Discernment

We are on a balance beam and there is grave danger on both sides

This is important. Extremely important. I have been watching a rather interesting thing take place. I am not sure where it will lead but I felt I just wanted to offer my readers a warning about what I am seeing.

This past year we have watched our world become extremely divided. While we must acknowledge that there are a few exceptions, we have seen a fairly clear line drawn down the center of mask wearers who believe the vaccine will take the world back to normal and those who believe masks are useless and the vaccine is dangerous. We have seen a fairly clear line drawn between those who agree with a leftist, “woke”, socialist agenda and those who do not. No matter which side you place yourself on, you are probably pretty sure the other side is dead-wrong.

If you are reading this blog on a regular basis, I am doubting you are on the socialist side of things, since this side clearly goes against the Word of God in so many ways. From the horrifying sanction of abortion to the breakdown of the family unit God has designed to the stealing from someone who works hard to give to someone who won’t work (yes, that is stealing, no matter what words they use to describe it), it has an anti-God agenda.

But let’s not be too quick to think that the other side (and I am talking about the side that gathered at the capital earlier this year) is without its major flaws. The main one I see being the new age influence.

A few days ago, I watched a really helpful video by an educated doctor talking about the vaccine and why it is so very dangerous. Her documentation and data were impressive and I can’t see any reason for her to lie, given that she is putting both her reputation and her life on the line to even speak up. But about three-quarters through the video, she started talking about Jesus. Only this was not the Jesus from the Bible.

Her “Jesus” tells her that He is not greater than we are but that He came to show us how to be greater than He is. We just need to search inside ourselves to be great. This is classic new age talk. She also kept referring to energy (always a red flag when you hear it.)

Of course, this was all couched in Christian terminology that made it sound almost biblical.

Why do I bring this up? It is because I have often seen this from the side that many Christians are running to for information. I spotted it in one of the first viral videos, where a doctor gave her testimony. There was nothing in her testimony at all about repentance and needing to be saved from sin. It was all experience and feeling and “light”. This type of new age testimony sounds pretty good, until we start recognizing what they haven’t said.

While there is nothing necessarily wrong with getting data and doing research, please listen very carefully when they start talking about God, Jesus, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and their personal testimonies. Pay close attention when they start talking about spiritual things. Does what they say line up with what the scripture says? Nine times out of ten, it does not. Maybe ninety-nine times out of a hundred. Terms to be aware of are The Great Awakening, energy, light, and Revival (their revival never includes repentance from sin). If they are really giving themselves away, they will refer to the god within or how we are divine as humans. Most of this side is not Christian, although they will sound like they are on the surface. We must not be deceived.

So where does this leave us as Christians? I am afraid it is not anywhere great–at least by human standards. We are literally on the balance beam of the Bible, trying to avoid the danger that lies on both sides. At least we should be there. We are watching the growth of two specific movements and we do not belong to either one. One looks black. The other looks white. But they are both evil.

I make no predictions about how this all ends. I have ideas that I have gleaned, according to the Word. But, let’s be honest, none of us knows how this is all going to go down. We are clueless. And so I am simply presenting what I have been observing. Be careful who you side with. Don’t be too quick to believe someone is saved simply because they mention Jesus. As I remember one of my teachers saying, “it is time to put on your thinking caps.” Think through what someone says and compare it to scripture. This can be done fairly clearly with new age testimonies, as well as with social justice and racism and every other “hot button” subject. God has given us His Word so we can know the truth!

As we start this process of thinking and realizing just how wicked the world is, we can start to feel pretty alone. And, yes, we are but a small group of people who want to follow the Lord whole-heartedly. But let us not forget– we serve the Living God!

Think about this: We are on the side of the God of the Universe. He can move mountains and make the rocks cry out. He can walk on water and He can raise the dead.

The remnant may be oh, so very small (and shrinking daily) but this matters not with God on our side.

I am reminded of Israel when they were surrounded by Arab nations intent on annihilating them. Renald Showers puts it like this, “Azzam Pasha, secretary-general of the Arab League boasted, ‘This will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and Crusades.’  Because the Arabs had many more soldiers and superior weapons, they were confident the would eliminate Israel from the Middle East.” *

Israel should have lost that war. There is no possible reason why they should have–or even could have–won. The odds are so astounding as to be impossible.

But God was on their side. And so they came out victorious, gaining control of the western half of Jerusalem in the process.

Let’s also remember how God rescued Israel from the Egyptians, even parting the sea so they could escape. And the boy, David, as he slew the giant, Goliath. Let’s remember Gideon as he took his small band of three hundred men to battle victoriously against Midian. We remember Peter and the angel that released him from prison. And God didn’t stop showing up after the Bible was written. Many are the accounts of believers through the ages who have witnessed miraculous events. Our God can do anything.

Of course, we realize that this does not mean we will be saved from really hard times and great persecution. We know from the chapters 15 and 16 of the book of John, that we will be hated by the world if we are truly following the real Jesus. But the God who saved Daniel from the Lion’s Den and three Hebrew boys from the fiery furnace is the same God we serve today. We can rest assured that absolutely nothing can thwart the plan of Almighty God!

Our job is to stay on that Balance Beam that is the Bible, running every speaker, author, movement, song, movie, conversation, and every single thing through its grid so as to guard ourselves against deception.

And then God will take care of the rest. He will provide. He will supply sufficient grace.

So let’s be careful not to get caught up in any movements. Chances are they are not of God. No matter how good they may sound.

 

 

*p. 80 The Coming Apocalypse, A Study of Replacement Theology vs. God’s Faithfulness in the End Times by Renald Showers

 

 

The Chosen: Is It Biblical?

FEBRUARY 1, 2024 UPDATE: If you’d like to read more, you will find an updated post about The Chosen series at this link.

A few years ago a series about the Bible came on the scene called “The Chosen” and quickly became extremely popular. They even had a Christmas special this past year that many Christians enjoyed. My oldest daughter, Jess, watched it but became more than a little concerned when she noticed the ecumenism (a coming together of faiths) during the special.

She decided to do some research on the show. I believe you will be thankful that she did. What she found is important information for anyone who is truly dedicated to God and His Word. How important that we value truth and biblical accuracy over being entertained.

So today we will have a guest post by Jess, explaining what she found and why she has decided this show is definitely not biblical and should be eliminated from our list of entertainment options. I might add that I whole-heartedly agree with her conclusion. (You can find out more about Jess at the end of this post.) So here is why both she and I will not be watching The Chosen

The Chosen TV series has recently taken the Christian world by storm. Do a quick google search and you’ll be hard pressed to find any criticism of the show. Instead, raving reviews come from those both inside and outside of the church. So I am aware that my own critique of this show will not be a very popular one. I believe, however, that it is a necessary one and I’m going to propose to you three reasons why I think it’s best that we avoid watching and endorsing The Chosen. 

My first concern is the subtle (or not-so-subtle) Scriptural inconsistencies. The most blatant one is the way the show pushes a feminist agenda. We first glimpse this when Jesus asks Mary Magdalene to lead in prayer and Scripture reading before a sabbath dinner. This is a historically impossible scenario and totally inconsistent with first century Jewish culture. Mary Magdalene is also seen throughout the show as “the 13th disciple” and travels around with Jesus and His disciples. It would have been both culturally and morally inappropriate for a single woman to travel around with a bunch of men. And if she had, her virtue and the intentions of Jesus and the disciples would have been called into question. And finally, in episode 6, we see Tamar and Mary Magdalene carry the paralytic man through the crowd. This is in direct contradiction to the story in Luke 5 where it clearly states “some men” carried the paralytic man (see verse 18). The writers are clearly trying to appease the feminist American culture even at the expense of changing the words of Scripture.

