IM Podcasts

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE OF JUDGMENT

The End Times Chronicles is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

“Nehemiah, The Man & The Legend” Book Available Fall of 2023

FINISH YOUR PROJECTS | NEHEMIAH’S EXAMPLE

* Victory robs the enemy of confidence. 

* The enemy realized it was God who won the battle.

* While there was a great celebration, they needed to keep their sword handy.

* Victory ignited revival.

* The highest positions reward the Holy insight of a leader. We all know Nehemiah did not gain financially or materially throughout the 52 days; his reward was eternal, and God blessed him in significant ways.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Nehemiah had finished building the wall.  What a God-sized magnificent accomplishment—the power of the Living God completed the wall through a leader and cup-bearing servant to an earthly king, highly respected by both the secular and the holy.  The final brick was laid by the hand of God through weak and fearful people.  Nehemiah didn’t just survive the attacks; he dominated them with the wisdom God wisdom imparted to him.  And now, it’s time for Nehemiah to lead these wavering people to Judaism—their traditions, customs, and doctrines.

With the Lord’s help, Nehemiah survived three attacks: fearful workers, conspiracy, and a host of other challenges.  Not one of these things worked to slow his mission given to him by God.  Persistence and immovability offered rich rewards.  However, the commissioning of the wall was only half the reason God put it on Nehemiah’s heart to rebuild; the other was to awaken the people's hearts to return to the sound doctrines of Judaism, which was the responsibility of Ezra.  Since each leader of the 12 tribes failed to keep the people's hearts focused on the laws of God, Ezra was assigned to step up and preach. 

REVIVAL AT THE WATERGATE

It was time for Nehemiah to sit back and relax.  The leaders of Jerusalem gathered the people at the city square directly in front of the Water Gate.  The Water Gate was part of the Temple complex rather than the wall.  It was so named because it led to the city’s primary source of water, which is symbolic of the Living Water, Jesus Christ.  But in Jerusalem, it came from the Gihon Spring, named in early Hebrew as the Fountain of The Virgin.  It was also a traditional place to have the Law of God read to the masses. 

The tribal leaders asked Ezra, the scribe, to bring the book of the Law of Moses, given to the people of Israel.  While all the men, women, and children were present, Ezra began to read.  The reading lasted from early morning until midday.  The miracle?  All who were present were attentive and understood what was read to them.  Once Ezra started to read, everyone stood up in reverent respect.  Looking back, we see that God used the attacks upon Nehemiah to gain their attention for this very moment.  Once Ezra started to pray, the people raised their hands, then dropped to the ground bowing to the Lord in worship. The leaders of the 12 tribes explained the law to the people while they remained in their place after the reading.  Folks, this is called a revival.

In every revival noted throughout history, two things were certain:  first, there was a mighty outpouring of the Word of God, and second, there was a specific response in unifying believers to go out and make disciples in all the world. This happened in Jerusalem that day—Judaism came alive for lost people.  As we learned in chapter seven, droves of exiled Jews were brought back into the homeland before the great revival when Nehemiah asked Ezra to read the law.

THIS DAY IS HOLY

Once the reading and worship had been completed, Nehemiah, Ezra, and the 12 Tribal leaders proclaimed before the people: “This day is Holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep” “For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.” 

When was the last time you wept as the Word was read to you?  The Jews wept because they were overcome by the memory of being released from captivity, facing the giants in the land (their enemies), investing blood, sweat, and tears in rebuilding the wall, and for their newfound freedom as bloodline Jews.  But wait, all of this created a spiritual vacuum.

THE SPIRITUAL VACUUM

Did you know that the revival of the Word of God resulted from Nehemiah’s work, which is the first revival noted in world history?  You cannot have a revival without a spiritual vacuum.  God’s people certainly had that being exiled to Babylon for over a generation of living.  Each grew up under the spiritual, psychological, and environmental deception of the aftermath of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, who captured the people of God—the pure bloodline Jews (chapter 7:6). 

It is said that the environment of culture is the greatest influence for cementing beliefs in a growing child.  I don’t believe there are any truer words.  

Fact:  Babylon worshiped pagan gods. 

Most of Babylon is related to female deities, as noted in Jeremiah 52.  Besides devotion to false gods, sexual immorality was widespread in Ancient Babylon, and cult and temple prostitutes were common.  And let’s not forget that Babylon was the home to the Tower of Babel, which means several voices made a confused noise.  As the Jews were led out of Babylon, they brought demonic doctrines that fronted their Hebrew God, creating a spiritual vacuum for all of them.  Therefore, this created a perfect Holy moment for God.

