Purchase online from ChristianBook.com!

Every six months or so my husband Reed and I intentionally sit down together and assess how we’re doing with habits, routines, and working towards our life‐long goals. We want to make sure we establish good patterns now, so we reap their blessings later in life. We also want to make sure our priorities align with Scripture and God’s will for our lives. Well, we recently discovered a resource to help us do a very thorough assessment.

Reed was gifted a book called The Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley¹. I started reading it almost by accident, since it is really targeted towards guys, but I’m always intrigued by books that have a Biblical finances section. That section was so good that I kept reading!

In the book, Patrick Morley helps readers examine 24 areas of their lives to see how they line up with Scripture. Some of the areas include identities, relationships, finances, time, temperament, and integrity. The author says, “My dream is that by reading it you will find contentment and a success that really matters.” The Man in the Mirror is a biblically based and empowering book to help Christians live an authentic life and truly find their purpose in life. It’s a great tool to have in our “strategic toolbox”.

A Count‐Down List of Priorities

“When we don’t have a sense of where we are going,
where we are now isn’t that important.” ~Patrick Morley

God has laid the following list of priorities on our hearts for daily living, many based on concepts that we gleaned from The Man in the Mirror. These are key areas for us to focus on so we don’t waste our time, efforts, or resources. They are biblical priorities that guide our decisions, goals, and dreams, in order to live strategically!

While this is not an exhaustive list, we hope it is thought-provoking and challenges you to do your own life assessment. Does it bring to mind any course corrections that you need to make? Are there other areas that you have been called to focus on that aren’t included in our list?

#10 – We will live a balanced life, not neglecting times of rest, and living daily in the strength of the Lord.

“He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:29‐31

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy‐laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28‐29

#9 – We will live with contentment, not seeking a higher standard of living. We know riches do not give fulfillment nor lead to true victorious living.

“If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” 1 Timothy 6:8

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you’…” Hebrews 13:5

“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” 1 John 2:15‐16

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6

#8 – We will honor the Lord from “our wealth” and from the first/best of all “our produce”. We give back to God because He gives so abundantly to us, and He is the true owner of all things. We are His stewards.

“Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce,” Proverbs 3:9

“As soon as the order spread, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of all…the tithe of sacred gifts which were consecrated to the Lord their God, and placed them in heaps.” 2 Chronicles 31:5‐6

“In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.” 1 Corinthians 4:2

#7 – Being self-employed, we will ask God to give us favor in the eyes of our clients and bless the work of our hands.

“The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” Deuteronomy 28:8

“The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight..” Genesis 39:2‐4 a

“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:17

“And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52

#6 – In ministry and at the office, we will practice the proverb of steady plodding, remembering that God causes the growth.

“Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty.” Proverbs 21:5

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” Hebrews 10:36

“So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:7

#5 – We will invest our lives in things which endure and have eternal impact, living each day as if it were our last.

“Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” 1 Timothy 6:17‐19

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15‐17

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:20‐21

#4 – We will nourish our marriage, a relationship that comes before everything, except our relationship with God.

“So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,” Ephesians 5:28‐29

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:22‐24

“Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:33

#3 – We will spend time daily in the Word of God and prayer, in order to live by the counsel of the Holy Spirit and be able to discern good and evil in this world.

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,” Colossians 3:16 a

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1‐2

“But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Joshua 1:8

#2 – We will live lives of obedience, a trademark of a biblical Christian, and a great witness tool to an unbelieving world.

“…for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; if you obey the Lord your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. ‘For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.‘ ” Deuteronomy 30:9b‐11

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3

#1 – Our foremost purpose in life is to glorify God. He will remain the top priority of our lives.

“Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5

“Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” Isaiah 43:7

“…be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…” Colossians 1:9b-10

A Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,

Make our messes into Your masterpiece. We want to live by Your priorities and follow Your will for our lives. Please guide us daily in this spiritual journey.

Please make our lives count, for Your glory! At the end of our days, we want to be able to say what Jesus said in John 17:4, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”

Amen,
Elizabeth and Reed Hewitt

¹ The Man in the Mirror written by Patrick Morley and published by Zondervan in 1997, updated in 2014.

This page contains affiliate link(s) from ChristianBook.com. If you choose to make a purchase, your price will not be affected and we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Article originally published October 2013. Updated May 2025.

Purchase online from ChristianBook.com!

Sometimes we need to be reminded that we serve an amazing, awesome, incredible God. Our God knows everything about every single human on this planet. And He has our best interest in mind. God’s Word tells us in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

And that is a theme we see in Jonathan Cahn’s latest book called The Harbinger II: The Return. God is working behind the scenes in countless ways in our country, in our churches, and in each of our lives. He is orchestrating events in ways we can’t even imagine.

