E-Newsletter | June 2020
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"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts
failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
Luke 21:25-28
But know this, that
in the last days perilous times will come
:
2 Timothy 3:1
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2020 is already half over, and it has proven to be a year of worldwide fear, sickness, death, destruction, chaos and confusion. This shouldn’t be surprising to Christians who know what the Bible predicts for the end-times. We should know what’s happening, and why. In the same way Jesus told His disciples and Paul told Timothy, the Holy Spirit is telling us, these things are signs that point to our Lord’s soon return.
We’ve had the crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as we started to get a handle on that virus, there has been the civil race rioting because of what happened to a black man named George Floyd. And of course, we’ve always got the constant attempts by the ungodly and their media allies to sow their lies to disrupt our lives and destroy our walk with God.
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But Christians who know who they are in Christ see all of this differently. They understand that perilous times to the world are exciting times for us. When these things
begin to happen
, Jesus told us to lift up our heads, expecting His return at any moment. This is not something to be fearful about, but something to joyfully shout about!
As it says in Esther 4:14: we were born for such a time as this!
This is the hour when the body of Christ was destined to shine the brightest for the Lord. However, our shining light isn’t going to be automatic just because we’re children of God. Being saved doesn’t make us immune to the chaos and confusion that’s sweeping the globe. We must actively resist the temptation to walk in fear, and the only way to do that is through study of the word of God.
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BEING STABLE IN UNSTABLE TIMES
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We need to find spiritual, physical and emotional stability when surrounded by instability everywhere else.
Turn on the demonic propaganda machine, otherwise known as TV network “news”, or refer to any number of local or national “newspapers”. Go to the internet and social media for 24-hour a day brainwashing, otherwise known as “commentary”. If none of that is available at the moment, just listen to the majority of people around you every day. You’ll hear nothing but fear for the future, which by design, will produce as much social and individual instability as possible.
How can Christians stay stable, immovable and steadfast? How can we insulate ourselves from this non-stop barrage of lies and demonic deception? By obtaining and using the two things the unbelievers will never have:
knowledge and wisdom.
SECURE DEFINITIONS FOR TERMS
Wisdom and knowledge provide stability – in every area of a believer’s life. There’s no better time for that than in the year 2020 and beyond! Let’s define the two terms so we know what we’re talking about.
First
, knowledge is the acquisition or possession of truth.
Second,
wisdom is the correct application of truth.
Knowledge precedes wisdom. You have to know something before you can wisely do something with what you know. In
John 17:17
, Jesus defines truth for us. He said God’s word is truth. It doesn’t contain a portion of truth,
it is truth.
So, you must prioritize your time for study of the word of God. Only then can divine stability be achieved.
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The only way you can remain stable physically and emotionally is to remain stable spiritually. That requires an understanding of what it means to be “safe”, based upon how God defines “safety”. Once again, we see the importance of defining terms accurately. Have you noticed how the need for “safety” is the new buzz word used to close down churches and severely minimize our ability to meet – for as long as possible? Satan is not going to announce his intentions to destroy the church directly. He’s too smart for that. What he’ll do is disguise his true intentions behind words and policies that sound warm, reassuring and comforting
to those who don’t know
how he and his workers can appear as angels of light
(2 Corinthians 11:14-15).
End-times stability is created when we know that true safety is never found in what the world defines or mandates it to be.
True safety can be found only in knowing and obeying the word of God.
Only then can you experience the peace that passes all understanding, which guards your heart and mind through Christ Jesus
(Philippians 4:7).
Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard,
lest we drift away
.
Hebrews 2:1
.
If you do not stay close to God and His word, you start drifting spiritually. When that happens, you become less and less stable. If that continues in unstable times like these, you become easy prey for the devil and those who are doing his bidding. God’s people perish because they lack knowledge of God’s word
(Hosea 4:6).
The Bible says wisdom is the principal thing
(Proverbs 4:7),
but without knowledge there can be no wisdom to apply that creates spiritual stability.
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YOU CAN'T DO THE WORD UNTIL YOU KNOW THE WORD
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You can’t be a doer of the work until you’re a doer of the word, and you can’t be a doer of the word until you know the word. James says it this way. If you hear the word of God but never put it into practice in your life, you’re like someone who looks at himself in the mirror. He sees things exactly as they are. He sees the truth. But when he goes away he forgets what he looks like – he forgets the truth. This person is
self-deceived.
But when he looks into the law of liberty (the word of God) and
continues in it,
his work becomes blessed in everything he does
(James 1:22-25).
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.
For then
you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success
. Joshua 1:8
Prosperity and good success is a by-product of spiritual stability. They can be achieved anytime, anywhere, if we follow God’s instructions. Quit listening to the ungodly. They’re everywhere. Quit listening to clueless, ignorant Christians. They’re everywhere too. Do what God told Joshua. It applies today for us, just as much as it did way back then. Truth can never change, and it can never be altered. Stability comes when you have that knowledge, and wisely apply it as often as needed.