Another error is found when Jesus is conversing with Nicodemus and asks him, “what does your heart say?” I can tell you– beyond a shadow of a doubt–Jesus never would have said that (Jeremiah 17:9). They also portray Matthew as having Asperger’s Syndrome. You can’t find any proof for this scripturally and, again, it feels as though they’re simply pandering to the current American culture.

My second concern is that this show will affect the way people approach Scripture. The writers obviously take a lot of liberties with the story of Jesus, the disciples, and other biblical characters to create a multi-season series. You might think it’s not a big deal; that it’s just entertainment. But this show adds details, attributes, and circumstances that aren’t in the Bible to Bible characters and Bible stories. Don’t you think that those things might paint an inaccurate picture that will affect the way you read God’s Word?

Quotes like “I came to know Jesus better through this show” and “I feel like I’ve been reading my Bible in black and white all these years and now it’s in color” have been circulating on social media by both the creators and fans of the show. The creator says he’s “trying to tell God’s stories in a fresh way” and “enhancing Scripture”. Those are all incredibly dangerous statements. Do you need something other than God’s Word to know Jesus? No. In fact, God’s Word is the only way we can know Jesus. Do we need anything to enhance God’s stories or tell them in a fresh way? Absolutely not. Only the Bible is the inspired Word of God and it needs no enhancing or modern re-telling by fallible men.

My final concern is with the creator of the show himself, Dallas Jenkins. Before I share my own thoughts, I think it might be best to allow his own statement, in an interview on a LDS (Church of the Latter Day Saints or Mormon) radio show, to speak for itself:

“So I can honestly say, it’s been one of the top three most fascinating and beautiful things about this project – it’s been my growing brother and sisterhood with people of the LDS community that I never would’ve known otherwise and I learned so much about your faith tradition and realizing, gosh, for all the stuff that maybe we don’t see eye to eye on…that all happened, that’s all based on stuff that happened after Jesus was here. The stories of Jesus we do agree on, and we love the same Jesus. That’s not something you often hear…sometimes it’s like, oh they believe in a different Jesus than we do. No, it’s the same, I mean I’ll sink or swim on that statement. I know that’s controversial and I don’t mind getting criticized at all for the show, and I don’t mind being called a blasphemer, I don’t like it when my friends are. I made it very clear that if I go down, I’m going down protecting my friends and my brothers and sisters and so I don’t deny we have a lot of theological differences but we love the same Jesus.” 

This is one of many examples of him stating that Mormonism, Catholicism, and Christianity simply have minor theological differences. He calls them “different perspectives” that are “exciting to explore, not dangerous”. He consults a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi, and an evangelical christian after writing each episode to make sure they are “biblically accurate”. You can find him saying many times that we all believe in or that we all love the same Jesus.

But do we? Both the church of LDS and Catholics believe in a combination of works and faith. Mormons believe that God attained His supreme status by righteous works and that Jesus is a created being and not equal to God. I could go into more details behind the errors of the Mormon and Catholic faiths and what makes them false religions, but I’ll save that for another day. However, the differences between the true Christian faith and the Mormon and Catholic faiths are essential, gospel issues and not simply theological differences we can brush over. And the bottom line is this: If Dallas Jenkins believes what he’s saying then he doesn’t understand the true Gospel. The Gospel that says there’s only one way. The Gospel that says we are forgiven on the merit of Christ alone and not of anything we can do. The one and only Gospel that is founded on the belief that Jesus is God incarnate.

And do we really want to watch a show about Jesus and the Gospel that is created by a man who doesn’t even understand the Gospel? I’ll let you make that decision, but I, for one, cannot.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jess is a wife to one of my favorite son-in-laws and mom to three boys. She loves the Lord and values truth. When she’s not busy being a mom, she enjoys researching things as she compares them to God’s Word. She has recently decided to start a Facebook page and Instagram account dedicated to running popular philosophies, movements, entertainment, authors, and teachers through the grid of the Bible. You can find her Facebook page here. Her Instagram is @anchor.for.the.soul.

A REMINDER: If you’d like to continue hearing from me, should I be censored, I am asking you to give me your name and email address if you haven’t already done so. You can do this by simply replying to this email. I am trying to find a censorship-free platform to use for my subscribers and will only add those that actually value the content posted here and want to be added.

Why I Believe the Book of Revelation Will Be Fulfilled Literally

If you are over the age of 50, you can remember a time when the church was very focused on the rapture and the tribulation and what that would look like. Movies like Thief in the Night and A Distant Thunder brought fear and trembling as we considered our standing before God and what the world might look like after the rapture. The interest died down in the 80’s a bit and then was renewed a few years later with the Left Behind book series put out by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye.

And then something drastically changed. Suddenly, most churches became silent on the topic. I remember talking to someone who told me that they didn’t even know what their church teaches on eschatology. They never talk about it.

But many in the intellectual circles started teaching an eschatology that was different than what I had always believed in. Replacement Theology, Amillennialism, Post-millennialism, and Dominionism (or Kingdom Now theology) all grew in the wake of the church’s silence as people searched for answers. Many landed with the intellectuals who were declaring that their eschatology was coming from the early church fathers, such as Augustine (I’d like to add here that it is better to get our eschatology from the Bible as one only has to look back before Augustine to recognize that the early church actually taught pre-millennialism.)

I am not sure if you are aware of this, but probably over half (or more) of believers would not believe in a literal Revelation. To believe in this is to subject yourself to much scorn, particularly in the intellectual circles of Christendom.

And, so, today I want to explain to you my own personal journey and how I landed quite solidly in believing that Revelation will be fulfilled literally. While this was what I was taught as a child, I did not automatically assume this as an adult. God has, step by step, been showing me this truth through a variety of avenues. I have much more to learn and God keeps teaching me, for which I am extremely grateful.

Before I go on, I want to make sure you understand that I firmly believe that those who don’t agree with me on eschatology are still my brothers and sisters in Christ if they believe in faith alone through Christ alone for salvation.

So, on to my own journey of how I ended up where I did.

1. The Miracle of Israel  I believe the first step in this journey was a book I just “happened” upon. It was a secular work of fiction called Exodus by an author named Leon Uri. To be honest, I have no idea how I came across it or what made me pick it up but this book changed forever how I viewed the nation of Israel. As the author told a fictional story that was filled with many facts of the birth of modern day Israel I was astounded and even shocked at the miraculous and supernatural nature of it. It gave me much pause for thought that even a secular author could see this. More research into the actual event confirmed what the author had written.

The modern-day nation of Israel should not exist. But God. His supernatural protection of her has continued to this day. To me, this eliminated Replacement Theology. There was no way God didn’t have a future for Israel. Why, we were seeing it come to fruition right in front of our eyes!

I could expound a bit more but I don’t want this to get too long. So may I encourage you to do your own research to confirm what I am saying here? I truly believe, you, too, will be surprised at what you find.

