#Anne Graham Lotz

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My hope is that this life is not all there is. This life is like preparation for what is coming next, and what is coming next is something so glorious that the Bible says minds can't conceive it, eye has never seen, your imagination could never even enter into all that God is preparing for those who love him.

Anne Graham Lotz

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[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

"God can change our circumstances, but sometimes He waits for us to show real desire for change as well as our faith in Him." – Anne Graham Lotz

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Why?

Published on: August 12, 2023 by  :Daymond Duck

On Aug. 2, 2023, Anne Graham Lotz (daughter of Billy Graham) wrote: “If I believe what He (Jesus) said about sin, salvation, forgiveness, the love of God the Father, eternal life, His own identity, and all the other big truths (John 3:16–17; 5:17–21; 11:25–26.), then it stands to reason that what He said about His return is equally true. Jesus is coming! The glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, is imminent! (Titus 2:13).

Ann’s statement is right on target, but it triggers questions in my mind:

If Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God, why do so many doubt or ignore what it says about the return of Jesus?

If Jesus is coming back to make this world better (establish peace, justice, and righteousness on earth), why aren’t more Christians excited about it?

If the return of Jesus is our blessed hope, why are so many Christians living without hope today?

If the Rapture of the Church is near, why aren’t more Christians talking about the dangers of being left behind, taking the Mark of the Beast, etc.?

I suppose there are many reasons why (unbelief; complicated subject; scary, etc.), but make no mistake about it, Jesus is coming back ready or not, and the number of people that think we are getting close is rapidly growing.

Anyway, here are some recent current events that seem to indicate that we are getting close to the return of Jesus for His church (Rapture).

One, concerning war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon: on Aug. 1, 2023, Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu met with Israeli military and security officials to discuss Hezbollah’s actions on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

They concluded that the threat of war is the greatest it has been in the last 17 years (since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006).

Southern Lebanon is part of the Land that God said Israel will get at the end of the age.

Put another way: Hezbollah is occupying part of the Promised Land and will lose it if it starts a third war with Israel.

(More: On Aug. 3, 2023, Israel notified the UN Security Council that the situation on its border with Lebanon is a powder keg. This writer is not aware of the UN doing anything to calm the situation.)

(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, Israel’s Defense Min. warned Hezbollah and Lebanon that Israel is prepared to strike all of Hezbollah’s assets and return Lebanon to the stone age if Israel is attacked.)

(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, it was reported that Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and other nations are warning their citizens to leave Lebanon. It was also reported that Israel is trying to prepare for casualties and damage in the event that they are struck by thousands of rockets in the next few days.)

Two, concerning the coming global famine: on Aug. 2, 2023, Ukraine’s Pres. Zelensky accused Russia of trying to create a global catastrophe by disrupting the global food supply and collapsing global food markets.

Zelensky was referring to the fact that Russia is preventing the shipment of Ukrainian food exports to other nations, causing the price of food to rise and increasing hunger and famine in Africa.

Three, concerning the 2024 elections: on Aug. 3, 2023, it was reported that a man known for shady dealings, George Soros, has given more than $750,000 and created a political action committee (PAC) to convert the state of Texas from Republican to Democrat.

Large contributions like this one are one reason why many politicians do the bidding of globalists instead of the voters.

The politicians have been bought and paid for.

Four, concerning wickedness (as in the days of Noah): on Aug. 4, 2023, it was reported that crime in Washington D.C. has gotten so bad that the Mexican government (home of the drug cartels) is warning its citizens to avoid going there.

Five, concerning the coming economic collapse: on Aug. 4, 2023, Michael Hartnett, a strategist at the Bank of America (based on Congressional Budget Office data), predicted that America’s national debt will rise $5.2 billion a day every day for the next ten years.

(More: On Aug. 7, 2023, Moody’s cut the ratings of ten small to mid-size banks in the U.S. and said it may soon have to downgrade some of America’s largest banks.)

