” Some of us have already left institutionalized Christianity either because we were pushed out for asking the wrong questions or because we could no longer continue to serve the demands of an institution that seemed so at odds with the passion growing in our hearts. None of us did so easily, having spent decades serving in local congregations and engaged in multiple efforts to reform them. In the end we left not to abandon our faith but to explore that faith on a more vibrant journey than those structures would allow.” ( Wayne Jacobsen, Finding Church)
There is nothing more important for each saint than His journey home. This journey with the Lord is a vibrant unexpected one where we never really know what is around the next corner. The wind of the Holy Spirit blows where it will and none of us truly know from what direction it will blow next and where it will lead us. Many years ago the Lord gave me vision. It was as if I was hovering over the land of America. I could see the States kinda mapped out below me. There was a great migration taking place. People from the Midwest were striking out in a great journey westwards in wagon trains just as they had in this country 150 years ago. They were leaving everything they knew behind and were fully committed to the journey ahead. They knew some of what lay ahead from others, but still there were many unknowns and dangers. None of that put them off. They were committed to the journey ahead. So they struck out from a place called Independence.
They struggled over many different landscapes and each landscape seem to represent some portion of their sanctification. There were rivers and mountains and valleys and storms and deserts and so on. And they represented pride and independence and lust and anger and un-forgiveness and all the many sins and deficiencies of the human nature. As they got further away from Independence, their dependency upon God grew. Each mountain climbed, every river forded, every storm endured drew them closer to the Lord. They were being shaped by their journey and by their dependence upon God. Finally I saw them arrive at the Pacific Ocean. Now shortly after arriving there, a ship approached and the captain urged them to get on-board. They shouted to Him, ” where are you headed, where will the ship takes us?” The captain pointed at the horizon. They asked Him if he had any maps or charts to show them what lay beyond the horizon, He did not. A few decided to get on board but the vast majority decided to stay. They had had some ideas and maps of how to get to where they were now, but to get on this ship and sail into completely unknown territory was simply asking too much and they were not prepared to risk it all.
Their temporary wagons were broken down in the beautiful place and they began to set up permanent structures. Each day the ship would re-appear and each day the captain would beckon to them to get on board but His voice grew dimmer and dimmer and suddenly the ship and the captain appeared no more. With the journey over and the permanent structures erected the people grew weak and had no vision. While on the journey the storms had made them strong and drew them closer to the Lord but now the storms were weakening them and they withdrew from the coast. Yet each time they fell back and restructured they became weaker still and had to continually fall back. They eventually arrived back at the very place they had left all those years before, Independence.
I don’t want to expound too much on the vision. I would simply like you to reflect upon it and see if the Lord would speak to your heart through it…………………bro Frank
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The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what
of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night. (Isa 21:11-12)
The answer that is given to the question posed by the title of this post is ” Morning is coming but also the night.” I think that is exactly where we stand, we being the Body of Christ living in a world that plunges deeper each day into darkness as it throws of the vestiges of truth yet Christ is at the door. There seems to be a determined effort by the world at large to rid itself of the ” shackles and restraints,” of absolute truth. I am sure previous generations would be horrified to see the complicit nature of so many of the institutions that claims the name of Christ in all of this, and in many cases are actually leading the way.
In Isaiah 21 we see a prophecy against Dumah. No one is really sure who Dumah is but what is certain is that Israel is being warned not to rely upon its neighbors for help for judgement was coming against all of her neighbors. God and He alone must be our help especially in times of danger and judgement. What is certain is that in times of danger while most sleep, there are watchmen and there are folks who want to know what the watchman sees. God has called the pastors of His sheep to be watchmen. For sure the sheep are to be fed and to be led but they are also to be secured. There are bears and there are wolves and they are on the prowl and the sheep are in most danger in the night watches. What good the shepherd if he feeds the sheep well but then sleeps and allows the predators to come in and take the sheep?
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The Book talks of the present state of Christendom and how that affects and challenges the Body of Christ. We are living in days that we have never seen before. The foundations of all truth are being attacked and undermined and destroyed. Compromise is the order of the day and the world will demand more and more compromise in order to allow Christendom to exist in its current form. Now if you are a genuine saint, what will you do? Can you go along with the compromises that we see unfold? This book addresses the situation for the genuine saint and speaks to some of the fears and troubles we are and will face in the coming dark days. Please feel free to share this with anyone who may be interested. I have tried to keep it as cheap as possible. It can be purchased for $6.99. You can click on the image to purchase the book.
