3 Minute Video on Persistence in Prayer - It Doesn't "Bug" God to Keep Asking



3 Minute Video: Persistence in prayer does not "bug God." Actually it’s the opposite. It pleases Him and it demonstrates our faith. Here's why....




Closer to God: Simple Methods Starting Today - Mini-Videos Free Online

Hello Dear Readers,

Over the next several weeks, I am going to be doing a series of brief video teachings.

The purpose of these teachings is to share what I have learned and what I currently do for my daily spiritual habits, to ensure that I am walking with Christ, to remember to wait on God rather than running in front of Him (and messing things up!), and to assist in deciphering God's will for direction in my life.

Over the years, I have had friends ask my about my walk with God, so in 2017 I wrote a brief book about it, titled Closer to God, Simple Methods: Starting Today. I will also apologize upfront, because I believe my strength is as a writer....not as a speaker.  I did not want to speak or do videos -- but over the past two years God has given me more courage; and I am now eager to share ways to help you also build your faith, trust, and walk with Him.

It is an amazing journey that never ends during this lifetime.

Each video teaching I post will be less than 3-4 minutes, and each will have practical steps for growing closer to God, using simple methods - starting today!

You may find the first intro video Here.  All of the brief videos will be posted over the next several weeks on my youtube at Youtube: Gospel Life Learning,  on my FB at FB:Gospel Life Learning, on my Instagram at  Instagram: Sherry.Pev.GLL,  and of course, here on my blog Gospel Life Learning Blog.

Video Intro
Video 1: Keeping a Prayer Record
Video 2: Persistence in Prayer
Video 3: Realizing and Accepting Forgiveness in Prayer
Video 4: Releasing the Outcome of Our Prayers to Him
Video 5: Simple Prayer Method - Coming Soon
Video 6: Coming Soon


With love,
Sherry
Author/Blogger/Disciple Maker

Where Are We In the Timeline of Biblical Prophecy? A Summary of the Film "The Coming Convergence"


June 5, 2020, posted to the Gospel Life Learning blog


“In the pursuit of greatness, 
 we built our empires on death and suffering,
 but the world we shaped could never last.”
 – opening quote in the film The Coming Convergence 


This document (which may be downloaded from this blog post below) is a review and summary of The Coming Convergence, a documentary film concerning the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and the signs that Jesus and the biblical prophets told us to look for during the last generation on earth. This film was released in 2017, three years ago, prior to the current events which have destabilized the USA and the entire world, which no one knew would happen at the time of the film’s release. All are encouraged to watch the film, which may be streamed from Amazon.com, and currently may be streamed for free for Amazon prime members. 

However, because I know most will not take the estimated 90 minutes to watch the film, often due to their preconceived ideas on biblical prophecy or on a mere lack of time or interest, I have written out this summary with the hope that those who choose not to watch the film, may instead read this brief paper, or even just skim over it – reading the first line of each paragraph at minimum - so that perhaps something may cause them  to research further, so that ultimately they may know what the Bible prophecies have said about prior events that have occurred, and what the Bible prophesies about events that are still to come. The author’s purpose in preparing this summary is to assist in the spreading of the knowledge that the film provides - the knowledge of biblical prophetic messages and prophetic fulfillments; so that more may come to faith in the God of Abraham and in his son, Jesus Christ.





The opening lines of this film states, that “maybe this movie was made to warn you how the world really ends.” There are “whispers of new world orders and the end of days…but who could believe in such nonsense?....The world wants a new age of peace – but these attempts will usher in the very things we fear the most."

It seems like absolute nonsense to many to look at ancient biblical prophecy as a way to understand current events. However, for those who have been educated on this topic, it is impossible to deny that the convergence of events that are prescribed in biblical prophecy are upon us.

The world will certainly come to a physical end one day. Religious people and scientists often seem to disagree on many things – but this is one thing they both agree upon.  The earth is not ever-lasting. The earth had a beginning within the universe, and it will have an end. Still, the information that follows will fall mostly on deaf ears, because when it comes to the topic of biblical prophecy, many people already hold their own preconceived and predetermined ideas.

