases such as the world has never seen (Matthew 24 and Luke 21)
9. Peace will be taken from the earth and wars will increase throughout the world (Matthew 24 and Luke 21)
10. Wickedness, murder and crime among men, while the belief in the occult will increase (Matthew 24, Luke 21, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 4:3-4)
11. People will not believe the signs of the Last Days (2 Peter 3:3-4; Matthew 16:1-4)
12. Increase in persecution of the Christians (Matthew 24:9; Mark 13:9)
13. Spread of Nuclear Weapons as predicted by the Bible (Isaiah 24:1; Zechariah 14:12; Matthew 24:21,22)
14. Middle East Tensions and an unified Arab league (Genesis 16:12; Psalm 83; Isaiah 2:3-4)
15. The new tower of Babel (Genesis 10; Isaiah 13:1-11; Jeremiah 50-51 Revelation 18)
16. Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:1-4; Revelation 20:8)
17. The Revived Roman Empire (Daniel 2:34-45; 7:7-24; Revelation 13:1-2; 17:3-16 )
18. The Anti-Christ (1 John 2:18-19; 4:3; 2 John 7)
19. The Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:18)
20. The FINAL SIGN: The Gospel will be preached to end of the world (Matthew 24:14, Revelations 14:6-7)
Notes on a 30-day fast
Day 1: Read Haggai 1-2. The fast has begun. I am waiting on the Lord. Fasting must be a great tool for God, if he calls us to do days and weeks of denial not only from food, but from the boundaries of economical and political systems, of human laws which demand food and of personal desires which starve and die when subjected under His command to fast.
Day 3: I am not hungry at all. I feel a bit lighter and can actually feel my body cleansing itself. My resting while sleeping is even better than before and my mind is much clearer and focused. Read Song of Solomon 5:8.
Day 4: Still not hungry at all. Now, I understand how Jesus fasted for 40 days and hungered only after that.
Day 5: Read Matthew 27:3 and realized that the ones who betray do come back repenting.
Day 6: Read Matthew 27:7 and noticed the word “strangers.” I am a little bit hungry.
Day 8: God spoke to me face to face.
Day 9: God confirmed His word from yesterday. It has been awhile since I have been able in such a way to feel the heavens open with every second spent in the presence of God. I am not hungry at all.
Day 11: It is quite true that the flesh dies during fasting. But the dying of the flesh goes much further than the weakness of the body. Along with the flesh, die the desires of the flesh, and all human desires, along with the desire to hurt others when we are hurt and even the desire to be ourselves, until only the desire to be like Him remains in us.
Day 15: Not hungry. Read Isaiah 58 about fasting:
1. Is. 58:2 These were people who wanted to find God, but did not want to be found by Him, for when a person is found by God all human plans must be left behind in order for the will of God to be done.
2. Is. 58:3 Require all your things from God, may mean that they fasted with the intention to receive something from God, while God sees fasting as a way to bring His plans to realization.
3. Is. 58:4 Not the many words from v. 3, but their fasting was heard before God.
4. Is. 58:5 Definition of humbleness in fasting, which is clearly not passive but it is an action. This action is clearly defined by God with 8 verbs directed outward producing results around the person (v. 6-7), and 4 verbs directed inward producing results within the person (v. 13).
5. Contrary to all human understating not the proper foods, but the absence of food brings health (v. 8) and strength (v. 11).
Day 17: Woke up extremely hungry. Read Psalm 25. God spoke to me through Isaiah 43:5; I now understand what it means that a man shall live not by bread alone, but with every word of the Lord.
Days 26: A series of radical changes and answers to prayer occurred in unexpected ways – unexpected because they were not natural ways that one may anticipate or understand naturally, but rather supernatural and miraculous. Walls which had been built for decades fell and situation which had been developed for generations and centuries came together in a divinely inspired plan which changed the past, the present and will change the future. These were accompanied by heavy anointing during prayer which cannot be described except as an open channel of communication with God.
Day 27: As the end of the fasting approaches, the body feels more and more hungry. Brief blackouts and lack of balance become more frequent. However, prayer time has advanced into an absolutely clear line of communication. While attempting to pray with a certain list of needs, the Spirit audibly and visibly shows places, people, situations and plans for the future which carry meaning so higher that the prepared list of prayer needs seems inadequate in the presence of God. His plan becomes real and its reality is so strong that every other thought, feeling and even physical and emotion sensations looses meaning as one realizes their triviality and temporality in comparison with the supremacy and allness of God.
The End of Days: Series on Revelation
In 2004 Cup & Cross Ministries International is committing to hold a series of seminars and sermons on the subject of eschatology (the last days). The following are some of the topics which will be presented in a Sunday thru Wednesday, Friday thru Sunday, or Sunday only format:
The 7 Churches of Revelation
The Rapture of the Church
The Great Tribulation
The Number of the Beast
The Millennial Kingdom
The Heavenly Jerusalem
The Second Coming
The Bible Code: Theory or Reality
