The Bible makes it very clear that at least two things must happen before Jesus Christ returns for true born again believers:
1: A great falling away will have taken place. (This is already happening at an alarming rate, though we probably haven't seen anything yet compared to how drastic it will be by the time the anti-Christ is fully revealed!).
2: The anti-Christ will have been clearly revealed, (at least to some truly born again Christians).
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 (NKJV)
If you are a true born again Christian, and have been for any length of time, you are fully aware that we have been in a “falling away process” for quite some time. To do full justice to what God is speaking of regarding “falling away,” a book would most likely have to be written. I don’t feel prompted to write a book on the topic, but I do feel prompted to write a super-condensed “Readers Digest” version:
People who call themselves “Christians” will be walking in greater disobedience to Truth than ever before. Multitudes of "Christians" will be walking in great spiritual darkness - great spiritual compromise - great spiritual deception. In fact, multitudes of "Christians" will literally refuse to believe that the anti-Christ is actually the anti-Christ, at least for probably the first three and a half years from when he first rises to prominence, simply because they - along with the world - will be so desperate for "peace and safety" (which will include financial security - stability; and personal safety, which would dovetail with fear of possible global war - nuclear - biological - environmental - atmospheric annihilation).
This is the scary part. This is the sobering part. This is what the Holy Spirit wants addressed. Many who will consider themselves to be "Christians" at that time will find themselves left behind when Christ returns for His Bride, while those who made themselves ready will be taken. (See: Matthew 24:40-44; 25:1-13). One assumes their will be people who will give their lives to Jesus Christ after that, and of those who go through great tribulation, many will be greatly persecuted and put to death by refusing to renounce Jesus Christ, while many others will buckle and do whatever is demanded of them of the anti-Christ to "save their hides." Revelation 3:10 suggests to me that God may provide some sort of divine protection for certain ones walking in obedience and purity to the Lord, perhaps once the anti-Christ is revealed, though I don't claim to have full understanding or accurate revelation of how this will all play out.
You may well have your theology right (correct revelation, in other words) about the rapture (the return of Jesus Christ for his true Bride alive on Earth at that time, in other words), the anti-Christ, the great tribulation, but if you are walking in deception and/or compromising sin … you may not be in the category of the "five virgins who had their lamps full of oil" when Christ returns. (See: Matthew 25:6-8). In fact, you may not even make it to heaven! God may very well allow you to go through some tribulation you will wish you never had to go through, and you may end up even losing your salvation, if you ever were truly saved - truly born again - in the first place.
Today is the day you need to stop compromising your relationship with God, and get ruthless with your disobedience to Truth – not tomorrow. Whenever you are reading this … tomorrow may be too late for you.
Yep – I know this is supposed to be a Ministry Encourager - not a fire and brimstone “doom and gloom, holier-than-now” message. Well, it is an “encourager.” I feel impressed of the Holy Spirit to encourage everyone reading this to stop compromising with sin, and begin immediately striving for a state of sinlessness (holiness; righteousness; purity in alignment with New Covenant Truth) as quickly as you CAN!
Will any of us attain a perfect state of sinlessness prior to the return of Jesus Christ, at least for any reasonable length of time? No. We’re deceiving ourselves if we think we will. However … there are sins that too many “Christians” are committing, and they don’t even believe they are sins. That is what the Holy Spirit is addressing in this “Encourager.” Recognize sin when it is sin, then do whatever is necessary to get lasting victory over it!
Secondly, multitudes of “Christians” have been taught, or they have just come to believe, that when we confess our sins to God, our slate is whipped cleaned, and we don’t have to think about it any further … at least until we commit the very same sin again.
That’s what the Holy Spirit is saying that multitudes of Christians have and are in ever greater measure “falling victim to.” They are falling away from righteousness -- falling away from obeying all of God's New Covenant Word. They are walking in less and less holiness – less and less obedience to God - to Truth. God wants those who truly belong to Him to start judging themselves unlike ever before, and settling once and for all what God’s clear instructions are regarding sin – disobedience – spiritual compromise. Call sin "SIN!" as the Bible calls it, then deal with it as the Bible SAYS to deal with it, which is to confess it and FORSAKE it. Stop committing that same sin over and over.
When we sin as Christians, God says the first step is to confess our sin to Him. However, there is a second step that more and more “Christians” are refusing to believe has any merit – any importance in the equation. What is this second step? Getting ruthless with that sin by putting it to death, once and for all! That is called TRUE repentance.
Confess and repent by forsaking. Confess to God means to admit we have done wrong to Him, and then repent. Repent means ruthless determination to NEVER commit that sin ever again … and keep hammering away (persisting) until God has given us power (His grace) to say “No!” to the temptation to give place to that sin whenever the temptation arises again.
Okay – reality for many. When I’ve asked God to help me from giving into my sin, and I end up committing that sin anyway … what’s the deal, God? Why didn't you remove my temptation?!