Rabbi and Pastor Jonathan Cahn leads the Beth Israel congregation at the Jerusalem Center in Wayne, New Jersey (located just outside New York City). It’s one of the largest Messianic worship centers in the world, and we had the pleasure of attending services there on our road trip around the U.S.A. last year. We got to meet Rabbi Jonathan in person and we were touched by his humility and great love for the Lord. We enjoy listening to his sermons every week online.

We first discovered Jonathan Cahn in 2013, after the release of his first book The Harbinger. We’ve read all of his books, and we give them out as gifts because they are so important to read in these prophetic days that we are living in.

The Harbinger II: The Return

As of September 1st, 2020, Jonathan Cahn has released his sixth book, The Harbinger II: The Return. And we’d like to share some thoughts about it, hoping to inspire our readers to go pick up a copy and read it for themselves. (And just a quick note, if you haven’t read the first book called The Harbinger, don’t worry. We suggest you skip that book and just start with The Harbinger II, which does a good job of summarizing everything from the first book.)

Just like the original Harbinger, The Harbinger II takes the form of a story, following the same fictional character, Nouriel, as he discovers real-word facts. It helps keep the book from being just an information download, because the experiences of the protagonist help to pace things out.

As far as subject matter goes, this new book speaks of a biblical pattern of judgment, calamity, and destruction that appeared in ancient Israel, a template of judgment on a nation that once followed the Lord’s will, the ways of God, and reaped the blessings of God…but then turned in defiance against God. Even warring against God.

Crossing A Moral Tipping Point

We’ve obviously crossed a moral tipping point in the United States of America, but The Harbinger II makes the case that we have been standing in a window of grace between initial signs of warning and a coming national judgment.

America’s hedge of protection was temporarily lifted when terrorists attacked our nation on September 11, 2001. For decades, the nation had been departing from the Lord and God sent a wake-up call in the form of a terrorist attack.

For America, the pattern of judgment began on 9/11, and the harbingers of judgment have continued ever since on American soil. If America does not turn back to God, then following the ancient biblical pattern it will be destroyed. That will be the end of America as we have always known it.

On the day The Harbinger II was released, Jonathan Cahn sent out an email blast and this is one part of what he said. “The ancient template leads up to where we are right now. What I have written in The Harbinger II, I believe all the more is that the present moment is most critical and dangerous – one that could seal America’s future once and for all, for judgment or redemption.”

Patterns of Judgment

We have now studied Jonathan’s Cahn books and listened to his sermons for 7 ½ years. When his first book, The Harbinger, was released, we exhaustively researched all the details of 9/11 that he connected to patterns in biblical prophecy. We were thinking, could all of this really be true? But it was; all the details are verifiable. And then we started thinking, how in the world did he make all those connections?

What we’ve come to realize is that Jonathan Cahn has a unique gift for identifying patterns, both in scripture and in history. It partly goes back to his Jewish background, because in western thinking and philosophy, going all the way back to Aristotle, you have this tendency towards categorical reasoning — how can we divide up ideas into discreet parts. But Hebraic thought is much more typological. Prophecy is pattern, not just prediction and fulfillment. Jonathan Cahn is able to see things through that lens and make connections that we never would have seen… but now we can’t not see them.

In this new book, so many new connections, or “mysteries” (as they are called in all of Jonathan Cahn’s books), are revealed that are very shocking. There are numerous new insights into 9/11 (which was the event when judgment began in this nation)… and connections following the same template of judgment that ancient Israel went through, shakings that impacted America’s economic power, its military power, and its position as a world superpower.

The whole idea behind both the first Harbinger and Harbinger II is that God is consistent, and we can see a pattern He used with ancient Israel being repeated now with America.

Without Repentance, There Will Not Be Revival

Throughout the book, the reader sees how only God could be behind these events…orchestrating them for the purpose of bringing America to repentance and revival. Because without repentance, there will never be revival. And repentance was a key element missing after the shakings of 9/11.

The Harbinger II is such an important wake-up call for America, and it will help Christians better understand the days of national judgment that are increasing in intensity right before our eyes.

We believe that Jonathan Cahn is a watchman, and a prophetic voice, for this generation. God has used him to sound the alarm of warning to anyone who will listen, and he has been faithful in his calling. We are grateful that God allowed us to discover his work back in 2013 so we could better understand what is going on in our nation and consider how to respond to things that are still to come.

Jonathan Cahn’s message is really simple, “Judgment is coming. Prepare to stand before God. Get right. Repent.” If there is anything in your life that needs to change, get right with God. If there is anything that you have been called to do, fulfill your calling. Time is short. We are in a window of grace, but that window is closing.

The Turning of America

Now, you may be asking, why would God judge the United States of America? And will America ever turn back to God and have revival?

