1 January, 2019

As was stated in Part One, this nation has been torn asunder by forces that seem bent on destroying what this nation actually stands for, and rebuilding it. The post-modern mindset of many young and far left leaning proponents is responsible for driving this change.

But it didn't just arise from nowhere. It has been in process for a very, very long time.

And there will be consequences if we continue on the course we are presently charting as a nation.

For the first time in our nation's history, we are on the verge of a tipping point. At present, well over forty percent of people living in America identify as not being Christian. While a significant number of people still believe in God, even the definition of what "God" means to them is changing away from the biblical definition. And that means, we may already be at the tipping point where 50% of people live in unbelief. And where God is pushed aside, Satan is eager to enter in - has already entered in, and make his plans for this nation become plans of the people who can make it happen, through his subtle manipulations and suggestions and influence over them.

Jer. 5: 30: “An appalling and horrible thing
Has happened in the land:
31: The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule on their own authority;
And My people love it so!
But what will you do at the end of it?

These verses were shown to me many years ago. I knew, even then, in the 1980s, these verses applied to the contemporary church. I just reread them the other day, and knew it was time to write this second installment.

One of the most important things the contemporary church needs is to be taught the truth of scripture - the whole truth, not just the convenient and reassuring things, that everything will be well.

That is not what is coming, what is already overtaking the world.

As an example, the group called Antifa has come into being. Their claim is that they are anti-fascist, and the basis of their name. But they are so violent in virtually every encounter with groups, even individuals who dare to speak an opposing view, in their efforts to squelch opposing views, their very behaviour is fascist. Ironic.

The political parties have become so extreme in their positions. There is no moderate in Congress. In ages past, it was the moderates, who were in the majority, which got legislation written, introduced and passed through the voting process in the halls of government in Washington, D.C.

No more. The extreme Left of the Democratic party, essentially socialist in philosophy, and the extreme Right of the Republican party, essentially oligarchs in their philosophy, cannot even agree that they disagree.

This fragmentation, this dividing people into small groups, factions, works to the advantage of those spreading chaos as a means to obtain control. The problem with this approach is very clear: even if control is seized by one faction, internal fighting will ultimately destroy their ability to govern. They can't even agree within their own group. How do they epxect to govern a nation?

The growing Socialist movement of the last twenty and more years, fueled and fomented by professors at most universities, is contributing to the problem.

People are graduating from college with degrees, and yet they know nothing, have no clear understanding of history, how things work, how government in the United States actually works. They can't even properly name the three branches of government, as one recently elected "democratic socialist" from New York demonstrated.

And these are the kind of people who are moving into the halls of power, low information "experts", put in office by "low information" voters, people who do not understand anything because they weren't taught anything useful in school or college. This creates an atmosphere in which the blind truly are leading the blind.

And when 80% of Christian children who enter college graduate with a depreicated or abandoned faith in God, you can see the problem is only getting worse. Their professors are known to say at the beginning of the year: "If you bring your Christian ideas into my classroom, I will fail you. So you have to choose here and now, stay and behave, or leave this class right now."

Many of the classes are required courses in order to graduate with a degree. But the professors are dictating how the class will be conducted, and destroying the "critical thinking" atmosphere universities were designed to encourage.

This is the present atmosphere in the United States. Our children are held hostage to, and inculcated into a philosophy that is contrary to the fabric of what has sustained this nation, and bred some of the most important social and technological advancements the world has ever known.

We as a nation have fallen from being the only nation to put a man on an extraterrestrial body to become a nation that cannot produce anything of worth. We have outsourced almost everything possible to other nations, nations which are now rising up to challenge the West in general, and the United States in particular, regarding influence, if not control, in the world.

I'm not advocating the United States must reclaim their place as supreme power in the world. In point of fact, we still occupy that position. I am simply pointing out the state of affairs that exist, and have been coming into being, so that you can fully understand what is coming upon us, locally, and globally, in the near future.