Isa 7:9b If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.
Just this week we are hearing reports of the Anglican Church confirming and affirming homosexual marriage and the ordination of practicing homosexual ministers. This extends to the church in Scotland and Ireland and France and all throughout Europe. And of course right here in the States many of the mainline denominations have already given themselves over to this gross error even before the Supreme court rules in June.
Now the question must be asked, why then do genuine saints stay with such corrupt organizations? Indeed that must be a question that every saint around the world who identifies themselves under the name and the banner of such organizations must ask themselves. Is it misplaced loyalty? Is it merely because of tradition? Is it a fundamental lack of understanding of just what the Scriptures are referring to when it speaks of the Body of Christ and the unity of the Body? My question would be to any saint found within the walls of organizations that sanctify and solemnize homosexuality ” where is your loyalty to the Truth?” Are you so divided in heart and mind that you can overlook this? What next? If they were to strip the Lord Jesus of His Sonship would you still stay? If they were to advocate that there are many paths to heaven would you stay?
Now I am not picking on homosexuality in particular. There are many sins of which these denominations have overlooked and then ultimately embraced. My argument would be that if this is not the straw that breaks the camels back then the camels back is not going to be broken. It stands in such violation to the word of God that the people who embrace such error are truly without excuse. I believe God Himself is exposing the very underpinnings of these institutions. So therefore, if God is speaking are you listening? The Scripture above reminds us of a fundamental truth ” If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” When Judah was face with destruction and the hearts of her people were shaken like the wind shakes the trees then they are advised to stand firm in your faith or you shall not stand at all. This, I believe, is the admonition by the Lord to His people today. Stand firm, do not be moved by the cultural winds of the world that are blowing with hurricane force for if you do not you shall not stand.
Jer 4:30…. Though you clothe yourself with crimson, Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, Though you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you will make yourself fair; Your lovers will despise you; They will seek your life.
When God has spoken, when He has determined in His heart that His judgements shall come to pass then indeed in Jer 4:28 it says that the earth shall mourn and the heavens shall be black. Can I suggest brothers and sisters that God has spoken. The time of judgement is at hand and of course judgement begins at the house of the Lord. Many in Christendom run to and fro looking to forces that have helped them in the past. They appeal to society at large, they appeal to the courts, they appeal to politicians and to seats of power yet their lovers will despise them;they will seek their lives.
It is a sad sight to see Christian groups appeal to politicians and other groups, these are their lovers whom they have layed down with before. Yet when the worm turns, when no matter how much you try to make yourself attractive to them, they will ultimately despise you and seek your life. Politicians used to need the Evangelical vote and they courted them and Christendom loved to have it so. Now, rapidly, the Christian vote is becoming a liability to politicians of all stripes.
Psa 46:5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
God is in the midst of His people, He has set up His tabernacle right in the center of the Body of Christ. Can you imagine, the God of all the universe dwells with us! Where two or three are gathered there He is, at the very heart of it all. He is our strength, He is our refuge, He is a very present help in time of need. Any force that comes against us has to deal with God Almighty.
Now brothers and sisters, we are tested on this. Even the Lord Himself cried out from the cross ” My God, My God why has thou forsaken me?” Have you ever felt like you have been abandoned? This feeling runs head long into the Scripture that tells us that He would never leave us nor forsake us. Something has to give. We know at the very bottom of our hearts, at the very seat of all of our affections that God is always right and His Word never fails and that despite circumstances, He is not only with us, but He is in our midst.
Now we know from Hebrews 1 that faith is the evidence of things not seen. What can you not see in your life right now brothers and sisters? Maybe you cannot see a way out of your present circumstances? Maybe a doctor has given you a dire diagnosis? Maybe you look at an ever-increasing darkness in the world and wonder where it can all possibly end? Well, I am going to tell you something that you already know. God has not abandoned His people. God has not abandoned you, no matter your circumstances. He dwells in your heart and He dwells in the midst of His people. The break of dawn is that moment that comes after a long darkness, a darkness that seems like it would never end.
“When a man of God speaks as a prophet, his message is freighted with wisdom and power. When he speaks for a party, God withdraws His power and lets His servant speak without wisdom. As a prophet he may call to judgement kings and presidents. Let him obey God and stay by his commission, and he will be God’s voice to all men and all parties. Let him seek to identify his prophetic office with politics, or place his power at the disposal of a party, and he violates his office and confuses his own face. Then he speaks as a discredited prophet, and not all his pretensions to omniscience can disguise the Babel in his voice.