Listen to the full podcast…

Narrator | Dr. Stephen Phinney

The End Times Podcast is a listener-supported ministry outreach. Your donation is appreciated: HERE

Thank you for listening to The End Times Podcast. Share this post with others.

Nehemiah, The Man & The Legend” Book Available Fall of 2023

LEARN WHAT NEHEMIAH LEARNED

* While work is at hand, talk is cheap.  When they know they are losing, an enemy's primary technique is to devise fake peace talks.

* During wartime, peace talks tend to be tactics. 

* Discouragement is not an option in the heat of battle.  Let’s face it, when you’re discouraged, the last thing you want to do is draw your sword and go right back to the frontline and fight the battle.  Discouragement is the gateway to passivity.

* Leaders who flee in battle are cowards.  People who follow any commander (leader) during a battle count on that leader's strength, hope, and victorious attitude to empower them to follow them right to the enemy’s door.

* Becoming frightened in battle is a sin. 

FORMS OF ATTACKS

Remember that these six things stack up against a leader or follower with this one goal: to frighten them.  When fear becomes the most dominant force in a person’s life, they begin to make stupid decisions.

* Ridicule:  It begins to break down the self-view that God put in Nehemiah, the workers, and the builders of Jerusalem.

* Intimidation:  If ridicule doesn’t work, they will do everything possible to intimate and create fear. 

* Discouragement:  After one submits to fear, discouragement settles in.  Once someone feels discouraged, they will slip into morbid passivity.

* Fear:  It all implodes upon one simple tactic the enemy uses: to create fear in the lives of those they are warring against.

* Selfishness:  When fear consumes the heart, selfish decisions become the norm of the day.

* Fake Peace:  If none of the other attacks work, the enemy will come in with a fake peace deal attempting to deceive in the cleverest way stating that all those within the war need to come to a peace agreement and begin working together as one unit.  We’ll discuss how this is a tactic and confession that the enemy is losing.

After Nehemiah’s enemies tried to attack from within through moral decline, they shifted to the most deceptive form of attack—global peace.  When that failed, the enemy set up a conspiracy theory (a lie) to activate fear. As fear is known, it causes hearts to grow faint.  With most enemies, Nehemiah’s attackers were relentless.  If the threat of a sword doesn’t do the trick, they will quickly regroup and go for “peace, peace,” but it is a fake peace talk.

WELL-TIMED ATTACK

Chapter six reveals Nehemiah was not living “high off the hog.”  Understanding that he had been faithful to his God and his king, a plot to defeat him was the constant threat he faced daily.  As Satan would hate to admit, the peace tactic offered by his enemy was a significant turning point in Nehemiah’s leadership.  Since fake diplomacy didn’t work, it was time for a new venue of attack—conspiracy, a type of diplomacy rooted in the greatest kind of deceit—that of planting lies within the hearts of Nehemiah’s people.  This madness method was used toward the end of the completion of the walls.  Shortly before their celebration of completing the wall, the enemy offered a peace deal, which is a confession by the enemy that they are indeed losing the battle.  They knew they would be up a creek without a paddle if their conspiracy trap didn't work.  I’ll give the enemy this; they were persistent—always trying to break Nehemiah and the Jews down by wearing them out through lies, lies, and more lies.

Fact: Often, the enemy wants to chew up our time in unproductive meetings or in endless debates and discussions with those they are threatened by, which is a common approach used today.  When people aren’t advancing in their part of the mission within the battle they have chosen to take on, they start lying through their depraved minds to attempt to convince their leader that they don’t have what it takes to complete the mission. 

The approach the enemy used with Nehemiah was a fruitless attempt. It was like a dried-up fig tree.  However, it didn’t stop them from proposing a ridiculous peace offering while having no intention of keeping those peace agreements.  They intended to harm Nehemiah.  Remember when the enemy said, “Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono?”  Nehemiah said, “But they were planning to harm me.”  With that, Nehemiah sent a messenger with this message, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.  Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”

Furthermore, Nehemiah didn’t stop, not for a moment.  He didn’t take the time to go face-to-face with their proposal.  When his people tried to protect Nehemiah by safeguarding him in the house of God, he said:  “Should a man like me flee?  And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life?  I will not go in.”  Nehemiah intuitively knew this was all part of their plot.  Nehemiah refused to retreat or hide from the enemy.  He knew that hiding expressed defeat, which was not in his thinking or the God-given action plans imparted to him.

