Two nights ago I waited on the Lord and asked Him to speak to me . He told me “don’t look back, like Lots wife”
I live in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. While the rest of my country has quashed covid-19, here in Melbourne it is running amok amongst the community and the aged care facilities. We are suffering under the weight of heavy restrictions that are costing jobs, hope and lives. What they don’t advertise is the number of suicides as a consequence of our second lockdown in a few months. Today our state government will be announcing stage 4 restrictions. I don’t know what that will mean for our jobs, my kids education etc. But I know my God and I know He is faithful. I trust Him and I praise Him anyway.
Why Melbourne? Why are we facing such a heavy judgement. Of all states in Australia Victoria is the most wicked. We are the only state where late term abortion has been legal for many years, where there is a safe injecting room, where Christian Religious Ed has been outlawed in public schools, where it is now legal to change your gender on your birth certificate with no surgery required. This is allowed even up to once per year! The only state where medical marijuana is legalized, euthanasia became legal one year ago….the list goes on. God has to judge, our wickedness is heaped up to the heavens and there is an outcry against our state.
As the Body of Christ He is trying to get our attention. He is separating us from every thing in this world that we cling to, rely on, trust in. As we see His judgment upon our own city unfold before our eyes we must listen to Him and let go of everything of the world and cling only to Him. He is our only hope now, our refuge , our strength in times of trouble. We must not “look back”, long for, the things of the world that have for so long captured our hearts .
“With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”
16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
Little children deliberately crushed in the streets of France by a truck driven by an Islamic terrorist and still our leaders and media spew forth leftist social platitudes and political correctness! Kids, think about it, children killed in another Islamic terrorist attack and STILL our leaders will NOT use the words “Islam(ic)” or “Muslim”. Poor kids, they deserve better than that. How many more of our kids will be laid on the altar of political correctness before anyone actually does anything?
The French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, actually said:
“Times have changed and we should learn to live with terrorism.”
Really? That’s what it’s come to now?
Just give up and learn to live with terrorism, oh people of the West. Just give up and learn to live without your little child who was crushed in the street oh Mum and Dad.
It sounds to me like surrender. (I wonder what it sounds like to a potential jihadist?)
And surrender of course it is.
How do we fight a war that we cannot admit even exists?
How do we face up to the threat posed by Islam if we cannot admit the motivation behind these attacks in the first place?
You know the standard line we hear after every single terrorist attack: “police are searching for a possible motive…”; “He was possibly gay”; “His marriage broke up and he was depressed” …Hmmm, what could possibly be the motivation…? Here’s a clue : the Nice terrorists’ name is Muhammed Lagouaiej Bouhlel and he screamed “Allahu Akbar!” whilst driving into the crowd.
Every time someone actually drops the politically correct charade for a moment and admits the truth of the fact that Islam is NOT a religion of peace, they are apparently “playing right into the hands of the rhetoric of Isis”.
Well newsflash:
An act of war is declared when little children are crushed on our city streets by a truck!
I am sorry but the hash tags just don’t cut it anymore.
#JeSuisCharlie didn’t stop Islamic extremists from killing again in Paris, or in Nice.
#JeSuisNice wont stop the next one either.
But of course, France was surrendered, or rather betrayed, long ago by its leaders.
“Europe has become Eurabia as a result of France and Germany’s bargain with the devil as far back as the days of the 1974 OPEC oil embargo. In order to keep the flow of oil, agreements were made with the Arabs, which always included provision for mass immigration of North African and Arab populations into Europe. French leadership even allowed for the incorporation of Arab educational standards for French schools particularly in teaching of the Crusades, Islam and the Holocaust.” (Pastor Bill Randles, The Greatest Betrayal Ever Seen..France/Europe)
The Islamists/jihadists/terrorists know that France, and in fact, Europe, are toothless tigers. Of course France and Europe will condemn these acts and speak very harshly against them. But that’s it. After all, they need oil.