2. My Personal Study of Romans 9-11 As I was reading through the Bible for the first time ever, I had finally reached the book of Romans. To my shame, I had never read the whole thing through. When I read Romans 9-11, I was shocked at the clarity with which Paul himself talks so clearly about God and His Love for Israel. Here we find that, clearly, God has a future planned for Israel. To come away with any different interpretation is to do interpretive somersaults and back flips. Oh, it may sound intellectual but I wasn’t looking for what sounded intellectual. I was looking for what is right.

3. A Consistent Approach to Hermeneutics (which is: the study of the general principles of biblical interpretation)  I remember having a conversation with a pastor many years ago now and his comment to me was that he just can’t understand how [the Reformed crowd] simply change their hermeneutics when they reach Revelation. This led me to find out exactly what he meant. What exactly were Hermeneutics and why do they matter? I read a whole book on interpreting the Bible correctly and then took an online course on Hermeneutics, in my efforts to understand why it matters how we interpret scripture. What I came away with was exactly what the pastor said. If we apply a literal-grammatical-historical approach consistently to scripture, we always end up with a literal Revelation.

I remember hearing Abner Chou once say something like this: “If the plain sense makes sense, there is no need to look for any other sense.”

There is no need to look for allegories unless what we read makes no sense. And Revelation makes perfect sense. Especially in light of what we are seeing today, which leads me to my next point.

(There is so much more to say here but, again, I encourage you to dig on your own. A great place to start is this essay written by Abner Chou. It is long and hard to read but it is helpful for someone who is truly searching.)

4. Current Events What is happening around us has always been a pretty convincing argument that Revelation was going to be fulfilled literally. It just made sense. But, as I have watched the events of 2020 and now 2021 unfold, I have stood back and watched with awe. If anyone has had any doubts about a literal Revelation, I can’t see how they continue to do so after the past eleven months! We are watching the world get set up for a Revelation 13 scenario in ways we never dreamed we’d see in our lifetimes. It’s honestly incredible. And, yet, still so many just can’t see. I have found the past year to be incredibly confirming of scripture. What was prophesied 2000 years ago is getting set up to take place right before our eyes!

I was going to write a whole post on how the signs of the times are converging so perfectly with what we are told will happen in the book of Revelation but if you can see it, you can see it. If you can’t (or you say you can’t even though you can), then you may be holding too tightly to a wrong eschatology or you might be gripping on to life here on earth and unwilling to see reality.

5. Understanding How Incorrect Eschatology Plays Into Satan’s Plan. If we are willing to take a step back and look back over history, we can see the role that replacement theology (the Church has replaced Israel) has played in anti-semitism. To be sure, I am not implying that most who hold this theology are anti-semitic but many of those who have believed in it have been anti-semitic, including Martin Luther.

As we turn our view to what is happening in our world currently, we can see how wrong eschatology changes how we view what’s happening. Let’s take a look specifically at Kingdom Now Theology (also called Dominionism). To put it very simply, this is the view that Christians will work to make the world better and better, as we prepare it for the Lord Jesus at His return. From the Bible, we see that the antichrist is going to bring a false sense of peace to this world. Think how vulnerable those who believe in Kingdom Now Theology will be to a man who claims to be working for God? Think for a moment, if you will, how they will actually help bring in this false system of light because they have been deceived. They are, in essence, working against God instead of for Him.

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So these are a few ways that God has used to bring me to an understanding of the future as prophesied in the book of Revelation. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I am no Bible Scholar. I am not even asking you to believe as I do. I am more interested that you are willing to actually study the Bible to come to your own conclusion. You see, so often we rely on men to tell us what we should believe instead of studying the topic for ourselves.

Yesterday, I was having a conversation with someone and I pointed out the compromise of a certain (very popular) teacher, using scripture to back up what I was saying. The response was from a heart unwilling to see. When I asked her to back up what she was saying with scripture, she replied that it wasn’t necessary. Basically, she was going to believe what she wanted to believe.

What that person didn’t realize was that she had made herself the authority on what to believe, rather than holding the Bible as her authority.

While this is probably worth a post all on its own, my point is that the starting place to find out what we believe about the end times is a humble heart with an open Bible. No matter what you believe about eschatology, it’s important that we know why we believe it from the Bible.

There is much more depth to the defenses for and debates surrounding these different eschatologies than I am able to delve into here. I know that those who believe a different way have a multitude of reasons that they could proffer for their beliefs.

But I am here to encourage you to think for yourself.

Don’t let an intellectual sway your thinking. Don’t be moved by peer pressure or the scorn of a certain group of people. Be willing to ask God to give you insight and then study His Word. And then bravely stand on what you believe.

No one can make you believe a certain way. You get to choose. Do so wisely. Cast your own preconceived notions and favorite teachers aside. And then search out the truth in God’s Word with a willing heart, no matter what the cost.

 

What Is Ahead?

This post is specifically for those of you who are watching what is happening in America and are filled with unease, anxiety, dread, and even fear, as you consider her future.

I am writing this unscheduled post for you because I am thinking there may be a few of you out there who feel like me. And maybe we just need to know right now that we are not all alone.

I  am being eerily reminded of a scene from the “Left Behind” movie. It is during a meeting and there are 10-15 people sitting around a large round table. Nicolai picks up a g** and does away with the two men who helped him rise in power. After he is finished, he calmly explains that it was a double suicide and gives a detailed explanation of “what happened”. The people leave the meeting believing what they are told, instead of what they have seen with their own eyes.

I am stunned as I watched something very similar happen yesterday. The media is telling us what happened. It belies what we saw with our own eyes. They have removed dissenting voices from media platforms so that there is no other side. The masses just lap it all up as truth without any critical thinking or research at all. (Might I add that with just a little bit of research one can find serious oddities and inconsistencies with the story they are giving about yesterday.)

The academic world has been preparing for this for a long time. This is their crowning moment. They have literally taught two whole generations not to think for themselves. And then to top it off, they have demonized anyone who is willing to speak up or ask questions. I believe we are watching the fruition of something very dark and scary.

We are eroding into a “1984” society right in front of our eyes and most are just going right along and even believing the narrative!

As we have endured the last ten months of lies, deception, censoring, and fear-mongering, it all seemed to come to a head with the election. Do I believe there was that “f” word involved? You bet I do. It doesn’t take too much research to see the inconsistencies and lies and carefully planned destruction of complicit businesses that prove it abounded. But, again, if you only listen to mainstream news, you will be told a completely different story. And, most likely, you will believe it.

I don’t write about politics. And I’m not going to start now. I want to draw our attention to how confusing, chaotic, and overwhelming the world as become. I want to point at how deception can be played out before our very eyes (and we’ve seen that on so many, many levels) and people believe it.

If you are like me, then you will agree that this is probably one of the most frustrating aspects of all of this.

I believe that life as we know it is over. We’ve suspected it was over. We thought it probably was. But today we have to face the fact that it really is. It’s over.

And we wonder what the future will look like? Perhaps it won’t be so bad? Maybe it will be just awful? The new world order and its plan for humanity look tyrannical, controlling, and extremely unpleasant. It’s pretty scary if you think too much on it.

And, of course, will all of this lead to civil war? Will America have another war on its soil? This is the question on so many of our minds.

Unfortunately, we have to face the fact that all of this is outside of our control.