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13
God does not promise us that He will remove our temptation in the above. That is not what God is saying. He is saying that He will provide a way of escape from our temptation, so we'll be able to refuse giving into our temptation.
God will always provide a way of escape when we ask and trust Him to when we are tempted to sin. The problem is that we refuse His way of escape and then try to tell ourselves He didn't do what He promises. The fact of the matter is ... we simply are insensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and refuse to recognize that our flesh is doing our leading.
Try this weapon (way of escape) the next time you are tempted to sin, and you want a way to escape from the temptation. Promise God you’ll go on a fast to break the power of that temptation … and you’ll fast indefinitely until you know that you know that you know that the power of that sin is broken off your life. Are you willing to do that? If you aren’t … don’t call God a liar and try to convince yourself that 1 Cor. 10:13 doesn’t work. When you’re asking and praying and trusting and confessing doesn’t seem to be getting the job done … there is still the weapon of fasting that God makes available to us. But the weapon of fasting sometimes only will work when we’ve gotten determined enough to fast as long as is necessary to see that stronghold/s completely broken off our lives.
That is where God desires Christians to arrive at: to the place of determination where they desire to have total victory over every temptation to sin that knocks on their door.
However … here’s the problem in attaining that goal. If you don’t recognize sin when you’re committing it, you won’t apply yourself to get ruthless with it. Secondly, confession of that sin doesn't mean it's over, said and done with. Ruthless determination to FORSAKE that sin so we never fall to temptation when it returns and again knocks on our door is every bit as important as confessing it, and asking forgiveness for it.
Do you know that masturbation is a sin? Statistics say that most likely, over 50% of the people reading this will tell me masturbation is not a sin. Yes it is. If you consider yourself to be a “Christian” and you are not seeking God to get victory over masturbation … I’m here to tell you that you either don’t care to get victory over it, or you have been caught up in some very common deception that is growing at such an incredible rate that can only be defined as staggering.
Read what revelation God has imparted to brother Steve and his wife regarding masturbation. Read the statistics Steve has regarding this area of sin …. IN CHRISTIANS! It is alarming on a MAJOR scale! Where you aware that Masturbation is actually idolatry. Idol worship is forbidden in the 10 commandments. In the New Testament it is also clearly a sin. (If you care to receive greater revelation and understanding into this matter, I would highly recommend reading Steve's eye-opening book: At The Altar of Sexual Idolatry. Multitudes have received help for their addiction to masturbation and pornography by reading this book, not to mention victory over other sexual sins as well.
Okay … enough for now. I realize this is heavy and I pray that you won’t allow the devil to never read one of our Ministry Encouragers ever again.
Saints … here is what the devil does NOT want you to believe. Jesus Christ is coming back for a spotless bride … not a blemished, compromising whore. God is asking each of us exactly what kind of Bride do we truly want to be for Jesus. A Bride that demands her right to cheat before she is married … and worse yet, a Bride that demands her right to keep cheating after she has married?
And again ... don't think I'm trying to say that we will attain sinless perfection before Christ's return, and/or before we die. That is NOT going to happen. One way or another, we all will be sinning from time to time, either in faithlessness, prayerlessness, pride, compromise, apathy - sins of that nature. But ... it is entirely possible to attain victory over all sexual sins, if we are willing to pay the price and dig in with God to help us conquer our sinful flesh. Many can testify that it is possible.
Ask yourself this very sobering question. Do you want God answering your prayers, or does it not matter any more? Are you aware that to get your prayers answered in an ever increasing manner, you need to walk in ever greater obedience to God? To walk in greater obedience to God, you need to get absolutely ruthless in your relationship with God regarding sin issues.
One “little insignificant sin” in our eyes may be the whole reason you and I will not receive healing from God when we desire it. One “little insignificant sin” in our estimation may be the difference between God giving you a Godly husband or wife, a rewarding job (any job at all!), a rewarding - fruitful ministry, release from prison, adequate finances, deliverance from oppression, divine protection … the list of blessing and favor from God can go on and on.
Am I being way too extreme in all this? I’ll let God be the judge of that. I hear God telling me personally that we are moving into end-times much quicker than what many of us care to realize. Furthermore, none of us know when our “rapture” is going to be: NONE! None of us know when our heart will beat its last beat. Do we want to enter eternity knowing we are doing everything we are capable of doing to walk in maximized obedience to the Word of Truth (Bible Truth wisely applied) … or do we want to skate into heaven just by the skin of our teeth … saved, BUT AS BY FIRE … or worse yet, missing heaven entirely?
Not me anymore. I would rather be accused of trying to be too obedient to the Word of Truth than compromising the Word of Truth … and demonstrating with ACTION that I mean it. Anything less is trampling the grace and generous mercy and goodness of God.
"Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left." - Matt 24:40-41
"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him." - Matt. 24:44
Some of you reading this are not ready. Start getting ready today. Tomorrow may be too late for you. In light of eternity ... you'll be thankful you did!
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