Preachers have been known to go all out for some newly-come politician because he spoke respectfully of God. Later events made them wish they had kept the cover on their Corona and allowed their man to prove his piety before they fastened themselves to his coattails. Christ is not a member of any political party. He stands outside of and above every party. His Kingdom is not of this world.” ( A.W.Tozer, Tozer speaks, volume 1, page 61)
If Tozer is correct in the assertions that he makes above, and I say that he is, then we are the grand-children of many discredited prophets. If Christ indeed stands outside and above every party and His Kingdom is not of this world, then should we not stand beside our Lord and Savior? Should we not be identified by our association with Christ and Him alone? It is Babel indeed to identify ourselves with anything other than Christ. In every election to come it will not only be Babel but also Sodom and Gomorrah that will be heard in the voices of the parties. The total corruption of the political class in America and the Republic is almost complete. All parties have been bought and paid for, lock stock and barrel. Politicians are but mere puppets for their rich masters.
Should saints of the most High God be associated with such corruption? Is the end results of this system not proof enough of its carnality and ultimate demise? As the darkness approaches and the pillars of truth are torn down in the public square should Christians naively continue to participate in the most corrupt of men’s systems? Perhaps if you believe that Christ is not at the door then maybe one could believe that somehow the vast cultural shift can somehow be righted? Yet, even if Christ did not return for another thousand years the Bible tells us that in the last days it will be like the days of Noah. Jesus says in Matt 24:37-38 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark.
What were the days of Noah like to which Jesus spoke of? Gen 6:5 “The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” Can I suggest brothers and sisters that we are entering into such a time? The birth pangs have begun and the whole world shakes under violence and evil and a turning away from right. Truth is assaulted daily in the public square, absolute truth is mocked from the highest stations to the lowest. This world is a juggernaut and it is running towards its own destruction. Christ is at the door. The answer and the only possible hope, just like Noah’s ark, is Christ Himself. He is our ark and He has presented Himself as such to the world. Let us be found in this Ark, for this Ark is our salvation and that alone. All else is Babel and Sodom.
2 Chron 5:11 The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions.
There was no division brothers and sisters. They were consecrated as one. They were not divided as they carried the ark aloft into the Holy Place. Under the presence of God the priesthood is united. It is the unity of the Body that brings down the glory of God. So when the priests were one and the singers and the trumpeters stood as one, when they all glorified God together; then down came the presence of God to such a degree that the priests could not even stand because the glory of God filled the temple of God.
We are a CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light; for we once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now we are THE PEOPLE OF GOD(1 Pet 2:9-10) Praise the Lord brothers and sisters, the Word of God is true “for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” One in Christ Jesus is our calling. One in Christ Jesus is our destiny. Men may have failed miserably in this before us but the word of the Lord Jesus Christ will not fall to the floor broken. It will find its fulfillment.
Jesus says of those who would follow Him in the future, to His Father He cries out in prayer that “they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me. I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one. And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” When we see that brothers and sisters, the temple shall be filled with the Glory of God such as has never been seen before. We are the temple of the Living God. He dwells not in Temples made by human hands but in the hearts of His children, each a living stone. There is a coming unity that shall be forged in the fires of persecution. Everything of this world shall be burned up in such a fire. The saints will be purified and unified by the burning coals of tribulation. And down upon this tribulation of the saints will come the Spirit of Glory.
There is one Body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith and one baptism. One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all. And amongst the saints He gave some to be Apostles and some to be prophets and some evangelists and pastors and teachers. He gave all of these gifts that the Body of Christ may be perfected and edified until they come into the unity of the faith and the fullness of Christ. If the Apostles and the prophets and the evangelists and pastors and teachers are merely hirelings who have ignored their primary purpose here on earth, if the prime directive of God has been ignored by men who were called or who have called themselves then what shall God do? Judgement begins at the house of the Lord and God will raise up for Himself men and women who are called according to His purpose. Even now God is raising up a remnant army of saints who are lovers of the truth and not lovers of themselves or the world. A people for God’s own possession so that they may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called them out of the darkness into His marvelous light.