All of it is completely and utterly outside of our control.

As we watch our nation literally implode from the inside, we are helpless. There is nothing we can do. As we see socialism rear its ugly head on the horizon, we are impotent. We have no power to change the outcome that we see coming. As we see a tyrannical globalism stretch its fingers across the entire world, we are powerless. The “Great Reset” will be put into motion with or without our approval.

I think most of us are still reeling in shock. We have already been weakened by the divisive lock-downs and orders to social distance. We feel disconnected from our church families. Many of us feel alone and lost without human companionship. Some of you are losing businesses, others of you find yourselves unable to watch over your loved one’s healthcare in nursing homes or hospitals, or still others aren’t allowed to see your kids and grandkids. We are already discouraged, depressed, and weak.

I’ve gotta tell you, the enemy is BRILLIANT. Just brilliant. His plan, which was carefully prepared for years in advance, is being played out and we are but pawns in his deadly game.

Yesterday, I shared something I learned from a book I’ve recently re-read call Green Leaf in Drought. One thing I failed to mention in that post was regarding what is ahead for us.

The missionary family, forced to stay in northwest China for several years after the new communist government came into power, always had the hope of going home. America was full of comforts and conveniences and, maybe most important of all, freedom and security.

As my mom said a few weeks ago, there is going to be no free and safe America to go to anymore. As I read that book, my heart was filled with sorrow. America, that historic symbol of freedom, is changing. Her shores will no longer offer a harbor of freedom and safety.

And then it hit me.

I, too, have the hope of going home!

My home isn’t here. It. Is. Not. Here.

Whatever is ahead, whatever we will all need to face in the days ahead, if we are saved**, we have reason to hope!

Oh, how I keep ending up in that temporal mindset of mourning the country I have loved. Sorrowing over a world that is not my home.

But I am simply a pilgrim traveling through. My future home is still waiting for me. It’s perfect. There will be no crying, no trouble, no sorrow, no heartache there.

Oh, heaven is sounding sweeter and sweeter every day.

So what is ahead?

This temporal life is probably going to get much harder. But what is waiting for us after this world? Well, that’s going to get a whole lot sweeter if we are one of Christ’s own. We have so much to look forward to. We have an eternal Hope that no system of government, no man, no war, no persecution can take from us. And we are going to be okay.

 

 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

(Philippians 1:21)

 

 

**If you are not relying on Christ alone, through faith alone, for your salvation from sins, then what is waiting for you after death is eternal punishment. May I implore you to turn to Christ right now, today, so that you, too, can have eternal life spent with God in heaven? You can find out more here. And, as always, please feel free to email me at leslie {at} growing4life {dot} net if you have any questions. :)

 

 

How the Church Was Fooled

Ah, what a ride we have been on. It didn’t start in 2020, you know. It started way back when most of us were completely unaware. While we were busy and distracted and being entertained, things were being orchestrated behind the scenes to bring us to where we are today.

While that was all going on, things were also happening in the church, where priorities were shifted and changed. The church lost its spiritual impact and became a watered down, social institution. How did this happen?

I think there are many changes and deceptions that have led the church to where she finds herself today. Shall we take a brief look at them?

Superficial Youth Groups  — Sometime shortly before my own youth, the young people were separated out from the adults and fed a diet of entertainment and fun. While there was some shallow teaching of the Bible, the main gist of youth groups became fun. The young minds that used to be built up in the faith by the older generations were now left to be filled with the fodder of this world. Many grew up to walk away from church, as what they received there was fairly useless.

The Numbers Game — A big thank you to Rick Warren for turning church into a popularity contest. Somehow the church bought his lie and, over the course of just a few years, the health of a church started being based on the amount of people that attended it. In order to gain those all-important numbers, pastors started to move away from biblical sermons and, in their place, offered short, self-help talks that made people feel good. No more talk about sin and repentance, for that was offensive. It became all about the numbers.

The Change in Music — The worship service became centered on worldly music, which usurped the place of the sermon as the center. Serious, doctrinally-sound music was pushed out of the way and in its place came shallow, mystical tunes. This has taken a huge toll on the churches, both in dividing the masses and in causing many to base their worship of God on their feelings and experiences, rather than on daily obedience and holiness.

Dominion/Kingdom Now Theology — Many who claim to be Christians are currently working feverishly to build God’s Kingdom now, right here on this earth. Despite the biblical evidence to the contrary (that we are not to be building God’s Kingdom on earth), many have bought this lie and this will fold them right into that one world religion that we know is coming, according to Revelation. Anyone who believes that humans will build God’s Kingdom is quite susceptible to the cries for peace and a better world.

Social Gospel — The social gospel has moved the hearts of Christians from pleasing God to pleasing man. It has moved the heart of Christianity from the true Gospel (Salvation through faith in Christ alone) to helping our fellow man. Our spiritual health is determined by how much we help our fellow man and how nice we are to everyone. Everything else the Bible teaches is pretty much ignored.

Judge Not — The church bought the lie that we are never to judge our fellow man. This left man to do as he pleases without any accountability. It effectively crippled the churches so that they could not confront or deal with blatant sin in their church fellowships. But the Bible teaches in multiple places that we are to confront sin and judge the fruit of someone who claims to know Christ.

Christianity Became About Me— Once again, I believe we have Rick Warren to thank for this. His Purpose-Driven Life became the textbook for many a Sunday School Class in the 90s. Piggy-backing off the self-esteem movement, it moved the focus of the Christian life off of God and onto the individual. Obedience, separation from the world, holiness, and purity were discarded and in their place came following dreams and finding purpose. This was going on long before that book was published, but I do believe this was what finally landed the church solidly in self-based religion.

God Only Cares About My Heart — Christians starting using this to justify their worldly choices. And the world came like a flood into the church. Of course, anyone saying this does not know their Bible very well, since God makes it abundantly clear that a pure heart will yield a fruitful life.

We Have to Be Like the World to Win the World — Oh, what an insidious lie! Why would anyone want what we have if we look just like them? Again, Christians wanted to fulfill their own worldly lusts and this was a way they could have their cake and eat it, too. But this was not without ramifications and their minds became darkened and sensual. And more of the world poured into the church.

Positive Words are Godly, Negative Words are Sinful — This is NOT in the Bible, but thanks to the likes of Schuller and Peale and many others, being “positive” has become the defining trait of someone who is a “Christian”. And if someone dares to speak negative words about a false teacher or the state of affairs, well, then they are sinning. Many believe this. Maybe even you believe this. But is this what we read in scripture? It surely is not. I encourage you to do your own study and find out what the Bible says about this.

Love and Unity Are Always More Important Than Truth — And, finally, somewhere along the line, love and unity started taking priority over truth. As truth became unappreciated and unnecessary, lies crept in and took root in the hearts of so many. Without discernment and a love for the truth, Christians were left susceptible to all the lies mentioned above and so, so many more. Love is important. But it is not more important than the truth. And, yet, whether we are talking in intellectual terms or practical application, most Christians have come to believe that love and unity are more important than truth.

 

As I think on what the Bible says about the last days, all that is going on fits in quite well. What we are actually seeing is the false church parting ways with the remnant. So what can we do?

I think of Jude when asked this question. It is here we receive counsel and wisdom about what we should do and how we should respond–

Jude 17-23– But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They[f] said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment[g] stained by the flesh.