Some of those determinations are influenced by “doomsday prophecies” that make it into the internet media and go viral, often making the daily global news. For example, there was the prediction related to the Mayan calendar that the world would end in 2012. However, predictions such of these are often general and vague. The predicted dates come and go, which numbs us and conditions us to merely ignore all end of the world predictions. Then there are historical prophets such as Nostradamus, who wrote in the 5th century. Many believe that Nostrodamus prophesied of the rise of Hitler.  But even the predictions of Nostradamus were spoken in very broad, and generalized descriptions.  

However, biblical prophecy is different. The Bible does not give broad generalizations. The Bible gives very specific details as to what will happen. Furthermore, what makes biblical prophecy different from others, is its accuracy. The very specific prophecies actually do occur, and thousands of these prophecies have already come to be.  Due to the enormous amount of fulfilled prophecy from the Bible, the topic of biblical prophecy is something that can actually be studied and quantified by researchers of social science. The study and research of biblical prophecy related to the end times is called eschatology.  

Twenty seven percent (27%) of the bible is prophetic material, and so the determination can be made on this research question:  Do all these hundreds or thousands of prophecies actually come to pass?

As mentioned above, non-biblical predictions of future events tend to go viral for two reasons: they are sensationalized and they are simple, usually simple predictions of certain dates. The question is, do any of these “pop culture” prophecies have anything to do with biblical prophecy? The answer is a clear “No.”  Unlike the countless vague, secular predictions that are sensationalized and picked up by news media outlets, biblical prophecy contains an “unprecedented and complex tapestry of interwoven, chronological events and details that present the complete timeline of human kind, from the beginning to the end.”

Overall, the ancient biblical scriptures contain over 2500 prophetic details written over the course of 1000 years by 47 different authors. It contains the longest “running record” of human history in existence. This is why  it continues to be studied with seriousness in the universities of researchers in the world.  The biblical prophetic scriptures have survived through the rise and fall of countless empires over thousands of years – and most importantly, these biblical prophecies have proven to be accurate.


Here is one specific example. The bible prophesied the destruction of the city of Tyre. This prophecy was recorded 200 years before it happened. The prophecy stated that the city would be destroyed to dust, and specifically, all its rocks would be thrown into the sea.  Secular history confirms this event was fulfilled in July of 332 BC.  When Alexander the Great destroyed Tyre, his army used the rocks of the original city to build a land bridge in the sea in order to be able to reach the relocated island city of Tyre. 

The prophecy of the destruction of Tyre is a very specific prophecy, happening to a very particular city, and occurring with specific details provided.  Biblical prophecy is not a list of broad generalities concerning what may potentially happen. Biblical prophecies do come to pass, and they are fulfilled in detail. The city of Tyre is not just one example of biblical prophecy that just happened to be fulfilled. All the biblical prophecies have either been fulfilled or are in the process of being fulfilled.

Even more significant is this fact:  Biblical prophecy must occur in a sequential manner, like a “row of dominos.” One predicted event must occur before another event in the timeline – or else the entire prophetic timeline will not be fulfilled. Yet, we see the dominos have been positioned and have fallen just as was prescribed for past prophecy, and they continue to line up and fall according to the biblical prescription, even as we now watch current events unfold.  There is undoubtedly no record like the biblical prophetic record in existence anywhere else in the history of the world.

Let’s pivot here and look specifically at the sequence of prophecies that began around 2000 years ago when Jesus of Nazareth was here on earth.  Based on historical records, Jesus' birth and life fulfilled over 300 biblical references from the prophetic scriptures.  His death by crucifixion was predicted 400 years before crucifixion was even invented as a method of death penalty by the Romans.  This is why Jesus’ disciples trusted him, and asked him about the end of the age.  Jesus told them what will happen, with details given too. “What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” they asked?  Jesus replied by  telling them a list of all the things to look for.

