WE HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE! DO NOT BE DISTRACTED!

[Music] the events unfolding in our world today are unlike anything we have ever seen before from cyber attacks crippling critical infrastructure to geopolitical instability economic turbulence and even unprecedented political division the landscape of 2024 feels chaotic and overwhelming the surge in cyber attacks particularly targeting energy grids and financial systems the heightened tensions in the Middle East and the increasingly fragile state of the global economy have caused many to fear for the future but here is the good news despite all that is happening the Bible gives us a clear and resounding message fear not the same

God who was Sovereign over history is Sovereign over the present and the future he holds everything in his hands and he has a plan that cannot be thwarted so today as we reflect on the phrase we have never seen anything like this before which Echoes the sentiment of our times we must also remember the second part of the title do not be distracted let us ground ourselves in the truth of God's word and remind ourselves that no matter what we Face God is still in control the circumstances may be unprecedented but our faith is grounded

in the Eternal unchanging God consider the unprecedented Ed wave of cyber attacks in 2024 we've seen energy grids disrupted Financial systems thrown into chaos and entire Industries brought to a standstill these incidents are not isolated but part of a larger Trend that reflects how interconnected and fragile our world has become the July 2024 disruption caused by a faulty software update from crowd strike's Falcon sensor crippled critical infrastructure worldwide affecting Airlines health care and financial systems now we might wonder how could one software glitch create so much Havoc globally we have never seen anything like this

before it reveals a greater truth about the nature of our world everything is connected one small failure can Ripple across the globe demonstrating just how fragile our human-made systems are but here's where we must pause and reflect what is our response to such events do we let fear consume us do we allow ourselves to be distracted by the seeming collapse of worldly systems or do we as followers of Christ remember that our ultimate hope does not rest in human technology governments or financial systems but in the unshakable kingdom of God this truth should anchor Us

in times of uncertainty yes the world is fragile and we are witnessing unprecedented events but we must not be distracted by these temporary disturbances God is still in control Israel finds itself in the midst of one of the most complex conflicts in its modern history fighting on four fronts against Hezbollah in Lebanon Hamas in Gaza Iranian militias in Syria and Palestinian militants in the West Bank Israel is facing unprecedented challenges for believers Israel holds a special significance the Bible teaches that many time events will center around this nation Jesus said in Luke 21:20 when you

see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies you will know that its desolation is near I am not claiming that the current events in Israel are the ones prophesied in Luke 21:20 rather I am quoting this verse to emphasize how the Bible highlights the significance of events that take place in this nation the world may view these events through a political or humanitarian lens but we must view them through the lens of scripture these events are reminders that the return of Christ is drawing near as we witness the escalation of violence and unrest in Israel we must

be careful not to become distracted by the noise of worldly concerns instead we must remain focused on what these events mean for God's ultimate plan for the Redemption of the world do not be distracted keep your eyes on what God is doing in Israel and the rest of the world as these prophetic signs unfold they should Inspire us to deepen our faith and trust in God's sovereignty on July 26th 2024 the US national debt surpassed 35 trillion this figure is more than just a number it is a reflection of the economic instability that is affecting

Nations around the globe inflation is rising Supply chains are breaking down and the future of the global economy seems more uncertain than ever in the midst of these economic challenges many are beginning to fear for their Financial Security and stability however we must remember that our Ultimate Security is not found in money governments or the economy the Bible warns us about placing our trust in worldly wealth Jesus tells us in Matthew 6: 19 to 21 do not store up for yourselves Treasures on Earth where moths and verm and Destroy and where thieves break in and

steal but store up for yourselves Treasures in Heaven for where your treasure is there your heart will be also the economic chaos we are seeing today should not distract us from our ultimate Mission as followers of Christ the world's Financial systems May Fail but God's provision is steadfast he is Jehovah jir our provider the Apostle Paul Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:19 and my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus let us not be distracted by the fear of economic collapse God's kingdom is not shaken by

the instability of human economies in 2024 the United States finds itself more divided than ever the political tensions surrounding the election between Donald Trump and carala Harris have revealed a nation deeply fractured polls show that nearly half of Americans believe it is likely that a second Civil War could occur we have never seen anything like this before people are living in fear fear of political instability fear of violence fear of civil unrest this fear is not confined to the United States globally people are worried about war especially with Rising tensions between nations like Russia and

Ukraine the fear of world war three and even nuclear conflict is palpable yet the Bible speaks clearly about how we are to respond in times of fear and uncertainty in 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul writes for God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind fear is not from God he has called us to live with faith courage and peace even when the world around us is chaotic Jesus warned his disciples in Matthew 2 46 you will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see

to it that you are not alarmed such things must happen but the end is still to come these words are just as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago wars and conflicts are part of the Fallen world we live in but we are not to be consumed by fear instead we are to trust in God's ultimate plan and purpose do not be distracted by the political division fear of civil war or rumors of conflict God is in control and his purposes will be accomplished the phrase do not fear or its variations appears approximately 365

times in the Bible one for each day of the year this is not a coincidence God knew that we would need a daily reminder not to be afraid in times like these when fear seems to be the prevailing emotion of the world God's message is clear fear not Isaiah 41:10 says so do not fear for I am with you do not be dismayed for I am your God I will strengthen you and help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand these words should give us confidence and peace in the midst of turmoil

God is with us he is our strength our help and our sustainer no matter what happens in the world he will uphold us with his righteous hand as followers of Christ we are called to stand firm in faith even when the world around us is crumbling the Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8:31 if God is for us who can be against us the world may seem out of control but God is still in control he is for us and nothing can separate us from his love in Philippians 4:6-7 Paul gives us a powerful prescription

for overcoming fear do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your request to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus this is the peace that we need in times of Crisis the peace that comes from knowing that God is in control when we look at the world today it may seem as though Satan has taken the wheel the rising tide of evil violence and fear can make us feel as though darkness is winning but

let me assure you Satan is not in control God is Sovereign over all and he is working out his plan for the world in Revelation 1 18 Jesus declares I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end the world is not spiraling out of control it is moving toward a predetermined end the return of Jesus Christ every event every crisis every moment of chaos is part of God's plan to bring about the Redemption of the world we are living in the last days the signs of the times are all around us Wars

rumors of wars natural disasters economic instability and moral Decay but these events should not cause us to fear they should remind us that God's word is true everything that is happening was foretold in scripture and we are moving closer to the day when Christ will return we are living in unprecedented times the events unfolding around us are unlike anything we have ever seen before but as Believers we must not be distracted by the chaos we must keep our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith the world may be shaking but God's kingdom

is unshakable as we see these unprecedent ented events unfold let us be reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved stand firm in your faith do not be distracted by the fear the chaos or the uncertainty God is in control and his purposes will prevail