As division and strife in the churches are caused by worldly people who are devoid of the Holy Spirit, Jude encourages us to build ourselves up in the faith and to pray in the Holy Spirit. In other words, keep growing and keep praying! He then goes on to say that we are to keep ourselves in the love of God, which is our shelter in any storm, and then quietly wait for His mercy.

As for the deceived and lost around us, we are to have mercy, and, as God gives opportunities, help to save them.

This and only this is our calling. We are not called to fix the state of the church (or the world, for that matter.) We are not told to berate and argue with the scoffers.

It is my opinion that, due to the many lies and deceptions that now define today’s worldly church, she is beyond repair. It has not been an instant change but one that has been deviously carried out by Satan over the course of many years. These lies and deceptions have reached their tentacles into every denomination and almost every Christian home. What we are seeing now is simply the fruit of all the labor that has been put into preparing the “church” to be folded into the coming one world religion. Isn’t it becoming so clear now?

So be aware and continue to build yourselves up in the faith through prayer and through the Bible, our only anchor in all of this craziness, until the end. And, someday, maybe soon now, we will all meet together in glory to praise and glorify our great God!

 

Please NOTE: I have purposely not included verses or references today. If you have read this blog with any frequency, you will know that this is quite unusual as I almost always try to back up what I am saying with scripture references. But today I am asking you to search the scriptures for yourself. If something I said in this post doesn’t seem biblical to you, please look into the Word to find out. Please feel free to email me (see contact info in menu above) if I can answer any questions that you have regarding what I said above. I love hearing from my readers! :)

Fighting Germs

The other week we flew down south to see our new granddaughter. On the way home, we had a stop in Atlanta and then we were finally on the last leg of our journey. On that final flight home, my husband and I looked around and noticed that we were surrounded by people that took virus protection very seriously. Three women scattered around us wore both face masks and face shields.

As we made our way off the plane an hour or two later, we stopped at the restroom. As I waited beside our luggage for my husband, I was quite amused (and a little concerned) to watch one of those women pull out disinfectant spray and spray it all over her husband, front and back. He then proceeded to do the same for her. Ummm…I don’t think that is what the spray is intended for.

It was funny but it was also sad. While protecting ourselves sensibly is smart, some people are so scared to die that they will go to great lengths to fight off and keep away from GERMS.

But while you have those extremes, you also have the rest of us. From those who wear face masks inside and outside of their homes 24/7 to those who are just using hand sanitizer a bit more, almost everyone is just a little more aware and concerned about germs.

I believe there is a spiritual parallel here that we shouldn’t ignore.

A few months ago a friend sent me an idea for a post. I had it at the back of my mind all summer as I’ve watched people obsess over their health. But the couple at the airport brought his idea front and center. He said this and I quote:

I was considering all that we have done to mitigate our exposure to a germ that is deemed dangerous to us. This germ is not unlike other germs that have been out there yet we have never gone to such lengths in our society. Even in the church we have gone to great lengths to limit our exposure to this germ. So while the church has went to such great lengths to mitigate its exposure to this germ that can harm our bodies, we constantly expose ourselves to “germs” of false teaching that can harm our faith. Even little issues (small germ) can cause great harm. Yet much of the church does little to warn people or even limit its own exposure.

Amen and amen!

Oh, how churches are spiritual germ-infested places. There is little concern for these spiritual germs that are infecting and killing off their sheep. One by one, many become sick as they read the books and listen to the sermons of false teachers and follow after false doctrines. And not a word is spoken. If someone dares to speak up to protect the sheep, they are viewed as divisive and unkind.

It is especially sad and concerning, given the lengths churches are going to protect the physical lives of their congregations. Don’t they realize that the spiritual health of the sheep is even more important than physical health?

But it isn’t only churches. It is true for us on an individual level, as well.

Are we as concerned about our spiritual health as we are our physical health? It is quite understandable to see those who have no idea what is happening to them after they die to be overly concerned about dying. That makes sense. But to see believers be more concerned about their physical health than they are about their spiritual health makes no sense at all.

Paul reminds us of what our priorities should be in I Timothy 4:7-8–

But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with giving effort to keeping our bodies healthy and protected from germs, our concern should be far greater for our spiritual health.

Is this what you are seeing in the lives of believers around you? Is this what you are demonstrating in your own life to those who are watching you?

These are questions worthy of reflection.

Satan is eating Christians alive because they are literally unconcerned about spiritual germs. He even has Christians believing that to point out those germs and to say anything negative about a false teacher is sinful. So now we have demonized watchmen in a crowd of earthly-minded believers.

Oh, dear readers, may we not be part of that “crowd”. May we pay attention to the watchmen and heed their warnings. May we be far more concerned about heavenly things and our spiritual health than we are about this life and our temporary, physical body.

For this is what scripture teaches us to do.

Colossians 3:1-3  If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 

Romans 16:17-20  Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord [d]Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and [e]simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

 

Revival: What It Is and What It Isn’t

The word “revival” has always been tossed about freely by Christians. It is our hope for this temporal world, it would solve what ails the culture, it would fix so many problems.

I hear this word more than ever now, as the culture grows darker and darker. “There could still be revival,” is heard often by those whose fervent hope is to get back to some type of normalcy. Whose hope is to start the culture in a more positive direction.

But what exactly is revival? And is it something we can and should expect? These are the questions I’d like to take a look at today as our world grows increasingly darker and our hope for this world teeters on the brink of extinction.

Merriam-Webster gives this definition of Revival as it relates to religion–

(1) : a period of renewed religious interest

 
Dictionary.com gives this definition–

an awakening, in a church or community, of interest in and care for matters relating to personal religion.
 
So we can see that Revival, as it relates to religion, means an awakening in matters of personal religion. In fact, one of the most famous revivals of all was called “The Great Awakening”. It happened in the mid-1700s and the two most famous men connected to it are Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, although there were many lesser-known men (and women) used by God during that great time.

What brought about such revival? Many years ago I read Iain Murray’s Jonathan Edwards (which I highly recommend, by the way). As I recall, there were three very important keys to that famous Revival: 1) Prayer and 2) Repentance of sin and 3) Separation from the world.

Fervent, frequent prayer was the fuel of the revival and the people’s repentance of sin and separation from the world was the result of that prayer.

The church in that day was much like the church of this day, in that many people went to church to ease their consciences but there was little true religion.

I remember thinking as I was reading: This sounds so much like today.

We always think we are so much worse, but there really is nothing new under the sun.

So, given the definition of revival and the three important components of revival, should we expect revival?

I think it is important to say, first, that none of us knows what is ahead. We never have known but, now more than ever, the future is unsettled and uncertain. As you read anything I say below, please keep this in mind. We can only guess where we are at on God’s timeline by reading the signs. None of us can know definitively or specifically.

What I do know from reading scripture is that in the last days (which I strongly believe we are in because of the signs given to us in the Bible), times will wax worse and worse (Read 2 Timothy 3 and Jude). People will not truly turn to the Lord but they will pretend to be godly while loving their sin and this world.

From these passages, I don’t believe we should expect revival on any large scale, although there may be scattered pockets throughout the world.

But, of course, I don’t know.

Here’s what I do know:

Much of the talk of Revival these days is not true revival.

How do I know this?