(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that in the second quarter of 2023, credit card debt in the U.S. reached $1.03 trillion.)

(More: On Aug. 8, 2023, at the time this is being written, all the oil being used in the world is being sold in U.S. dollars. On Aug. 22, 2023, the BRICS nations plan to announce that 60% of the oil being used in the world will be sold in their new gold-backed currency. Many experts say this will eventually cause the value of the dollar to drop significantly.)

Six, concerning an Israeli normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia that would be a big step toward peace: on Aug. 7, 2023, Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu said he believes the two nations could achieve some form of normalization in the coming months.

Time will tell.

Seven, concerning the ashes of a red heifer and a rebuilt Temple: on Aug. 8, 2023, it was reported that the Jews are only months away from having a red heifer that is old enough to sacrifice.

It has also been reported that the Israeli government has discretely shifted some funds to prepare for purification services and possibly the construction of a third Temple.

According to the report, very little is being said about this because it is an explosive issue.

Eight, concerning the coming cashless society and tracking all buying and selling: the opponent of Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Austria’s upcoming election accused Nehammer of planning to ban cash and track Austria’s citizens.

Nehammer has responded by announcing plans to push a law that guarantees Austrian citizens the right to make purchases with cash.

FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

[rose1water]

Often, in the midst of great problems, we stop short of the real blessing God has for us, which is a fresh vision of who He is.

— Anne Graham Lotz

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Get Your Praise On

Today's inspiration comes from:

The Joy of My Heart

by Anne Graham Lotz

Praise Defeats the Enemy

I will declare Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You. — Psalm 22:22 NKJV

One way to drive Satan to distraction, and to overcome him, is through praise of Jesus.

Regardless of whether the enemy is a visible foe in front of us like the scribes and Pharisees or an invisible foe outside of us like the Devil himself or an invisible foe inside of us like depression, praise drives the enemy away. In the very prophecy that describes Jesus’ inmost thoughts and feelings as He hung on the Cross, tortured, bleeding, and dying, the psalmist declared,

But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of [Your people]. — Psalm 22:3 NKJV

In other words, He is enthroned — He rules in power, authority, and supremacy — through our praise.

In some supernatural way, praise ushers the authority of God into any given situation. One practical way to maintain your praise is to begin every prayer with praise. First praise God for who He is. Then praise Him for something He has done for you. Start now!

~Pursuing MORE of Jesus

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Who is praising Christ because you are?

Praising Jesus Is Contagious!

To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever! — Revelation 5:13

The apostle John gives us a thrilling glimpse into a universal celebration that one day we are going to participate in. He describes four living creatures who surround the throne on which Jesus reigns supreme. These living creatures never stop saying,

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come. — Revelation 4:8

While the living creatures proclaim glory, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship. And as the elders praise, millions of angels join in the chorus, singing in a loud voice,

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! — Revelation 5:12

Then John describes the entire universe beginning to roar in the continuous acclamation of Christ as every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea sings, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!”

Who is praising Christ because you are?

~Pursuing MORE of Jesus

Excerpted with permission from The Joy of My Heart by Anne Graham Lotz, copyright Anne Graham Lotz.

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Perspective

“The world isn’t falling apart–it’s falling into place.” –Ann Graham Lotz When 2024 rolled in, I was facing the second anniversary of my father’s death and the very real possibility that my mother wouldn’t be with us for much longer. I am, by nature, what I would describe as a realistic optimist. I really do want to see the best in others, look for the good in a situation, and plan my day in…

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In these days...I can't think of anything more imperative...more strategic than making time to hear what God has to say...

- Anne Graham Lotz

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Quote of the Day

Do you sometimes feel that you just can’t take one more thing? Even in your misery, be mindful that the very weight of your burdens and the intensity of the pressure may be exactly what God is going to use in your life to trigger an experience of personal revival.