So once again we are forced to endure the nauseating calls for tolerance, unity and love.
A local reader of The Age newspaper put it very well:
“There is something soothing in Paul McGeough’s declaration of Western impotence on terrorism (“Nice attack: There’s little leaders can do about the carnage”, 15/7, The Age). We are reassured by the thought of our inaction being validated. Similarly the “lone wolf” narrative helps us deal with our disbelief at any concerted attempt to kill innocents, or in any need for reform within radical Islamism. After all, “it’s just a mad man” and “who are we to criticise other cultures?”
If we delude ourselves into believing this, then we guarantee a soul numbing pattern of death and terror. Almost by definition, there is no hope of a decline in terror without an abandonment of this despondently apathetic outlook and cowardly refusal to confront the growing contradictions of our “tolerant even of intolerance” society.”
“The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning the world upside down. Our Master expects us to accomplish results, even if they bring opposition and conflict. Anything is better than compromise, apathy, and paralysis. God give to us an intense cry for the old-time power of the Gospel and the Holy Ghost!” A. B. Simpson
Jesus said that we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. As society continues on its rapid descent into darkness the church is called to be salt in the earth, a preserver from evil. But we also are to be a light in the darkness – a place to where people are drawn away from evil and unto good. The thing is, because this world, its value systems and philosophies, is so quickly changing into a post-Christian mind-set, Christians are often seen as the enemy rather than the light. We are the enemies of progress, enemies of other religions, enemies of certain groups of people, such as homosexuals.
Is this right? Should this be the case?
Today Christians have to contend with issues that were never mainstream issues years or decades ago in a society based on Christian values. Today we are post-modern and post-objective truth. Thus what was unacceptable years ago – adultery, fornication, porn, divorce, abortion, homosexuality, occult practices – is now acceptable. It even may be argued that we have gone beyond mere acceptance and that these practices are now actively promoted.
In response to the post-Christian world around us one tends to find that Christians generally go one of two ways: They either accept society’s evolving standards, deny the truth, and be perceived as loving, (the “light”), in order to try to save some; or they go the other way and become so angry at the changing world and the fact that other Christians have denied the truth that they dismiss grace and preach the truth but with no love (the “salt”).
The thing is, we need to be both light and salt. We need to find the balance of grace and truth.
Okay, so this is what I can make of it: We absolutely, resolutely need to remain faithful to the truth of God’s Word. To change His Word, to dismiss parts of it, to pick and choose the easy bits is just not an option. What this world needs more than ever is clear, decisive, objective truth. As this world is decaying we need to be the salt that slows the corruption. We need to either take all of His Word or none of it. We can’t have it both ways. We need to be resolved because we will be tested on this time and again. Know that if you are going to stand by the truth of God’s Word then at times you will be perceived as sounding harsh, unloving, intolerant. For a Christian to just simply speak the truth now is an act of hate. And here’s the worst bit: Most Christians feel the same. (Generally speaking) Christians now, rather than denouncing the sinful acts, denounce the preacher who is denouncing the sinful acts.
But…..and this is a big BUT…. It all comes down to the state of our heart. As Christians we need to understand this. There is no point preaching the truth, or trying to live by the truth of God’s Word if our heart is not right.
I have seen preachers, street-preachers, Christians who seem to hate the people they are trying to save. They are so angry at them. They yell, they point their fingers at them. “It’s God righteous anger” they say. Well, maybe it is, but let me ask you this: are you so full of the Holy Spirit that you are absolutely, positively sure it is God’s anger and not your own that you’re venting?
Are we angry at our son, our daughter, our sister, our friend because of their sin? Because they haven’t done what we want them to do? Are we angry at the world for changing around us?
As we stand for the truth are we full of spiritual pride because we are right and they are wrong?
Have we let a religious or a legalistic spirit take hold of us?
