"We see, in many a land, the proudest dynasties and tyrannies still crushing, with their mountain weight, every free motion of the Consciences and hearts of men. We see, on the other hand, the truest heroism for the right and the greatest devotion to the Truth in hearts that God has touched. We have a work to do, as great as our forefathers and, perhaps, far greater. The enemies of Truth are more numerous and subtle than ever and the needs of the Church are greater than at any preceding time. If we are not debtors to the present, then men were never debtors to their age and their time. Brethren, we are debtors to the hour in which we live. Oh, that we might stamp it with Truth and that God might help us to impress upon its wings some proof that it has not flown by neglected and unheeded." -- C.H. Spurgeon . . . "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31, 32 . . . . .

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Saturday, July 13, 2013

The LAST DAYS of LAWLESSNESS – TIME of the SIGNS

By James Fire

THE KING THAT DWELLS OUTSIDE CHRONOLOGY –

The ETERNAL GOD is not subject to time or space, and therefore is well able to observe past, present and future events simultaneously and knows all things before they happen; whereas we who are creatures (both human and angelic) bound within the confines of the space/time continuum, when left to ourselves, see the present, remember the past, and can only guess at the future.

This is where the Holy Bible leaves all other religious books that claim authenticity as the works of Deity behind; the Scriptures audaciously speak of future events before they ever happen because the Author of these Scriptures has ‘been there, done that’.

ISAIAH 46:9-10
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:


God is the only One Who can make that boast. Earlier in ISAIAH the LORD taunts the false gods of the nations and challenges them to foretell the future (if they can!):


ISAIAH 41:21-24
21 Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. 22 Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. 23 Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. 24 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.


The fulfillment of biblical prophecy is a testament to the reality of the God of Israel Who is the Creator of the Universe. It’s a remarkable study to consider the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies regarding Jesus of Nazareth involving His First Advent, and of all the prophecies that surround the nation of Israel.

And there is far more yet to come, some of which is developing even now. For more on this, get the dvd entitled The Daniel Project (with Jacob Prasch of Moriel ministries.

Here is a 7 min 54 sec clip.

HOW PROFOUND AND PARAMOUNT IS PROPHECY –

Today we are seeing prophecy coming to fruition with such rapidity, that to keep up with all the events in news media (and cross referencing these with the Bible!) is quite the challenge. These are not ambiguous prophecies that mere chance would afford their fulfillment, but are very specific in their wording and clear in their meaning.

Regardless of what some (apostate) pastors might say regarding the study of, and prayerful watching for, Bible prophecy is very much our “business”! Keeping our hearts watchful for the Blessed Hope of the Return of Christ Jesus has a purifying effect on our conduct (1 JOHN 3:2-3
), thus the study of prophecy and watching prayerfully for His return has practical value of the highest sort.

Let us turn to a portion of Scripture that speaks of prophecy, but not just any sort; specifically eschatological prophecy, that is those writings in Scripture that have to do with the very last days in the world prior to the Second Coming of Christ.

THE CLOSING CHAPTERS OF ATROCIOUS HUMAN AUTOCRACY –

In MATTHEW 24 (and 25) we find such Scriptures that deal with eschatology (also MARK 14 and LUKE 21; Luke’s presentation however is a bit different in its perspective and has slightly different time differentials. John’s Gospel has an absence of this Olivet Discourse, but instead the LORD gave to him, The book of REVELATION); we covered this chapter before in TTUF, but we shall plumb the depths once again now.

The LORD Jesus foretold of the destruction of the Temple at the beginning of this chapter, and this quite naturally alarmed His disciples who knew their history. The last time that happened, it meant the ruin of the nation and the captivity in Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. The disciples asked then, when these things should take place, and the sign of the LORD’s coming and of the end of the age (“world”).

The very first thing that the LORD spoke on these matters is recorded in vs. 4:


MATTHEW 24:4-5
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.


Rank deception in all forms would be in the world during the time foretold by the LORD. Religious as well as political, and in the media, social, and academic spheres, deception will become rampant.
This sort of deception would be tied to, among other things, the various false Christs and false prophets that would appear on the scene.