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Joh_18:36
Jesus says that His Kingdom is not of this world. There is a Kingdom and there is a King and He rules and reigns on His throne. Some in eschatological circles would have you believe that the enemy is not yet crushed but he is crushed. Some would tell you that a future physical kingdom has to be established on this earth for the fulfillment of previous prophecies but they are all fulfilled in Christ. His was the victory at Calvary. The power of Satan was crushed at Calvary. There was total victory at Calvary. The power of the enemy was fully and forever vanquished right there. Any teaching that says differently is an assault on the totality of Calvary and the resurrection of Christ. The nations have not been deceived in these last days but have been willfully ignorant and rebellious to the Word of God and the victory of Calvary.
We are in this world but we are not of this world. We walk in power and the victory of the Kingdom of Christ. If the saints would only open their eyes they would see that theirs is a victorious walk. They run a race that has already been won. They fight in a war that has already had its outcome at Calvary. Peace is theirs, joy is theirs and righteousness is theirs. It has been established. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Rev 12:10)
You see brothers and sisters, salvation has come and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ. All this came at Calvary. The accuser of the brethren was cast down, exposed and humiliated at the cross. Now with great rage he began his war against the saints but he was restrained because they overcame Him by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony and the fact that they loved not their lives even unto death. There is coming a time when he will not be restrained in his war against the saints.
For these the last of the last days are coming upon us and the Scriptures say we, the saints around the world, the Body of Christ, must be delivered into his hands and he will overcome us. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. (Rev 13:7) Now that word overcome in the Greek means to conquer. And the world will rejoice and celebrate the seeming victory, just as the hordes of hell must have celebrated their ” victory,” at Calvary. You see, for a time, as Jesus hung there dead upon the cross, all seemed lost. Yet the Father had allowed the Son to suffer and die for you and I.
Yet brothers and sisters we know how the story ended at Calvary! And we know how the story ends in Revelation. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Rev 22:4-5) And so brothers and sisters, stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The time is coming soon when we shall be called to face the full fury of hell and all of its hordes as it makes its last stand, but the victory has already been won. Their fate is sealed. For a few moments in time hell shall rejoice but only for a moment. Our Christ shall come in all His glory in the sky for every one to see. We shall be with Him and those few saints still alive here on earth shall join them in the sky as the Lion of Judah comes to end it all and establish for all time that which begun at Calvary.
You have the power today brothers and sisters, walk in it. Let no lie from hell rob you of your sight and your joy and your peace. You are covered by the Blood and you are a living epistle read of men, a witness to the world, and you love not your own lives or you would have never given it up in the first place to be born again. He who loses His life for Christ’s sake shall gain eternal life. We do not have to be martyred to “lose our lives,’ but their must be a willingness in us to give our all for Him. This is the power, this is the Kingdom and this is the glory and all victory flows from this.
Psa 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
In another translation is says ” I would have despaired…….” Can you say that this is your strength? As the deer panteth for the waterbrooks does your soul longeth for and rely upon the very presence of God in the here and the now and in the midst of your current situation? This is the strength of the saint who dwells in the wilderness. Gods remnant child in these last days draws his or her strength from the glory and the goodness and the presence of God. He is our strength in times of testing. David declares that the Lord is his light and salvation, and therefore whom shall he fear?
In these last days brothers and sisters, when the darkness presses in, when on every side we are surrounded by wickedness and sin, when church after church slides away into apostacy or into the deadness of their vain traditions, our hearts shall not fear! No, for we who seek to dwell in the presence of the Lord, we who can enquire of Him before His throne night and day and gaze upon the beauty of His holiness, we shall not be afraid. For in the latter days of our troubles His very presence shall be our hiding place. This place shall be our high tower, we shall run into it and be safe. Joy and gladness and praises shall be as a never-ending fountain in our heart, a wellspring of peace and contentment found before His throne yes, but also in the presence of our enemies. Goodness and mercy shall follow us as the day follows the night. The sun rises on every day and mercy and grace are born anew at the breaking of every dawn in the hearts of those who diligently seek His face.