Listen my friends, this is really important as we stand for the truth of God’s Word. Because sinners know. They know I tell you. They know if you hate them. They know if you are angry. THEY know if your heart is not right.
They know the anointing of the Holy Spirit too. They don’t know what to call it but they see it and feel it.
They feel the difference between someone who is telling them the truth because the love of God constrains them to and someone who is telling them the truth because they have a religious spirit.
God sent me two homosexuals the very first night I street-preached. These two young men mocked me at first, they kissed in front of me (shock horror!), they laughed at me. But God loved those boys. His love shone through me to them and they stayed with me for one and a half hours. I told them the truth. I told them what they are doing is an abomination to God. Yes I used those words, but not in anger or contempt, and God’s love held them fast. I shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. At the end we all hugged, cried and I prayed for them. One fell to the ground crying, the other clutched his chest and begged me to stop praying. Six years later I am still in touch with the one who fell to the ground. He calls me his favourite Christian. He calls on me for help when he needs it and when he does I still speak the truth to him in love. I am believing that he will be saved one day.
The thing with grace and truth is that people in the world need the truth, oh how they are starving for it! And they need the grace of God to temper it. It is speaking the truth in love that makes the difference. It is the truth that sets people free. Not one person will be truly saved by a gospel that’s been sanctioned by this world. But not one person will be saved by speaking the truth in hate.
Let’s get our hearts right before our King and be full of His Spirit. Then His light shining through us will attract others to us so that we can speak the truth to them in love.
“Welcome to September 2015. There are numerous events that are quickly coming upon us that might – or might not – have prophetic implications. All we are sure of is that this is a season to watch and pray. We prayed for the Church worldwide to do just that and to not be deceived by false prophetic messages.” Intercessors for Israel
Some significant known “world” events are about to take place shortly.
Readers will no doubt be aware of some, if not all and more, of the forthcoming events as noted below:
Extract From the “Prophetic Calendar 2015”
PLEASE PRAY! The Kingdom of God days are right before us! Pray for the peace, Shalom of Jerusalem Psalm 122 and confess Psalm 91 over Israel and the people in the land. We have been confessing these two Psalms over Israel over and over again as there is power in God’s word and God is faithful, He watches over Israel and His covenant with the people and the land.
September 13-14– End of the Shemitah year. In 2001 and 2008, both Shemitah years ended with the beginning of Wall Street crashes.
September 15 – The UN General Assembly will begin. This will mark the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Charter.
France plans to introduce a resolution would “set an 18-month timetable for Israelis and Palestinians to agree on a two-state solution. It would call for recognition of Palestinian statehood if the talks do not bear fruit.”
September 20 – The re-established and self-declared Israeli Sanhedrin composed of 71 sages are placing Pope Francis on trial. If Pope Francis chooses to ignore the summons, he will be judged in absentia.
September 23 – Yom Kippur and also marks the Jubilee of Jerusalem to the day.
September 23 – Yom Kippur – The Pope and Obama scheduled to meet. (This note added by this writer).
September 24 – Pope Francis will address Congress. This will be the first time a Pope has ever addressed Congress.
September 25-27 – The United Nations is going to launch a brand new sustainable development agenda for the entire planet. The agenda includes provisions regarding environment, economics, agriculture, education and gender equality. On September 25th, the Pope will travel to New York to give a major speech kicking off the UN conference where this new agenda will be unveiled.
Comment: The Significance of 70 Years (or Ten Shemitah Years)
70 years is a significant time period. Biblically it represents man’s promised lifespan – three score and ten – and 70 years was also the time the Israelites spent in captivity in Babylon for their transgression against God’s commands regarding the land.
Seventy years ago, 1945 being a Shemitah year, a number of significant events took place. Following is a list of some of them, one of which is already noted above:
WW II ended. Many nations have recently celebrated its ending; much of these celebrations have been conducted with pride and self-aggrandisement. God hates pride. It was pride that led to Satan’s downfall.