The title of Christ (Messiah) is as much a political one as it is religious/spiritual; when Christ Jesus appears, He will rule as the rightful King of Israel and over the Gentile nations as well. Just as He is both the spiritual and political leader of Israel and the church, so too these false leaders would come from both religious as well as political arenas, most particularly prominent will be the Beast (as spoken of in Daniel and Revelation).

Ray Yungen, author of For Many Shall Come In My Name, pointed out that the “many” that will come in His name, saying “I am Christ” (MATT 24:5) could be speaking of people adhering to New Thought Spirituality and claims to possess ‘the Christ Consciousness’ and thus these groups encompassing whole populations of deceived souls would make such a bold and blasphemous declaration.

False prophets are going to come and increase in numbers (MATT 24:11,24) and we assume that these would come from a Christian or Jewish background; yet any one claiming to be a prophet is one who would speak on behalf of some deity or another and the New Spiritualists (Agers) have their rank and file of false prophets; they all speak of ‘the Christ’ who is coming, according to the ‘god’ that speaks to them.

These seducing spirits and doctrines of demons (1 TIM 4:1-2) have had their ideas recorded conveniently in books (and other media) via new age channeling by so many that have claimed to ‘hear from God’ from A. Bailey to Neale Donald Walsh.

Wars to various degrees from full scale to smaller armed conflicts is on the increase and so are rumors of such (MATT 24:6).

Nation against nation (MATT 24:7), kingdom against kingdom – not only conflicts of a political nature, but ethnic as well shall increase in violent upheavals (Note the many diagrams at this link, especially the one at Fig. 4). We can expect racial hatred and severe civil tensions to increase world wide, most notably among countries where a greater number of ethnicity are present (such as the ‘great melting pot’ that is America).

Famines also are present and escalating alarmingly (MATT 24:7); pestilences (diseases)* and earthquakes (and storms and bizarre phenomena in the atmosphere and on - and in - the earth) are all signs of the times foretold.

* “A U.S.-led team of scientists has developed the first definitive proof that emerging infectious diseases are increasing in number. The researchers, led by University of Georgia Professor John Gittleman, analyzed 335 incidents of disease emergence occurring since 1940.”


MATT 24:8 is the essential verse to understand the nature of all of these signs; obviously all of these different events have been occurring throughout history and these phenomenons are not significant in and of themselves, but the fact that they are increasing both in frequency and intensity is what this verse addresses. As a woman undergoing birth pangs, so these events would take place in such a manner, the Bible declares – and so they are!

Likewise we find that the persecution of God’s people, the saints, is on the increase. Be sure to visit TTUF’s own page Christian Persecution Alert for updated prayer needs for the saints in lands both distant and not so distant.

Watch this brief video on the issue of persecution of the church from Open Doors called The World Watch List.

We understand that Scripture speaks of a one world government (DAN 7:7-8; 19-20, 23-25) and a one world religion (REV 17:1-18; REV 18:1-24) and these agencies are also proceeding to coalesce into recognizable dual entities.

 From Mike Gendron of PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL ministries
The COMING ONE WORLD RELIGION



Indeed, everywhere we look, the Word of God is revealing to us that we are unquestionably living in the last days (this preceding link is provided by www.end-times-prophecy.org); the prophetic Scripture is ever clearer in diagnosing our current situation as well as recent events just past the horizon at our backs.

LAWLESSNESS AS OUR LETHAL LEGACY –

MATT 24:12 indicates that because iniquity (that is, lawlessness or rebellion) will increase, that the love of many will grow cold*. Due to the fact that so many false prophets and spiritual deceptions will be (and already are!) rampant, it must rightly be concluded that lawless rebellion against the Word of God, that is, rebellion by departing from and standing opposed to the Truth within the pages of the Holy Bible is the primary indication of this iniquity.

*The Word of God is sometimes represented by “water” (as in EPH 5:26); its interesting that the words “grow cold” refers to the process of cooling by evaporation - or the departure - of water (“of the Word”)!

This is ever so clearly demonstrated in the Emergent Church Movement which chaffs at the very notion of propositional, objective, knowable and absolute truth as found in the Bible!