Jesus’ prophetic words were definitely not what his disciples wanted to hear. Jesus told them that the nation of Israel would cease to exist; it would be scattered and destroyed, so that “not one stone of the temple would be left standing upon another.”  Jesus foretold of the complete destruction of Israel, and of the dispersal of the Jewish people across the “four corners of the earth.” This was a terrifying warning which most people of the time would never have believed it could happen.  

However, forty years after his crucifixion, the prophecy was fulfilled exactly as Jesus said. During the rule of Titus, more than 1 million Jews were slaughtered and the temple in Jerusalem was demolished so that not one stone was standing upon another, just as Jesus specifically said would happen.  The surviving remnant of Jewish people were dispersed across the earth. They remained dispersed, without a homeland or a nation, for 1800 years.

However, it was also prophesied hundreds of years before Jesus’ life on earth that Jerusalem would be destroyed, and that the Jewish people – after having been dispersed – would be re-gathered again, and the nation of Israel would be reborn.  Jesus himself, provided the parable of the dead fig tree coming back to life, and that this would happen at the beginning of the end of days. Most biblical scholars believe that when the fig tree is used symbolically in the bible, it is a symbol for the nation of Israel. So Jesus was proclaiming,  “When you see the fig tree budding, coming back to life, know that my return is near.” Many biblical scholars believe that when the dead fig tree blossoms, when the nation of Israel is reborn – that will be the same generation that will see the return of Jesus.  Therefore, the end of days would begin with the rebirth of Israel.  Obviously, the prophecy of the rebirth of Israel could not occur without it first being destroyed. Both have occurred.

If this sequence of events is not miraculous enough on its own, then it should also be known that there are additional details regarding specifically how the rebirth of Israel would be fulfilled.  In Ezekiel, the prophecy of the “valley of the dry bones” specifically predicts that scattered Jews and their nation will be brought back together.  Then the prophet of Isaiah is told to give a very specific prophecy, one so unbelievable that even he questioned,  "How could it happen?"  Even so,  Isaiah obediently prophesied that the nation of Israel would be born in a “single day.” Who could believe this could occur with any nation, and for it to be reborn in a single day?  Surely this could never come to pass! However, it did happen just as it was prophesied.

There is no other country in the world that has been completely destroyed, with its people scattered across the world; and then became later reborn in their original homeland, with their original language, and with their original heritage intact, 1800 years after its destruction.  However,  it happened for the nation of Israel.  On May 14, 1948, after the holocaust and the end of the WW II, Israel was reborn as a nation in her original land. This indeed occurred in a single day in an act proclaimed by the United Nations.  Israel became a nation again, after destruction and exile from its land for over 1800 years. This all occurred exactly in line with biblical prophecy.


The rebirth of the Jewish nation of Israel is the greatest sign indicating the time of prophecy that we are currently in. Biblical prophecy reveals that after Israel is reborn, there will be an additional sequence of events that must come to pass during what is biblically known as “the last generation.” Many biblical scholars believe that the generation that sees the rebirth of Israel is the generation that will see the second coming of Christ. If they are correct, then that generation is ours.  The Lord prophetically says that he will reappear in his glory as Jerusalem is re-established and rebuilt. He says this will happen in the generation “to come.”  The Hebrew word for “to come” in this passage means the last generation, or the terminal generation. This is why events occurring in relation to Israel give us significant signs as to where we currently are in the timeline of biblical prophecy.

So how long is a generation? This is one of the most debated questions in eschatology, but most conclude and agree that it is around 80 years. Some extend it from 80-120 years. What we do see without a doubt is that Israel is a nation again. We can know that we are in the last days because, after 1800 years of exile, Israel is a nation again.

Of the estimated 2500 prophecies in the Bible, there are still 500 future prophecies to be fulfilled, and we see that these are now coming together. When we begin to see these prophecies happening, one after the other, like the fall of foretold dominoes, then we can have even more certainty about what to look for next. 