These messages went back and forth four times.  As any quality leader would calculate,  the enemy attempted to wear them down.  Remember it was said:  “For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘They will become discouraged with the work, and it will not be done.’  But now, O God, strengthen my hands.”  There is no way a human could have such wisdom, insight, and foresight. The Living God was empowering Nehemiah.  Since God saw and heard all the words on both sides of this battle, God simply informed Nehemiah through divine wisdom not to submit to such ridiculous ideas. 

THE CONSPIRACY

After Nehemiah rejected the enemy four times, Sanballat changed the game plan.  He sent a letter with conspiratorial charges to Nehemiah and his people to destroy Nehemiah’s standing with the people and undermine his authority. 

What was the conspiracy?  The conspiracy was that Nehemiah was seeking to position himself as “king of Judah.” How ridiculous was that?  This would threaten the king and create a revolt in the land of Judah.  Nehemiah responds with this:

“Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.” 

How did it turn out for the enemy?  Nehemiah proved that Tobiah and Sanballat hired these men to write the lies to create distrust between his king, the Jews, and himself. He also proved that this tactic was a madness method to kill Nehemiah and place fear in the worker's hearts, which would ultimately block them from finishing the wall.  Another tactic is dead in the water.

Listen to the full podcast…

Narrator | Dr. Stephen Phinney

The End Times Podcast is a listener-supported ministry outreach. Your donation is appreciated: HERE

THE FINAL BATTLE & PERSECUTION OF THE SAINTS

Read the full article: HERE.

“Nehemiah, The Man & The Legend” Book Available Fall of 2023

NEHEMIAH GETS A PROMOTION

* Discovering what to do in a “crunch.”  Crunch time is often the time when leaders tend to hesitate. It shows what that leader is made of—the proof in the pudding.

* When all else fails, read the instruction manual; for us, that’s the Word of God.  God has spent most of the Bible detailing how the people are to live.  Today, that’s Christ Jesus.  During Nehemiah’s time, it was the old covenant and the words that God had mankind record for the people.

* The top ten errors Nehemiah avoided.  As I have studied leadership through the years, I have come up with ten items leaders should avoid. This is going to be an exciting part of our study.

* Replicating Nehemiah’s method of solving dilemmas.  Where did he learn such things?  Did he get it from God directly, or was it a part of the mentorship process he experienced while under the regional king?

* Connecting Nehemiah’s methodologies to Christ and prophecy. 

PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS, AND MORE PROBLEMS

In chapter five, we see that further problems arose, this time from within.  If Satan can’t defeat you with his forces from without, he will seek to wreck you from the forces within—a common and predictable madness method Satan uses that works almost every time.  The church’s greatest enemies are not the atheists or those godless forces outside the church, but statistics prove they are from the self-proclaimed Body members of Christ—factions of body-life hatred within the church. Usually, the thing behind it is jealousy, which rises in the church from greed and differing opinions of the end times, and minimally occurs through self-as-God views of the Holy Scriptures.  Tragically, infighting within the church sets the enemy up to destroy the protective walls from the inside out.  You would think that the church would wake up to the fact that we are all one Body working together for one King, one Lord.  But no, they work to destroy each other with their demonic wisdom, which is none other than a self-perceived interpretation of what God means by what God says.  Tragically the church does not realize we should be working together for the cause of the indwelling life of Christ by rebuilding the walls surrounding the Body of Christ.  The problem is that some haven’t correctly identified the enemy or are functioning in the stupidity that Satan doesn’t exist.

Our enemy isn’t the church, opinionates of the Bible, or loved ones who betray us; they are the spirit of the antichrist who uses both real and fake body members to practice demonic doctrines.  When we explore the warnings Jesus gave almost all the seven churches, we find a common denominator; the enemy uses the same technique of attacking from without while embedding spies within. He uses fake Christians to create unsettling differing doctrines of what Jesus said and what His first generational leaders proclaimed during that time.  The technique of attacking from the outside shifts the focus of the people so that the spies the enemy sends into the churches begin to create controversies, differing doctrines, and internal fighting.

James 3:13-15 communicates a compelling statement:  “Who among you is wise and understanding?  Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.  This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.”