It is because, while there may be talk of a vague repentance, there is rarely talk of repenting of specific, personal sins and never talk of turning from the world.

Most Christians who declare revival as this world’s solution rarely, if ever, encourage people to turn from not only their sin, but also from their fascination with and love for this world.

And, yet, can there be true revival without it? I think not.

James makes this extremely clear in chapter 4, verse 7–

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

We cannot be in right relationship with God if we are in love with the world. And when we hear calls for revival, we never hear anything about this.

Christians are quite comfortable in this world. They live their married lives like the world (Dad is not the head of the home, moms leave their children to go to work); They parent like the world (they don’t discipline, they ignore what the Bible teaches); They watch, listen to, and read the same things as the world. They wear the same things as the world, letting even their precious teen girls dress in such a way to draw sexual attention to themselves so that they are accepted by their friends (I am shocked and dismayed at the many Christian parents who allow this. I cannot even believe it. And I see no conviction about this. From any direction. I’ll climb down off my soap box now. This has been puzzling me for years now.)

Christians look like the world. It is hard to see any difference, really.

And I am convinced more than ever that Revival cannot come while we Christians are steeped in this world.

If we want to bring true revival, we must wean ourselves from this world.

So how much do we actually want revival? How concerned are we for souls? Or are we more concerned about getting back to our comfortable, convenient lives and the world we believed we lived in? These are questions worth our consideration.

If true revival means fervent prayer (by true believers) and turning from sin and from this world, what is all this talk about revival among false teachers (and those who we thought were true teachers that are joining with false teachers)?

I think that is a great question.

You see, there is such a thing as fake revival. And it will be characterized by many people coming together with worldly music and raised hands, powerfully moved by emotion. The truth of God’s Word in these meetings means nothing. Personal repentance of sin and commitment to separate from the world are never a part of these kinds of meetings. It is an ecumenical unity based on feelings.

I believe there will be many fake revivals. In fact, there will be a last, great fake revival when people take the mark of the beast as an act of worship. People will bow at the feet of the Antichrist, believing he IS the Christ (Revelation 13).

It is so important that we carefully examine any rumors of revival by these standards. What is driving it? Is it fueled by prayer? Is there a focus on repentance? On turning from this world?

As we ponder these things, I think we must also realize that true revival starts with individuals. You and me. While we may not expect a wave of revival to overtake this nation or the world, we can perhaps start mini-revivals in our own homes and churches and communities. This can happen through much prayer and our own personal turning away from sin and this world. It is a painful process and we can expect much marginalization and ridicule, but it will yield fruit. Perhaps not as much as we’d hope for, but God will always use a life dedicated to Him for His purposes and His glory.

So pray for Revival. But make sure you are praying for the right kind of Revival and for the right reasons.

I want to leave you with these words by David Cloud on this topic of Revival–

The heart of the tree is being eaten away even as the watchers are pleased at keeping a few leaves alive. Some type of revival could happen if individual Christians and individual churches would repent of an adulterous love for this God-hating world, repent of setting the affections more on things below than things above, and earnestly beseech God’s help. Who knows how far the forces of evil could be driven back? God has never needed a majority. Gideon’s vigilant few are enough. But so many churches are like Sardis; they have a name that they live, but they are dead. They are comfortable in the world, not pilgrims but dwellers, mighty for pot luck but weak for spiritual warfare, zealous for video games and sports and consuming fleeting hours on social media vanity, but not zealous students of God’s Word, passionate for parties but not for prayer. (From Friday News, Nov 13, 2020)

 

Six Things to Consider Regarding the Upcoming Election

It has been a strange whirlwind of a year and it is culminating with perhaps the single most important election in American history. It seems as if the whole world is watching and waiting to see the outcome and what will happen afterwards. We who live in America know that change is brewing and we feel unsettled. We realize that we are probably never going back to the way things were, no matter who wins this election.

Most posts you read regarding the upcoming election express concern about the issues facing the culture and then encourage you to be sure and vote. I am actually not going to focus on that, as I am sure you have read plenty regarding these things. I do encourage you to search the scriptures before you cast your vote. Do not do so lightly or without prayer.

But let’s talk about the election beyond the obvious. Beyond the aspect of voting. Let’s consider some things that are even more important–

1. God’s plan may be (and, in fact, probably is) different than our plan.

Have you said the following words yet this year: “I just want my old life back” or “When will things just go back to normal?”

Oh, how many of us yearn to go back to the old America. She’s been going a very wrong direction for a long, long time now but, still, she was comfortable. She felt safe. She felt secure.

That has been swept away and we’d like nothing more than to just get all of that back again. But God may have a totally different plan for this country. Remember, His plan always supersedes our own plans. While there is nothing wrong with participation in human government whether it’s through voting or actually serving in government, we must remember that God’s plan is what is most important.

As Christians, our priority is not saving America. It is glorifying God and submitting to His will.

Not only is God’s plan different, but it’s also actually greater than our plan.

I am sure many Christians throughout history have wondered what in the world God was doing? Many were sent to gulags and concentration camps; they were imprisoned; they were displaced; they were separated from their families; they became sick and died; And many were even martyred for their faith. These things are not just from history. They are actually still happening all over the world today. Christians go through terrible trials.

This would not be our plan.

And yet, we are told in scripture that God’s ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30). This means that His plans are better and higher than our plans.

 

2. We aren’t here to fix the culture.

One of the things that has disturbed me about much of the talk that is going on in Christian circles today is this push to fix the culture. We are told by certain (trusted) men that our job as Christians is to make the world a better place. Many are saying that we are here to bring the Kingdom of God to earth. This idea seems to take on more and more steam almost every day.

But I challenge you to find that idea in scripture.

Oh, you may find a verse or two that could be stretched to fit if they are ripped out of context. But if you study God’s Kingdom from Genesis to Revelation using a consistent hermeneutic, you will find that there is no possible way this could be true. I hope to write more about this some day. It’s a pretty big deal.

For now, let’s just be clear: The Bible teaches that upon our salvation, our focus is taken off this world and turned to things above (Colossians 3:2). Rather than working to bring perfection here to earth, we are much more concerned with sharing the Gospel so that others can join us in heaven someday (Matthew 28:19-20). Nowhere does it say or even imply that Christians are here on this earth to fix the culture.

 

3. There is nothing new under the sun.

No matter what happens, we know that people have experienced something similar before us. Countries have been taken over by the likes of Hitler and Stalin and Pol Pot. Communism has destroyed freedom all over the world. Real people like you and like me have lived under these regimes. They have struggled and they have suffered.

And, yet, somehow, Christians from the past and, even in these countries today, experience peace and joy. They were (and are) given the grace they need when they need it. And, so, we, too, will be given the grace to go through whatever is ahead (2 Corinthians 12:9). Another thing to remember is that, as the world grows darker, the light of Jesus Christ shines brighter. What abundant opportunities may lie ahead for us to share the Good News!

 

4. Don’t believe everything you hear.

I think it is clear that– whether we are discussing a virus, the riots, or the election– that there is a narrative that the world-at-large is determined we will believe. Those bringing us the news, the tech companies controlling social media, and the government would like nothing better than that you just eat what they feed you.

It is important that we have a healthy dose of skepticism regarding any story we hear. We must carefully think through and do some investigation before just swallowing–or, even worse yet, passing along–a story we’ve heard (no matter what side of the political fence it happens to be on).