These are things covered in The Harbinger II, and we want to explore this concept further in our own words. These thoughts are consistent with what you will find in the book, but not necessarily taken from it.

1. America has a covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Following the pattern of the nation of Israel. Our founding fathers formed this nation based on prayer and a commitment to honor the Lord Almighty. For example, our nation’s moto is, “In God we Trust”, and in our national pledge we state, “One nation under God”. However, over the past many decades our leaders have been abandoning this covenant in word and deed. And there are consequences for a nation that once knew God and turns its back against God. Becoming a nation that brazenly wars against God.

2. America has turned against the Ten Commandments and honoring God’s Holy Word the Bible. We absolutely believe America has crossed a moral tipping point and is now operating as a pagan nation. For example, its citizens have allowed the murdering of the unborn, to the tune of tens of millions! Helpless babies that never saw life outside the womb. Its judiciary has gone against the biblical mandate for marriage. We’re seeing rampant carnality and sexual immorality. And unfortunately, many churches and people of faith are choosing to walk hand-in-hand with the culture, instead of standing up for biblical truth.

At one point in the book, Jonathan Cahn describes it as, “not only calling evil good and good evil but establishing it, legislating it, and executing it, by sanctifying the profane and profaning the sacred.”

Walking in God’s Ways

We read in Deuteronomy 28 that a nation that the Lord establishes through covenant must be careful to observe the commands of the Lord and walk in His ways. Here is Deuteronomy 28:8-14 (NASB):

“The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. 9 The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10 So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you. 11 The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, 14 and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

This was a covenant which God made with the children of Israel in the Old Testament. And likewise, our forefathers followed many biblical templates in the founding of America, modeling it after ancient Israel.

And thus, we have seen the blessings of heaven poured out on America, when it carefully observed the Lord’s commands. We’ve seen economic prosperity, spiritual blessing, and military and political success.

Consequences for Disobedience

But all of these blessings have a condition. We read in Deuteronomy 28:13-14:

“…if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

We’d encourage you to finish reading the rest of Deuteronomy 28 on your own. It goes on to list the consequences of a nation that once knew God but turns its back on the Creator. Disobedience that leads to national shakings and calamities.

In verses 45-46, we read, “So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever.”

It’s important to note that these consequences are for redemptive purpose. God’s love is so great that He chastises His children, hopefully bringing them to a restored relationship with the Lord.

And that is God’s hope for America. Complete restoration. Complete salvation. That is why He sends warnings of judgment to turn us back to Him.

The Window of Grace Is Closing

But the Lord’s time of warning is not endless. At some point, if America does not return and repent, then out of God’s nature of justice, He will send judgment.

Right now we are dealing with a world-wide plague, financial instability, a national debt crisis, natural disasters, civil unrest…but we believe these are only warning signs and shakings (or as Jonathan Cahn calls them…harbingers) telling us that our nation needs to turn back to God.

In the template from Deuteronomy 28, we see that a nation that once knew God but turns to rebel against God is eventually given some dire consequences. The nation will be torn from their homeland. They are given severe lasting plagues and chronic illness. And it says, “the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul.” (Deut. 28:65b)

Ultimately, the nation is destroyed.

Returning To God Almighty

Over the years, we have heard many sermons by Jonathan Cahn where he shares about Christians being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and in The Harbinger II he describes a dream that the protagonist has about America being a city on a hill. These concepts come from “The Sermon on the Mount” found in Matthew 5:13-16:

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

And that is what Christians need to do in a pagan nation that once knew God. We need to commit to honor the Lord in all that we do. We must come to repentance in our own lives. We need to stand firm on a biblical foundation and unwavering faith. And we need to rise up to our divine callings.

And as the dark gets darker, we need to shine ever brighter! We must rise up and shine brightly as witnesses to the lost world.

The United States of America is dying from a spiritual disease, which requires a spiritual cure to be healed. It must return to God Almighty.

We want to encourage our readers to pray as never before for God to bring repentance, return, and revival to America. Because until God sends the final destruction, there is still hope for the revival of our nation!

This page contains affiliate link(s) from ChristianBook.com. If you choose to make a purchase, your price will not be affected and we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Reed and Elizabeth Hewitt were blessed to meet Jonathan Cahn in April 2019 at The Jerusalem Center (one of the largest Messianic Worship centers in the world) located in Wayne, New Jersey.

And that is the main theme in his new book. America is on the verge of judgment, if it does not return to its foundation in being one nation under God. Join us for a review of this timely new book, as well as a discussion of the broader themes of repentance and revival in America.

If you’ve never read a book by Jonathan Cahn, get ready for a different way of looking at the world — in a good way! Just as we believe his message is important, Jonathan Cahn’s methods provide a fresh perspective on prophecy and history to help us understand the world we live in today.