Behold He comes brothers and sisters, He seeks, He knocks upon the door. He stands behind our wall, He is looking through our window and gazes through the lattice of our souls. He calls gently to us in a still small voice. Shall we be away with Him? Shall we find some reason to ignore this calling unto Himself? The Bridegroom comes and He is calling His own. Will you rise now and cry aloud in the city streets ” I seek the one that I love?” Can you with all boldness and complete disregard for your own humility seek Him where He can be found? Will you leave the safety of what you have always known to seek Him in a place where you have never been? The old song says ” Though none go with me, still I will follow.” Beautiful words and sentiment, but will you? Will you still follow? Will you flee into the darkness of the night that is haunted with the shadows of ancient traditions? Will you unashamedly say to those whom you meet in these places ” I seek the one that I love?” If He cannot be found where you are brothers and sisters, then flee into His presence. ” When I found the one that I love I held Him and would not let Him go.” (Song of Solomon 3:4)
Yes brothers and sisters, the saints that have found the one that they love will not let Him go. No created force will ever compel them too. Not the fires of hell nor the condemnations of men. They will cling to that old rugged cross, they will revel in the beauty of His Holiness, they will sing His praises in the deepest dungeon in the midnight hour because of the glorious love that they have encountered in the arms of their Savior. A love so deep and so enduring is a hell shaking love. In the fires of this love we are more than conquerors. We have been consumed by a passion so fierce that it will defy even the powers of hell as we stand before the throne of grace. Come Lord Jesus come. Your Bride awaits and has forsaken everything for your namesake and for the burning love of our hearts that has taken us so completely. We shall be stripped bare and humiliated before men in an effort by hell to rob us of our witness but there is no force in all the Kingdom of darkness that can take us from your hand. You were stripped and humiliated for us and you endured it all for the joy and the glory set before you. We shall find our strength in your arms in that moment we shall overcome just as you overcame. All glory to God in the highest and peace to His saints, my brothers and sisters on earth.
Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. (Heb 13:12-14)
You see brothers and sisters, here we have no continuing city, we are pilgrims and sojourners. The foundations that we lay down in any one place are at best temporary. There was a fearful judgement to come upon Jerusalem and the temple system. There was also a prophecy given, apparently around 66ad shortly after James was killed, that urged the saints to flee Jerusalem to a place called Pella. Not to stand and fight and try to preserve that which was under judgement, but to flee. When you are within a walled city, it is very tempting to stay there and hide behind the protection that it affords. Yet, if you are told to flee then flee you must or suffer the consequences of the coming judgement.
Now we know that judgement begins at the house of the Lord. Judgment is coming to Christendom in the form of persecution. For those with eyes to see, they can already see the vandals scaling the walls and entering in. The pillars of truth are being torn down. The traditions of men are being demolished and overturned and before it is over, not one tradition will be left standing. Those who stay within the gates of Christendom will fall away into perdition. Brothers and sisters, if you live beside the sea and I warn you of a tsunami, then what would you do? Would you not drop everything, everything that you owned, all of your worldly goods, grab your children under your arms and head for higher ground?
The time has come for every saint to head for higher ground. It will not be found within the walls or behind the gates, it will be found out there where the only protection that you will find is in the arms of the Lord your God. Nostalgia for the traditions of men will not save you, your ancient traditions good or bad will not save you, you will only be saved in Christ alone. When God Himself has set out to tear everything down that is mixed with the world, then let us flee from that mixture. When you find your identity it totally wrapped up in Him. When He alone is your high tower, then you will find your place with others who likewise have found their identity in Him alone. You will not find this place within structures that have compromised with the world. In the coming years, every institution will be tested and will either compromise with the world or will be shut down. So many have already made the choice. Many more will. It is and will be the great exposer of the intent and motivations of the hearts of so-called leaders. The great majority will prove to be hirelings.
For those who find the Lord outside the camp, they will indeed bear the reproach of the Lord Jesus. Just remember, they hated our Lord first and they will hate us too. In not belonging to their clubs and institutions, conviction is brought to bear upon their heads. Coals of fire burning into the very essence of who they are and with that an ever-increasing hatred and persecution for the pilgrim saints who only claim Him and Him alone as their Lord. In the very same chapter of Hebrews 13 quoted above we are admonished to be content with what we have and know that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We are reminded to be bold in the fact that the Lord alone is our helper and we shall not fear what man shall do to us. The Lord Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Your world view, your view of your nation is going to determine your point of view. It will be the lens that you view events through and the filter through which you pray. What are the goals of your prayers for your nation? Do you seek to see it ” turned around?” What about your culture, do you want to see it saved or preserved? Your way of life, your goals and aspirations for yourself, your children and your grandchildren, are they dependent upon the state of the economy or the state of the culture or the state of the nation?