The people of God have not fared well, either. And, in fact, we have contributed to the problem more than not. We must accept responsibility for our part in this, both domestically, and abroad in places like Europe.

Let's look more closely at Jer. 5:30-31, so you can see the point.

"An appalling and terrible thing has happened..."

In the United States, we can certainly say such is true. Look at the rise of lawlessness that is rampant in certain places, and in certain philosophical dispositions. We see those on the Left embracing illegal immigrants, even passing legislation in their states that frustrates the federal agencies that deal with this issue. Their legislation protects lawbreakers, pure and simple. But if you or I, as citizens, break laws, we will suffer consequences. People coming here illegally are more likely than not to be given protections, while we citizens will be afforded no protections whatsoever.

Cities and states are declaring themselves "sanctuary" cities and states through legislation or city council votes - without the approval of the citizens who put them in office. Most of the citizens who put these people in office do not support the sanctuary policies that now reign in their cities and states.

Within the church, it isn't much better. In fact, it is just as bad.

In ever increasing numbers, churches are embracing the approval and affirmation of alternate lifestyle choices, such as the LGBTQ, transgender, even couples living together outside marriage, with the full knowledge of the pastor, elders, even the congregation, in attendance and not being challenged. The churches are capitulating to the societal pressure to change, to accept, to welcome, to embrace people in their sin - unchallenged!

Sermons are no longer strongly worded and inclusive of terms such as "sin", "disobedient", "consequences"; and even the mention of hell or the Lake of Fire are absent. The call to come out of sin, to repent, is absent as well. No, what we hear from far too many pulpits and out of the mouths of "pastors" are sermons of love, inclusiveness, and how wonderful we are as followers of Jesus to the exclusion of all else that is uncomfortable or which may turn people away.

You remember the term "seeker sensitive"? Yeah, this idea is a cancer and it has completely taken over in far too many churches, particularly in the larger metropolitan population centers.

All are welcome. "Come as you are" now means literally just that. Whatever you think you are, whoever you believe yourself to be, come on in, we accept you and won't judge you. We're all about loving people!

Yes, you are... you are loving people into the Lake of Fire.

Gal. 5:19: Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Rev. 21:8: But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

This is how we are loving people into eternal torment, by not holding them to the truth and power of the written word of God! You read it above, "those who practice such things"... It is these who will not inherit eternal life. This is what is not being taught to those who revel in their sin, believing or having convinced themselves they are fine, that they are 'good' people, and living an acceptable life before their God. And churches are affirming them in this belief. That is in part because...

"The prophets prophesy falsely..."

People are not interested in what God has to say. They are interested in how much God loves them and supports them in what they are doing - not what God has called or commanded them to do.

Therefore the so-called prophets in their churches rise to speak, and they speak words solely about prosperity, a good future and how the enemy will not touch them. They speak only the happy, shiny things to which the congregation rises to whoops and hollers of approval and applause. "Such a wonderful word from the Lord..."

Except it isn't.

So many "prophets" I've listened to speak the same message year in and year out - particularly at the beginning of a new year. It is exactly the same message every January: "You are coming out of a time of trial, a time of difficulty. And God is saying to you this day that this year will be your year of break through! Yes, God is saying that what you saw leaving your life, you will now see entering your life. What you saw being stolen from you, you will now see being returned to you, ten, thirty, a hundred fold..." Every year, like a broken record.

This is prophecy? From God? Really?

And these so-called prophets can't shut up! They just keep yammering on, speaking nonsense and foolishness that no sane person would ever believe, let alone listen to in their right mind.

Not all "prophetic" people say these kinds of things. No, the majority tend to play it safe and say words of encouragement and support, that God sees your struggles and will be helping you work them out... or some such things like this. Now, understand, I'm not against words of encouragement. But they must also be tempered with words of warning. And that is what is missing from so much of the prophetic utterances I hear in the church. Where are the warnings?