Self-interpretation is one of the leading causes of destroying local fellowships.  I agree the pastor must keep his focus on the Word of God, and whatever comes out of the mouths of these pastors better be verified by the authentic Word.  But when many congregants find a weakness in their pastors, they start doing self-interpretation to combat the leader God put in place.  The same modality took place during Nehemiah’s time of commitment when fulfilling God’s orders of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem and reactivating the faith of the Jews.

A golden secret of the spirit of deception is that Satan uses two modalities simultaneously:  first, attacking the authentic believers externally, and second, attacking real-deal believers from within the church walls.  In Nehemiah’s case, that was within the walls of Jerusalem.  Satan does this through the modality of the flesh, which remains in each of God’s people. 

Listen to the full podcast…

Narrator | Dr. Stephen Phinney

The End Times Podcast is a listener-supported ministry outreach. Your donation is appreciated: HERE

Are Christians In The Tribulation?

Read the full article: HERE.

Watch the video version: HERE.

“Nehemiah, The Man & The Legend” Book Available Fall of 2023

EFFECTIVE LEADERS STOP OPPRESSION

Can you imagine hearing the cry of a desperate soul and then walking away without helping them?  Honestly, I carry a greater burden for those who do this than those suffering.  We live in a world today where the lion's share does precisely that—both in the spiritual and earthly world.  You know the gig—turning your head to avoid the messiness of involving yourself in trauma and pain.  We’ve all done it. 

Allow me to deliberate a true story.  When I was six years old, I played with my best friend.  I sent him across the street to get something from his home.  He got on his trike and headed down the steep driveway.  His mother and I saw the trauma unfold at the same time.  A car was racing down the street, headed toward my friend.  Before his mother and I could reach him,  the car ran over him.  By the time I reached the end of the driveway, I had witnessed the car tire pop his head, which resulted in his blood drenching my body.  After the firemen picked me up out of the street and put me on the curb, I repetitively said aloud, “I killed my best friend.”  This traumatic event stayed with me throughout my life.  While the sorrow I had for my friend was severe enough, the agony I saw on the face of his father and mother left a more significant mark on my conscience, even more than the death of my friend.  The Lord used this trauma to cement my passion for freeing the oppressed.  Without question, the Lord implanted in me the beginning of my compelling pursuit of freeing the oppressed that day.  It is from this pursuit that the subtitle of our ministry is titled: Compassion in Action. 

THE OUTCRY OF THE PEOPLE

Nehemiah stepped into a big mess.  When he heard the tremendous outcry of the people, he most likely reflected on his childhood oppression committed by the Babylonians.  Because he grew up under the oppressive nature of Babylon, he understood it.  In my view, I believe God used this memory to establish him as the perfect candidate to free God’s people.  The king of Babylon's basic method of madness for the Jews was keeping them on the edge of starvation.  Intuitively Nehemiah knew that providing food was a top priority.  He used every ounce and resource available to him, including money from his own pocket, to solve this need.  Nehemiah knew that his warriors would be weak if their tummies were not filled.  He also resolved this crisis by buying back the vineyards and farms they lost to the wealthy Jews.  Finally, and most importantly, Nehemiah bought back the wives, sons, daughters, and warriors sold into slavery. 

The prospects for the poor people among the exiles who returned were deplorable.  They had been deficient in rains and, therefore, lacking in harvests.  They had mortgaged their lands to their wealthy brethren and sold their children to pay the royal taxes and procure means of sustenance.  The rich had taken advantage of their necessities by oppressing them with grievous acts requiring immediate payment of their debts.  When Nehemiah heard of it, his attitude was that of standing against the wrong, and in his way, he began to protest by using dependence on God for support.  In a great assembly, he fronted the abusers with their acts of selfishness and greed.  Nehemiah pleaded with the wealthy Jews to forgive them of their debts and return the property to the starving Jews.  In addition, he commanded them to return to God and stop looking after their selfish interests.

GOD ENACTS FAITH

This history shows us that when God acts, faith stamps its character on the people surrounding it.  Nehemiah acted with such faith.  Nehemiah’s faith activated the faith of all the Jews in Jerusalem—poor and rich.  The Jews who had so long left Jerusalem desolate were challenged to the core by their bloodline rights and were motivated to recommence the work of fixing what they had left desolate.  However, Judah was discouraged when Nehemiah placed their sins and consequences in front of them: laziness and ignorance.  Nehemiah’s faith brought out the perseverance which characterizes true faith when the work is of God, be it ever so poor in appearance.  His job was to shift their focus from self to the work of God.  By his faith in God and a supernatural miracle of heart—Nehemiah’s immovability, the people were ready to work and fight simultaneously.  Authentic faith always identifies God and his people from the inside out. This becomes a spring of Living Water for all concerned, which was the case with Nehemiah.  In times of difficulty, despair, and hopelessness, faith does not always show itself in the magnificence of the final product. Still, in moving forward while embracing difficulties, the love of God carries us across the line of victory.