Anne Graham Lotz

[thatwhitetulip]

It's sobering to contemplate how much time, effort, sacrifice, compromise, and attention we give to acquiring and increasing our supply of something that is totally insignificant in eternity. -Anne Graham Lotz

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Anne Graham Lotz | The fact that Jesus is coming for His bride isn’t debatable. The Bible is clear. He will come for us in one of two ways. Either He will come for us at our death, or He will come for us at what is referred to as the Rapture—when believers will be caught up to meet Him in the air, as Paul described in 1 Thessalonians 4. While old age or infirmity may alert us that our physical death is near, the return of Jesus at the…

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Anne Graham Lotz, Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright on End Times, their health, their ministry

(RNS) — Like mother, like daughter: Anne Graham Lotz and Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright, the daughter and granddaughter of the late evangelist Billy Graham, are both Bible teachers and have both endured serious medical conditions. Lotz and Wright even share the same social media posts. Each recently forwarded a video, recorded on an airplane, of a young evangelist declaring to his fellow passengers that…

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Worship MAKES A DIFFERENCE

“It’s amazing how the simple exercise of putting my focus on who God is helps put my prayer into perspective.”

✨️We worship You, great God of creation.✨️

You were in the beginning. You will be at the end. You always have been, and You always will be. You are the Creator who brings forth something out of nothing, who formed man from dust, who turns darkness into light, who makes the world turn, who sustains all things by Your powerful word.

We worship You alone. We set the needle of our compass on You . . . and You alone.

In the darkness, You are our Light.

In the storm, You are our Anchor.

In the face of terrorism, You are our Shield.

In time of war, You are our Peace.

In our weakness, You are our Strength.

In our grief, You are our Comfort.

In our despair, You are our Hope.

In our confusion, You are our Wisdom.

In times of uncertainty, when . . .

buildings implode, bombs explode, stock markets slide, people commit suicide, banks collapse, businesses are bankrupted, and homes are foreclosed . . .

When the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing . . .

When the rulers take a stand and gather together against the Lord . . .

When the earth gives way . . .

When the mountains fall into the midst of the sea . . .

When the waters roar and foam . . .

When nations are in uproar and kingdoms fall . . .

When everything gives way, You are the Rock on which we stand! Help us keep the needle of our faith pointed to You.

For the glory of Your great name,

Amen.

Anne Graham Lotz

[jdgo51]

Overshadowed by the Spirit

Today's inspiration comes from:

The Joy of My Heart

by Anne Graham Lotz

"When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he gave her the startling announcement that the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

When you and I place our faith in Jesus Christ and invite Him to come live within us, the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and the power of God overshadows us, and the life of Jesus is born within us. We do not conceive a physical life but rather the spiritual life of Jesus in the person of the Holy Spirit.

It is the indwelling powerful person of the Holy Spirit who sets me free from the habits of sin. But the power I possess to live a life pleasing to God is directly related to how much control of my life I give to the Holy Spirit.

~ Just Give Me Jesus

You either have all of the Holy Spirit or you have none of the Holy Spirit.

Unconditional Surrender

By this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. — 1 John 3:24 NKJV

When the Holy Spirit comes into you at your invitation, you receive as much of Him as you will ever have. You do not get a little bit of Him then and a little bit more at later experiences. Since He is a Person, you cannot get Him in pieces. You either have all of the Holy Spirit or you have none of the Holy Spirit. Why is it, then, that He seems to get us in pieces? He comes to us unconditionally, while we surrender to Him conditionally.

We give Him our Sundays but not our Mondays. We give Him our actions but not our attitudes. We give Him our relationships but not our reputations. We give Him our time but not our thoughts. We give Him our burdens but not our bodies. We give Him our prayers but not our pleasures. We give Him our crises but not our children. We give Him our health but not our hearts. Would you drop the conditions and give Him all of you?

~ Just Give Me Jesus"

Excerpted with permission from The Joy of My Heart by Anne Graham Lotz, copyright Anne Graham Lotz.