Have you looked out your window lately? Have you listened to the news lately? There are increasing accounts of atheist movements to dismantle crosses at memorials and even on the front of churches - here in the United States. In universities, Christians are being assaulted on all fronts, shouted down and silenced, not even allowed to express their position on anything if it comes from a biblical position.

Elsewhere in the world, Christians are being executed, beheaded, and tortured solely because they are Christians. Nigeria, the Middle East under the ISIS banner, China. And it isn't improving. Even in Europe, Christians are being killed for their faith.

And in the work place, you have to be careful what you say. In some cases, you can't even wear a cross on a necklace - because it might offend someone. Well, we were told the cross is an offence to the unbeliever. All things that remind them of their sin are an offence to them who do not believe.

So the logical question is simple: Why are these so-called prophets so focused on all the blessing God wants to shower over you? Why are they only focused on speaking happy, wonderful things over you? Could it be that these so-called prophets aren't prophets of God, but false prophets who are deluded, and hearing the voice of the enemy in their ear?

The enemy wants you distracted from the things that matter to God. Remember, we are at war with an enemy who knows your Bible better than you do. We are at war with an enemy who is bent on your destruction. What better way to destroy you than to convince you that God wants only the best for you? What better way to destroy you than to convince you that good times are coming your way, no calamity, no poverty, no persecution, no suffering at all - just blessing heaped upon blessing?

"And the priests [pastors] rule on their own authority..."

Have you ever challenged a pastor in what they are teaching? Have you ever disagreed with your pastor, and shown them why, using scripture to support your argument? How did it go for you?

One of the biggest problems in Protestant Christianity is the propensity of independent churches. Anyone can start a church. You don't even have to be a pastor. Just get a small band of people together and begin meeting together every week. Prepare a sermon or discussion topic and preside over the "meeting". This band will tell others how wonderful this new group is, and invite people to join them. The gathering grows out of the living room and moves into a larger space. You now have a church!

And zero accountability to a governing authority over you.

These kinds of churches are not inherently bad. I don't want to say that. However, it must be stated that in more than a few of these independent, "non-denominational" churches, that the pastor has become the "final authority", the "ruler" of the roost. His word is law, and indisputable.

Some are "benevolent" dictators, who only show their true colours if you cross their doctrinal teaching, particularly if you are correct!

And, unfortunately, with increasing regularity, this also means that people who are truly anointed by God are ostracised by the leadership in such churches. The true prophet who finds themselves in such a church is silenced because they aren't speaking the supportive words, the encouragements, the "God is so happy with what you are doing" messages that are the norm in such a place.

When a true prophet speaks the tempering word (though they have also spoken the encouragement, too), a word of warning to the congregation on a given subject or direction, they will feel the full fury of the leadership and the pastor of that church. Maybe not directly, but it will definitely be clearly articulated that such a word is unwelcome... even suggesting that such a word is not from the Lord at all, but from that person's own hurt or suffering.

This is tragic. These churches say that the Holy Spirit is welcome, and that He should "speak to us, we want to hear from you". But when the Holy Spirit does show up and speak, and it isn't comforting, they just dismiss it, and the person through whom the word came.

"And My people love it so!"

They really do.

Over the past forty years I have watched the church change. It has gone from being firmly rooted in the Word of God, firmly ready to be chastened and warned, even disciplined by God, to now being a place filled with "low information" believers. The current attendee in church knows little of their Bible, in part because they just don't read it.

I know of one person who says they don't like to read. So they don't read their Bible. But they read tech journals and swim the Internet and read all the time. What they are really saying is they don't want to read scripture, not that they don't like to read. I can guarantee you that this is a good example of most people and their reading habits.

The church today is filled with "fat babies". They don't know anything more than the warm and fuzzy "happy, shiny Jesus". Jesus is their friend, and He is all about making their lives warm and comfortable. Their learning is elementary in content. They know nothing of the deeper things, things "difficult to understand", as Peter said of Paul's teaching.

