Day 198 "Heavenly plans are not based on earthly conditions for they are all the will of God."

Day 198 Matthew 24:1-2 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Seven years ago, my first true glimpse of Jerusalem could not have been far from where this very conversation took place, and the view is quite amazing. As you gaze upon the old city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, you are literally looking at history unfolding before your eyes. The first thing you notice (not by choice) is the dome of the rock mosque built upon the temple mount (of course not there at the time of Matthew's writing), its roof a polished gold so bright that it causes you to reach for sunglasses as it glistens in the sun. Below it, the east gate, where Jesus will, upon His return, enter the city, now walled shut in order to prevent His fulfillment of prophecy. In front of the wall there lays a non-Jewish cemetery placed there purposely, again, to prevent Christ from returning; after all, a Jew would be unclean if they entered such a place. To the right is another gate, scarred by the residue of bomb blasts and bullet holes, all signs of the ongoing battle for control and access to this Holy city. Today, as we view the city, we see the modern day additions and the signs of futile attempts of men to prevent the fulfillment of the very prophesy Jesus is now speaking. How foolish their efforts, and for what end, to insure their own death and destruction? Mankind will go through great effort to dispel a truth, yet they will not exert even the slightest amount of energy to verify it as such. For ages people have worked harder at attempting to prevent the truth from happening than they have at discovering what the truth truly is, again how futile! I have spent my life seeking the truth, and now studying it, and I can find no other explanation than the very fact that what we read in the Word of God is amazingly accurate. It is true! Yet, as I think back to the day I sat on this very spot, I cannot help but be heartbroken as I think of all the dead and buried souls that will never spend eternity with God because of their foolish pride or lack of desire to know the truth. The largest graveyard in the world lies on the side of the Mount of Olives facing the old city of Jerusalem, and it is filled with such people's remains. Am I angry? Yes; at them, no; at the enemy, yes I am. The great deceiver is running rampant convincing the world that Christ is not real. I was watching a video of Oprah Winfrey stating that she did not believe Jesus is the only way, and yet millions will continue to watch her. The next morning on national news, an anchorman asked a panel of experts if the Catholics in America at large were going to vote for morality or economics, and the answer was soundly and without doubt economics. No wonder America is in trouble. Jesus sat on this mountain of Olivet and proclaimed that He would return and not one stone of the temple would remain upon another, yet fools will attempt to block His re-entry with those very stones, graves, and other man-made obstacles. I guess one question would be this; what man-made thing could ever be powerful enough to stop the will of God? If you say nothing, you're actually a little wrong. You see, it is the will of God that all men would be saved, yet if the will of a man is to disobey, then God will allow it; however, nothing will prevent His prophecies from being fulfilled. Therefore, while a man may effectively remove Himself from the blessings of God, he can never prevent them from coming to another. In addition, while He may remove himself from God and assist others in doing so, he can never remove himself from the judgment of God. Scary thought, eh? Daily Prayer: Father, I surely do not know what is going on in the heavenlies, but I do know what You said You would do, and I pray Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen. "Heavenly plans are not based on earthly conditions for they are all the will of God." Gene Burroughs, Pastor