Listen to the full podcast…

Narrator | Dr. Stephen Phinney

The End Times Podcast is a listener-supported ministry outreach. Your donation is appreciated: HERE

ARE THERE ANIMALS IN HEAVEN?

Read the full article: HERE.

Watch the video version: HERE.

“Nehemiah, The Man & The Legend” Book Available Fall of 2023

UPGRADING THE PLAN | GET BACK TO WORK

Our story with Nehemiah shifts.  When he started the rebuilding, he divided the men of Jerusalem into two groups: one group held a sword, and the other had a brick in each hand.  Nehemiah upgraded his plan, stating, “As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me.”  Quality leaders are always ready to adjust their plans to advance the work.  Since Nehemiah’s workers were far from one another, the trumpet was used to unite them to one location, meaning that war was upon them.  Not only was this a solid plan, but it is also the same method God uses in Revelation’s book, which is the eternal symbol of God will fight for us.  Nehemiah had confidence because God promised to fight for them by using all the tools, skills, and leadership reinforcements that Nehemiah had put in place.

EXISTING AUTHORITY

One of Solomon’s proverbs reveals God’s method of controlling existing authorities: "The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Proverbs 21:1).

The Hebrew word for “channels” is pathway or ditches.  The English expression of the original text is: like irrigation canals carrying water is the heart of the king in Jehovah’s hand; meaning every authority that exists—past, present, and future, are irrigation ditches to direct God’s plan toward His conclusive results, which applies to a Pharoah or a Nehemiah.  Both were used to accomplish God’s eschatological plans.  We should find great comfort in this immovable doctrine.  The bottom line is that God is not intimidated by ruthless leaders, nor does He change His plan for Godly leaders.  Because all authority is in the hand of God, He causes it to be bent wherever He determines most beneficial for His eternal timeline.

ANNOYED BY IMMOVABLE AUTHORITY

The story of Nehemiah perfectly illustrates the Truth revealed in Proverbs 21:1.  Nehemiah worked directly under a man who just happened to be the king of Persia.  I have studied Monarchy systems most of my adult life, and one common factor stands out in my research—kings are not easily moved—few change their plans.  Even though Nehemiah was influential, he dared not appeal to his heart’s desire until the king asked it of him.  In this, Nehemiah watched God channel the heart of his king to flow in the direction of the mission God put within Nehemiah.  God, without question, placed the king in the palm of Nehemiah’s hand with unwavering respect and honor toward this ungodly king.  Proverbs 21:1 was actively demonstrated for Nehemiah and us in this short dialogue between Nehemiah and his king.  It’s amazing!

Do you have difficulty respecting your pastor, boss, and political leaders, or worse, submitting to them? Well, don’t get your feathers in a fluff. If, and I mean if, you believe the scriptures I teach today, you should believe that God can and will use these leaders to channel the flow of His will into your hands, even if they are ruthless leaders.  I have seen it this many times throughout history. 

I became friends with a king.  In the end, we called each other “best friends.”  It all started with a professional relationship I had with the president of his country.  To enact the plan I offered to his country, I implored the president to introduce me to the supervising king of the thirteen kingdoms within his country.  While seeing how the plan would benefit his reputation and leadership, he honored my request.  Over the next several years, I learned to appeal to this king using monarchy protocol.  Within a short period, the king requested I join his royal chamber as a personal advisor, which I did.  Within a month, he commissioned me as a member of the royal family household.  Shortly after this commissioning, I was assigned as the ambassador between the United States and the thirteen kingdoms, and I carry this status today.  The faith-based plan imparted to me by God is now actively developing and growing in this country.  I share this to offer an up-to-date example of how this God-sized doctrine works today. I certainly am one who experientially knows that God does not adjust His doctrines for modern times; each one remains immovable and congruent.

Listen to the full podcast…

Narrator | Dr. Stephen Phinney

The End Times Podcast is a listener-supported ministry outreach. Your donation is appreciated: HERE