“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this `coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men,” [2 Peter 3:3-7]
“Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief,” [1 Thessalonians 5:1-4]
For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved,” [2 Thessalonians 2:7-10]
Happy 236th birthday, America! And a happy 4th of July to all of you this Wednesday.
This weekend, we will be finishing our studies on the Old Testament Book of Jonah, and next weekend we will begin studying the Old Testament Book of Daniel. Daniel is a very significant book because it teaches Christians how to understand and interpret prophetic literature throughout the Bible. Many have tried to explain away the remarkable information recorded in the Old Testament prophets –without any success. Jesus Himself referred to the Prophet Daniel when talking about the sign of His coming and the end of the age [Matthew 24:3, 15]. But many have caused confusion and have tried to undermine the Word of God to give license to their own wicked desires. This shouldn’t surprise us. In the last days, scoffers will come, claiming that a global, catastrophic flood did not destroy the ancient world. They will claim that only backward and “anti-progressive” people will cling to the “myths” of Christianity. The spirit of lawlessness is already at work in the world, encouraging Christians to compromise the truth little by little so that the foundations of centuries-old denominations crumble and collapse –so that churches, once confident in the truth of God, question all things holy and become a tool of Satan rather than the saving vessel of God.
The Christian Church (Restoration Movement) has in its roots two very crucial Christian principles: Unity and Truth. We must never forget that we exist because of the Truth. The Church of Jesus Christ cannot exist –and certainly can no longer be called a church - if it forgets the Truth. The word, “church,” comes from an ancient Greek word that means “House of the Lord.” It came to mean the structure where Christians meet. But a more accurate description of who we are is the Greek word “ecclesia.” We see this world in the English word “ecclesiastical.” This word means, “Called out ones.” This has a two-fold meaning. It means that we have been called out to hear the Good News and we have responded to it, and it also means that we have been called out of the world and into the Kingdom of God. We belong to Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Evolution, by the way, is not science; it is religion. It is pseudo-science. It pretends to be true science, but it is just a classic example of how man has exchanged the truth of God for a lie –because it is very convenient to use this explanation of life to further excuse a godless lifestyle. And the masses have accepted the lie. Many are held in darkness, not even realizing that there is an alternative to the predominant teachings of academia. Evolution is just one facet of a many-faceted strategy of Satan to sway the masses away from eternal life into eternal death. Having listened to Satan as a teenager, I can tell you how clever and deceptive he is. However, he can’t do anything original. He’s a counterfeit. He’s not very original. Every “grand” and “miraculous” act of Satan is merely a cheap trick that copies what God can actually do. Satan’s power is very limited –though much greater than us. However, Greater is He who is in us than he who is at work destroying this world.
America is far from perfect, but as long as she embraced the Christian philosophy by which she was established, then she prospered greatly. But whenever she embraces the wicked teachings of men, then she ceases to be the America of her Founding Fathers. I recently heard a prominent atheist lecture on how the Founders were all “secularists” who “never intended for America to be religious in nature.” This is called “historical reductionism,” meaning that people are re-writing history to suit their own agendas, because anyone who reads the documentation surrounding the founding of this nation will come to the same conclusion that Congress came to while investigating this question in the mid-1800: The Founding Fathers intended the United States of America to be a CHRISTIAN NATION. They understood very well that so long as America remains Christian, then our government and freedoms would prevail. They also knew that America would cease to exist as soon as she exchanges the Truth of God for a lie. Even our current President acknowledged that America WAS a Christian nation when he stated that “America is no longer a Christian nation.” To make such a statement, by the way, is to fly into the Face of God and to force His Hand to remove His blessings from us. To make matters worse, “big brother” gets bigger and bigger as the days go by. The America that we currently live in certainly isn’t the America that our Founding Fathers created. Among us is the spirit of lawlessness that is at work in the world… and in our nation. Our Constitution, which very clearly appeals to God to sustain us, has been reinterpreted to uphold the very principles that the Constitution was trying to protect us from. It is only a matter of time before someone suggests that our government is too cumbersome and anti-progressive, and suggests a “better, hierarchal” government so that things can get done faster and so that people can get benefits better. But when government offers benefits, watch out. When we exchange freedom for greater “comforts” to make life “better,” it comes at a lethally expensive cost. Just ask any former-Soviet citizen how great it is to have government control everything for you… When Christian nuances are removed from government, life becomes very cheap… and many die.
The world desperately needs to exchange the lie that it has accepted for the Truth of God that brings eternal life. But the world will not see Truth if the Church is distracted from her mission. Imagine what would happen if all of God’s people in this country would repent, reject every lie of man, throw away every idol, ask forgiveness and plead for revival in America. Then, once again, we might be able to use our vast resources, the resources that God blessed us with, to bring the Gospel to the whole earth. We need God in America again. “If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under,” [Ronald Reagan].
On the Solid Rock we stand!
George