Living in the Last Hour

Part 2

Crises situations often and quickly lead to conspiracy theories, prophetic Babble/Babel, blame game, and lots of rhetoric.

Biblical prophesy is clear on three events that Christians will experience. Yes, there are more but here I only point out these three. Christians will suffer persecution. Few Christians will travel the narrow road. Many will be turned away because they did not do the will of the Father. And no amount of prophesying, performing miracles, or driving out demons will save anyone who does not do the will of the Father.

Living through Sept 11 and a pandemic taught me some valuable lessons. First, these days, (911 we relied on print and news media for info) social media is our first go to place for information, everybody and their brother on social media seem to be experts on the law, not just constitutional, state and local and biblical law. I know a few Christians familiar with various conspiracy theories, and some that also believe them to be true. Second, I found, in times of crisis, prophets rise quickly. They come out of the wood work. Their audience grows during these times. Let’s not forget, fear of the mark of the beast rears its ugly head too. Then, the blame game takes on new direction. Everyone over there is to blame. It’s their fault. Liberals, democrats and progressive Christians are ruining America. Republicans are taking the country backwards. President Obama was blamed for destroying Christian values. My Christian friends were very critical of the Obama administration. Folks, or trolls on Facebook enjoyed taking pokes at Biden’s mental state. The evangelical cry “America has lost its moral compass.” The battle cry? “America return to God.” It gets more rhetorical with every event. It is shameful. It is not surprising that the gospel has lost that loving feeling. 

Blaming others is what Christians do best. Eve started that tradition. Recall in Genesis, Eve blamed the serpent. Adam blamed the woman. In Texas, Christians blame democrats for everything that is wrong with this state and this country especially the rise in crime by immigrants. It was “them” who opened the flood gates to immorality by passing laws that contradict God’s laws. The apostle Paul said “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being (1 Corinthians 10:23-24).” Just because alcohol is legal does not mean anyone has to partake of it. But…

I will not forget that Christians were quick to jump on the bandwagon blaming China for the virus. Yes. It did start in China and it was delivered here by boat. When I heard some mention that the COVID vaccine was somehow the mark of the beast. I was like, OK. ? Another voice said that the vaccine was inserting a chip into our bodies. ? The time in quarantine gave me a lot of time to do research on different things, and study the Scriptures. I had friends claiming the COVID vaccine was more harmful to the body than the virus. Christians that believed the various conspiracy theories of stolen elections celebrated the assault on the U.S. Capital. Their president was supposed to win because some prophet from the halls of YouTube had said God told him so. Christians have turned American democracy into a circus. Seriously, I don’t think they want to live in peace. I think they “Christian and evangelicals, do not like equal rights for all. The warning does say, if you hear “Peace and safety!” sudden destruction comes upon them like a pregnant woman in labor. As far as the Scriptures go, well, this is a capitalistic nation. It’s all about making money and chasing the American Dream. How many American Christians have abandoned the truth of the Scriptures for the world and all its lusts, the lust for power and control, over the purpose of the gospel. Even words, fiery arrows, are part of the evangelical arsenal. Just like the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of heresy, so do Christians accuse those that do not share their “political views.”

I believe there are more folks in church that may not be truly saved, but are comfortable with their status. But again, only God knows the heart of any man and He can change a man’s heart. The Scriptures certainly say as much. When it comes to sharing the gospel and leading people to salvation, John 3:16 is a well quoted verse. The subsequent verses not so much and they are too significant to simply gloss over or ignore. 

vs. 16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

vs. 17: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. And what are evangelicals doing but condemning everyone that does not look, or think, or believe as they do.

 vs. 18: Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This verse is clear.

vs. 19: This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Christians seem to support all the chaos created by the current administration and they have no problem reconciling their support with the old Law rather than loving others as we love ourselves.  

A couple of night ago, as I prayed to my Lord, with heaviness of heart I released all my trials, concerns, fears, and desire to respond negatively to the evil forces that are terrorizing men, women and children. It is tiring to carry the burdens of others, but we are commanded to so (Galatians 6:2). Supporting fellow believers in prayer, encouragement, and whatever way the Lord leads is not burdensome. On the other hand, it can become burdensome during trying times because we don’t know what the Lord is doing, only that He is doing something. So praying for our leaders gets sticky. 

No matter how much I pray for the man in the big house, for wisdom, and guidance, his actions suggest otherwise. My prayer has progressed to praying that he will grow a heart, compassion, a conscience, still he continues to seek his own glory, but the Lord’s will be done. And many of his supporters are fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The pastor at this church we recently started attending, I think it was on a Wednesday night service joked about the president’s actions often being unpredictable. You never know what the guy is going to say or do any given morning when he wakes up. Which is true. But he believed that the guy had done some good things that he agreed with. I thought, “Like what?” Funny, not funny.

Depending on whose doctrine we lean on for biblical interpretation we are on one side of the fence or the other. There is no doubt about it. I take comfort in the warnings of Matthew 24.“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.”

These days it is hard to make sense of what is going on in our country. Spiritually, I am persuaded that the Lord is calling out His people, but seems few have ears to hear, as many Christians spew out hate rather than extend mercy and the grace of a loving God. Sadly, some of these Christians are family and friends. In prayer and daily I ask God for His peace. I am like “Lord, where is the love of God? Where is Jesus? I do trust God through times of chaos and confusion and in times of peace. Still, the times are disturbing. After a long night of praying, and casting all my burdens on Him, in the morning, I felt His peace and reassurance that He had all this ugly mess under His control.

The following night, as I prayed for family and friends, for God’s people, for leaders, I prayed for direction, for confidence to stand for righteousness. I was compelled to write this long narrative. I can’t wait to get to the end. Ecclesiastics 3 says to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.

Vs. 7-11 “There is a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”

The days where we call evil good and good evil are upon us. What brought us to this point was/is pride and arrogance – disobedience – turning away from the living God. Today, it is the collaborative actions of popular Christian leaders and the world that have defined what is good. It would be like the Pharisee and the Roman government agreeing that the adulterous woman had committed a crime deserving of death. Jesus would be the bait. Today we are witnessing what many Christian Americans are defining, as good. It is good that illegal immigrants are being ripped out of our communities, sacrificing anyone and everyone that interferes or even using them as bait. The issue is not immigration. Immigrants’ legal and illegal have always been in this country. Their contributions are evident. The issue is the inhumane treatment that fellow humans are experiencing to satisfy the fears of those who feel threatened by the foreigner. 

more later… coming in Part 3