Don't Let Imminency Create Complacency

People have asked me lately about what I think they should be doing with the time God gives them here on Earth. Specifically, they pose this question in response to the assertion that the fulfilment of some major end times prophecies are imminent.

First, it doesn't matter what I think. You should take that up with God in prayer. Let Him show you His will for these urgent times we're living in. Furthermore, the best advice I can give is don't let imminency create complacency.

What do I mean by that?

Well, if we are indeed in the period of Revelation 1-3 right now, then the Holy Spirit is speaking to the churches. What I have been hearing the Spirit say now for months is that it's time to return to the fundamentals. Mainly, we need to practice faith.

Oops, there's those "F" words. I know that in today's contemporary Christian churches it's not "cool" for anyone to be a "fundamentalist" or to exhibit true "faith" because that's politically incorrect. We're supposed to be about seminars and self-help courses, but not about Bible Study and prayer groups. Silly me. What was I thinking?

Yet, it's precisely the fundamentals that we need to spend our time on right now. We need to know what it is we believe and put that belief into action. Prayer, reading the Holy Bible, exercising your faith, and demonstrating belief in God's role in our day-to-day lives. That's what we need to be about and focus our attention on.

But it's so much more than just returning to the fundamentals. As mentioned, Revelation 1-3 is written to the churches of this day and age. It got me thinking about another critical component to this discussion.

I've written often about my desire to find fellowship with family members and friends (anyone in the flesh and blood at this point who's within my own little sphere of influence here) who see the hand-writing on the wall and believe as I do about us being in the midst of the last days that Bible prophecy speaks of.

Sadly, I don't find anyone in my immediate or extended family who fits this description. Worse, you won't find anyone at our church who could fit that role either because just like many other churches across this country, they don't spend the time talking about prophecy let alone Jesus' return as they should. Where's the eager anticipation? Where's the passion? Where's the urgency?

What I'm left with is a nagging desire to find flesh and blood fellowship. That's why I'm so grateful for this ministry and its community of believers. Without those of you who engage and interact with me by leaving comments and sending emails (even if I don't respond to them all the time or don't agree with them! HA) I am encouraged by it all. More on that in a moment.

Does it sound to you like the things written in Revelation 1-3 are a dismantling of the entire religious system calling itself "Christianity" today? It should sound like that. People "go to church" because that's what people have done for generations, but where are the people who have stopped to ask why? Why does the Bible tell us to assemble together? To encourage one another. Does the Bible say we assemble together so your "leader" can encourage us? No, it doesn't. It says it's so we can encourage each other.

With that being said, let's dissect a typical "service" shall we? When you show up to get "serviced" by your hired hand, what happens? You are expected to be silent while the hired hand speaks. He does all the talking, you do all the listening. If you were to try to say anything (except shout "AMEN!!!") you would be promptly escorted to the door.

The Bible does not say anything about "going to church" ANYWHERE. It says we (not your hired hand clergy) should assemble ourselves together for the express purpose of encouraging one another -- period. As Brother D wrote, "That is a rapier through the heart of the babylonian system masquerading as Christianity today."

Hebrews 10:25 -- "Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near" (emphasis mine)

In a sense, so-called "Christianity" today is a fraud. How sad is that? I love God and I know you love God, but when you stop and think about it for a moment how can this not be the case? I mean, we've already seen that there will be MANY PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS who will be told to "depart" from Jesus (Matthew 7:23) -- by Jesus Himself! We also know from the Book of Revelation that this is precisely the state that Christianity will be in during the end times. So, why is it so hard for us to accept that this is where we are today?

What is fraud? It's promising one thing and delivering another, or nothing at all. That's interesting indeed because it also reminds me of ANOTHER passage of Scripture that gives us a glimpse of what it will be like in the end times:

2 Timothy 3:1-5 -- "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (emphasis mine)

Having a form of godliness, but denying its power is fraud. So-called "Christianity" advertises itself to the world as a the "Body of Christ". It presents a "form of godliness" to the world, but when the world probes it, they find that "Churchianity" has no real power any more. Why does it lack power? Read the list in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 again.

Back to this "form of godliness" stuff. What does it mean to "deny the power thereof"? In order to answer that question, we have to ask, where does the power in true godliness come from?

FAITH, FAITH, FAITH!!!

There it is again -- same theme, different day. Faith is what affirms the power in our form of godliness. If you don't really believe, if you don't really have faith, you deny the power in the very form of godliness you profess.

So, we've now looked at two three specific sections of the Bible that all prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that we're on the cusp of the beginning of the Tribulation just as we've suspected for quite some time now. It's imminent for sure.

