Christian Persecution and the Great Falling Away

This morning I watched this YouTube video of a woman who gets it right. She talked about the main reason many are falling away; besides of course the obvious one that many are not even saved at all, the ones that are will show that they are by the fact that they do not remain fallen away, but I digress. Doubt is often the reason these days that many are choosing “the easier way”, doubt and fear, and cowardice to face ridicule, persecution, other people’s doubts....it’s simply easier to go with the flow of the world, choose the wider road with more people on it, you know the one, it’s the one that leads to destruction. Hang tight to your loved ones, encourage them in the Lord to not be afraid of what’s coming because Jesus already went through it, and He is there for us. Be blessed and keep your armour on, the battle is only just beginning.

The Rainbow

image link

When I went to school (eons ago) we were taught there were 7 colours in the rainbow. 

In church I was taught it is because 7 is a number that often comes up in the Bible and depicts a number of perfection or completion. There are 7 days in the week, for instance, which began all the way at the time of creation...and there are 7 churches mentioned in the book of Revelation, as well as 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 bowl judgments. 

Studying numbers mentioned in the Bible and what context they are used in is a fascinating study. Nowadays the popular way to depict a rainbow is with 6 colours, leaving out the colour of indigo. In the Bible the number 6 is the number of man. Humans were created on day 6 of creation. The "man of sin" aka the antichrist is going to be recognized by his number 666 (a trilogy mocking the triune God). But if you click on the image link below the rainbow they give another reason for the 7 colours, and state that it is an arbritrary number that can be divided into millions of hues.

The Bible tells us that the rainbow was given to us by God as a sign of a promise from God, a covenant, that He will never again destroy the earth with a flood of water. (Genesis 9:12-15)

But how do we see that covenant sign displayed today?  It is used as a sign of open rebellion, of poking God in the eye saying my sin is my choice and I choose to sin without shame nor fear of judgment.

I saw this meme recently and wholeheartedly agree:

and how about this one:

Amen. If the eyes of your understanding are open you can see this is true.

With all of the rain we have been experiencing it is a good reminder of the fact that we worship a loving and caring God who does not enjoy wiping out the earth, and He revealed that fact with the promise of not repeating the total destruction by water again....but the Bible also says there will come a day in the future where the earth will be judged and destroyed but this time it will be by fire. Fire purifies and refines. God will accomplish all that He promises, but through mercy and grace He gives signs and warnings before He sends that cleansing destruction. I pray all who read this will heed the warnings and be "wise virgins" before the coming of the "great and terrible day of the Lord.

For more interesting facts about the rainbow, check out this link:
 https://mocomi.com/seven-colours-of-the-rainbow/

Spring is here!!!

I have been ready for spring for months, and yet now that it's finally here, I feel I'm not ready! Yeah, quite the conundrum. Last week and the week before that we've experienced a lot of rain and wind and I've been battling a terrible cold. Today is a pretty nice day out, a little cool and breezy, and if I weren't still sick, I'd be out there right now digging up the weeds like crazy to prepare the ground for all the goodies I wish to plant but like I said, I have a bad cold so I will go out in a few to do a bit, but don't feel well enough to overdo it yet.

But that brings me to the topic of planting another type of seed...the seed of the Gospel. It's easy enough for me to do online in the anonymity of my cyberspace persona, but what about in real life? I must confess that I am lacking in that area.

I love watching Ray Comfort videos on Youtube, seeing the ease with which he approaches strangers on the street by laying out the truth of us being horrible sinners in need of saving, and then go on my merry way thinking that I will witness to people as the Lord moves me, but yet it seems I never get moved to do so, sigh. To my way of thinking it is wrong to have cookie cutter answers to people's objections, and yet I should begin somewhere, and the Lord can and does use even the most meager offerings for His good, doesn't He? Just like my wanting to get my garden ready for planting, we should also prepare ourselves to be able to talk with people and try to answer all their objections lovingly and prayerfully. Just as the ground needs to have weeds removed, we too musst be able to prepare and remove weedy objections so that the seed might find the good ground to take hold and not be carried away by birds, or choked out by weeds.

Anyway here's a video put out by Ray Comfort's organization that gives some tips on how to get out there and talk with complete strangers (and also friends and family members) about Jesus. Let's get out of our comfort zones and stretch those faith muscles out in the real world planting heavenly seeds with the intent of seeing people's lives truly changed for Jesus.

The Bible Warned us of Days Like This

2Timothy 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.   For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,   Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

It's almost as if the Apostle Paul was seeing clearly into our day and seeing the self-destruction through "self-love".  I don't even know where to begin with all the disturbing headlines being beamed into our homes these days. The United States of America has never been more divided: black vs. white, Democrats vs. Republicans, Muslims vs. Christians and Jews, "gay and whatever else you want to label it" vs. "straight", legal residents and American citizens vs. illegal aliens, pro-life vs. baby murderers...it's just overwhelmingly mind-boggling.

Psalm 2:1-3  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?   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. 

I go from being outraged, to sorrowful and unbelief in what I'm seeing when I witness the latest of the absurd activity that is now commonplace. It's almost like people are deliberately trying to outdo the last heinous act, and for what? To gain a few moments of ill-gotten fame on the evening news? 

When I was younger in the Lord I thought it my duty as a Christian to be vocal about everything that I noticed which wasn't lining up with Bible truth...but these days I have come to understand that Jesus has us here to call out to the lost, to rescue the perishing, and that often we will fail in getting them to understand. Jesus said to watch and pray in Matthew chapter 24, and that is the wisest thing we can do, actually. We need to be aware of the time we are living in, to heed the signs, just as we would heed the road signs that  lead us as we travel to a new destination. Like Pilgrim in Pilgrim's Progress, we cannot allow others to keep us from continuing on the journey the Lord has us on. When Pilgrim was in Vanity Fair, the distractions and the fun and games, and the funny people made it difficult to leave. But if they do not want to join us on our heavenly journey, we sadly have to leave them to their fate.

 Psalm 2:4,5,&9  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.   Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 

We cannot save everyone, that isn't what we are called to do. Jesus saves, not we, we are to warn and to bear witness to the good news of the the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ Who suffered for us that we do not need to bear the burden of our shame. He bore our guilt for us and nailed it to the cross. But that grace is offered out, the warning cry is being sounded, and who are the wise who will answer the call? One day our voices will be silenced, and the door of decision will close, and the final curtain call will have passed. On which side of that door will you be when that door closes? Will you choose the wicked pleasures of this world and join the enemies of God as they shake their angry fists at Him to accuse Him of their own wickedness? I see the men and women that now lead the United States of America, or what used to be America...  calling evil good and good evil, while they boast of a better way. They blaspheme God while they speak evil of the land of Israel. Be warned! Time is very short.
 

Psalm 2:10-12  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.   Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.   Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.