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Under normal circumstances, Ethel and I would already be in the Philippines for our summer outreaches. But because there are still strict quarantines in place over there, we are unable to go. If we went there now, we would have to undergo two separate 14-day quarantines – one when we reach our port of entry (which would be either Manila or Cebu), and one when we reach Ozamiz (our final destination in-country). We don’t even know if Ethel and I would be quarantined together, or separated. And of course, we would be quarantined at our expense – for food, water, lodging – everything. And once we reach Ozamiz City, we would be extremely limited in our ability to travel and hold crusades and church meetings, because there are more travel restrictions in place domestically. Travel passes must be obtained before anyone can move from one province to another – something we do continually.
Because of all of this, we are still here in the USA with no scheduled church meetings until mid-September. Even then, only God knows if those churches will be able to host me as a visiting guest minister. In short, we are wholly dependent upon our God to supply us with income to pay bills and meet needs this summer, both here for us and in the Philippines for our staff and students. But since early March when this challenge was created with this virus pandemic, God has moved in marvelous ways to meet our ministry’s needs, and we are confident He will continue to do. We’re not afraid in the least. As it says in
Psalms 37:3
, we are feeding upon His faithfulness day-by-day. Until we finally make it to the Philippines, we continue to praise God for supernatural provision to keep us going in Jesus’ Name.
This is why your prayers and financial support have been so precious to us in this time. You have partnered with the Holy Spirit to be our financial lifeline, and we are eternally grateful. May the promised return in
Luke 6:38
be yours in Jesus’ name – good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, shall men give back to you! Don’t try to figure out who God will use, or how He will meet your needs. Just trust Him to do it! He has a million ways to do this for you. If God be for you, who can be against you?
(Romans 8:31).
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Our MKMI Live Stream Events are continuing to reach tens of thousands of people worldwide that we would never have been reaching otherwise. The Lord has told us to continue with this indefinitely. Here is June’s remaining schedule of live events.
Dates
: June 16, 23, 30.
Time
: 7:30pm Arizona time, which is 10:30am Philippine time, the next day.
Dates and times are always subject to change, per the leading of the Lord.
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Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.
Proverbs 31:10
.
When I left America in September, 1980, I left with a one-way plane ticket to the Philippines, and no way back. I landed in Manila with $20 in my pocket, one footlocker with clothes, my Bible and my notes from my classes at Rhema Bible Training Center. No one traveled with me, and no one was there to greet me. I was a single 29-year old young man, burning with zeal to wins souls for Jesus. Marriage was the farthest thing from my mind. I honestly thought I would be like the Apostle Paul, who stayed single his entire life. I made my way south to Tagbilaran City, on the island of Bohol, to a ministry called “March of Faith”. It was founded and run by Rev. Rudy Trigo, who was a personal friend of Rev. Sam Whaley, who was Rhema’s Missions Director at the time. This was the ministry the Lord instructed me to go work with upon graduation from Rhema in May, 1980
Rev.Trigo had a network of MOF churches on many of the southern islands of the Philippines, and began sending me out to hold crusades and do services in his churches. One such church I was sent to the first week of October, 1980, was the March of Faith church in Ozamiz City, on the island of Mindanao. For the duration of my visit, I was hosted in a large house that belonged to one of the church elders. This house was also shared by many church members who were college-age youths. They did household chores in exchange for free room and board while going to school in Ozamiz. It was there I first met my wife. She was one of the students living there. On the day of my arrival, all the youth were holding a birthday party for Ethel, who had just turned 20 years old, and I was invited to attend.
Over the next few years, as I traveled over the islands for Rev. Trigo, I wrote letters to her to encourage her in her faith, because she was being persecuted by her family, who at the time were devout Roman Catholics. When I returned to her MOF church in December, 1982 for weekend church meetings, the Lord spoke to me and told me she was to be my wife. I shared this with her the next day. Thankfully, she did not brush me off because prior to this, we had never had any social interaction whatsoever. No fellowship. No dating. No hand-holding. No outreaches or Bible studies together – nothing. We had never even done so much as talk about the Lord over a cup of coffee! All she had from me were the few letters of spiritual encouragement I had sent over the past 2 years. She fasted and prayed for 3 days, and came back to tell me she would accept my marriage proposal – purely by faith and in obedience to the Lord’s direction, who gave her this verse as confirmation as she waited upon Him:
But Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God, where you will die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.
Ruth 1:16-17
.
