The title above references an inciteful article on Understanding the Times website. I would suggest you read it at some point as it touches on most of the subjects I will be addressing in this article.
Love Grows Cold
Don’t worry! For, while this article begins in darkness it ends in the White Light of our Savior’s coming! First, however, we have to discuss the raging hatred sweeping across America, Europe and the rest of the world.
As discussed in the above referenced article from Understand the Times, Satan has increased both the quantity and the ferocity of his attacks on Christians, Jews and Israel. Worse, more and more churches are turning inward, focusing on feel good sermons and seeker friendly programs. Far too many, fearing the growing hate or worse, trying to fit in with this fallen world, have embraced the perversion and humanist universalism so prevalent in our culture. Sadly these churches have far too much in common with the Laodicean church as described by our Lord Jesus Christ in Rev 3:14-21.
When I first read Christ question whether He would find faith on the Earth in Luke 18:8, I thought, “well, I guess we have a long way to go before things get that bad…” However, in just a few short years the Church went from a respected voice of morality to a silent, divided and confused body which allowed the media to chose as the representative of Christ, various apostates who preach the false gospel of “we all worship the same god” and “if there is love then gender doesn’t matter to a loving god.”
Satan has played his hand well. He has driven those Churches still dedicated to Biblical truth underground. Who would’ve ever thought that in the United States, a nation founded on Biblical principles and where the First Amendment to the Constitution ensures the Free exercise of one’s religion, that a Christian business woman would be driven out of business and financially ruined through fines and government overreach simply because she chose to exercise her religious beliefs and decline to provide a floral display for a Homosexual wedding - even though she happily referred them to someone equally qualified. This was an act of hatred, not of homosexuals, not even of the Business Owner, but hatred of Jesus Christ. The key word: Hate
Hate. Hate for Christians. Hate for Trump. Hate for White Men. Hate for Jews. Hate for anyone who holds an opinion that doesn’t pass the current Progressive litmus test. Hate disguised in seemingly positive terms such as: Inclusive, Freedom, Tolerance, Choice, Social Justice, Equality. These terms which were once part of a movement defined by the words Liberty, Equality and Freedom and espoused by men such as Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King’s dream was of a time when men would no longer be defined by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Unfortunately his dream of non-judgmental liberty for all has become a nightmare of Censorship and Intimidation for anyone with opinions which fall outside the constraints set by the self-annointed Social Justice Warriors who decide those who are fit to speak and those who are not.
An era of Neo-Fascism has fallen upon this country and it is driven by Hate. The hate I just described. The so-called Progressives as defined by former President Obama and by Hillary Clinton are so rabid in their fanatical devotion to the warped ideals of the Progressive movement that they are blind to the fact that by their very actions such as silencing dissenters by any means, bullying and intimidation, judging persons by their race (caucasian) that they are violating the very principles of open and free dialog, race blindness and freedom of speech and an exchange of differing ideas without rancor, which their party claims as its founding principles. These self-proclaimed Social Justice Warriors appear completely blind to their own Hypocrisy as they blockaded the entrance to a Seminar on Civil Liberties by the openly gay editor of Breitbart On Line, an alternative Internet news source well known for breaking a number of the past few years biggest stories. The protest became so violent the speaker had to be rushed out of the venue to another building where he broadcast his speech via live feed to the former venue. The protesters claimed victory, yet in doing so they caused fear, violence and mayhem, throwing molotov cocktails and explosives at police, burning and vandalizing buildings and terrorizing the UC Berkeley campus, once the home of free speech. Now apparently home only to Fascist Style Censorship.
This seemingly irrational hatred for Christians and Jews and others, who oppose the Progressive platform of Socialism, Same sex Marriage, Gender bending, Genderless bathrooms and showers, and censorship on speech, the written word and, if they had their way, thought itself. The limits Progressives are willing to impose are truly frightening and the term Neo-Fascist truly applies.
Any Christian reading this will recognize that what we are seeing is Spiritual in nature. A great war is raging in the Heavenly Realms as Paul explains:
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
This can seem very intimidating or even scary and all this talk of the hatred building up and manifesting in this country can seem very disturbing. What we, as Christians must remember is that the war is already won. Jesus scored the final victory on the Cross there on Calvary. Everything we see going on around us points to the soon coming of our Lord and Savior to Snatch us away, up and out of this fallen world where we shall forever be with Him.