The US exploded two atom bombs in Japan, so bringing in the era of the atomic bomb. It was a horrific and barbaric act, especially when a second bomb was dropped after the results from the first were known. This writer is not a pacifist, but cannot condone the US’s actions then.
The United Nations charter was adopted. Undoubtedly the UN was set up with good intentions aimed at bringing order to the world, especially after the horrors of WW II. Unfortunately its record has not been good. Not only has it been in the forefront of plans to bring in “New World Order” agendas but it has failed miserably in administering its mandate, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, where it has mostly assumed a partisan position. For instance some 2300 Security Council resolutions have been passed since inception; a disproportionate number of which were directly and extremely hostile towards Israel.
Currently: the World and the Church
The world is in a mess right now. Civil morality must surely be running at its lowest level since the days of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah, not far from the levels of violence and depravity seen then. The world’s economic situation is extremely fragile and likely to get worse. The security situation in the Middle East is out of control. Europe is facing a huge influx of illegal migrants. Africa is in a shambles and so it goes on!
Despite all the grandstanding and posturing by politicians, central bankers and security and military personnel, they clearly have lost control and don’t know how to resolve these problems.
Worst of all, the Christian churches are also in disarray with many succumbing to political correctness. Many are now only Christian in name and do not adhere fully to God’s word.
Yet for many, life somehow mostly seems to carry on as normal.
The Near Future: The World and the Church
The deal between the P 5+1 nations and Iran is likely to be ratified soon in the US and the UN. A number of nations in the Middle East, especially Israel, are vehemently opposed to it fearing for their safety.
Palestinian statehood is looming nearer. This will undoubtedly involve Israel being forced to give-up land and parts of Jerusalem.
The UN is to push the issue of gender equality (no doubt with an increased push for enforcing the special privileges to be granted to same sex couples). Christians will increasingly find themselves on the “wrong” side of these agendas.
Man, as represented through the UN, will continue to defy God.
Conclusion
Expect major problems and tumults in the near future as the world continues to defy God, especially regarding His land – see Joel 3:2. God will not stand idly by forever. We surely are in the season of Judgment.
(When we speak of God, we mean the One and only God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the Triune God.)
Chris, from our fellowship, has an interest in Bible prophecy and from time to time will share his views with us on current events and how they relate to prophecy in our series “Bible Prophecy”.
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you knot know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4
This is strong language…..Adulterers….Enmity with God…
Obviously friendship with the world is serious business in God’s eyes.
Definition of “The World”.
We all know John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”
So God does love the world. However in this sense the scripture is talking about the world of people that Jesus died for. It was God’s love for all men under heaven that prompted Him to send His Son into this world to redeem us from the curse of sin and death that entered in with Adam.
However James 4:4 is talking about “the world” as a system. A system that is opposed to God.
The World is Opposed to God
Just as the devil is opposed to Christ and the flesh is opposed to the Spirit, so the world is opposed to all that is of the Father.
It takes its place in the “unholy trinity” as the very antithesis of all that is of the person of God the Father. This opposition to the Father manifests in a determined effort to undermine the Bible, especially Genesis. The creation account, the Flood have come under heavy fire in the last few years, even from Christians.
The World is Independent of God
The world system is not only opposed to God, it is also independent of God.
It is the spirit behind this system that attempted to build the Tower of Babel as a way to reach heaven without God. It is the spirit of independence. It is the same spirit that drives the UN and all other organisations that attempt to play “god” in this world and to re-define “good” and “evil” independent of His laws. It is the reason that God warned Adam and Eve about partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” Psalm 2:2,3
Choosing the way of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the way of opposition, independence and rebellion to God. Remember that to eat of that fruit was a sin, a breaking of a direct command of God not to partake of it.
The world is a system that is totally separate and apart from God. It’s a system that says “we don’t need God and His laws” and then makes their own.
The World is in Rebellion to God and His Laws
It is a system that rises up in defiance of God the Father, as Creator and Sustainer of Life.