What if the message is , that your way of life, your culture, your country, everything that you hold dear is going to be dismantled and destroyed and become unrecognizable? How will you, how do you react to hearing such a thing? If the message or the word does not have a ” good,” ending could you still embrace it or would you reject it. Can you embrace a God that is judging and will continue to judge your culture and your nation? Can you embrace a God, that because of His judgments, you will be called to suffer greatly, suffer the loss of everything that you hold dear? And ultimately, can you embrace a God that would call you and your family to martyrdom? Obviously this could only be done in the Spirit and the flesh would rage against such thoughts.
Brothers and sisters, even now the fires burn all across Christendom. The vandals have entered the gates of the cities. These spirits have come to invade every heart and every mind and every church in the land. These are hordes that have poured forth from the bowels of hell, foul defiling hordes. Yet, they are only the pre-cursor for what is to come. Their job is to tear down everything that is called holy. Every part of society is to be torn down stone by stone. This is the spirit behind the forces who will turn wrong into right, who will turn day into night. Now brothers and sisters, we can see evidence of this all around us and we see the disintegration of society unfolding rapidly. The forces that align themselves against Christianity are gaining momentum. They are making a way for their own master to enter onto the world stage. How shall we react to such forces and events?
Many without eyes to see, struggle greatly against this incoming tide. As they see the loss of everything they know and hold dear they have a great desire to fight back. They want to fight against the immoral forces that are tearing down the culture that they love and have created. Fear rises up in them, panic even. That fear and that panic compels them into the arms of many would be leaders. Some cry out that we need a great revival, others cry out that we need Godly men in political leadership. Others even consider arming themselves for what as a coming cultural war.
Brothers and sisters, Christ is coming back and He is coming soon. This world is judged, this country is judged and Christendom is judged. And so now we must flee, flee from Babylon and into the arms of Jesus. Just like Lot we must prepare to leave the comforts of Sodom. Just like the exiles, we must prepare to leave the comforts of Babylon. Just like our early brothers and sisters, we must prepare to leave Jerusalem for there is a fierce judgement coming, the final judgement. All attachments to this world must be broken even as we continue to go into this world for needs must. These judgements that we are in the midst of, these birth pangs are just the beginning and they are from the hand of God. Shall we resist the hand of God?
Brothers and sisters we have been called as lambs to the slaughter. You must prepare for this eventuality. Prepare your hearts for slaughter. Resistance will not change the judgements to come. The arrogance of those who hate us will continue to rise. Shall we meet arrogance with arrogance? Shall we match their hatred and their violence, shall we render evil for evil? As our enemies gain ground they will become emboldened. They will have the world behind them and true and genuine Christianity will be pushed forward into the lime-light and all the world will hate us as we refuse to bow down to the gods of this world.
Yet brothers and sisters, be of good cheer for the Spirit of God will burn brighter in this generation than has ever been seen before. As the flood of darkness pours in, an incomprehensible darkness, then the light that is in us will shine brighter than ever before. The nobility of the Royal priesthood will be seen by all the world. Consider how one views diamonds in a Jewelers. The diamonds are set on black velvet so that the brilliance of the stones are illuminated against the blackness. As so it will be with the Lord’s own jewels. They will be seen against the backdrop of total darkness and they will shine and be seen like they have never shone or been seen before. The magnificent beauty of holiness will burn so brightly in the chests of every remnant child of God as they are led, all the day long, as lambs to the slaughter. And when their numbers are fulfilled, then shall come the King of Kings.
Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. (Dan 2:46-47)
In this passage we can see that even the mightiest of Kings fell down on his face when he came face to face with the reality that God is the revealer of the secrets of mens hearts. Earlier in the chapter the wise men and magicians complained that there was no power on earth that could reveal the secrets of a man’s heart or his dreams or thoughts. When Jesus encounters the woman at the well He reveals the secrets of her heart. She is so utterly astonished that she rushes into town and publicly announces to everyone that she had encountered the Messiah and He had told her everything that she had ever done. They come, encounter Him and believe.
In 1 Corinthians 14:24:25 it says “But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.” The power of God brothers and sisters, just one aspect of the power of God in a living breathing entity called the Body of Christ. It demonstrates itself and it manifests itself in power, resurrection power. A life transformed and moving in the power of God touches the hearts of men. It changes them, it challenges them, it confronts them it penetrates deep into the hearts of men, it ” stabs men in the hearts.” In Acts chapter two men were so violently assaulted in their hearts by the Truth spoken by the power of God that they cried out to God ” what must we do.”