Jonathan Cahn is a watchman, and a prophetic voice, for this generation. God has used him to sound the alarm of warning to anyone who will listen, and he has been faithful in his calling. We are grateful that God allowed us to discover his work back in 2013, so we could better understand what is going on in our nation and consider how to respond to things that are still to come.

In case you couldn’t tell already, we really think you should go get this book! Purchase it through our affiliate link here: https://www.christianbook.com/the-harbinger-ii-return/jonathan-cahn/9781629998916/pd/998916?event=AFF&p=1205899&

Scripture from this Episode

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28, NASB

“The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you. The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.” Deuteronomy 28:8-14, NASB

“So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever.” Deuteronomy 28:45-46, NASB

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16, NASB

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14, NKJV

Suggested Resources

Sermons by Jonathan Cahn through Hope of the World Ministries

The Harbinger II: The Return by Jonathan Cahn

This page contains affiliate link(s) from ChristianBook.com. If you choose to make a purchase, your price will not be affected and we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Reed and Elizabeth Hewitt were blessed to meet Jonathan Cahn in April 2019 at The Jerusalem Center (one of the largest Messianic Worship centers in the world) located in Wayne, New Jersey.

We began our current podcast series telling listeners about the impact that Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn had on us in 2013, which led us to start Living Strategically. It seems fitting to end our podcast series by reviewing Jonathan Cahn’s new book, The Oracle: The Jubilean Mysteries Unveiled, which was released in September 2019.

We’ve read all of the books from best-selling author Jonathan Cahn, since he first released The Harbinger. (The Oracle and The Book of Mysteries are now our two favorites.) Through Rabbi Cahn’s new book, you’ll learn about the prophetic history of Israel, from it being reborn as a nation in 1948 to present day events, and see the fingerprints of God through Jubilean mysteries.

Outline of the Episode

1:10 – Are we living in the End Times?
3:08 – Signs of the Times
5:42 – Cultural Christians
7:34 – Israel’s Prophetic History in The Oracle
9:14 – God’s Recurring Patterns from the Bible
10:14 – Israel’s Return to the Holy Land
11:36 – Prophecies Fulfilled, Following God’s Plan
12:53 – Jubilee of 1867 and the Ottoman Empire
13:23 – Jubilee of 1917 and the British Empire
15:05 – America’s Support of Israel in 1948
16:19 – Jubilee of 1967 and the Six-Day War
17:13 – Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel
18:09 – Jubilee of 2017 and President Trump’s Declaration
19:04 – Messianic Movement
20:13 – Worldly Pagan Roots
20:56 – Wrap Up

Scripture from this Episode

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6, NASB

“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, NASB

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6, NASB

“If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.” Deuteronomy 30:4-5, NASB

Suggested Resources

End Times Signposts article by Reed Hewitt

Sermons by Jonathan Cahn through Hope of the World Ministries

The Oracle: The Jubilean Mysteries Unveiled by Jonathan Cahn

“Even to your old age I will be the same, until you are gray I will carry you. I have done it; I will bear you; I will carry you; I will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:4, TLV

Purchase online from ChristianBook.com!

Personally my husband and I are a few decades from age 65, the age that our American culture expects people to enter into retirement. Our parents, however, are about to face this issue so we picked up a copy of Jeff Haanen’s new book An Uncommon Guide to Retirement¹. We discovered the book through a podcast called “Money Wise”, and it sounded like an interesting book to explore. (Want to subscribe? Click here for their podcast. We definitely recommend it!)

The main premise of the book is to find God’s purpose for the final season of your life, retiring “in a way that’s God-honoring, purpose-filled, restful, and truly biblical.” For some, retirement may include working part-time, mentoring, or volunteering. For others, it may include taking up a hobby and spending more time with family. Life requires a proper balance of work and rest, but a strategic retirement does not include idleness and extended self-focused pleasure.

So many Americans think retirement is a well deserved vacation that follows forty years of stressful labor. Ever heard the saying, “I’m retired…good-bye tension, hello pension”? This becomes a problem in two ways. It’s estimated that half of retirees are leaving the work-force with too little savings or investments to live off of for the remainder of their lifetime, and they may need to continue working at least part-time to stay out of financial trouble. Also, living a life focused on luxury and leisure is not biblical. Instead, Christians are called to be strategic, living with an eternal mindset, regardless of our stage of life. The author describes it as “one’s entire life lived in response to God’s call.”

When first entering retirement, Jeff Haanen advocates for taking a (probably much-needed) sabbatical rest in order to make a healthy emotional transition into a slower-paced lifestyle, but also to wholeheartedly seek the Lord’s purpose for your final decades of life. This Sabbath’s rest can last a few months or an entire year, depending on how God leads each individual, and is a way to realign your purpose and identity with God’s call on your life.