So what do the remaining unfulfilled prophecies proclaim? Review these carefully as these prophecies will come to pass in our near future. The remaining prophecies foretell “a sequences of events resulting in an unprecedented union of world countries and economic systems…But once the world achieves this new union, humankind will be on the brink of chaos and so many catastrophic political and natural events will have occurred that two-thirds of the global population will be dead.”
Remember, these prophecies were made thousands of years ago. Even this film documentary was made three years ago – prior to now when we can clearly see all the prophecies now coming together. This film documentary was released in 2017, three years before the pandemic associated global chaos that we see is happening right now.

So what are the prophecies that are converging and will converge in the end of days?


Wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation resulting in "peace being removed from the earth." But Jesus specifically says that these wars are not yet the end. “Nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom” is a Hebrew idiom meaning "world war."  Jesus said that World Wars will be the signs of the beginning of the end.  There will be wars on a global level, and rumors of many other wars that could start up at any time. This was prophesied before global terrorism – with its threat of a terroristic attack that could take place in any nation, at any time, without warning. We are living in an unprecedented time when peace is dissipating from our societies around the world, and has been replaced by fear due to constant threats of terroristic attacks of war.   

We now have an entire global generation that has been born into conflict. They have been calling for global change. For this generation, global conflict, lack of peace, and a call for change is normal for them. Yet they are mostly uneducated on these biblical prophecies, so many or most of this generation will not know that what they are living is exactly what was foretold.  

Next, let us look at the biblical prophetic events that have been foretold and still are not yet fulfilled. There is a war foretold in the scriptures that is given in great detail. The scriptures describe specifically which countries and what types of political alignments will be involved. This foretold war is terrifying, and it will also start and end in just one day. The ancient prophecies name countries that are now Iran, Syria, Libya and surprisingly Russia that will come together to attack Israel. 

Even just a few years ago, scholars doubted they could see this alignment, with Libya and Russia included, against Israel occurring anytime soon.  But over the last several years, after the death of Gadhaffi, Libya has become more Islamic, and Russia is now embracing an anti-western stand and has been building an alliance with Iran. The two nations of Russia and Iran are presently working together in building Iranian nuclear abilities. Russia has also given stockpiles of missiles and equipment to their allies in these areas. Just ten years ago this would have been unbelievable that such an alliance could occur; however, it is not surprising now, as it is happening right before us in the unfolding of current events. Due to the clash of the Islamic and Judeo-Christian worldviews, we can easily see why Iran, Syria, and Libya would align against Israel.

Nations are set up and aligning themselves exactly as biblical prophecy said they would. Still, why and how will Russia become involved?  Prophecy scholars believe that it will likely happen because Israel has natural resources and energy resources that Russia will want and need to control in order to maintain its economic power.  In fact, Israel recently discovered massive amounts of natural gas – a discovery that “could shift economic power from Russia and several Islamic states in the area to Israel.” (Currently, Russia supplies almost all of the natural gas for Europe. Russia has even used threats of shutting off natural gas to countries who need it, unless they comply with Russia’s demands.)   Israel has now discovered one of the largest supplies of natural gas ever discovered in the world; and Israel is now in negotiations with supplying natural gas to all of Europe.  If this happens – what will the leader of Russia do? Far fetched? Not at all. This could now easily come to fruition. It is something to watch for on the world stage.

Now back to the prophesied war itself.  This is not the final war that is often referred to as Armageddon. This is a war that will occur prior, and as mentioned above, this conflict will also start and resolve in a single day. In Ezekiel 38-39, the prophecy describes a “fire” that comes, causing people to drop their weapons and instantly die. It sounds quite like a nuclear attack.  The post battle scenario is also described. It is prophesied that the ability to remove and bury all the bodies will be delayed for seven months. People will no longer be able to travel through the area, and they will have to re-route themselves around the area. (This also sounds like something due to nuclear contamination.) This city where this conflict is expected to take place is named in the ancient scriptures. It is Damascus, Syria. Isaiah also prophesied that the city of Damascus will become inhabitable.

