
ARCHIVE NUMBER NINE
JAN 2002
Changes
All Round
(all
spelling and phraseology is UK English)
We
have embarked on another New year. At this time it's traditional to look
back over the previous year and ahead to the next, thinking about the
challenges that lie ahead.
Changes
to Website
The
Cross+Word website is now showing its age. It's been around since 1994/95
and many of the articles date from that time - which doesn't make them
any less relevant, but I think it's time for a change.
As
you know from my previous News Updates, the focus and aim of the discernment
ministry is changing, too, and the site changes will reflect that new
focus.
I
intend to start overhauling the site and tidying up its many pages. This
is a huge project and will take a lot of time, so you will not notice
changes overnight. I'm working entirely on my own, coping with the demands
of this ministry as well as creating and maintaining this website and
one or two others, so the work will progress only as I find time for it.
However,
if things go well, I hope that a cleaner, neater and more accessible site
will emerge.
The
need for preparation
As
each year passes, we draw nearer to the coming of the Lord! Now, with
the world changing all around us, that Day seems closer than ever, but
it brings along with it new pressures and new opportunities. It also means
that we have to be sure that we are ready.
One
prominent leader in the revival said that he saw the White Horse of Revelation
straining to come onto the world scene in 1982. He identified the rider
as Christ, but I believe he was the Spirit of Antichrist! - a false "christ"
who would woo the Bride and cause her to commit spiritual adultery with
him. (See my study "The
Beginning of Sorrows")
There
is good reason to trace the start of the present wave of apostasy to 1982
(although its roots go further back) and now that we are in the year 2002
we see that God has graciously allowed twenty years for Christians to
reject this heresy and return to Him.
But
despite this, the error has persisted and grown. There has been a hardening
of hearts as more and more Christians REFUSE to listen to the voice of
God, and angrily turn their backs on correction. They have freely chosen
to continue in heresy!
Because
of this, another change has come. I believe that the Lord is preparing
to pour out judgement - they will be given over to what they desire! None
will be able to stay God's hand in this - not the discernment ministries
nor apologetics teachers, nor the prayers of the saints.
The
Mystery of God's Plan
In
one sense, the very reason for God's sending out of prophets to speak
against apostasy is to firm up the error and bring it to fulness!
Although
reaching out to those going astray IS an act of mercy by God at the same
time it's a necessary preparation for judgement. God already knows those
who will reject him, and in some cases sends out prophets in hopeless
situations (Ezek 3:4-7) knowing that no good will come of it, and the
prophet will be not only violently rejected but killed.
So
why send a prophet whose voice is not going to be heeded? In order that
God can righteously and justly judge those who defy him!
Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some
of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge
in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may
come all the righteous blood shed on the earth...Matt 23:34-35
Without a warning voice, people could argue in their own defense that
they had not been warned. But once they have heard and acknowledged correction,
their refusal to comply is taken by God as a confirmation of their error,
and judgement can follow.
Look
at the statement of Jesus here:
Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and
said to Him, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said to them, "If
you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore
your sin remains. John 9:40-41
By
their own admission, the Pharisees said that they SAW the truth and UNDERSTOOD
the scriptures. Therefore they were self-condemned, because they would
not obey the Living Word. If they had been blind to truth, they would
not have been judged for wilful disobedience.
Similarly,
by making the apostate churches aware of their error, and telling Christians
who attend such churches that they are violating scriptural norms and
grieving the Spirit of God, their blindness is removed and they SEE. Having
seen, if they wilfully continue then they are judged for disobedience.
It
is the task of those who are called to be Voices of Correction to the
Church, to make known the word of God, the plumbline of truth, and allow
people to measure themselves by it. Those who do not measure up have the
responsibility to correct themselves and repent. If they do not, we must
leave them there. We can do no more.
Ultimately,
because of sin, the 'voices' will be drowned out, thrown out or removed.
It is an indication that the hardening of hearts is reaching its peak,
and judgement will follow.