Try having a real and engaging theological discussion on deeper matters with a typical Christian today and you will be met with blank stares. They can't discuss anything with any deep understanding of the subject because they haven't been taught. They don't even have to bring their Bible to church because the scriptures are all up there on the big screen behind the pastor. They rely upon the pastor to "teach" them what scripture means.

But some pastors, more than you realise, actually have other folks do all the "heavy lifting" research for them, the reading of scripture. These people give the pastor the notes and the pastor then picks and chooses what he wants to use in a message that sounds deep, but which is actually shallow, filled with personal stories, experiences and feeling about the subject... not hard and meaningful relevant things we need to understand - because the world is becoming increasingly hostile to Christians.

No, the people of God seem to be completely oblivious as to the coming darkness. They are not being prepared for persecution, how to handle it; suffering, and how to endure it; imprisonment, and all we are warned by Jesus, Paul and Peter that would come upon the church in the latter days. And in the Revelation, we are shown much of what people will face in the End Times. But churches don't teach Revelation any longer. They may have a guest speaker come and talk on that, and related things. And the congregation has to accept their "expertise", often nothing more than opinion peppered with scriptural references, but without substantive understanding. There is no discussion, no dialogue to examine these things "to see if they be true" in the Berean sense.

"But what will you do at the end of it all?"

The final question of the two verses sums up the issue which is not being addressed today, nor will ever be addressed by Christians if things continue as they have for the past 20 and more years.

What will you do if the "pre-trib" doctrine so prevalent in church today, to the exclusion of all else, proves to be false? Paul says it plainly:

2 Thess. 2:1: Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
2: that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
3: Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
4: who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Who else could he be referring to, except the Antichrist? Thank about it, "the man of lawlessness...who exalts himself above every... god or object of worship... in the temple of God... as being God". This is the exact description we see played out in the account in Revelation, where the Beast seizes power and demands worship.

I know what you've been taught. I followed the debate all the way through the 1980s, and the final "decision" that the pre-trib position is the "right" position. And most churches adopted it without question, saying, "Well, the 'experts' hashed it out and came to the consensus"... Of course, because that's how it works today. Somebody else figured it out, so they must be right. You leave the "heavy lifting" to others instead of doing what you yourself are told in scriptures to do: study the scriptures!

So I put it to you again, what will you do at the end of it all?

Your teachers haven't prepared you. Your pastors haven't preached that you should be on guard. The books you read aren't warning you of what lies ahead for the faithful. The music you listen to is only concerned with how wonderful it is to be a Christian.

You are being lied to. There, I said it. Your leaders and teachers, your "prophets", all of them, have been lying to you. They have not taught you the things you need to know, the things you must know. They have not shown you how the world is falling into chaos, the world is going mad, and you are being taught how wonderful you are as children of God.

This may not be true of all churches. But in my experience, more and more churches have succumbed to the idea that they have to get the community around them to see how loving we are, that the community should love us because we are loving, too. And they are preaching sermons that are appealing to unbelievers, to show them that Christians are fun people, not boring, stick in the mud fuddiduddies! So the messages are toothless, inoffensive and lack power and substance.

And they are loving you into hell.

This is the divided house Satan has been engaged in creating. His deception is nearly complete in so many ways that, at the end of the day, the actual true believing Christians are seen as the enemy in the church of the "low information" believers. Yes, that's right. If you hold to preparedness, understand suffering is coming, persecution is around the corner, and that we are going to endure the Tribulation period, you are now an enemy of the mainstream church of believers.

This is the house divided Satan has been about his business creating for a very long time, and with great success.

I don't know how much greater warning I can give you than this.

May the Lord of Life guide you into His truth, and the true path, which includes the works give through the Holy Spirit, to help us work out our salvation unto the day of our Lord's return.

Amen.