Once you discern the Lord’s will for your retirement years you are on your way to an abundant life, which a life of full-time leisure would never deliver. Wisdom tells us to live each day as a faithful steward of the time, energy, money, and talents that God has given us. Assets that are too precious to waste.

Our Response

“O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.”
Psalm 71:17-18, NASB

Though the world may think otherwise, a fulfilling life does not begin at retirement for a Christian. We all have a God-given purpose to fulfill in our short time on earth, regardless of our age or abilities. Though things may become slower-paced the older we get, it’s important to invest each day we are given in ways that serve the Lord and others, for this is the ultimate way to live a fruitful and fulfilling life.

The next generation needs to see Christians who strategically live out their faith in their final decades on earth. Jeff Haanen says, “Rather than retreating into private life, biblical elders embrace their age as a season to influence their families, communities, and the broader society.” Be intentional about the legacy that you leave when your time on earth comes to an end.

In closing, consider this thought-provoking question about our final years, from pastor and author John Piper, “How will we live them in such a way as to show that Christ is our highest Treasure?”

¹ An Uncommon Guide to Retirement written by Jeff Haanen and published by Moody Publishers in 2019.

This page contains affiliate link(s) from ChristianBook.com. If you choose to make a purchase, your price will not be affected and we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Purchase online from ChristianBook.com!

The Mystery of the Shemitah¹ is an important read in today’s age. The author, Jonathan Cahn, is a Messianic Rabbi in New Jersey who also wrote the book The Harbinger. We have spent many hours listening to his sermons and researching the “mysteries” he reveals in The Harbinger, and we feel Pastor Cahn is a very down-to-earth, biblically grounded, cautious preacher who really does have a message from the Lord for America. (It was important to us to make sure he is not one for speculation or date setting.) His message for Believers is simple: stay right with God and stay pure in all your ways, in order to be a bright light in this world that is getting darker and darker. And for America, his message is to turn back to God, or else God will bring judgment on the nation as a loving act to bring us back.

We share this book with you because we believe the Shemitah pattern is biblical and applicable to us today. We believe God is a loving God who sends judgment when it is needed in order to turn people back to Him. Out of His love, He also warns before bringing judgment. If God chooses to bring a national shaking to our country in the years to come, we feel a need to send the warning to be ready.

While reading the book, Pastor Cahn would want you to keep in mind two cautions. First, while the author believes God is calling this nation back to Him, and it would seem that the pattern of every seven years (the Sabbath year, aka Shemitah) could bring a national “shaking”, God does not have to follow the pattern. On the flip side, God certainly could continue the pattern you’ll read about and we should be prepared if this happens in an upcoming Shemitah.

It seems that we have crossed a tipping point in America, and when a tipping point comes, momentum increases. Now is the time to stand strong for the Lord. Now is the time to stay grounded in the Word. Now is the time to rid our lives of anything that keeps us from total dependence on God. And, if our nation increases in boldness against God, we must increase in boldness for the things of God!

We have learned so much about the ancient Hebrew and present-day Jewish cultures from Rabbi Cahn since he was raised Jewish and is also a Believer. We hope this book will open your eyes to new insights that you may not have known before, and that you will prepare for the days ahead however God leads you. 

¹The Mystery of the Shemitah written by Jonathan Cahn and published by Frontline in 2014, updated in 2017.

This page contains affiliate link(s) from ChristianBook.com. If you choose to make a purchase, your price will not be affected and we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

We have a spiritual epidemic spreading in our nation. It is impacting thousands of churches, leaving them unhealthy and unsuccessful in their Christ‐given mission to reach the world. One of them could be your home church. The cause of the problem? Allowing a worldly mind‐set to filter into an institution called to be set apart and holy (James 1:27, Titus 2:14, and 2 Cor. 6:16‐7:1).

Chuck Swindoll wrote a great book in 2010 called The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal ¹ . In it, Pastor Chuck describes the warning signs of erosion in a church and compares the signs of a worldly church and a godly church. (This chart lists these characteristics, with a few additions of my own.) As Chuck Swindoll says, erosion is “slow…silent…and subtle”. We are called to guard against it. We must stop the inner drifting away from Biblical foundations.

This is quite a list! No church will rate perfectly in “the blue”, so there is always room to work towards improvement. The key is not to ignore areas that need improvement (1 Peter 5:8). Denial is one of the most dangerous attacks of the enemy because it allows him to keep chipping away at our churches unchallenged. The first step to solving a problem is to admit that a problem exists (and then, of course, you must do something about it).

Another way we can fight against the epidemic of worldliness in our churches is looking at Acts 2:42, part of the foundation of a church, “teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer”. Pastor Chuck says these are to be essentials, part of a church’s core. If they are not, the church is susceptible to getting off course and carelessly losing Jesus as their main focus. To stay healthy, a church must pursue the good just as strongly as it opposes the bad.