Brothers and sisters I believe the time is coming soon where the vast majority of genuine saints will not be able to stay within what I would call ” Christendom.” The pillars of truth are being assaulted in an ever-increasing fashion day by day. One challenge after another faces the organized church in an ever-changing world. One could argue that the world has always been changing and for sure on many levels this is true. Yet, fundamental absolute truths are being challenged in our day the likes of which we have never witnessed in the west before, never. Right is becoming wrong and day is becoming night.
If organizations of any stripes are to survive going forward, it will only be by compromise and capitulation. Now we do have a historical period that can give us some clues as to what a thoroughly compromised church looks like. In the 1930s in Nazi Germany we had the state church, the Lutheran church completely compromised by a country given over to national madness. One very honest German citizen said looking back at those days ” there was something in the air and we all breathed it in.” Can I suggest brothers and sisters that there is something in the air, in the very atmosphere and it is not limited to one nation or even one geographical location and the world is breathing it in.
A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. (Psa 133:1-3)
Prior to taking the promised land, the Israelites fought as one. They had just passed through the wilderness for forty years and for hundreds of years prior to that they were enslaved by the Egyptians. So whether is was slavery or wilderness wandering or fighting to take hold of their possession, they were one. As long as they were all facing the same circumstances, then they were as one. When we look out over the barren wasteland that is Christendom today, we see a thousand different moving parts, each doing their own thing. They have no common vision, in fact quite the opposite. Every little thief-dom has its own vision for what it wants. The bigger picture is quite lost to all but a few. Do we see life in Christendom in general? Now, I do not mean much activity, I mean the life of Christ manifested in His presence amongst His people?
In WWII, London was severely bombed by the Nazis. London was a highly diverse city, its millions of people were separated into groups. There were working class folks and lower working class. You had the middle class and the upper middle class and of course you also had the Royal family so you had the aristocrats. This was a class system where one would never really have any contact with someone outside of your class unless compelled by some sort of business. It was a rigid system broken down into ” stations,” and one was compelled to stay within their station by centuries of tradition and etiquette. Yet when they faced destruction they were compelled to work together just to survive. Their previous ways of life had to be suspended and they had to come together if they were to survive. They suddenly had a common goal and it brought them together in unity in such a way that had never been seen before nor has been seen since.
Christianity in general is facing a coming storm. Just like the rise of the Nazi party in the 30s which was very ominous for the world and the Jewish people specifically, then so the coming storm is ominous for the saints. Its goal will be to simply kill every genuine saint. Now, nothing can bring Christendom together but what can bring the Body of Christ together? Circumstances will certainly help. Persecution will help to bring the saints together when they will realize that they need one another. Yet the only thing that can bring about the unity of the saints where the blessings of life shall be commanded by God, is the Holy Spirit flowing down through the very essence of the saints who are priests in a royal priesthood. Saints, if you could go back in time and speak to a Jewish person in Germany in 1933, what would you say to him? Would you not tell him that he and his family must flee? If you could look forward and see a storm of darkness and death heading towards the Body of Christ, what would your advice be to them? The antidote to death is life. The antidote to darkness is light. The antidote to hatred is love. The antidote to eternal death is Jesus who is Life and Light and Love and eternal life.
Those with eyes to see the coming storm are beginning to flock together. For together, with all the walls broken down, there is a commanded blessing. When the dew falls from the sky it covers everything. Every single blade of grass is covered and is sustained. Gods abundant blessings of life are found when the saints march together under the banner of Christ. An army of saints covered by the blood of the Lamb walking lockstep in common purpose and unity as they face their final and most tumultuous battle prior to the return of the Bridegroom. Lord may your Holy Spirit open up the eyes of those who have a desire to see and open up the ears of those who would hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
“I see thousands of Christian young adults in America who, like Simon the Sorcerer, are hungry for the supernatural and are therefore looking for an impartation, prayer or touch from a well-known leader in the body of Christ to launch them into their ministry. Rather than seeking intimacy with Jesus Christ and walking in true legitimate kingdom authority like Peter and John, many, just like Simon, are seeking a drive-thru experience because they are hungry for authority, but aren’t willing to obtain it legally through intimacy.” Read the full article by Jeremiah Johnson by clicking the link …. A generation of Simon the Sorcerers is rising.
Carrying on this theme, I have included a portion from my book ” The fall of Christendom and the rise of the remnant.” It speaks of the two sorcerers Jannes and Jambres. This is perilous times brothers and sisters and we must be aware and beware…………………..
