Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” (John 19:10–11, NIV 1984).
My Musings – It has been reported that personnel in all branches of the military have been told that they should be excited to be part of the war on Iran, as it would bring about Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ, and that “President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon.”
I do not know if what is alleged in this reporting is true or not. I do know that God does use kings, kingdoms, and armies to “move” His divine plans forward. At the same time, I also know that no one has the “power” to “move” the “unmoved mover” unless it has been “given to [them] from above.” And power that is given is really no power at all. Nor are the “kings and kingdoms” to which the power is given necessarily holy. In addition, the power can be taken away just as easily as it was given. So, it would be wise to not get too “excited” or certain about the part they might play. To do otherwise would be so much hubris.
Certainly, there will be “wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:6–8, NIV 1894). But these are just some of the “[signs] of [His] coming and of the end of the age,” (Matthew 24:3, NIV 1984) that Jesus gave concerning what would precede His return.
Birth pains are signs of an approaching birth; they are not a precise timetable for the actual time of birth. “[Therefore], brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, NIV 1984). When the birth time suddenly comes, we are not surprised because of the labor pains that preceded it.
My Advice – Sudden in occurrence but not surprised by the occurrence if we watch for the signs. “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:42–44, NIV 1984).
We “do not know on what day [our] Lord will come.” Nor does our military have the necessary “power over [God]” to “bring about Armageddon” or accelerate the timetable for the “return of Jesus Christ.” Nevertheless, we “must be ready.” And we can be ready only if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, who will “[rescue] us from the coming wrath.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10, NIV 1984).
The Brew Is A Musing 