Living in the Last Hour

A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart.
Proverbs 18:2 NKJV

Romans 13:11 “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

You held fast to your Father’s instruction. You played out your role as the dedicated Christian son. But your siblings chose a different road, would you not be angry? They demanded their inheritance so they could live wantonly, wasting their lives away. They decided to live a life of debauchery rejecting all the good things your Father had given to all? While your siblings were out in the world doing as they pleased, you stood by your Father and did all He commanded of you. Then one day, your siblings return, and your Father welcomes them with open arms and gives a huge celebration. Would you not be terribly upset? Your siblings were out doing who knows what, with who knows who, and now they return home, and Father gives them a party! I think that would try any good son.

The Prodigal Son: I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” Could this be a repentant heart?

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Is this not confession?

“But the father said to his servants, Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. Is this not grace?

Christendom is a mess. We are nowhere near the kind of Christian that Paul laid out in Romans 12. And I praise God that the body of Christ is not the visible church that we know. And praise God, for He knows our thoughts afar off. He knows if His children have a repentant heart. And He forgives before they even confess. God’s grace is God’s love for His children. Yet, that brother, that selfish brother who doesn’t believe that his siblings deserve anything from their Father will not extend that same grace to his siblings. He clings to his high morals, refusing to acknowledge that God would bestow His mercy on the undeserving. That selfish spirit is not from God. God wishes that everyone be saved. God’s grace is sufficient in all things. I read a statistic that found the main reason people leave the church is because of the hypocrisy. Let’s face it, the church building is a great place to play pretend “Christian.” Everyone plays along.

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” Matthew 15: 7-20

It’s like Jonah and his refusal to preach to the people of Nineveh. He didn’t feel they deserved God’s forgiveness.

Christendom is a mess. We are nowhere near the kind of Christian that Paul laid out in Romans 12. And I praise God that the body of Christ is not the visible church that we know. And praise God, for He knows our thoughts afar off. He knows if His children have a repentant heart. And He forgives before they even confess. God’s grace is God’s love for His children. Yet, that brother, that selfish brother who doesn’t believe that his siblings deserve anything from their Father will not extend that same grace to his siblings. He clings to his high morals, refusing to acknowledge that God would bestow His mercy on the undeserving. That selfish spirit is not from God. God wishes that everyone be saved. God’s grace is sufficient in all things. I read a statistic that found the main reason people leave the church is because of the hypocrisy. Let’s face it, the church building is a great place to play pretend “Christian.” Everyone plays along.

Romans 13 lays out how Christians should respond to all leaders. Still, Christians are entrenched in this war of the wills. It’s a spiritual ping-pong. The Bible tells us that leaders are placed in positions by God. If we are believers in Christ Jesus, if we believe that all Scripture is God-breathed, then we have to trust that everyone in office today was placed there, not by chance, but by God, for such a time as this (this = our life). Republican or Democrat, God, put that person in authority. God authorized it long ago. Scriptures tell us that no one seeks after God.

Believers have a little instruction book to guide their walk. Remember the Parable of the Ten Virgins? How many will be prepared?

There is so much deception in the church. Who are we to believe? There are different gospels. Some faiths do not acknowledge Christ that call themselves Christians, and no one seems to be bothered by it. I remember the year that Mitt Romney ran for president against Obama if I recall correctly. In talking to fellow Christians, all of them supported Romney, even though he was a Mormon.

Since I became a Christian, I was taught that the Mormon religion and Jehovah Witnesses are cults. And from what I gathered, support for Romney was based on his pro-life stance. It didn’t matter that he was a proponent of false religion. So, rather than vote for the democrat, they were content to vote for a member of a cult. So, it’s a write-off. And today, proponents of the prosperity gospel are taking the lead at leading souls down the wrong path. Choose you today, the best of two evils. With this constant compromising of biblical truths, it behooves us to recognize the voice of God.

Believers are at war, but it’s not against a virus. It’s not a battle for political control of any office. It’s not about pro-life or pro-choice. God has every day of our life numbered. It’s not about putting prayer back in the schools. This battle is not even against flesh. This battle is for the salvation of souls. It’s about putting prayer back in the home, back into the minds of men, that they may know that God is Lord over all. We have the tools. We have the knowledge. We have the Spirit of God to help us in our daily walk. Still, how many Christians use the resources provided by God?

Paul says in Ephesians 6 for believers to put on the Armor of God… “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

Seriously, no man, no law, can stop a man from praying. We hear the phrase game changer thrown around in different settings, but in the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ was the game-changer. Jesus Christ made all things possible.

Scripture says “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Romans 10:20
But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”
But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

I believe, as Christians, we need to remember who the real enemy is. Remember the 1968 Star Trek episode, Day of the Dove, where an energy force pits the Federation against the Klingons? This energy force feeds off emotions, and provides the weapons, manipulates the players.

There are Christians out there, speaking against false teachers and false prophets, false teaching, and such. And in His time, we are assured that God will separate the wheat from the tares.

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Be blessed.