Along with these two specific prophecies, there are many more signs that have been given through biblical prophecy that we are now seeing converge right before us in the present time.


The Bible prophesies that there will be global financial turmoil in the last days. The last generation will witness global economic collapse. Revelation describes a very dire situation where people do not have enough money to buy a loaf of bread at the end of the day.   Again, the world economic systems are prophesized to come down – in a single day.  This will result in global panic.

Currently, our world economy is very fragile and it won’t take much more for it to collapse. World leaders think they can restructure before collapse; but due to the amount of debt worldwide – economic collapse at this point is inevitable. When the collapse comes, many will not know of these prophecies. They will deny God or blame God. The will ironically proclaim statements such as, “if God were real he would not have let this happen.”

Additionally, the Bible prophesies of the significant and specific convergence of natural catastrophic events. There will be “signs in the heavens”, and the “oceans will rage” and “hearts will be filled with fear.” There is expected to  be a quick succession of global events that will be cataclysmic.  The natural disasters in the end times will be unprecedented.  

There is expected to be a dramatic increase of earthquakes around the world. Jesus specifically indicated there would be earthquakes in different places around the world.  We are now seeing earthquakes increasing in frequency and intensity.  Due to prophecy, we know that what we will see are bigger, more destructive storms -- bigger typhoons, bigger hurricanes, bigger cyclones. It will seem as if nature itself is unraveling.

It is now undeniable that these natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity.  However, from a secular and natural perspective, it is blamed on global warming, on our own poor stewardship of the earth’s resources. But biblical prophecy told of these increasing natural disasters thousands of years ago – and we are seeing exactly what the Bible foretells, with specific details and accuracy.
Many people say, “We have always had these things, these natural disasters. How are these really any different than before?” The Bible explains that the pattern of natural disasters will occur at first like “labor pains.”  So the answer is that the difference will be evident when the natural catastrophes begin occurring in a pattern such as labor pains, in other words, occurring in increasing frequency and intensity/severity, just as we see is happening in recent and current events. 

Even more importantly,  we are right now seeing a convergence of the signs of natural disasters  increasing in frequency and intensity simultaneously with the converging of the prophesied global political staging and with the prophesied economic upheaval.

Yet there are still more prophecies that we watch for to be fulfilled.  There are passages of scripture that foretell that the “stars will be darkened”; “sun covered like sackcloth”; and the moon will turn a color like blood. How could that happen? Scientists who also have an interest in biblical prophecy tell us that when one looks at the moon through a layer of ash, it will appear red. These scholars believe that there will be great smoke that will cover the skies, so that when we look up, we will not see the stars, the sun will appear covered, and the moon, if it can be seen, will appear red. These scholars also suspect that this specific prophecy will  be fulfilled through an unprecedented volcano eruption or eruptions. For example, we all know that Yellowstone will erupt, and could do so at any time, even soon. The question is not if, but when Yellowstone will erupt. When Yellowstone erupts, its ash will cover the entire continent of North America. Certainly the moon, sun, and stars will be darkened, and those who are able to get a glimpse of the moon through the ash – will see it appear red as blood. Yellowstone is not the only volcano that could blow and be part of a fulfillment of this prophecy. There are many super volcanoes and many of them are under water.  In fact, there is a super volcano in the Pacific Ocean that is the size of the state of New Mexico.

The book of Revelation speaks of global political/economic collapse, signs of natural catastrophes in the heavens and on land, and signs in the waters that will result in the death of one-third of all sea life. Researchers agree this sea death could occur with the eruption of an underwater super volcano. The released sulphur dioxide from such an underwater eruption would be deadly to most all sea life as the sulphur would travel and spread by the ocean’s currents. 

So let’s review, what does the prophetic timeline tell us to look for as far as “signs?”