(For excellent articles that expose the errors of this pernicious movement, visit Lighthouse Trails Research Project; you can access all of the links along the left side column under the title How Is The New Spirituality Entering The Church? and get informed if you’re not already. Also use the search engine at TTUF (as well as FROM the MIND of FIRE and The RED PILL Consortium and enter “emergent” to look at our own articles. Links to FMF and RPC can be found in the links section at the right hand column).


For a summary article that utilizes information gleaned from all articles on our sites, please have a look at this two part presentation: The EMERGENT CHURCH MOVEMENT: It's ROOTS, REALITY and RESOLVE - PART 1 and PART 2.

Apostasy is the word for this conduct (1 TIM 1:19, 4:1; 2 TIM 4:4; HEB 3:12; 1 PET 3:17)! And there is only one antid
ote for it! 

And because we as a nation are forsaking the God of the Bible, we are reaping the dire consequences (See PSALM 9:16-20; be sure to read this three page report from Last Trumpet ministries at the preceding link).
If we refuse to live in the liberty of Christ (GAL 5:1) as graciously provided by the Father, then we will live under the tyranny of man and the spiritual deception and subjugation of Satan!

Not only is there rebellion against the Word, and the Law of God Who is the rightful Ruler over all of creation, but lawlessness against the law of the land: in our case the Constitution which is premised in the Scriptures as the Standard for its just and liberating guidelines. The current President has gone on record as saying that this document “is deeply flawed”.

Not only our political leaders, but those who preside over the highest chairs of academia, such as this Georgetown University professor who speaks disparagingly of this priceless light of literary liberty; they likewise are advising Americans to forget about the Constitution!

Both the Bible and our Constitution clearly regard theft as immoral and yet there is increasing acceptance by the US population of the system of socialism, which is in effect ‘legal plunder’ that is, government via taxation coerces the citizens to provide for non-productive members of society, provide funds for programs they may not only find objectionable but utilized in the delineation of personal liberty, and bring productivity and prosperity to a grinding halt.


Socialism is a mechanism that has never brought prosperity wherever it’s been implemented; the only members of such societies that live prosperously are its leaders who were never voted into office, but appointed. 

This is stealing in Socialist-Style and it stands opposed to God’s Eighth Commandment: Thou shalt not steal.

We also observe rebellion in society as a whole, something that is celebrated; expressing opposition to those institutions as founded by the Word of God, such as marriage, and the family unit. 

Today ‘gay’ marriage is being accepted by Federal Law, and now that this has been ratified, it’s opened a Pandora’s box; discussions about the legitimacy of polygamy, pedophilia and even bestiality are increasing!

Self-centeredness, lying and deceit, promiscuity, violence and every other aspect of a rotting society is evident in America today; it reveals the heart of our nation that is quickly being corrupted so that the entire population is being affected (Our situation is not unlike that of Israel in the days of the prophet Isaiah; See ISAIAH 1:4-7).

The laws of nature as well from a scientific perspective are likewise being rebelled against; that is, those laws of nature as designed by our Creator are being challenged by brazen scientific endeavors that breach those Divinely appointed boundaries established by the Almighty.

Such unethical scientific practices as the utilization of brain stem cells for the curing of diseases – but too often at the expense of being harvested from aborted babies; at the article provided, there lists ten current scientific spheres that to one degree or another, challenges God’s Law!

Most alarmingly is the idea of trans-humanism! Watch this video!

We have thumbed our noses at God as our Creator, claiming He is not necessary for the existence of the universe; it would be offensive to the LORD to attribute creation to a false deity, but we have gone even further by teachings our children that no deity was even necessary. It just happened by random (lawless) chance!

For Scientific Facts and Evolution visit this incredibly information-wealthy site.

INHERITING THE WHIRLWINDS OF WICKEDNESS –

HOSEA 8:7 
7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

This nation, and indeed this world is striving to distance itself as much as possible from any traces of a godly heritage, removing the Ten Commandments from public schools (Socialist/Humanist propaganda centers) and society; also prayer and even any mention of God, let alone the blessed Name of the LORD Jesus Christ. With zealous vehemence school teachers and university professors are aggressively assaulting Christians who espouse a biblical world view. And this attack is by design!

Instead they are embracing evil and rebellion and plucking the cords of conscience from off their minds and hearts so as to be free from God and His Holy Standards of Law and Judgment (PSALM 2:1-3). They think that they can disregard the Holy One with impunity, without bringing upon themselves the repercussions of ruination. 