And now, because you have done all these works," says the LORD,
"and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did
not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, therefore I will
do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and
to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to
Shiloh. And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all
your brethren--the whole posterity of Ephraim. Therefore do not pray
for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession
to Me; for I will not hear you. Jer 7: 13-16
That
time is fast approaching - although in my opinion the "judgement"
will take the form of an apparent upsurge in activity and power for the
Apostate Church!
That
would appear to be a vindication of the revival and its prophecies and
I'm sure it would be taken that way by its supporters. But getting your
own way is not always a blessing.
They
soon forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly
in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their
request; but sent leanness into their soul. Ps 106:12-15
And
also when they demanded a king to rule over them (instead of God!) See
1 Sam 8:6-20.
The only
reason God would take his foot off the brake and allow the apostasy to
run free would be to bring disobedience to the full, (thereby demonstrating
its nature to any who truly love God).
God
hardens the hearts
Some
argue that God will never stop trying to change a person's mind. Not so.
God will always grieve that a man or woman has chosen the wrong path,
but there is a time and a season for all things.
Sometimes
when we determine to go a certain way, the outcome is inevitable and there
is no turning back:
Esau
- he gave away his inheritance for a stew; later he realised what he'd
done and changed his mind, but it was TOO LATE. "For you know
that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected,
for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with
tears." Heb 12:17
The
Israelites - they came to the land God promised them but refused to
enter it. They "believed an evil report" and were afraid. God
therefore told them they would return to the wilderness for forty years,
whereupon they changed their minds! But it was TOO LATE.
Then
Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people
mourned greatly. And they rose early in the morning and went up to the
top of the mountain, saying, "Here we are, and we will go up to
the place which the LORD has promised, for we have sinned!" Then
Moses said, "Now why do you transgress the command of the LORD?
For this will not succeed. Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your
enemies, for the LORD is not among you". ... Num 14:39-45
"So
I spoke to you; yet you would not listen, but rebelled against the command
of the LORD, and presumptuously went up into the mountain. And the Amorites
who dwelt in that mountain came out against you and chased you as bees
do, and drove you back from Seir to Hormah. Then you returned and
wept before the LORD, but the LORD would not listen to your voice nor
give ear to you. Deut
1:43-46
Free
Will and Predestination
But
we are balancing two eternal truths here: the will of man and the foreknowledge
and predetermined plan of God. We can never hope to understand these things
fully, but we see glimpses in scripture of both these truths in equal
measure.
In
the opinion of some believers who see only love, mercy and forgiveness
in God, he must continue to reason with and argue and warn the most hardened
reprobates - for ever! For they believe that by much prayer and hard work
everybody can be won round eventually.
In
the bible we see a loving God who went so far as to send his only Son
to plead with mankind, to the laying down of his own life! YET this loving
merciful God WILL call the apostates to account when he knows the time
has come - and no one will stand in his way. Then prayer will be rejected:
Because
I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one
regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none
of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your
terror comes, when your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction
comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then
they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently,
but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not
choose the fear of the LORD, they would have none of my counsel and
despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their
own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. Prov 1:24-31
And
at that time he will even harden their hearts to reason, to give them
over to error. Disagree? The bible says so!
And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see
that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your
hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people
go. Ex 4:21
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly
not! For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion."
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God
who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very
purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that
My name may be declared in all the earth."
Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who
has resisted His will?" But indeed, O man, who are you to reply
against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why
have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over
the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another
for dishonor? Rom 9:14-21
When
God decides that a man or nation is ripe for judgement, he makes sure
that judgement falls, and no man can prevent it.
And
the LORD said, 'Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that
he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?' So one spoke in this manner, and
another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before
the LORD, and said, 'I will persuade him.' The LORD said to him, 'In
what way?' So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth
of all his prophets.' And the LORD said, 'You shall persuade him and
also prevail; go out and do so.' Therefore look! The LORD has put
a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the
LORD has declared disaster against you. 2 Chron 18:19-20
In
the endtimes, despite all his lovingkindness, patience and warnings, when
the time comes and people will not listen, "God will send them
strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may
be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness
(2 Thess 2:11-12)
God's
Will Prevails
On
the one hand we see God raising up voices to warn people about the perils
of false teaching; on the other hand we see God hardening their hearts!