As fearful as the world may seem at this point in time we must remember that our God is Sovereign Psalm 17:7 So, put away all fear and doubt. Live in the light of Victory in Jesus Christ. Now is a time to be in prayer, in the Word and regular Fellowship with your brother and sister Christians. We do not know how much time we have left to be about our master’s work but we must reach as many as we can before it is too late. The Harvest is Vast, but the Workers are Few. Mat 9:37 I would say the workers are very few and we are working against the false teachers abounding in this era of Itching Ears. 2Titus 4:3
In closing I include this exhortation from Understand the Times below. I think you will find it encouraging. These are exciting times!! We are privileged to see God’s final plans coming together like pieces of an exquisite jigsaw puzzle. Prophecy written thousands of years ago is materializing right before our eyes and every morning when I read the headlines I am amazed at the awesome power of our God. Here is the excerpt from the article I referenced:
There is much we can do. We should never miss an opportunity to make our voices heard. Volunteer in a ministry at your church. Join a Bible study. Turn out -- armed with prayer -- at town hall meetings near you. If you're a pastor, ask to open with prayer. The sound of howling from the audience might be deafening, as one pastor found out recently at his town hall meeting, but God will use the name of Jesus for His glory. God gave a victory to Christians and to Israel in this last election, and we do not want to lose one inch of ground.
Start a Good News Club in one or more of your local schools. Remember, the Satanic Temple is targeting schools with their Satan clubs -- we don't want to be missing in action!
Stock local food shelves, support community thrift stores or visit the lonely in nursing homes near you.
Social media is a powerful tool and you can use it. Get on Facebook and set-up a new page targeting some kind of evil you hate. Approach people with love and a good measure of biblical wisdom, and tell God you can't wait to see what He will do. There is something for everyone -- some action you can take -- and you will be fighting the good fight, blessing others, and obeying Jesus.
Don't fall for the satanic lie that you are weak or a failure or too sinful to do anything for God. He loves you, forgives you, and will use you today. Go forward and don't look back.
Prayer is the key to strength, courage and victory. The Word of God is the sword that will drive evil back, and that includes the wisdom that comes from studying it. We are stuck here, for now, fighting the spirit of the age -- the prince of this world and all his forces -- but we are not alone. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you....Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:18, 27)
Start a Good News Club in one or more of your local schools. Remember, the Satanic Temple is targeting schools with their Satan clubs -- we don't want to be missing in action!
Stock local food shelves, support community thrift stores or visit the lonely in nursing homes near you.
Social media is a powerful tool and you can use it. Get on Facebook and set-up a new page targeting some kind of evil you hate. Approach people with love and a good measure of biblical wisdom, and tell God you can't wait to see what He will do. There is something for everyone -- some action you can take -- and you will be fighting the good fight, blessing others, and obeying Jesus.
Don't fall for the satanic lie that you are weak or a failure or too sinful to do anything for God. He loves you, forgives you, and will use you today. Go forward and don't look back.
Prayer is the key to strength, courage and victory. The Word of God is the sword that will drive evil back, and that includes the wisdom that comes from studying it. We are stuck here, for now, fighting the spirit of the age -- the prince of this world and all his forces -- but we are not alone. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you....Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:18, 27)
If you are not a Christian but you feel the call upon your heart to accept Jesus Christ as your savior then I pray this will help you to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior:
Paul the apostle wrote:
“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
We must be spiritually born-again:
“Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born-again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him,”How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born-again'” (John 3:3-7)
When we ask Jesus to forgive us our sins and truly repent, then we become born-again and saved. It is a good idea to pray a sincere prayer of confession and repentance. The words don’t really matter, but the genuine intent of the heart does matter. Upon salvation the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and it is by His power and strength we are able to leave behind the ways of the world and live more godly lives. .
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
When you do this, the Bible tells us through the apostle Paul:
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38- 39).
If you have questions or are not quite sure about the issue of Salvation feel free to message me or visit:
Both of these resources have wonderful question and answer sections which I found invaluable as a young Christian.
Thank you All and may God’s blessings be upon your life and upon those you love.
Mark
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