The Business Mindset

“But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation
other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident…”
1 Corinthians 3:10 b‐13 a

Has your church let growth and numbers, marketing gimmicks, or a flood of “filler” activities become its main focus? Or does it seek to be contagious for the right reasons? It may be time to reevaluate our approach before erosion takes its toll. It’s essential to reach the unchurched, but we are headed down a slippery slope if we merely imitate the tactics of the world as we do so. So how do we make sure that we are building on the right foundation? We must follow a Christ‐centered example.

Operating a church like a business is not the method Christ modeled. He was interested in the depth of spiritual maturity of His disciples, not in the size of the institution. He didn’t use manipulative tactics, yet His message was still contagious. His impact on the lives around Him was long‐term. He did this through love and He provided what each of us needs most: a way to have a personal relationship with the Father. Bill Gothard says, “The source of our lights is the face of Jesus shining in us and upon us,” and that is exactly right. The tactics of the corporate world have no place in the church.

Matthew 21:12‐13 shows us exactly how Jesus felt when He saw the temple being treated like a place of business. It says:

“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, ‘It is written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer”; but you are making it a robbers’ den.’ “

Our churches are to be houses of prayer, teaching, worship, and fellowship. Jesus is to be our main focus. It’s that simple! Too many are exchanging the simplicity of Christ’s model for worldly sophistication, and they are getting empty results in the end.

Our Response

“Churches merely reflect the lives and convictions of those individuals who make up the body of Christ.
We can stem the tide of erosion only one life at a time — beginning with our own.”
~Chuck Swindoll ¹

The best way to guard against erosion in your church and spiritual life is to stay in the Word and keep your spirit focused on the Lord. This is how you keep worldliness from contaminating your spirit. Do some self‐examination. Check for areas of neglect in your spiritual walk. Are you staying the course that God has set for you? Are you living proof that there is power in the Word of God? If you are, then your testimony will attract the lost more than any marketing gimmick ever could!

As Bill Gothard says, “May God give us discernment to attract people by the brilliant light of Christ rather than the clever manipulation of deceptive lures!” We need to be spreading Christ’s love, not drawing people into a shallow devotion that will soon grow cold. This starts with our own spiritual walk.

We can’t walk in worldly ways and shine for Jesus (see 1 Peter 2:9‐12). We must wear the armor of light, as it says in Romans 13:12‐14, laying aside the deeds of darkness. We need a deep focus that is, as John Piper puts it, realigned to “white‐hot devotion to Jesus Christ…and unremitting labor to rescue the perishing, perfect the saints, and glorify our sovereign Lord.”

Amen, and amen!

¹ The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal written by Charles R. Swindoll and published by FaithWords in 2010.

This page contains affiliate link(s) from ChristianBook.com. If you choose to make a purchase, your price will not be affected and we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12, NIV

The world is full of distractions. Distractions that keep us from living a healthy life (spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially). Distractions that take time away from our families and meaningful relationships. Distractions that keep us running at full speed, nonstop, and still not getting where we need to go.

If we aren’t careful, we’ll look back one day and realize how quickly our lives have passed us by. That will not be the time to evaluate our life purpose and why God has placed us on this earth. That time is now.

The Audit

“Your time is your life. Period. How you spend it ends up being what your life is.”
~Dr. Henry Cloud, The One‐Life Solution ¹

We are all placed on this earth for a purpose. God has a mission for us and He has placed a longing in our hearts (Ps. 37:4) to fulfill that specific mission. Until we are working towards His goals, we won’t find true, meaningful fulfillment in this life.

It takes awareness to attain your life purpose. This awareness involves knowing that our days on earth are short (compared to eternity), so they must be used wisely. You must also know what God’s calling on your life is and be aware of how you are spending your time in order to track your progress towards satisfying that calling.

Purchase online from ChristianBook.com!

Dr. Henry Cloud, in his book The One‐Life Solution¹, suggests doing a “time and purpose audit” to reveal how you are using your time (especially regarding the attainment of your life purpose and goals). This will help ensure that you are getting the results you desire (and God desires!) in connection with the effort you are putting forth. He says “results are a function of how [we] spend [our] time” and the only way to get good results is to live carefully and intentionally. He goes on to say “…people do not take enough time to look at themselves and their use of time to find out what their patterns and issues are that are causing them to not use their time wisely. And that is the purpose of what I call the ‘audit’.”

This audit includes three parts:

1. An awareness of where you spend your time.
– Keep a log for a few weeks and track your time in 30 minute intervals. (Include your “work life” and your “personal life” in the same audit.)
– Evaluate the patterns you see.