To us this seems like a contradiction, but not from the viewpoint of God,
who knows all things. He knows already who is destined to stay the course
and who is not. (That does not remove from them the obligation to obey
God, nor our obligation to warn them).
It
was God who closed the door of the Ark and sent the flood. It is God who
closes the door of heaven in the last days, and those who remain outside
are told TOO LATE! You had your chances to obey God and now like Esau,
like Pharoah, and like the fearful Israelites you must endure God's decision
and bow to His will in the matter.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were
ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward
the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he
answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch
therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son
of Man is coming. Matt 25:10-13
When
once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you
begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open
for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where
you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your
presence, and You taught in our streets.' But He will say, 'I tell you
I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers
of iniquity.' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you
see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom
of God, and yourselves thrust out.
Luke 13:25-28
In
allowing Adam free rein, God foreknew the plan of salvation. In choosing
Jacob over Esau (Rom 9:10-23), God was putting in place the bloodline
that led to the birth of Jesus; in hardening Pharoah's heart he was ensuring
that a generation of Egyptians were removed from power so that the Israelites
could be established in their inheritance.
God
is the Master Potter and man is the clay, but at the same time man has
free will that God will not violate! If that is too mysterious for you,
the join the club. We are not asked to understand it, but believe it.
God
will respect your freewill choice, even if it's the wrong one! He will
not force anyone to obey Him, nor stop anyone disobeying him, though he
will move heaven and earth to convince them of the right choice.
God
gave Adam the gift of freewill and self-determination, and would not violate
that principle even though Adam made the wrong choice and blighted his
life for ever.
Therefore,
how painstaking and diligent we should be to make sure that we DO heed
the voice of the Lord, especially at this time.
Anyone
who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two
or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will
he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted
the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing,
and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance
is Mine; I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD
will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God. (Heb 10:28-31)
Changes
in the Global Church
God
is changing the Church, and that, in turn, will change the world. Millions
of Christians around the world are aware of an imminent reformation
of global proportions...In rediscovering the gospel of salvation by
faith and grace alone, Luther started to reform the Church through a
reformation of theology. In the 18th century through movements like
the Moravians there was a recovery of a new intimacy with God, which
led to a reformation of spirituality, the Second Reformation. Now God
is touching the wineskins themselves, initiating a Third Reformation,
a reformation of structure. ("15
Theses towards a Reformation of the Church" by Wolfgang Simson)
According
to the thinking of today, the main or only task left for the Church is
to 'change the world' into a God-fearing, christianised kingdom into which
Jesus can return as Lord. This is not in fact what the bible says about
the latter days, but the biblical scenario if often viewed as "doom
and gloom" and defeatism, whereas creating a glorious kingdom on
earth and promoting the Church to renown and glory is seen as a worthy
goal. (Despite the fact God has not promised any such thing!)
For this
to happen, it is said that we need A THIRD REFORMATION, and this one will
be an APOSTOLIC Reformation in which a "foundational role is given
to apostles and prophets" and the five-fold ministry.
In this scenario,
the cleansing and reformation of the Church will be organised by creating
cells that link to one another in networks, headed by elders
submitted to apostles, all of whom join to create the City Church,
a longtime dream of the Latter Rain Movement.
To that end,
the cell-church movement is becoming more popular and more prominent,
as many believers look for an alternative to dead denominations or abusive
mega-churches in the revival and are attracted to the home environment
and small-scale fellowship and freedom such cells appear to provide.
Changes in
the Church are in fact sorely needed and we could all do with a genuine
renewal of doctrine, love, holiness and power - BUT the plan for renewal
is in God's hands and none can achieve this but the Holy Spirit himself
- in God's own way and in his own time.
I see a great
danger here; that those who have escaped from the revival and are thirsting
for fellowship will be gathered into part of the SAME movement but by
a different net - the cell-church movement operating under the leadership
of the New Apostles such as Chuck Pierce and Peter Wagner.
Third Day
Church
Allied to
this move is the teaching about the THIRD DAY. So-called third-day churches
are springing up as "alternatives" to denominations and again
they seem to provide a haven from the revival manifestations.