God created male and female in His image and told them to be fruitful and multiply. This world system calls into question gender and sexuality. God says there are two genders. The world says there is a sliding scale with multiple gender possibilities. God says to male and female to pro-create, to bring forth life. This world says homosexuality is fine and promotes it as a way of keeping the human population under control.
This world undermines the very laws of nature. Breaking the laws of nature always brings death.
The Tree of Life and the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. The fruit of one is Life, the fruit of the other is Death.
This world is in open defiance to God. The spirit behind it knows that God is its enemy. God knows the world is in enmity to Him. It seems that it is only the believers who struggle to realise this truth.
The World System Has its Own Philosophies and Principles.
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8
God has His principles, laws and the way of salvation clearly laid out in His word, the Bible. But this world rejects God’s Word and instead promotes the philosophies of man, which are opposed to Christ. Atheism, psychology, nihilism, post-modernism, you name it, they are philosophies of man and each are totally opposed to God and His Word.
These philosophies of man essentially become counterfeit gospels which are opposed to the true gospel of Christ. Satan promotes them through the media, social media, books, TV, Hollywood and false Christians.
And yes that includes psychology. This deception has infiltrated the Christian church and taken the place of true Biblical counselling, deliverance from demons and healing. Do not be deceived, it is a counterfeit of the gospel of Christ and brings believers in to bondage rather than setting them free. I am aware at how deeply this has rooted itself in the Church and so I encourage further study of the roots of psychology. Briefly, it is founded and rooted in atheistic philosophy and no amount of applying Biblical words to this philosophy will change the fact that it is of man and is opposed, and therefore in enmity, to the gospel of Christ.
Man’s principles in his “gospel” include: tolerance over truth; love over sin; self over Christ; and the salvation of this planet over the salvation of man.
This World is Under Judgment
This world is under judgment my friends.
No amount of recycling and “climate change” theory will save it. It began in the garden of Eden. When man fell into sin, so too the creation fell with him. God cursed the ground at that point. Praise God that Jesus came and redeemed fallen man from the curse of sin, but this world has not be redeemed. This world and all its systems and man-made philosophies are under God’s judgment and are reserved for fire.
Jesus said “Now is the time for judgment on this world…” John 12:31
The unleashing of God’s wrath on this world because of sin is only being held back by one thing – His Word.
“…the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
But at the moment we can see the birth pangs of judgment are beginning all over the world. Jesus warned us of increasing earthquakes, pestilences, wars, rumours of wars and huge deception in Matthew 24.
Friend of God or Friend of the World?
God considers friendship with the world spiritual “adultery”. We cannot be divided, we are either a friend of God or a friend of the World.
Jesus is ever faithful to His Bride and He in turn wants us to be faithful to Him – the lover of our souls.
Just as a husband would be jealous if his wife had eyes for another man, so too “the Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously” (James 4:5) for our undivided, wholly devoted love. And who can blame Him? He has laid down His life for us! How much more should we be faithful to such a loving and gracious God?
Therefore “come out from among them and be ye separate.”
We are in the world, but we are no longer of the world. We are other-worldly now. Our true home is in heaven, not on this earth. Therefore I encourage you to look up, enlarge your vision. Be a Friend of God, rather than a friend of this world.
Let us be like Paul and be able to say:
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galations 6:14
Hosea 6:5: "Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth."
End Times Bible Prophecy and News, End Times Deception, Societal Collapse, Apostasy, False Christs - Prophets - Apostles - Teachers, Whore of Babylon Church, Opinion, Commentary & Bible Teaching, Demonic Power, War, Rumors of War, Famine, Pestilence, Familiar Spirits,Salvation in Jesus Christ, NWO, UFOs, Earthquakes, Counterfeit Christianity, New World Order, Conspiracies, Nephilim, Giants, Signs and Lying Wonders, End Times Sin & Corruption
Grace and Truth 