·         The world will be embraced in fear
·         Peace will be removed from the earth
·         Global wars will occur with rumors of more wars
·         Economic collapse
·         Increase in earthquake activity

There is no doubt we see the precursors of all of these happening.  But where could this all be headed?  

Scripture reveals that all of these converging events are not the end in themselves, but instead, these converging events will usher in a one world government.  Then, just when we think we have solved all our problems and unified in peace and safety – that is when the final destruction will come.

Global chaos is the new normal.  People crying out for global order is the new normal. The foundation for bringing in this new global system already exists through the United Nations.  Truly, a global solution seems to be the only logical solution. Significantly, the global solution that is already in the works will come as part of the prophetic timeline. There will be an overall authority or law that will apply to every nation.  There will be a court system over all these countries, and a universal currency.  At first it may just be many countries coming together, but the global unity will eventually expand to a worldwide scale.

We now see a desire like never before, across the global populace, for global change. People are ready to accept the change. They call out for an age of equality and stability. Just like Europe thought that the European Union would provide stability; the people believe that global government will provide what they desire. Ironically, the unity of a global world order that will come is the same unity that will cause the entire global system to collapse. It has been foretold.

All of this has happened in a slow but steady progression of prophecy fulfillment. It is easy to look back now and see where we are in the prophetic timeline and how we got here. Will we also look ahead and make preparations, both physically and spiritually, for where we are going?

Once the global world government is organized, a main global leader will arise.  The world will readily embrace this leader. The world will be crying out for peace and prosperity. This leader will come on the scene when the world is at a time of great perplexity and during a time when there is otherwise a vacuum of world leadership.  The plan that will be proposed will sound so good and will be readily accepted by most.  However, the peace and safety that is desired will not come.

The Bible tells us that once the entire world "sighs" and says finally, we have “peace and safety,” that is when total destruction comes.  There will be a final world battle, the battle of Armageddon, with the East. There will be a 200 million man army (China or India only countries who have or could do this) that rises up against the global world order.  Nearly three quarters of the world population will perish in this horrific war. 

We now have this undeniable convergence of prophesied events in the natural realm, in the political realm, and in the economic realm, yet – so many do not know and are not paying attention.
Jesus said, when you see all these things happen, “Look up!”  Therefore, the number one sign that we look for is not just a single sign, but a convergence of all of the signs. This is what we are seeing now, and why the events occurring in the present generation are different that all those before.

Some people ask, why are even Christians even not paying attention to this convergence? Even they brush it off, quoting the Bible, saying, “we cannot know the hour or the day.” This is true. Christ did say that we will not know the exact hour or the day; but he also clearly taught that we can look for the convergence of signs, and then we will know that we are in the end season.  


-----------------------------------
Summarized by author Sherry Elaine Evans
Author’s books are found exclusively at https://www.amazon.com/Sherry-Elaine-Evans/e/B0073HVSD6


For further research on the prophesied events mentioned in this summary:

Prophecies fulfilled in general:  https://reasons.org/explore/publications/tnrtb/read/tnrtb/2003/08/22/fulfilled-prophecy-evidence-for-the-reliability-of-the-bible


      Prophecy concerning the destruction of Tyre: http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=1790

3     Prophecies that the life of Jesus fulfilled: https://jewsforjesus.org/answers/top-40-most-helpful-messianic-prophecies/

4     Prophecies of the crucifixion of Jesus: https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/crucifixion-prophesies

6    Isaiah’s prophecy of Israel being reborn in a day: https://int.icej.org/news/commentary/miracle-israels-rebirth

7    On “wars and rumors of war:” https://www.compellingtruth.org/wars-and-rumors-of-war.html

9    Earthquakes increasing in various places: Luke 11:21

1    Death of sea life: Revelation 8:9

      Sun covered, moon like blood:  Revelation 6:12

1    “Peace and Safety” just prior to sudden destruction: Thessalonians 5:3

1     200 million man army in the battle of Armageddon: Revelation 9:16-18