Historically whenever a people strayed from God and His righteousness, judgment wasjust around the corner. Even if they were Gods chosen people, it still did not exempt them.
This is not meant to neglect Gods mercy, for “His mercy endures forever” to the repentant heart.
The judgments of the Lord are to the true believer, correction and growth, but to the stiff
necked and proud they are destruction. Rm.5: 3: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4: And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
Unfortunately the “church” has been completely assimilated into the world. When one talks to a
professed believer about the supernatural God, they look at you like you are nuts.
Lk:18:8. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? “Well yeah
we know that Jesus spoke of the Gospel of the Kingdom, but you don’t really believe all that?”
We should feel like “a stranger in a strange land.”, but instead we are not only right at home in the world, but we cling to it. When one sees that America has been hijacked, we are just thinking about how we can elect someone better. This is just how the Jews thought when Jesus came the first time.
They had been oppressed by outside rulers. They wanted their country back. Acts:1:6: “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” In General along with the heathen, the church the body of Christ has accepted the standards and values of the world. We have become dependant on the world and they tell us how to live. Jesus said “Ye are in the world” He didn’t say the world should be in the church.
Most Christians follow Christ for selfish reasons. They are only taught about being “born again” being saved from damnation. As spiritual babies wanting only to hear about all the blessings they will receive, never wanting to know what the will of God is for themselves as individuals let alone a vision for the Body of Christ as a whole. Then we have these false prophets/televangelists with their lust for money and power, teaching for their selfish reasons, to “give and it shall be given unto you”. Not only does this make them richer and strip the poor, but it motivates people to give in order to get. That is NOT what the Lord intended. Anyone that does not speak as though God only wants to cater to our desires becomes unpopular, and a voice that most of the religious Babylon wants to put away. This was also the attitude of the children of Israel to the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah. Nevertheless, their words were true no matter how unpopular. It is time for the voice of the prophet to be heard again in the church.
We are living in a time unlike any other in history, although I believe history speaks to us for today. God is speaking by His spirit and you don’t have to be a Christian to hear it or see the “Hand writing on the wall” (as in the previous article). But if you don’t know Gods plan or know Whom you have believed, you won’t understand what is going on or what it all means. When you see the shaking fear and panic will strike the hearts of men.
At this point, I think it would be important to briefly discuss some differences in beliefs concerning “End Time” teachings like the “Rapture” in light of the scripture. This is not just for the sake of a theological argument, but it has vital bearing on the direction the Body of Christ should take. The Bible teaches that as the end of the age draws near, there is coming a time of great tribulation upon the earth. It tells us it is coming as “Travail upon a woman with child” (1 Thes. 5:3).
The pains start out mild and are far apart but soon get closer and closer together and become more and more intense. People say “Oh we have always had these things” or “No man will know the time” These are not watching and listening. They really don’t want there savior to return. The Apostle Paul told us, 1Thes:5: 4: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.5: Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.6: Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” So if we are watching, there is no reason that the “Day of the Lord” should come upon us by surprise. The reason that this will come as a surprise to the world is because they are not looking at the signs of the times, nor do they really believe the scripture. They turn away from the “Hand writing on the wall” and assume that man who is his own god can work out all his own problems.
This is reminiscent of the days of Noah. People were carrying on eating and drinking and driving their gas sucking SUVs ; making merry constantly looking to be entertained and acting like nothing is wrong. Mt:24:38. They don’t want to look or listen. The must blot out every thought with entertainment and Ipods, because we all know deep inside that something is very wrong. When you look around us at the Evil of this government, and its corruption, the economic situation that is favoring the very few, corporate GREED, social injustice, the world tensions with wars and rumors of wars, and all with a me first attitude. Then we are faced with things like peak oil, global warming, famine, possible pandemics and natural catastrophes; they all tell us something very different is happening. Another thing that was going on in the days of Noah which is ultimately why God flooded the earth was that the Nephilim were very active. This is again the case but I will go more into that in another post. The idea that we will be raptured out of any trouble is not consistent with the Bible. The purpose God has for the tribulation is to destroy the tares (wicked) and perfect the wheat by burning off the chaff. In Matthew 13:30 which speaks of the parable of the wheat and tares, it is important to note that it is the tares that are taken first and bound in bundles to burn. In vs. 41 it says “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;” also in Mt.24:37. “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be….40: Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” In the days of Noah, it was the wicked that were taken. Now if we look in Revelation chapters 8 through 11 we see there are seven trumpets. The first six are tribulation and the seventh says “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Ephesians 5:27 tells us that He is coming for a “glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” and Acts 3:21 declares that the heavens must withhold Him until the times of the restitution of all things. Prov.10:30.” The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.”
It would be very foolish to have our faith built on the false hopes of a rapture and stay a spiritual baby believing that all God has in mind is to save you from damnation. Well meaning Christians, politicians, and business men are trying to preserve the status quo, and put there trust in the Constitution and founding fathers. They are deceived into thinking that capitalism is Gods way, and don’t even recognize we don’t now nor did we ever really have a democracy. Few realize that we as Christians are not called to just help society get better, but we are to be ambassadors of another Kingdom. Our founding fathers are not Franklin, Washington and Jefferson, but the Apostles and Prophets. 1Cor:3:11: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Our Constitution is the Word of God. The Lord did not come to restore some earthly kingdom but to set up His Kingdom. Hallelujah! No one likes change but change must come. It would be better to look at some of the things we should be doing instead of hoping it all blows over.
What shall we then do? The time is at hand and the spirit is speaking. In Rev. 18:4 it says “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” We need to become less and less dependant on the world and its systems for our needs. We must see that Satan is the god of this age. He would ensnare with all the desires and cares of this world. Search our hearts for the simplicity of faith and love. God is our provider and he wants us to be dependant on Him and each other as he knits His body together. Mt:6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
So as we see shaking and trouble come, let it be an opportunity to trust in the Lord and let it be as a refiner’s fire. It is the birth pangs that are bring about the Kingdom both in us and through us.
We are to become a body, and tribulation will cause you to either harden your heart or become more dependant on the Lord and his body. Hag:2: 6: “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; 7: And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.” The house He speaks of is the only house He has ever been interested in; His body.
The early church walked in supernatural power which has been dead in the church for the last two thousand years (two days) But He arose on the third day. Jn:14:12: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” Jesus commissioned us to preach the gospel of the Kingdom, not just some watered down version of salvation. Mt:24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Hag:2:9: “The glory of this latter house (end time church) shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Isa:60: 1: Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2: For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3: And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 4: Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5: Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done oh Lord.