Now, let's recall the importance of faith as it relates to the Rapture. I once suggested (after seeing Brother D lay it out so clearly and concisely) that whether or not we are "counted worthy to escape the things to come" depends solely on whether or not we believe we need to follow that command to pray that prayer. I mean, if we don't believe that there's a literal "escape" then we wouldn't follow Jesus' simple command. If this "escape" is, in fact, the Rapture then it all comes down to being an issue of faith. No, this is not a salvation issue, but an escape issue. I believe this solely pertains to the coming Rapture so please don't try to suggest that I'm somehow saying that our level of faith determines whether or not we're saved and get to go to Heaven -- I'm not. Anyway, this issue of faith is an important one especially given this whole Shavuot/Pentecost Rapture possibility.

At this point, let's start to wrap things up by revisiting what I think is the only advice I can give aside from take it to the Lord in prayer. I said that we can't let imminency create complacency. In other words, just because we know what's about to flood the world any day now doesn't mean we ignore our daily responsibilities or our role as Christians in a fallen world tasked with leading the lost to Jesus Christ.

Most people live their lives out day-to-day never even thinking of the "big picture" issues until something really bad happens. It's a fact of life -- humans get complacent. I've certainly been guilty of that myself from time to time. The really bad things are "paradigm changers" in that they force people to think "big picture" at least temporarily. Most of the time its takes something on the order of death, divorce, etc. to get people to sit down and ponder what really matters to them in this life. Yes, ok, what's the point?

The point is, take a look at the world around us because it's full of paradigm changing issues. When news first broke about the "Flu Pandemic" it was pitched as a real threat to all of humanity, which might've just forced some people to think, "Hmmm, maybe I should account for my life today before tomorrow comes in case I'm not here anymore..." The mainstream media pumps a non-stop deluge of bad news on the population, but what the enemy and his agents mean for harm, our God can use for good.

What happens when all the fear peddling by the propaganda arms of the dark forces in this world cause men to turn to Jesus Christ instead of to the man of sin as they intended? Well, that is happening, on a small scale mind you, but it is happening.

The point is, with everything going on around us, we should pay heed, we should grasp the "big picture" today. All the fear peddling in the world, so far, has been non-event after non-event, but if you read the Bible you will see that the fear being peddled today has real substance in the future. In fact,

Luke 21:26 -- "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."

These "false alarms" should be viewed as a "final wake up calls" from a God who loves the world so much that He is desperately trying to get its attention and force them to look to Him before it's too late.

That, in turn, reminds me of another passage:

Hebrews 11:7 - - "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." (emphasis mine)

We have been warned just like Noah was warned of things not seen as yet. Notice the wording above -- "moved with fear" and "heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

Here we go again! There's that familiar word "faith" again. By faith, Noah was moved with fear of things not seen as yet, but he knew they were coming.

I believe we are at a crossroads today that is briskly dividing people, and splitting the road into the narrow and the broad. You can't sit on the fence or the sidelines any longer. Each time the media pumps people with fear-filled stories and nothing happens to them personally, the "cry wolf" syndrome hardens them a little more, to the point where someday, when the real events are right in their face up close and personal, they still won't believe what they are experiencing.

All of us, through faith, are already moved with fear like Noah was, but we're not ruled by a spirit of fear because that would be sinful. No, it's more like a mere acknowledgement that we know the evil is there, and we know it's coming sooner rather than later.

Knowing that the things promised will come to pass just as written is what should motivate to do all we can to bring glory and honor to God -- TODAY!!!. Everything we are seeing today, each event is a harbinger of "coming attractions" that have not arrived just yet, but their billboards are up saying and their all flashing "COMING SOON!"

Unfortunately, it will be a movie unlike anything you've ever witnessed before. Plan your "escape" by praying that you're counted worthy as we're commanded to in Luke 21:36, otherwise, you'll be dragged along with all your unbelieving family and friends to see the making of this horror flick.

Warnings, warnings, and more warnings. They're everywhere! In a time of universal lies and deceit, what can people do? Return to the basics. Read the Bible for yourself, seek God's face, pray, have faith, believe. This world is falling apart, thick darkness covers mankind, and yet "churches" dot every corner of the world's landscape. The darkness that covers the Earth today is the evidence that what is calling itself "Christianity" is anything but. So-called "Christians" are everywhere, and yet mankind is more arrogant, self-centered, deceitful than ever.

How do you reconcile that? If you turn on a light in a dark bedroom, the darkness MUST flee, it doesn't get to choose whether or not it leaves. I don't see much darkness fleeing in today's world which means what's calling itself light must have no light. Again, this is because of "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof..." because believe me -- there is a divine power to be found in godliness if we'd only choose to honor Him and His Word.

(SOURCE: Christian Apostasy / April 2009)

RECOMMENDED READING:
The Restrainer And The Rapture

Posted in: America In Prophecy,Four Horsemen,How Close Are We?,Prophecy Basics,Rapture,Seven Seals,Spiritual Deception,Why Study Prophecy?