I am reminded
of the scripture:
As
if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the
house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Amos
5:19
Just when
Christians have fled from the revival and think they are safe, in their
own houses, there is still a serpent lurking! We cannot afford to drop
our guard simply because the revival seems to have gone into a lull. The
first phase is dying away, but the second and more deadly phase will follow,
and this time discernment ministries will be unable to stem the flow -
the tide is coming in fast and it is a flood that can only be withstood
in the power of the Holy Spirit and by absolute trust and faith in God.
(See Isa 59:19 and Nahum 1:7-10)
These are
things that no "discernment ministry" can teach you - you find
these things in your own prayer room, at the feet of Jesus!
The third-day
concept is yet another popular movement that is vying for attention in
the chaos and confusion. Its aim is identical, however, to all the other
moves:
On several
occasions, history has provided the needed critical mass and the synergistic
inertia to thrust the church into breaking out of its box and becoming
the force in culture and society that God intended it to be. [my
emphasis] The first occasion, obviously, was the birth of the church
at Pentecost...... The second occasion, was the 16th Century Reformation......Today,
the church, at the dawning of the 21st Century, has once again reached
this critical mass. Its something so big and so obvious
that the winds of change
demand we look hard at our forms and face the reality that a different
church must provide a different response to a post-modern age.
This
Third Millennium (a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as a day), or this Third Day requires a Third
Way of being the church. For too many years, form and tradition
have led the way, with the form(s) remaining painfully constant from
generation to generation. The forms of the first day church
must now be reevaluated, and lifeless programs and traditions of men
be allowed to die in the second day church so that the resurrected
third day church can be expressed and enjoyed.
Remember
"...on the third day, anything can happen. It now appears
that a growing fraternity of churches, leaders, and ministries across
the nation are ready to obey the wind of the Spirit. They are ready
to obey the wind of change
and to welcome, no, beckon, an experimentation of radical, new, and
creative ways of doing and being the church
in the third millennium.
The Winds
of Change references above refer to prophecies and visions, including
one by Bob Jones in which he supposedly saw a huge angel called "Winds
of Change" that had been released to bring the winds of change to
the Church, aiding it in the transition imminently ahead. These winds
will "fill the sails of the Church to aid her on her spiritual journey
and the restoration of her great heritage". (Spirit
of the Nicolaitans)
So we see
already the connection between the Third-Day Church and the false prophecies
of the dominionist movements.
Although
those who write publicly about these things rarely spell out the roots
of their doctrine, the origins of the "third day" go back several
hundred years to teachings about a golden age for the Church on earth
and its role as God's Government during the millennium.
In 1995 I
did a series of presentations about the Gnostic roots of all this revival
heresy, and one of the major planks of the antichrist doctrine, in my
opinion, was the "third day" teaching of Joachim of Fiore, a
12th century monk who proposed a future third 'day' of spiritual renewal
for the Church.
At that time,
I had no idea that there would ever be such a thing as a "third-day
church" movement in reality, as my series was a speculation on the
roots of the error and its possible outcome.
Even I was
surprised at the speed with which all this heresy about which I had surmised
sprang into life and took shape in reality.
Rather than
repeat it all here, I urge you to read the background information on the
Third Day concept in this article: "The
New Thing" sections 3a and 3b.
Joachim of
Fiore, a Cistercian monk, proposed three "ages" for mankind,
roughly relating to the Ages of the Father, Son and Spirit. After the
first two ages had run their course, Joachim proposed a new age, the Age
of the Spirit, when the Church would be transformed, become powerful and
perfected, and receive the knowledge of all things by direct revelation.
Joachim
saw the Age of the Father as carnal, the Age of the Son as partly carnal
and partly spiritual (a soulish age), but the Third Age would be pure
spirit; people everywhere would have inner light and wisdom.
Now we can
go to the Third Day Church website and be told: "Welcome to the
"Third Day!" - does that give anyone chills?
Some research
links:
Changes
All Over Europe
January
2002 saw the introduction across Europe (apart from the UK) of the Euro
as the Single European Currency. The UK is under great pressure to accept
the same currency.
