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."

Friday, December 25, 2020

A Plot of Satan

Isaiah 9:8-12 NIV

 

“The Lord has sent a message against Jacob;

    it will fall on Israel.

All the people will know it—

    Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—

who say with pride

    and arrogance of heart,

‘The bricks have fallen down,

    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;

the fig trees have been felled,

    but we will replace them with cedars.’

But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them

    and has spurred their enemies on.

Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west

    have devoured Israel with open mouth.

 

“Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

    his hand is still upraised.”

 

I live in the United States of America, and it is what I know. So, what I share, I share from the perspective of what I know is happening in my own nation, and from what I can see or have heard is happening in other nations. So, although these thoughts will be centered here on America, I pray the Lord will use this to speak to people of other nations, too, as God leads.

 

The church overall in America has gone the way of the world and of big business. They partnered with the government via the 501c3 as early as the 1950s, and they turned God’s house, his body, into a marketplace to be marketed to the world just like any other business (2 Co 6:14-18; Matt 21:13; Jn 2:16; Rev 18:4-5). God forbids both!

 

Pastors were turned into businessmen, marketers, clowns, comedians, and entertainers. And worship services were turned into stage productions with professional lighting, sound, computerized screen presentations, stage props, drama, video clips, and cool sounding praise bands in order to attract the world to “the church.”

 

Since the “church” was now a business to be marketed to the world like any other business, they had to adapt the gatherings of the church to the world in order to attract the world. Thus, they also diluted the gospel of our salvation to make it more palatable and acceptable to the flesh of man so that the world would not be offended and would feel at home with them.

 

But there was a much more sinister plot afoot here than just to turn the gatherings of the church into worldly businesses to attract the world. This was about putting to death the gospel of Jesus Christ and to replace it with a gospel of Satan so that people would be deceived into thinking they were saved and headed for heaven while they were still headed for hell.

 

And, it was to destroy the church, and to turn the hearts of God’s people away from their pure devotion to Christ to following after men in their deceitful scheming, and to return them to living in sin, while convincing them that obedience was bad and that sin was good, so they should keep sinning and not obey God or else they are now “legalists.”

 

And it was to convince them, too, that it is unloving to share the gospel with people, so they are supposed to just be “nice” to people to make them feel good about themselves, which they call “blessing them.” And they are supposed to “be the gospel” by inviting neighbors over to watch movies and to pop popcorn, etc.

 

So, basically, all this was a plot of Satan to take down Jesus Christ, his gospel, and his church, and to stop the spreading of the true gospel, and to replace it with a lie, and to turn people’s hearts away from God to following after the flesh of man, for the glory of Satan, and for the dismissal of Jesus Christ as Lord (owner-master) of people’s lives (Rev 12-14; Ps 2:1-3).

 

Isaiah 9:13-17 NIV

 

“But the people have not returned to him who struck them,

    nor have they sought the Lord Almighty.

So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,

    both palm branch and reed in a single day;

the elders and dignitaries are the head,

    the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

Those who guide this people mislead them,

    and those who are guided are led astray.

Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,

    nor will he pity the fatherless and widows,

for everyone is ungodly and wicked,

    every mouth speaks folly.

 

“Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

    his hand is still upraised.”

 

So, the Lord has been judging America for some time now. But the church, from all appearances, has not appreciably altered their lifestyles. They have largely continued with “business as usual” except for the fact that many are not able to physically meet together in large gatherings due to the draconian measures implemented by our government in response to the big “C”.

 

But I am seeing hearts being changed, even if they are small in numbers, and even if the changes may not be producing huge differences at this time, so I am encouraged. I am encouraged by reading some Christians’ posts on blogs, on Christian discussion sites, and on social media, who are serious about their walks of faith in Jesus Christ.

 

But overall, things are the same, even with the judgments of God that have occurred thus far on this nation and on the church in this nation. Many, in fact, are moving even further away from God, and the gospel has been diluted so much to where it doesn’t even resemble the gospel at all now, for it promotes sin, rebellion and lawlessness.

 

So, more judgment is in store for us, and I believe we can see it being stirred up in the political arena with the troubled election, with the vaccine being produced, which has questionable side effects, with the possible martial law being imposed, and with all the other angst being promoted and reported in the news on a daily basis. For the goal is to keep us afraid.

 

What I know, from what the Lord has been teaching me and showing me these past sixteen years, and from all the research he has led me to do, and from what I know of prophecy of Scripture regarding these last days, we are heading into some extremely difficult times ahead, the likes of which many of us have never known before.

 

And that is because the church at large has not repented of their idolatry and their spiritual adultery and their sexual immorality, greed, and pride. But they have continued on the same course and have declined even more as time progresses. They have not turned away from their sin, humbled themselves before God, and followed Jesus as their Lord and master.

 

Isaiah 9:18-19 NIV

 

“Surely wickedness burns like a fire;

    it consumes briers and thorns,

it sets the forest thickets ablaze,

    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.

By the wrath of the Lord Almighty

    the land will be scorched

and the people will be fuel for the fire;

    they will not spare one another.”

 

So, this is where we are as a nation, and largely as the people of the world, too. So, we are being overtaken by world powers and soon we will all be brought low and will all be under one totalitarian regime of the New World Order. We can already see signs of the mark of the beast on the horizon, so we need to prepare ourselves for difficult days ahead.

 

The most important thing of all, though, is that everyone gets his or her heart right with God. I know not all will be saved. The Bible makes that clear. But I am to keep sharing the gospel with all who will listen in hopes that people will turn from their sins and that they will surrender their lives to Jesus Christ, and that they will now follow him the rest of their lives.

 

Do You Love Me?  

 

An Original Work / July 24, 2013

 

Do you love Me now?

Will you seek My face?

I have given you

My love and My grace.

Will you walk with Me

Ev’rywhere I lead?

Will you find in Me

All of what you need?

 

Won’t you meet with Me

Down upon your knees?

Will you obey Me,

And do what I please?

Will you hear My voice

Speaking now to you?

I am couns’ling you

To abide in truth.

 

I have died for you;

Taken all your sins –

Crucified with Me,

You have been forgiv’n.

I have set you free

From your slavery,

So that you can now

Live in victory.

 

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