2. An awareness of your values, life mission/purpose, spiritual giftedness, and the connections and disconnections between how you spend your time and accomplishing these goals.
– Write out your life goals. These should be measurable and be given a specific time line.
– Analyze your time log for “the why and the how” of any time that is not on target with your life goals.

3. An awareness of personal habits that are contributing to you not attaining your life goals.
– Discuss with an accountability partner the behaviors you see and come up with some rules for yourself on how to change bad behaviors.
– Don’t let the discrepancies between your life purpose and distractions that eat up your time continue.
– Keep working on changing any bad habits you find until you don’t need to anymore. Dr. Cloud compares learning discipline to riding a bike with training wheels. When you reach the point of knowing how to balance without the training wheels, you don’t need them anymore.

Doing an audit will help you discover areas of your life that lack structure, accountability, and are off target from your purpose in life. Too many times people who live in a fast‐paced culture are overtaken by subtle distractions and before long, they realize they are off track from reaching their life goals. As Dr. Cloud says, “There is usually going to be a direct relationship between how well something is going and the amount of focused time and energy it is getting.”

Our Response

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing,
drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.”
Luke 21:34, NKJV

Discipline. Diligence. Perseverance. Faithfulness. Making the most of each opportunity. These are the character traits and structure that God desires for His children to live by. These traits require an awareness of how we are spending our time. Once you’ve done an audit of your life, and you get on track for living for His purposes, you will find great fulfillment in life. It’s not easy to stay the course but the reward is worth it (Prov 21:5)!

Take a look at these verses that support the concept of auditing how you are spending your life. Which of these concepts do you need to work on in your life?

• Make the most of your time on earth – Ephesians 5:15‐17
• Know that your time on earth is fleeting and “but a breath” – Psalm 39:4‐5, NIV
• You are just a vapor and you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow – James 4:13‐17
• Dedicate your life to God’s service – Romans 12:1‐2
• Don’t neglect your spiritual gift – I Timothy 4:14‐16
• Be diligent and don’t be slow to make progress (being sluggish) – Hebrews 6:11‐12
• Make the most of opportunities to witness to nonbelievers – Colossians 4:5‐6
• Be ready for the second coming of our Lord – Luke 21:34; Matthew 24:42

There are many things in this world that are good, when evaluated on their own. However, when compared to other activities they may not be the best investments of your time. As the saying goes, “Good. Better. Best. Never let it rest, until the good is better and the better is the best.”

¹The One‐Life Solution written by Dr. Henry Cloud and published by Harper Collins Publishers in 2008.

This page contains affiliate link(s) from ChristianBook.com. If you choose to make a purchase, your price will not be affected and we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Statistics show that the majority of Christians in America barely give 3% of their incomes to their churches. And, hardly 5% of American Christians give a tithe (full 10%). Obviously our possessions have a greater tug on our hearts than the Lord. Larry Burkett once said, “The Christian world is no different from the secular world when it comes to debt, bankruptcy, and divorce because priorities are misplaced.”

This post is a challenge for us all to make God supreme in our lives, our giving, and our relationships with others.

The Challenge

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12, NASB

I just finished reading the book Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper ¹. My life has been changed. Perhaps reading the following quotes will impact you and encourage you to read his book, too.

Purchase online from ChristianBook.com!

• “This was the great coming together for me–the breakthrough. What was life about? What was it for? Why do I exist? Why am I here? To be happy? Or to glorify God?” (p.31)
• “The wasted life is the life without a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.” (p.31)
• “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” (p.49)
• “If we look like our lives are devoted to getting and maintaining things, we will look like the world, and that will not make Christ look great…He will not look like an all‐satisfying treasure.” (p.108)
• “I am wired by nature to love the same toys that the world loves. I start to fit in. I start to love what others love. I start to call earth ‘home’. Before you know it, I am calling luxuries ‘needs’ and using my money just the way unbelievers do.” (p.112)
• Quoting J. Campell White: “Fame, pleasure, and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfillment of his eternal plans. The men who are putting everything into Christ’s undertaking are getting out of life its sweetest and most priceless rewards.” (p.170)
• “The effort to evangelize the world presents the speediest and surest methods of saving the Church. Our material resources are so stupendous that we are in danger of coming to trust in riches rather than in God.” (p.171)
• “O Father, grant your church to love your glory more than gold–to cease her love affair with comfort and security. Grant that we seek the Kingdom first…Help us to see that if we try to guard our wealth, instead of using it to show it’s not our god, then we will waste our lives, however we succeed.” (p. 188)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to align our focus with the mission we have on this earth. We are in the middle of a spiritual battle, with the lives of non‐Believers on the line for eternity! Too many of us are coasting along, and as John Piper puts it, “treating Jesus like a helpful add‐on, but not as an all‐satisfying, all‐authoritative King…”

Too many of us have our focus on the things of this world, things that the enemy has promised will give us great fulfillment. God’s Word gives us another picture. Let’s dig a little deeper and see the Truth of the matter.

