My good and faithful friend:
Sharon and I recently attended a near by church fulfilling an old invitation. The service was quiet, predictable, and unfulfilling, the sermon even more so. This did confirm my concern for what too often passes for Christianity in some churches. This is what I have tried desperately to make clear, as our once overwhelming Judaic-Christian society is now dismissed, denigrated, and denounced by an overbearing secularism. And many churches are now even compliant with this turn of events by compromised the very word of God.
This perfectly connects with what many of you have called my “unusual” view that the “Beast” is already hard at work, and is aided by those whose minds and strength are now branded as they undertake the work of “darkness.” We see it about us, even in Sunday church services, where sadly, decent and loving people, in their naiveté are being deceived. If any are unaware that satanic fingers have long been clutching for the lifeblood of our churches, they shouldn’t be.
As darkness gathers there has never been a time that so requires believers to be bold and effective, “…prepared to give a ready defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope within you…” (1 Pe.3:15). We are to Resist the shredding of Biblical authority, the continuity with our past, and thus the loss of our credibility, not to mention our very identity as Christians. They are unmasked by their denial of the creator and His creation, the distortion of the person of Jesus, which is followed by the rejection of objective truth and the ignorance of all that is evil.
These are the challenges to our Christian message, our way of life. And with the cowards among us who have compromised far too much already, we can no longer capitulate to the pressures of being modern, and the bullying to be politically and socially correct. The truth must be heard loud and clear, for the world is owed an answer. I know many desperately want an answer. An answer only Christianity can provide. But I know in this atmosphere being faithful can result in being scorned, vilified, certainly repudiated, and perhaps imprisoned or even killed. Yet such as been the history of Christianity down through the centuries.
But, remember what is at stake. We stand not just for ourselves, the church, or even the Christian faith, we stand for the honor, truth, the name of God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. It is they who have been betrayed. This brings to mind a story about Jim Jones, before he dragged his duped followers to that supposed utopia in Guyana. He was preaching and threw the Bible down stomped on it and declared, “Don’t believe this, believe me.” If it was not clear then, it should have been. Whenever God’s word is not honored, distorted, or ignored, “Come out of her my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues” (Re. 18:4).
God is calling His own, there are stirrings of the Holy Spirit throughout the globe. Striking growth and remarkable revivals in Nepal, Uganda, Chili, and yes, China, where it is report every day 30,000 people accept Jesus as their savior. In London we have learned for every Anglican Church that closes, three Pentecostal churches are opening their doors. There are continuing reports from the Islamic world, where the gospel cannot be proclaimed, of thousand of Muslim’s having dreams of Isa (There name for Jesus), leading to their conversion. Such revivals, not some emotional distortion, but a sublime substantive move of God will, believe me break forth on this continent once again, for God is not finished with us. His Word will awaken, enabled by His Spirit, and God’s purpose will accomplished. It is the time tested and honored Gospel that will win those that are His own, even those now ensnared in “Babylon.”
It is He whom we really seek, and to whom we truly belong,