Jannes and Jambres are noted as men who greatly resisted Moses and since the context of this chapter is perilous last days, then we can assume that men like Jannes and Jambres will greatly resist God’s true people in these latter days. Now who were these men and what do they represent today? Well Jannes and Jambres are reckoned to be two of the occultist magicians in Pharoah’s court who replicated the rod turning into a snake, then were able to replicate some of the plagues. It is reckoned that when Moses and the children of Israel left Egypt that they had become followers of Moses, perhaps for the same reasons as Simon the magician of Acts 8 , who was amazed at the power of the Apostles and who tried to buy this power.
Extra Biblical evidence suggests that Jannes and Jambres were very influential in persuading Aaron to make a golden calf when it seemed that Moses may not return. And we know that the calf was made with the gold and the treasure that was taken from Egypt. And so we see two men who had some kind of power, perhaps even a form of Godliness since they were now following Moses, persuade men to fall down and worship the treasures of the world and act just like the world from which they had been delivered. Do we not see that in Christendom today. There are so many men just like Jannes, just like Jambres, just like Simon, men who are desperate to operate in the power of God so that they can impress others and elevate their own status. It will never happen. Today’s so-called miracles workers and self-proclaimed prophets are merely operating in the soulish realm. And God’s fire will never fall on them. This will be one reason they will hate genuine saints, for as God pours out His Spirit on genuine saints in these latter times and they begin to move in the genuine power of God, it will enrage the false teachers just as it enraged the religious leaders in the days of Jesus. We see a small clue in Matthew 27:18 as to why they wanted Jesus dead… ” For he knew they had delivered Him because of envy. ”
I wrote the article below last year but wanted to bring it up again in light of the ISIS threat to blow up Big Ben the Eiffel Tower and the White house with dirty bombs. The main point I would like the readers to take away from the article is that most of the building blocks for a great worldwide persecution against genuine saints is already in place. We are one catalyst away, I believe, from the persecution beginning in earnest. As always we must ready ourselves for what is to come by drawing close to God and holding all things of this world loosely…….bro Frank
This subject can be very difficult to approach today because there have been so many crazy people claiming when the end of the world would happen. The below scenario reckons on the saints going through the great tribulation. Therefore there is no particular day or hour that is looked for, rather a season, birth pangs if you like. We are told by Jesus that we should be able to discern the signs of the times, not the day nor the hour of His return. In any event, most peoples of the world and the church have a difficult time imagining a time where Christians would be hunted down and killed for the mere fact of being Christian. They may be able to imagine this in a Muslim world setting, but not in the West. I do not claim that the scenario below is prophetic, I merely wish to show you a logical procession of events that could lead to a world-wide persecution of the true saints.
Below is a short quote from A.W.Tozer. There is nothing radical about his summing up of what it means to be a saint. It may only seem radical to some because we live in and amongst a compromised generation who were born out of a compromised generation. The end result is fifty shades of compromise. Many radically born again saints have compromised themselves by dwelling among Nicolations. This in turn has led to a slow slow death in the tepid pools of stagnant waters………….bro Frank
We should know this. New life has to be born within us and that new life will not be born until there has been a collision with Christ.A real collision-the sinner has been met and defeated in his own will his own life brought down to the dust. He will always remember and look back upon that encounter, as he happily goes forward in his faith. His soul and the heart of God met in violent conflict for a moment but God won and then the heart of the man surrendered and he said ” Thy will be done.”
If we had our standards higher, if we really preached the truth of genuine repentance if we raised the Christian levels higher-would that sound like radical religion? (A.W.Tozer, Tozer speaks, pg 435)
This sermon is by an Irish preacher called David Legge. It is my opinion that this sermon is prophetic in nature. We first met David when we were involved with a revival conference through sermonindex.net in Wales a few years ago. The conference was in Moriah Chapel where the great Welsh revival of 1904-05 began.
” Some of us have already left institutionalized Christianity either because we were pushed out for asking the wrong questions or because we could no longer continue to serve the demands of an institution that seemed so at odds with the passion growing in our hearts. None of us did so easily, having spent decades serving in local congregations and engaged in multiple efforts to reform them. In the end we left not to abandon our faith but to explore that faith on a more vibrant journey than those structures would allow.” ( Wayne Jacobsen, Finding Church)
A Call To The Remnant 