Yet the Word of God stands fast – they have sown to the wind, and they will reap the whirlwind.

This year (2013), as well as previous years we have seen incredibly powerful tornadoes . . . even in Europe, Russia and China – and witnessed their awesome powers of destruction. Yet these pale compared to the destructive power of sin and spiritual darkness; while humanity seeks a death-style of sin and rebellion, transgressing the will of the LORD in his lawlessness, there is no way we can escape the spiritual law of sowing and reaping!


ROMANS 6:23a
The wages of sin is death . . .


Not just physical death is addressed here, but spiritual as well, and not just death as we typically think of it, but death as in destruction, ruination, an irreparably damaged state of being; sin will bring about the death of relationships including marital (as in the sin of adultery), the death of enterprise (by underhanded and immoral choices of conduct), the death of physical well being (AIDS and other STD’s, alcohol and drug abuse), and so very much more.


EZEKIEL 18:4
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.


Sin has spiritual repercussions and this is why our “soul” dies, and not just our bodies. Sin is a spiritual condition of direct and intentional disobedience to the will of God. The LORD told Adam that the very day he would eat the forbidden fruit, he would die; and yet once he disobeyed God and ate the fruit – did he fall over dead?
No, he lived for hundreds of years afterwards. Yet the LORD told him that on that very DAY he would die! How? Spiritually: note the relationship humanity had with God after the fall of Adam (GEN 3:10); this indicates a change of heart, which since that day means a heart of desperate (“incurable”) wickedness (JER 17:9)!


JOB 4:8 
8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.


If one plants an orange tree, it would be unreasonable to expect apples to grow; likewise we cannot expect to “plow iniquity and sow wickedness” and experience no ill effects. We will inevitably harvest hellish and heinous consequences in real life fashion if we live our lives for ourselves alone, and not surrender both heart and life to the LORD in an attitude of humble repentance (See MATT 16:24-26; GAL 6:7-9; 1 JOHN 1:9).

See also: PROV 6:14; 22:8; ISAIAH 17:11; JER 12:13; JOEL 3:12-13

REVELATION 14:15-19
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.


These “last days” are typified by the state of lawlessness against God, which Satan is orchestrating, promoting and utilizing for his own purposes, namely to prepare humanity to utterly reject the God of the Bible and instead, receive another who is the Beast (JOHN 5:43), the son of perdition (2 THESS 2:3-12) and in so receiving both him, and his number (REV 13:16-18) will damn their eternal souls to perdition themselves.

Such is the spiritual climate in the 'wicked weather' that is changing before our very eyes; the land is indeed growing dark, just as our brother Tony Kiar observes in his article.


AT LAST!! THE END OF INIQUITY

The title of this, my article seems depressing, and yet there is also profound hope and encouragement to be found in it as well, for it speaks of another spiritual truth!

These are indeed the last days in which we find this world in a state of increasing lawlessness, but we also understand that the darkness, lawlessness, perversion, and rebellion of mankind that has been present since the beginning (but growing exponentially in these current generations) is in its FINAL and LAST DAYS!!

Though it is dark, and growing darker, we are living our lives in a state of expectation, for the Son-rise! Whether one’s eschatology supports a (commonly referred to) 'pre-trib' rapture (I prefer the term, pre-Daniel’s 70th week) or a mid-, post-trib or pre-wrath rapture, there is coming a day when the reign of sinful man and the greater reign of Satan ‘the Sire of the sinful’ will come to an end and be NO MORE!! For the LORD is returning to claim His own!


2 CORINTHIANS 4:14-18
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

PHILIPPIANS 3:17-21
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

2 PETER 3:12-14, 17-18
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

LUKE 21:27-28
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-18
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

REVELATION 11:15-16
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped God,

2 comments:

Tony Kiar said...

Jesus prevails and we are His; "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be you steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." "1 Corinthians 15:56-58) - Keep the faith! Praise the Lord

SparkleDiva said...

Wow! So powerful~ speaks to my heart and so thankful friends pointed me to this place. Our God is an awesome God and provides for our every need even for such a time as this!

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