The
last time Europe had a single currency was during the days of the Roman
Empire! Now we are returning to the days when a single political, financial,
social, legal, military and religious force is taking centre stage ready
for its role in the endtimes.
As
one observer says: "An end of an era, and the beginning of a new
one ... the United States of Europe (with German domination) is coming
into being, where the harlot religious system gains more power riding
on the back of the Beast. What Hitler could not achieve militarily and
with brute force, is being done by stealth, subterfuge, and diplomacy,
five to six decades down the road, in accordance with the Treaty of Rome.
What can we expect in the near future? The US of A's dismissal as the
great world superpower, with the rise of the new great world superpower
of the US of E!"
Changes
in Israel
Things
are coming to a head in Israel, and that means, for Christians, we know
that the prophetic timetable is near to completion. It is reported that
Arafat is now in an untenable position and there is open talk of either
removing him or sending him into exile. He is hemmed in both politically
and physically and has not only lost control of his own people but has
lost their trust and respect as well.
This
report (unverified by me) just in:
Arafat Burns
Last Bridges to Oslo, Declares War
23 January:
DEBKA files military sources report that Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat has ordered his 20,000-man police force to take to the war field
a drastic step that moves his confrontation with Israel into the
realm of full-scale belligerence. Militarizing his police force is more
than just another blatant violation of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords, which
established the Palestinian Authority and allowed it to establish a police
force confined to civilian duties; it is their death blow.
Arafat fully
comprehends the international, diplomatic and legal consequences of his
action. Wednesday, the Palestinian Authoritys secretary, Abdul Rahman,
clearly declared all Palestinian accords with Israel null and void.
Throughout
his 15-month Intifada, Arafat held back from burning his last bridges
to Oslo. By and large, he kept the Palestinian Authoritys police
force clear of Palestinian terrorist operations against Israel, aside
from logistics support for terror squads.
...On
Monday January 21, a top Palestinian police officer, Gen. Abdel-Razek
al-Majaydeh, announced over Iranian television that Palestinian
forces would henceforth be taking full and active part in the war
against Israel.
...DEBKAfiles
military experts note that the Palestinian police force is not an irregular
militia like the Tanzim or a terrorist gang like the Aqsa Brigades, but
an organized regular corps with a command hierarchy, an operations arm,
intelligence, an advanced communications network and considerable mobility.
It is equipped with hundreds of vehicles, some armored, donated mainly
by the United States, the UK, Germany, France and Italy, as well as being
amply armed with automatic weapons, including heavy machine guns.
...For
the IDF, this means that, in addition to chasing and pre-empting terrorist
squads, it must prepare to face medium-scale battles against a regular military
force. Israelis have become inured to hearing about Israeli air force bombardments
of empty Palestinian police centers and tank assaults to demolish Palestinian
police facilities. Now they will start hearing about aerial bombings of
Palestinian police convoys on their way to attack Israeli targets and Israeli
tanks flattening Palestinian police positions.
From
'messinews' e-mail group.
Some Changes
Considered
There is
a transition taking place both in the Church and the World that is rapidly
lining us up for the final conflict.
Environmental
concerns are driving governments into accepting stringent new legislation
on water, soil and air purity, waste-disposal, farming, forestry, fishing
and hunting. These will affect us all. One recent development, for example,
halted the use of old fridges and freezers and these are now being stockpiled
at an alarming rate with no way to dispose of them. Farmers will not
receive subsidies unless they submit to lunatic new environmental controls
on the use of their land. And so forth.
Control
is the key, with surveillance cameras being set up everywhere, and ID
cards in the pipeline, and computerised databases of personal information
being kept and networked throughout the world. Everytime I phone the
bank or financial organisation they demand to know my and my husband's
mother's maiden names (and how did they get that information without
our permission?)
Unity
is the other key, the uniting of religion being paramount. The Pope
has just hosted his second interfaith meeting at Assisi (January
24th) in which representatives from many religions took part. Sikh,
Jewish, Orthodox, Muslim, Buddhist, Confucian, Mennonite and Lutheran,
Anglican and Reformed religious leaders (!!) stood together making a
joint statement and praying for peace in the world.