Digging Deeper

Spend some time checking your heart in the following areas. I pray we will all truly grasp the urgency that Christ puts on these topics, and that we will re‐adjust our lives in any areas that are not fully glorifying Him.

• Missions mindset – Mark 8:34‐35, Acts 2:44‐47
• Money/greed – Luke 12:15, Luke 12:21‐28, 1 Timothy 6:10
• Faithful & cheerful giving – 2 Chron. 31:12, 2 Corinthians 9:6‐7, Luke 12:33‐34

¹ Don’t Waste Your Life written by John Piper and published by Crossway Books in 2003.

This page contains affiliate link(s) from ChristianBook.com. If you choose to make a purchase, your price will not be affected and we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

We’ve been studying the book The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn in our Sunday school class, which warns that judgment may be coming to our country if we don’t turn back to God. (We highly recommend this amazing book!) When I first started reading, I was thinking of all the sinful, disgusting impurities our culture now accepts and how God must be mourning America’s departure from its Christian heritage. There is no longer a sense of “common decency” shared by the majority. The church is the only godly influence our world has, which is why we have been called to shine His light to this dark world (Matt. 5:13‐16, Philippians 2:14‐16).

Sadly the church is failing in this task. Divorce is as common for Believers as non‐Believers. By and large, Christians are not shining examples in their speech, modesty, integrity, childraising, financial priorities, or in their charitable service to others. When Christ commands us not to give way to unrighteousness, it seems the church is not taking Him seriously. This is a serious issue! Unsaved people around us see no reason to get saved when our lives look the same as theirs, with disfunction and sin galore. This must change and it starts with me and you. How can I expect my country to turn from its evil ways if I haven’t shown it what it means to live a life of purity?

Our Response

“…instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live
sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age…” Titus 2:12, NASB

Have you ever kept a bad habit hidden in order to appear more spiritual? Maybe you watch TV shows you know you shouldn’t be watching, so you make sure to never mention them with people at church. Hidden sin is perhaps the most destructive. When the sin is revealed it can ruin a person’s testimony, but even if it isn’t revealed it will numb our conscience. Jesus rebuked some Pharisees in Matthew 23:25‐28 on this very topic. Read these words and prayerfully evaluate the condition of your own private life.

“‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self‐indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of  hypocrisy and lawlessness.’” Matthew 23:25‐28, NASB

We Christians cannot win our country back to the ways of God if our lives contain hypocrisy, lawlessness, or self‐indulgence. When Christians “talk the talk” but don’t “walk the walk” it even sabotages our testimony within our own homes. Statistics show that an overwhelming majority of teenagers from Christian homes leave the church when they become adults. You may think you can hide sin from your church friends, but your kids are watching too, and you can’t fool them. If Christian families will step up and fully embrace the spiritual life they claim, we will see spiritual growth in our families, churches, and nation. Again, it starts with me and you!

There is a song by Casting Crowns called “Slow Fade” with these lyrics:

“It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away, it’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray,
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid, when you give yourself away,
People never crumble in a day, it’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade.”

This is dangerously true. When we get lax, the enemy moves in. Give an inch and he will eventually take a mile, but it may happen so slowly that you don’t notice. How are you doing at keeping “garbage” out, staying vigilant for “little” sinful habits, and living in the Spirit daily? When we take in pure things, it produces a holy life.

Let’s look up some verses that emphasize this truth: 2 Timothy 2:21‐26, Philippians 4:8, 1:27a, and 2:14‐16. As Paul says, let’s all hold fast to the Word and prove ourselves “to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” so we can “appear as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).

Digging Deeper

“The center of our being, the heart must be so aligned with Jesus 
so that the impurity encircling us does not lodge in us.”
~Ezekiel Oluolajo

Take some time today to look up the following verses. Resolve to hold fast to purity and deal with any sins that have a foothold in your life. You might also consider meeting with an accountability partner to work on any areas where God shows you need improvement.

Christ came to give us freedom from sin, so don’t live another day in captivity. The flesh doesn’t have to win. Let’s make it our goal to live as lights to this lost and dying world, realizing they are watching “our talk” and “our walk” with more interest and expectation than we can imagine.

• 1 Timothy 1:5
• 1 Peter 3:15‐17
• 1 Peter 2:11‐12
• Romans 13:12‐14
• 1 Corinthians 6:9‐12
• Galatians 5:19‐25
• Ephesians 5:1‐16

After you’ve looked up the above verses, you might also read our Bible study on holiness. It goes into more detail about how the Holy Spirit changes our hearts in order to change our habits. God bless you on your journey!

This page contains affiliate link(s) from ChristianBook.com. If you choose to make a purchase, your price will not be affected and we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!