We need to run all through the grid of scripture and test to see if these things are true, rather than simply believe what we are told. Why do I include this here? Because it is so important that we don’t let the power of the narrative to cause us to stop thinking. We have been given a brain to think and to reason. Don’t stop using it simply because the crowd has stopped using theirs.

Just because the majority believes something doesn’t make it true.

 

5.   Remember that we know how this ends.

We do not have a specific timeline of end time events. But we can see the signs.

And what we do know, according to Revelation 13, is that someday there will be a one-world government, one-world economy, and a one-world religion. Now think with me for a moment regarding what will have to take place before this scenario can happen?

We can make some fairly certain assumptions–

America will submit to a global government.

The world will be cashless.

The false Christianity of this age will join with the rest of the world in its worship of the antichrist.

As we watch and wait, we can see how these things are forming. Again, as I’ve said so often before, we can’t know a timeline. But we do know what’s coming and what is happening is certainly setting the stage for these things. We are living in very exciting times!

 

6. We can only control our actions and reactions.

We can’t control who our friend or family member votes for. We can’t control the outcome of the election. We can’t control what happens after the election. We can’t even control if our vote counts.

But we can control how we treat others who do not agree with us. We can control our words. Our behavior. Our attitudes.

And so that is what we must do.

This means showing the lost and dying world that we are transformed because of Christ. This means not complaining if things don’t go as we desire. It means not heatedly arguing with people who don’t agree with us. It means trusting God and showing the world the peace and joy that He gives, despite our fears for the future. It means loving our enemies.

And, in responding in these humanly unnatural ways, we will point people to Christ and give Him the honor and glory. For it is He who has changed us and made these responses possible.

________________________________________

So pray and then vote. But let us not feel defeated if the outcome doesn’t go our way–nor feel too victorious if it does. The bottom line is that the nations are in the hands of the Lord (Psalm 47:8) and He’s controlling the world’s stage.

God is our refuge and strength. He’s a stronghold in time of trouble. And he’s not going to let us go now. We are His. So hang on to the anchor of His Word and be strong and courageous.

 

 

The Faithful Few

Have you noticed the faithful growing fewer and fewer? With every trend, every heresy, every twisted Gospel message, more and more go. It is like we “Christians” are standing on the seashore and every wave takes a few (and, many times, much more than a few) from our midst and out to the sea of the world. Some were just standing too close to the shore, but many dive right in in their quest to better their life here on earth.

I use quotes because, obviously, most of these were never saved at all (according to scripture), but simply used the name of “Christian”. Many of these cling to the term “Christian” so that Christianity, as the world knows it, has become a hodge podge of social justice*, mysticism, ritualism, and selfish greed.

Thankfully, all is not lost if an unexpected wave tosses us into deception for a month or a year or five years. God continues to save His own from the ocean of spiritual chaos and confusion and return them safely to shore. Just as the Good Shepherd saves the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-14) so, too, does God rescue His own.

In the midst of all the wickedness and deception, there remains a remnant who still cling to God’s Word and desire to live out biblical Christianity. However, have you taken a look around recently? Those who choose to submit to God and believe in His literal Word are few. The shore, once overflowing with professing Christians, grows more and more sparse with each passing day.

We’d best stand back from the water as far as we can. Deception is growing increasingly stronger and more and more subtle. We knew this would happen because Paul told us, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in 2 Timothy 3:13.

Along with this defection comes an immense increase in sin and worldliness. Let me explain.

The Bible is an amazing book. Even if you aren’t saved but choose to live by its principles, you will be spared much heartache and grief. Those who choose to live according to the ten commandments and the other laws found in this book lead much more successful, peaceful, and happy lives, as a rule. But as they jump into the waves of apostasy, they toss away the Book. And when that happens, an explosion of sin and worldly living isn’t far behind.

America is a great example of this. While it was never a Christian nation, per se, there was, historically, a large portion of the people who lived by the Bible. This has been eroding for many years now and we are currently watching the results of this erosion.

Think about this nation and what is happening. Not only is sin and worldliness abounding, but so-called Christians are participating and condoning it!

As I have been thinking about this a bit recently, I was remembering the exiles of Israel. The northern kingdom (Israel) was exiled to Assyria and then, later, the southern kingdom (Judah) to Babylon. Their lives were completely upended. Whether they went or were one of the few that stayed in the land, life was never the same for these Jews again. They were experiencing the wrath of God for their disobedience.

And we know that this also included the faithful few.

Israel was not without a few faithful followers of God. And, yet, they were exiled along with everybody else.

I have really been convicted recently of my “American” way of thinking. Sometimes things seep into our brains and we don’t even realize it is happening**.

We (I) have become so self-focused. I quickly fall into the thought pattern that this life is about me and my experience. Even though I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is not true and what my duty is here on earth, I find myself in a battle with myself almost daily.

Many of us can see what is coming. Without a change in direction, and soon, things are going to get bad. And our flesh cries “NO”. Please God, spare us. We deserve to be spared. We have been faithful! Oh, God, please remember this.

And, yet, when we look at scripture and then at history, we see that the faithful are rarely spared. In fact, they are often singled out and persecuted and even martyred. Oftentimes, this brings about a tremendous growth in the true church because this persecution and a true Christian’s reaction to it show the world that Jesus Christ is real!

One of our best examples of this is Paul. He is an amazing inspiration to me as I read his epistles. He wrote with such love, joy, and hope from prison! He knew that he would probably die for his faith and yet he continued to be faithful, encouraging, and inspiring to Christians. Instead of complaining or caving into despair, he rose above his circumstances.

This is no clearer than in Philippians 4:11-13, where we read–

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to [d]be abased, and I know how to [e]abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through [f]Christ who strengthens me.

Dear readers, most of us have learned how to abound and how to be full. We have lived lives that, heretofore, were unheard of in their access to medical care, the peace and safety in our communities, and the abundance of material wealth. Even the poorest of the poor in America are many times richer than the richest poor person in other nations.

While I can’t know what’s ahead, I do wonder–and perhaps even expect–that we are all going to be learning how to be abased, to be hungry, and to suffer need. This world is changing and it is changing quickly.

We are reeling from the shock of it all and many of us (at least myself) are in deep mourning over what is happening. We realize that our lives are probably never going to be the same again.

Now is the time for us to grower deeper and stronger roots of faith. Now is the time to turn to God, which is the place we should have been turned to all along. Now is the time to examine our hearts for wrong motives, wrong places of trust, wrong desires. Now is the time to look to Jesus Christ and to reflect on eternal things.

I cannot predict what is in the future, for it is overwhelmingly uncertain right now. However, this can –and should– be a time of tremendous spiritual growth for us all.

God is not silent and we must remember that He loves us deeply. His hand is directing every minute of every day. We dare not grow discouraged. No matter what is ahead (and only God knows), may this time be one of looking to God for all we need. May it be a time of grounding us in the Faith. May it be a time of faithful study of the Word. And may it be a time of shining brighter and brighter, beckoning to  people who are drowning in the ocean of deception to swim ashore while they still can.