Prayer
rooms were set apart for for all religious groups including African
shaman, and Zoroastrian and Shinto holymen.
The shared
commitment to peace was concluded in these words:
Violence
never again!
War never again!
Terrorism never again!
In God's name,
may all religions bring upon earth
justice and peace,
forgiveness, life and love!
"[In
coming to Assisi], we will show that genuine religious belief is an
inexhaustible wellspring of mutual respect and harmony among peoples;
indeed it is the chief antidote to violence and conflict" (From
the Message
for the 2002 World Day of Peace, No. 14).
Fears and dangers, economic troubles, and social disorder is already uniting
the political powers; and the desire to oppose terrorism has drawn the
monotheistic religions into an uneasy pact. Therefore the stage is being
set for the New World Order of united humanity - but united against God
himself!!
Just
as the bible says, in the latter day man will worship idols of money,
sensual pleasure and above all himself, losing sight of the basic norms
of human nature in the process. Unspeakable crimes increase, while the
conscience grows numb, inoculated against blood and gore by computer games
and movies, taught to hate, kill and oppose anything that stands in the
way of their desires.
Obedience
to God, knowledge of the bible and adherence to the Ten Commandments is
being wiped away by another creed - the Luciferic adage: do what you will!
Discipline and self-sacrifice is out - along with courage, loyalty, honesty,
fidelity and every good human trait.
Man
who cannot get what he wants, resorts to anger and violence - road rage,
aircraft rage, domestic abuse, child abuse and all kind of violence is
on the increase. I believe that we will see street riots, and uncontrollable
outbursts of anger amongst ordinary folk in ordinary circumstances such
as the workplace, cinema, restaurants etc.
As
a result, another and more dangerous trend will appear, that of abandoning
national laws that protect the rights and privacies of the individual,
in favour of quick-fix solutions to try and "fight evil with good".
The "good" will in fact be a humanistic ideal, not biblical
doctrine, but nonetheless Christians who are tired of the dangers and
problems of everyday living will welcome such moves with open hearts,
and persecute any who oppose them. Especially as many of these solutions
will be proposed by religious leaders!
Increasingly,
therefore, we will see a divide between true believers and the Global
Church which is set on a dominionist agenda, and veering towards unity
with the World. True believers, like Lot who was daily grieved by what
he heard and saw in Sodom, will seek out like-minded fellowship even though
it may demand great personal sacrifice.
True
believers will despair of the greed, hype and glory-seeking of the current
churches, and long for purity, holiness and simplicity. They will once
more know themselves to be a persecuted minority and will turn to their
heavenly hope rather than worldly achievements and pleasures.
Some
will take steps to develop their faith and grow in grace; while others
will throw off even the appearance of restraint and indulge themselves
in full-blown spiritual manifestations and heresies without a check.
The
two camps will come into sharp dispute, leading to greater and greater
persecution. No longer will the Christian path be soft and easy, but we
will know it as the Narrow Way that is costly and demanding.
The
choices will be stark - laying down one's life to go the way of the Cross,
or being incorporated into the apostasy. However, in such a climate of
darkness the light of truth shines out even brighter for those who look
for it. God will have his way amongst his remnant people, and powerful
evangelism and renewal will take place, I believe, bringing genuine miracles
- though at a time of great spiritual danger and pressure.
Years
ago I saw the flood tide coming in, and what it left behind were corpses
washed up on the beaches like flotsam and jetsam. These lifeless bodies
are the ones God will care for in the latter-day, setting up inconspicuous
centres of teaching, renewal, healing, deliverance and counsel, as well
as fellowship. All who cry out to God for help will be reached one way
or another. But this is something that CANNOT be 'organised' and no man
will be in control or get the glory.
It
will take place in an atmosphere of great opposition, intolerance and
anger, with lies, rumours, accusations and slanders abounding. It will
require great courage and steadfast faith in the Lord to walk on.
Yet
God stands ready to provide ALL we need in the days to come!
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