SABBATH THOUGHT 2024-09-14—VICTORY THROUGH PRAYER

May God bless you on His Sabbath day!

On March 30, 2023, NY District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Donald Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records. Bragg claimed Michael Cohen made payments of $130,000, supposedly on Trump’s behalf, to the prostitute Stormy Daniels as ‘hush-money’ for her affair with Trump in 2006. The alleged crime occurred on October 27, 2016 but the charges were not brought until March 30, 2023, 1-1/2 years after five-year statute of limitations had expired. Regardless of whether or not Trump is guilty, the NY judicial system illegally charged him so the trial is entirely illegitimate. Even the judge has conflicted interests. It was an obvious attempt to eliminate a political opponent who is a substantial threat to the entrenched oligarchy of the Democrats. Still, Bragg got his illegal conviction on May 30, 2024. The maximum penalty is four years in prison for each count, although Merchan could order him to serve them concurrently (four years total).

In a few days on September 18, 2024, Judge Merchan will formally sentence President Donald Trump. I am writing this article 2-1/2 weeks before it is posted and already there is increasing speculation that Trump will be locked up, causing growing concern. According to investigative journalist Laura Loomer on X:

“A Federal law enforcement agent has just told me that the New York State National Guard has started staging guardsmen in hotels around the NYC courthouse where President Trump is going to be sentenced on September 18th, as they are expecting that Trump will be taken in to custody and sent directly to Rikers Island by Judge Juan Merchan.

“Source says the National Guard is being staged there because the Mayor of NYC Eric Adams and the Governor of New York Kathy Hochul both believe the police unions are preparing to stage a mass “out sick” day in support of President Trump on September 18th because none of the officers want to be involved in the persecution of Donald Trump.”

Let me say that I try to avoid discussing news of this world, especially anything geopolitical. It is nothing more than a diversion from the One who rules in the heavens above. I am making an exception since this could well be a catalyst for major upheavals in the USA and even around the world. Convicting a former President of the United States and candidate nominee for this year’s election is an historical first but putting him in prison will be shocking and possibly dangerous. But that is not the REASON I mention it.

Many are acutely aware of End-Time prophecies, at least in the general sense of the terrible events during Jacob’s Trouble and the subsequent Great Tribulation. As is the case more often than not, those things that cause the greatest upheavals usually happen shortly before the Feast of Ingathering, the harvest festival that includes the Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles. While the sentencing of Donald Trump is imaginably one of the worst, it should NOT be a concern of the people of God during this season of His holy convocations.

The Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles portray very diverse prophecies—everything from the Great Tribulation and Day of the LORD to the rescue of captives and a 1,000 years of peace. But they also represent only a brief moment in time—presumably 2-1/2 years excluding the Day of the LORD (during which time the saints are resurrected).

Even at its worst, what does the coming tribulation mean for the saints? It has, and always will be, a time for fervent PRAYER! During the worst hardship of my life, I prayed as I have never done before or since—literally night and day at one point. Through most of that year, I found myself praying at work and home. My grief was overwhelming and there were many times my “soul abhorred all manner of food” (Ps. 107:18). I prayed because I was completely helpless—I could of my own self do nothing. A few friends tried offered consolations but it was obvious that no one knew how to help. I was truly alone in my suffering.

I tell you this story not for sympathy or recognition but so that you can believe me when I tell you that THE GREATEST TRIUMPH OVER TRIBULATION COMES ONLY THROUGH FERVENT PRAYER. I survived that year, including a miraculous escape from death, with prayer, and God greatly prospered me afterwards. It was through prayer that I came to understand that there is nothing in this world that matters more than our relationship with God. There is nothing in this world that is beyond the power of our “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). It is important to me that you believe these things given the times in which we live.

Even if civil war erupts when Judge Merchan pronounces his sentence or even if Kamala Harris is elected president, do not let fear take hold. Many think that electing Trump will bring temporary prosperity or possibly delay or postpone the inevitable destruction. In essence, that is believing that one man, who does not himself even know the Law of God, will change the times that God has reserved to Himself[1]. Great tribulation is coming upon the entire world, including the saints, but Donald Trump is NOT going to change the hearts of the people of this nation, much less this world.