The picture you see is of her and I walking down the aisle to be married on May 7, 1983, in the civic auditorium in her hometown of Magsaysay, Lanao del Norte, island of Mindanao. It was a dirt floor, with white paper machete laid down so her gown wouldn’t get dirty at the bottom. This building was nothing more than a big, empty barn. From then until now and forever, Ethel and I have worked side by side to obey God and fulfill the Great Commission of Mark 16:15-18. I found a virtuous wife. Her worth to me is far above rubies, or anything else on earth. Thank you, Jesus!
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DECEPTION NEEDS DISTRACTION
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2 Timothy 3:13.
Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men
(Matthew 4:19).
Now more than ever, the devil is deceiving multitudes, who in turn are deceiving multitudes. Have you been deceived in these last days? Remember, evil men don’t always appear evil. Some do and some don’t. And an impostor is one who assumes the appearance of someone he isn’t. Not every “man of God” is a man of God. Not everyone who tells you they care about your safety really does. When the disciples asked Jesus for signs to indicate His soon return, the
first thing
he said was this:
“Take heed that no one deceives you!
(Matthew 24:4)
That means others can deceive you. That means be very careful about who you let into your life to influence your decisions, because if you don’t, you could end up deceived, deceiving others!
The ungodly puppets of Satan have worked very hard to eliminate all social resistance to sin, as defined in the Bible. New terms have been invented to make sin sound less abhorrent, repulsive and destructive. Noteworthy examples abound. The murder of unborn babies is casually described as “pro-choice”. Selling the remains of aborted babies is referred to as “harvesting body parts for science”. LGBTQ sexual perversion is described as “alternate lifestyles”. A person living with someone outside of marriage is described as the “significant other”. Many other examples could be given, but the point is made. As Christians, our responsibility is to call these things out for the sins that they are. Like John the Baptist in
Mark 6:18,
we should unashamedly and fearlessly preach the need to receive our Savior from the eternal penalty for such choices. Instead, we fight meaningless battles of no eternal significance, first inside the church, then outside in the world with unbelievers. Why? Because we’ve become distracted. Cultures change. People change, but the Bible has never changed. God tells us what sin is and isn’t – no one else. He tells us what’s important to Him, and what isn’t. He still says “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Romans 6:23).
Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Whosoever doesn’t shall be damned
(Mark 16:15-16).
That’s it.
A Christian must never forget these eternal truths:
God is no respecter of persons – He loves all. The devil is no respecter of persons, he hates all. Sin is no respecter of persons, it destroys all. Heaven and hell are populated with all people.
There is no social strata in either place. Upon physical death, all earthly, social walls of separation are eliminated. True believers should know these things, and diligently protect themselves from the distractions that have side-tracked so many who are deceived, and deceiving others. Don’t be one of the “others”. Pandemics. Race riots and racial unrest. Fearful predictions of doom and gloom. Wars and rumors of wars. Lawlessness abounding. Don’t be afraid, and don’t be distracted. Those things are just smoke and mirrors, perpetrated by Satan to deceive us and distract us from the one and only purpose for Christians living on earth.
We are here to speak the truth and win souls.
No exceptions. No excuses
. Jesus said “follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. That’s why we’re here, and for no other reason.
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GOD’S HAVEN AND THE STORMS OF LIFE. 7 CD-SET. According to
1 Peter 4:12
, we should not think it strange when we face fiery trials of faith in this life, especially now in the last days. In
Psalms 107
, God gives us a powerful analogy, comparing Christians to sailors moving from port to port across the great oceans of the earth, where Satan waits to bring powerful storms against us. God’s haven represents the manifested promises of God for every believer; the ones we’re standing in faith to obtain. In this powerful teaching series, I will show you how to successfully navigate through every storm the devil brings against you, so you always arrive at God’s safe haven, which is the manifestation of God’s promises in your life. Listen and learn as we examine the great storm the apostle Paul encountered in
Acts 27 and 28
, pointing out the many great truths to know and apply in the midst of any storm the devil brings against you. If you want to know how to get through every demonic storm and victoriously sail into God’s safe haven, this series is a must for your listening library.
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MANAGING FEAR IN THE LAST DAYS. 7 CD-set. Don’t let the spirit of fear control you! As predicted in the Bible, the last days will be perilous times on earth. The devil knows his time is short, so he’s doing all he can to bring oppression, fear and terror against every human being. Until Jesus returns to personally remove Satan from the earth, we must resist him at every turn. We must learn how to manage fear and keep it at bay, so it doesn’t become a stronghold in our lives. In this anointed teaching series, I will show you how to live above the fears that come against you daily, so they don’t usurp authority in your mind, your body or your life. Yes, it’s possible – you can live above fear in these terrible times!
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Daily Devotionals.
Find them on our Mike Keyes Ministries International Facebook page.
Read them. Learn from them. Apply them.
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HERE.
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Contact us
Phone: 520.743.8336 (Office)
Phone: 520.331.9976 (Direct)
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