I will close with this familiar and comforting passage from Romans 8 (verses 31f). No matter what is ahead we are deeply loved and we are more than conquerors in Christ–

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

 

*Social Justice is a communist term. It is nowhere in scripture. Search it out for yourself. The social gospel is a false gospel. I could provide lots and lots of verses and articles, but why not search this one out for yourself? It would be a great exercise.

**I am sharing my own personal journey here on the blog during this strange time. While I often know how I should act or what God says in His Word, I have a much more difficult time living it. I just want to be up front about that. This has been a time of great struggle and discouragement for me. I continue on the path, but, when I take my eyes off the Lord for even a second, a deep-seated trepidation overtakes my soul. As we navigate this time together, as siblings in Christ, I hope that these posts are an encouragement to you. I just wanted to be clear that I, too, am struggling to live out what I write. May we together be victorious and join with Paul in saying “To live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

 

Christian, How Are You Responding?

I have a hard time pretending like all is normal right now. Because, let’s face it, it’s just not. I don’t think I can count the amount of times I’ve used the word “insanity” in the last four months. I am sure it is more times than I’ve used it in my entire life. I also can’t count the times I’ve said that I can’t imagine going through this without God and His Word. I would feel like a ship without a captain on a churning, angry sea.

After today, I am going to try to move to other subjects to write about (barring unforeseen circumstances). I know we are all tired of thinking about the world and its woes. We are ready for a different focus. We want to be encouraged, not reminded. But last night, as I was thinking, yet again, about the changes that have taken place, I was struck by the different ways this is processed by people. Please keep reading, because I do think you will be encouraged by the time you are done reading this.

At one time or another, all of us have our worlds upended. An unexpected death, a cancer diagnosis, a child that wanders from the Lord, a lost job, etc. We’ve all experienced something that has changed our world. But this is the first thing–at least for those of us under 60–that has changed all our worlds. I am talking about changing our day to day. Sure, there have been unsettling things in the past. But what is going on now has literally changed the daily life of almost every single person on this planet in some way. And it’s so strange, isn’t it? No matter where you go (not that many of us are going very many places these days), you have something to talk about with people. We are all experiencing the same thing. It is honestly hard to grasp how different the world is now than it was four months ago.

And, as we process this, I think we all respond differently. But there is only one way to respond that is the right way. Eventually, all Christians should arrive at this response, even if it takes awhile to get there (and for many of us it has. And is.)

So here are the five ways. The fifth is the right way, according to scripture. (Don’t take my word for it. My word means absolutely nothing. Study this for yourself in the Bible.)

First, many people respond by being in DENIAL.  If we just pretend like the world is the same maybe things will just go back to normal. If we don’t know there are bad men plotting our destruction, then maybe it won’t happen. Ignorance is bliss to this person. They’d just rather not know.

And, honestly, I get it. Some things we don’t have to know and not everyone has a passion to know the truth about what’s going on. That’s okay. That’s not what this is about.

Someone who is in denial is afraid to face reality. And, as believers, we should never be afraid to face the truth. We must dig our heads out of the sand and start looking around. This makes us much more effective witnesses for Christ. This shows the world that a true believer can face reality and still be okay. Anyone can dig their head in the sand. It takes someone strong and courageous to look around, admit the truth as they survey the state of things, and face it with serenity.

Second, many people are DECEIVED. So so many people are deceived. Few people are willing to actually search out facts for themselves. They take everything they hear at face value and never do any digging. If the government mandates it, then it must be right. If the media proclaims it, then it must be true. If social media says this is false information, well, then, it must be false. BUT when you start to dig beyond that, you will find a massive deception taking place. This is backed up by facts. Not speculation.

As Christians, we make ourselves vulnerable when we live in a state of deception. We become tools in the hands of those who seek to deceive us. How important it is to think for ourselves, rather than allow ourselves be spoon-fed a narrative.

Third, many people end up DEPRESSED. If you refuse to be in denial or to be deceived, this is where you can quickly find yourself. The outlook of this world is grim. We look upon increasing anarchy and violence. We see tyranny coming. We know God can change the course of this but we also know that, even if He does, it is only temporarily. World tyranny is coming. The timing remains unknown. But what has happened over the past four months has brought that truth ever closer.

Fourth, many respond in DEFIANCE. They believe they can stand up and fight against all that is taking place. They believe certain outcomes (such as elections) will change the course of things. And, while this is not necessarily wrong, their focus is on the fight. Rather than focusing on God and His Word and what it teaches us, they try to make things turn out the way they desire by doing certain things. As we work our way through the minefield of obeying the government vs. defiance against unbiblical mandates, we must always do so with an attitude of submission to God and His Will. We must remember our first priority is as a servant to God. We are just sojourners in a foreign land. This world is not our home.

But denial, deception, depression, and defiance are not our only options! We have one more. And it’s so much better!

We can respond with DEFERENCE. Deference to God and His Will. (I Peter 5:6; Matthew 6:9-10; James 4:7)

According to dictionary.com, deference is: respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, will, etc., of another.

When we defer our agendas to God’s agenda, our will to His will, our desires to His desires, then life takes on a whole new outlook.

Instead of the temporal, we focus on the eternal. Instead of the here and now, we remember that there is a there and then. Instead of mourning the loss of this world, we look forward to the promised new world.

Of course, this is much more easier said than done. And, if you are like me, you will bounce back and forth between different responses. Most of us know the right response. We must just make a choice.

And when we make that choice He fills our hearts with peace (Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:6-7). You don’t believe in miracles? Well, God works a small miracle in the heart of a believer that yields to Him. I know because I’ve experienced this!

Here’s the thing…

The more we pray, spend time in the Word, and memorize passages of scripture, the easier this is to do. I have been writing about the power of God’s Word for ten years now and, yet, I am still in awe of this! The truth of this has become even more real to many of us as we face these unprecedented circumstances full of uncertainty. God’s Word is so powerful and yet so often we just ignore it.

We cannot respond in the right way to what is going on without it. Oh, fill yourself with it. Make time for it. Don’t let other things get in the way.

From my own personal experience, this is when fear and depression try to make their way in through the cracks in my soul. I have to keep this a priority. You do, too. At least, if we want to respond to all of this in a godly way. God has given us His Word for a reason. I am realizing that even more fully now.

We do not know the details of the future. But we do know a few things–

1. We know that we are on this earth at this specific time in world history for a reason. God has placed us here for such a time as this. As the world grows darker, our passion to share the Gospel should be increasing. Our passion to encourage other believers in the things of the Lord should be growing. The temporal things should be lessening in importance.

2. We know what we are supposed to be doing. God has given no disclaimer in His Word that we can let our guards down, stop growing spiritually, or lock ourselves in our own little worlds, when our world starts falling apart. We must continue to live a Christian life full of faith, hope, and love.

3. We know how this is going to end. God has been so kind to show us how this is all going to end. We know that God and His Kingdom will be gloriously victorious over all of this evil! We are on the winning side, and we dare not forget it! It may look like we are losing the battle now, but we will win the war!

So, my dear readers, don’t be discouraged. Pull your heads from the sand, search out the truth, refuse to be depressed, and be sure to temper the fight in you with God’s Word! God is still working all things for His glory and our good! (Psalm 72:19; Romans 8:28) and we have an absolutely amazing future ahead of us!

Be encouraged by these words from Revelation 22:1-5. This is what lies ahead for believers! Isn’t that exciting??—

And he showed me a [a]pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

 

 

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