Over the years, many have preached that God withholds from punishing a nation if it repents and turns back to Him. However, that is NOT in the Scriptures. Read Leviticus 26:14-45, which lists the punishments God would put upon Israel if they reject Him. Take note of the fact that God says “I will punish you … for your sins” (Lev. 26: 18, 21, 24, 28). Israel’s sins always brought punishments. Sometimes punishment was mitigated by the prayer of a righteous man such as Moses, but Israel was ALWAYS punished when they sinned:

JEREMIAH 30:11 For I am with you,’ says the LORD, ‘to save you; though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, and will not let you go altogether unpunished.’

JEREMIAH 46:28 Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,” says the LORD, “For I am with you; for I will make a complete end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but I will not make a complete end of you. I will rightly correct you, for I will not leave you wholly unpunished.”

The only nation that comes to mind that repented of their sins and then God withheld His punishment was Nineveh—a Gentile nation who were not given the laws of God. The promise of God to the nation of Israel if they repented and turned back to Him was to DELIVER them from their punishment, not withhold it[2]:

PSALMS 106:43-45 Many times He delivered them; but they rebelled in their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. 44 Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry; 45 and for their sake He remembered His covenant, and relented [ease their suffering, not prevent] according to the multitude of His mercies.

DEUTERONOMY 4:23, 27, 29-31 “Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you. … 27 “And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you. … 29 “But from there [where they were captives] you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 “When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice 31 “(for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.

God said that He would restore them FROM their punishment if they would turn back to Him while they are being punished. In fact, Israel had to ACCEPT their punishment and acknowledge their sins as a condition of being restored by God:

LEVITICUS 26:40-43 ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, 41 and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt [KJV— accept of the punishment of their iniquity] 42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land. 43 The land also shall be left empty by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; they will accept their guilt [KJV— accept of the punishment of their iniquity], because they despised My judgments and because their soul abhorred My statutes.

The descendants of Jacob have committed egregious sins and will be punished by God. Can anyone honestly believe that electing Donald Trump will delay or postpone it? The sins of the nations in general, may be the main factor in God’s timing if their “iniquity [depravity] is not yet full” (Gen. 15:14). In other words, they will become much worse as hard as it may be to believe.

Brethren, I urge you to not allow fear of these times affect the holydays, which are to be a time of rejoicing[3]. Whether or not Donald Trump is put in prison and regardless of who is elected president of the USA[4]^,[5] the end will come, bringing hardships upon everyone. But remember what I said about tribulation[6] and afflictions—prayer is our only means of victory over them through God.

With the potential for things to get out of control in a few days, read what could be called the Comfort Chapter. Chapter 14 of John is traditionally read during Passover but it is there anytime we need to be comforted. Let these words be forever in your hearts and minds:

JOHN 14:1-3, 13-14, 27-28 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me [Jesus Christ]. 2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. … 13 “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. … 27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 “You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

Twice Jesus said not to let your heart be troubled. Twice He promised He is coming back for you. And twice He promised He will do whatsoever you ask of Him. He said these things because God wants to give you the Kingdom:

LUKE 12:22, 26, 29-32 Then He [Jesus Christ] said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. … 26 “If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? … 29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

You may have not noticed before, but the word for “good pleasure” is the same word used when God said of Jesus Christ, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”[7] The English translation is an absolute understatement. Who can imagine the “width and length and depth and height”[8] of God’s love for Jesus Christ? God;s desire to give the Kingdom to His saints is nothing less than His love for His own Son. Whatever happens, now or in the future, always remember that God “gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”[9] That is why the greatest triumph over any tribulation comes through fervent prayer!

May God’s grace and peace be upon you!

Steven Greene

https://sabbathreflections.org

sabbathreflections@gmail.com