Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Awake and Sober

Tuesday, November 19, 2013, 5:59 a.m. – The Lord Jesus woke me with the song “My Cry For Mercy” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 1 Thessalonians 5 (NIV).

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. Vv. 1-3

Prior to Christ’s return for his church (his bride), there will be a time on the earth called the Time of Tribulation, at which time the earth will be visited with much destruction, the people on this earth will face the judgments of God, the saints of God will be severely persecuted and martyred for their testimony for Jesus Christ and for his gospel of salvation, and “The Beast” (of Satan) will rule the entire earth for a specified and short period of time. It will be a time of great distress, sadness, loss of human life, bloodshed, famine, disease, loss of property and possessions, imprisonments, beatings and totalitarian rule. Some people may believe this has already begun, because of what they are personally suffering throughout the world at the hands of this totalitarian regime (the New World Order Beast). Yet none of us knows the exact time in which these events will actually begin. Nonetheless, it is quite apparent to those who are truly paying attention that the birth pains have begun, i.e. that this beast is presently forming, is setting up its kingdom, is taking over the nations of the world by force, and it won’t be long until the reality of it all sets in inside America, as well.

I believe we have already moved into this realm of the New World Order (the Beast), i.e. I believe most of the world now is under its authority and rule of government and that individual nations are more like states in this one world government. There may still be some holdouts, but they are being threatened into compliance by “examples” such as the typhoon that wreaked havoc in the Philippines. The Obama administration is definitely on board with this global rule, as is some of Congress, if not the whole of Congress, and as is the US/International Forces. So much of what our government spews forth is a pack of lies, much of which is intended to deceive, distract or misdirect the people of this nation into following after and believing things that are false. We are sometimes given small morsels of truth cloaked in a pack of lies for the purpose of deception - either to get us off-track, or in order to pass the blame onto someone else for our “dirty work” and our “dirty laundry.” Yet, most Americans, I believe, have absolutely no concept of what is really going on in our nation and world or of what our government and their global partners are truly capable of doing and, in fact, are plotting to do against the people of America and of this world.

Most of the media, if not all, is now under the control of this global one-world government, so it just spews forth the same pack of lies and small morsels of truth as we hear coming out of the mouths of our leaders, so it can’t be trusted. If we do put our trust in the media, and we believe what they say, and we believe our leaders who lie to us, then where does that leave us? It means we are not awake and sober, because we have been put to sleep by all the lies, and so we buy into the “Peace and Safety” message, and we think life will just continue on as it has been without interruption, except for maybe a few bumps in the road here or there. We believe that all these intrusions of our privacy are really for our good in order to protect us from “terrorists,” because we don’t realize that our own government and their political allies are the terrorists and/or they finance or hire them (private contractors, sleepers and sleeper cells, and private quasi-military police and spies of all kinds). The government’s goal is to instill fear in us so that we comply without question, so that they can continue building their evil empire unnoticed and unquestioned by most Americans.

The Church’s Role

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Vv. 4-11

The institutional church is not without fault in this, either. Much of today’s modern church movement here in America has bought into the lies, and promotes a “Peace and Safety” message rather than telling people the truth. The church often promotes a happy, fun, and entertaining atmosphere for “worship,” and dilutes the true gospel of Jesus Christ in order to make it more appealing and acceptable to the world, which they are trying to attract to their churches by their worldly schemes, programs and messages. Sin is rarely mentioned, or if it is, it is often softened with phrases such as “I just messed up.” That doesn’t sound as bad, does it? And, that is the goal.

Repentance and obedience to Christ are most often excluded from the gospel message, and a message is preached often which sounds more like the wide/broad road that leads to destruction rather than the narrow road that leads to eternal life. New “believers” then often get this notion that “belief” is nothing more than intellectual acknowledgement of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying for our sins, and/or a recognition of the fact that we are sinners in need of a Savior, because they are not taught that coming to Christ means death to our old way of life, and a radical transformation away from our old lives of living for self and sin toward walking in Christ’s righteousness and holiness – all in the power and working of the Spirit within us as we yield control of our lives over to God – him, thus, living his life out through us (See Lu. 9:23-25; Eph. 4:17-24; Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6; I John, et al).

So, many who have professed Christ as Savior have not been taught the crucified life, and so they have this idea that becoming a Christian is joining a community of people who love to have fun and throw parties and who are entertained by much of the same things as the people of the world, and that their “faith” guarantees them heaven without anything required of them on this earth, i.e. they are not taught that true faith involves death to sin and being made alive in Christ to a new life which follows Christ in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives, and which yields over control of our lives to him, and to his will and purposes being lived out in and through us for his honor and glory – all in his power and strength within us, not in our own flesh or human will.

They are also taught, not just to obey their leaders, but to have a worshipful attitude toward their government (see wording in pledge to flag), so many American Christians believe our government is good and that we should believe what they tell us, and that we really are going throughout the world to help people, and they have absolutely no idea what is in store for us. They also believe their church leaders who promise them “Peace and Safety” and who teach a pre-tribulation rapture, so they believe they won’t ever have to suffer what the people of other nations have had to suffer and are now suffering, and at the hands of our own government, while we wave our flags and praise our military for “protecting our freedoms” – but at whose expense?

Ask God to open your eyes to what is truly happening, so when “all hell” breaks loose, you are not caught by surprise, and so you are awake and sobered by the reality of what is truly going on in the church and in your own nation, and to the reality of your own relationship with Jesus Christ and of his Great Commission, so you can pray and witness in truth.

Many right now are crying out to God for mercy because they know the reality of what I am talking about here first-hand. May we do the same! God may not protect us from physical harm, but he will give us the strength, courage and determination needed to keep persevering in our faith, and to be courageous in giving testimony for the sake of the gospel, so that many will know our Savior and the true hope of eternal life with God. May we ask the Lord Jesus, too, to reveal to us what is truth and to show us the lies, and to teach us his ways so that we may walk in them, so we may glorify his name.

My Cry For Mercy / An Original Work / October 31, 2013

Based off Psalm 86

Hear my prayer, Lord, I am needy.
Guard my life, for I’m devoted to You.
Save me! I’m Your servant.
You are my God. I trust in You.

O, Lord, have mercy on me,
For I call to You.
Bring joy to me, for to You
I will lift up my soul.

You are giving and forgiving.
You abound in love to all who
Call upon You. Hear my prayer, Lord.
Listen to my cry for mercy.

In days of trouble I call to You,
Knowing that You will
Do marvelous things,
Because You are my God.

Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.
In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.
A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,
So that I may glorify You.

Turn to me, Lord, and grant
Strength to Your servant.
O, Lord, You are my help,
For You love and You comfort me.

Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.
In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.
A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,
So that I may glorify You.


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