Living in the Last Hour

Isaiah 5: 20 (NKJV) says, ” Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

AND – Many Christians and evangelicals and conservatives are condoning, and cheering on the chaos created by the elephant with a pompous arrogance.

I can think of two incidents in the Bible where evil was call good.

Eve and Adam – Genesis 3:6

1. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 

The Israelites – Matthew 27:15-26

• The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barab′bas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified.” And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified.”

Do you think these folks considered the consequences of their actions, in the moment? We know the answer to that question, but consider the significance of these two events. Today, everyone who believes in God, everyone who claims to be born again, saved, the layman, the preacher, the Sunday school teacher, the worship leaders, they have all taken a stance on the current state of our nation. It was not an overnight decision they made. Some are laughing at fellow believers that are protesting. Others are condemning them, wholeheartedly supporting ICE and Trump’s politics. Do you think these folks are considering the consequences of their actions, today? I can tell you with a high degree of certainty that they have not. The Bible tells me so. 

Most of these folks are conservatives. We know that conservative is a worldly identity, that upholds traditional views, or rather traditions of men. As are all political identities.

There are only two teams in this physical battle. Light and darkness. Good and evil. Believer and unbeliever. And God, sovereign and omnipotent, knows the heart of every man in this battle whether, engaged, on the sidelines or sitting on the bleachers. We think we know what team we are on, but only the Lord knows for sure. The Scriptures teach, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7: 13-14). 

 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! (Matthew 7:21-23)’ The Bible tells me so. 

Seriously, this scripture tells me that most pew warmers are on the wide path that leads to destruction. The truth hurts. The Bible says that, not I. I am just agreeing with it. But again, only God knows the heart of any man. And that’s what I trust in, that God can change the heart of any man. There’s a scripture that speaks to that truth.

Most Bible believing Americans have heard Revelation prophesies or know something about events that will take place in the End Times. Prophesy is something we kinda hear in the background but do not really give it much thought – until – it rams in our front door – like September 11 and COVID. Such events bring on instant fear. “The sky is falling!” “Repent, repent! The end is near.” We certainly have enough movies on the topic to scare the pants of anyone (saved or not) unfamiliar with the biblical narrative. 

Apocalyptic warnings often add to our existing anxieties, especially during times of crisis. These dire predictions can also exaggerate our fears, making it difficult to find reassurance in the promises of God, or even a sense of safety. I have always felt this country was safe, at least from foreign invasion. When the World Trade Center was attacked, my daughter was just fifteen years old. I was on my way to class, listening to the car radio when a news break come on. I was in total disbelief. No way was this happening. It had to be something minor, I thought. Why would anyone attack Americans. We are supposed to be the good guys.

The impact of that day reached into our home, affecting my daughter deeply. The devastation was unreal. That day, I was clinging to the words of then President Bush. A couple of nights after, my daughter woke from a nightmare, terrified. In her nightmare the country had been attacked again. Even though it was a nightmare, for her the fear real. It took a while to calm her down. That was not an easy task. I too found the reality of that day quite unsettling. I found myself grappling with the same fears.  In 2001, I had my faith, but I was in a different spiritual place.  The uncertainty of the times left me struggling to find ways to ease both her anxiety and my own. 

The social milieu today has many Americans in disbelief. First the twin towers (illegal) now the twin cities (legal). Just a couple of days ago, I was talking to young couple, not yet twenty-one years old, but committed to each other. They were not born yet when the World Trade Center was bombed. Just as the events of that day left me stunned, the violence in Minneapolis has left them stunned. The possibility of being confronted by trigger happy ICE agents they feel is a real threat. They have no reason to fear, yet reports of Americans getting dragged away, considered illegal first – is problematical. Everyone should be afraid. Growing up in the barrio, it was not uncommon to hear that “la migra” was coming, but to hear ICE is coming to your state, to your cities, to your community takes on a whole different meaning. Will the church be immune? After all, undocumented born again Christians attend church. Will their brothers and sisters in Christ hand them over to the torturers?

More later… in Part 2