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  Features:

    1. Why Tremble?? —page 1

     2. Template II —page 4

 

 

 

As In SODOM

Our nation continues to slide towards judgment, and we ignore it. The precursors, evident before 2001 are now increasingly glaring. Blood may flow more slowly from our abortuariums, this is true, but homosexuality continues to boldly advance. In other words, we continue to lose moral ground. There is no nationwide revival, or awakening.

What does this mean for those who would dare to awaken? What does Scripture place before us? First, there is a need for trembling (first article). Secondly, to test the depth of our commitment, we need to take another look at the template of prophecy to see 9/11 expanded (second article). Finally, we need to remember Christ’s promise of final glory, for all Christian overcomers.

If the first article does not drive us to prayer, perhaps the second will goad us into it.

Behold, He is coming!

  

Tremble?

                        work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Phil. 2:12b

One thing that the twin tower collapse taught us, is that the “high life” (the fast life, jet set, “glamour living”) can be brought to an abrupt end. I speak not of those in the towers, per se, but of a country bathed in its aura. Society may boast that “heaven can wait”—but this is a current possibility . . .only so long as the Grim Reaper is doing his worst across the waters, in another country, neighborhood, or even next door.

When the towers are falling in our own back yard, every sane and reasonable person pauses to stop and think. Of course, sanity is not always an attribute in great supply among those residing in our ivory towers: among those trained to quell the conscience: chaplains of the troubled soul, who may whisper sweet nothings into the ears of expiring neighbors, so that no substance or treasure beyond the last expired breath remains. Trained professionals now pride themselves in laying claim to calming the troubled soul —whether within a hospice environment, or as a trained counselor and chaplain–anything will do, when easing the pain beyond morphine; religious fantasies, fairy tales, or just plain lies.

    For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

    Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 8:11,12

Our time of visitation has not yet come, and September 11th was hardly a dress rehearsal.

I am not saying that it is easy to speak the truth. Only that the Lord expects it of His own. Truth is costly, but it will set us free. It takes power to tell the truth. That’s what real prophets do: they tell the truth: God’s truth.

We live in an age of “uncommon sense:” when educators pride themselves in doing what comes unnaturally—just so long as it fosters and feeds our egos (self esteem). Tell me not that such isn’t the case. I’ve sat in class rooms and heard the refrain. There is no longer anything to fear but fear itself (so fear nothing).

Until the towers fall.

Ministers without oil to begin with, have stood appalled at our country’s reaction. It was not so much a matter of the fear of God being unwarranted, or because a certain concern for His judgment was not urgently needed—but rather because of their estrangement from such things. Accountability to God (although we may welcome such, to others with flesh and blood) frightens the modern day “saint” as nothing else does. As one truly saintly fellow relayed to me of a biblical “scholar” who had accompanied him into prison for ministry recently. His objection was thus summed up, when hearing inmates enjoined to simply obey the Word.:

“No, it’s not necessary to obey the Word(!)”

The day of “grace” only makes it necessary to pay lip service, in other words: only to say that we believe while we continue in our trivial pursuits, and dabble in the darkness about us, becoming experts in the latest fads—whether it be exposed belly buttons and the latest techniques of “virginal petting,” or the latest brew of violent and heady wine: Terminator proof (guaranteed to dull the senses) –or perhaps a new dip into the Matrix, where sex and violence interweave in worlds that never exist, except in the forbidden regions of the heart.

    For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

    For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

Prov. 4:16,17

No wonder Laodicea is so abhorrent to the heart, and taste, of the Savior. As if Sodom (or sodomy) might soon slip into the local assembly, as adultery has, under the guise of marriage (or remarriage, Mk. 10:11,12). So that IN THE CHURCH we lose our bearings and forget “which way is up” as we set ourselves up, for a fall from grace.

Would you stand carelessly, on a ledge, atop the Empire State building? Your declarations of freedom would not then impress me. I would insist on a safety belt: more, upon having it checked, and rechecked again (II Cor. 13:5). Please do not tell me how safe and without danger the situation is: we are out on the ledge.

Beneath is very death.

Above is Heaven.

Yes, I am free. Yes, my sense of balance is still operational. But (if you don’t mind) while we’re out here on this ledge, hanging between heaven and hell, do not fault me if I take my steps quite seriously. I will take each step, graciously provided by our loving and wonderful Lord, with both fear and sobriety.

    Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Phil. 2:13

I hope you understand. This is no place to be joking: no place for the careless. Fools step off, and are punished, but the prudent hide themselves in the cleft of the Rock by faith. For:

    A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

    By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

Prov. 22:3,4

Our Lord has descended from up there. Please take the time to look up. Yes, up there, from a height so great that our puny minds cannot fathom (or reach) it. Remember that, as we stand here.

Paul says that He descended to earth. So absolute the come down, that he landed among the animals: lower than the lowest, He (God Almighty –Isaiah 9:6) so humbled Himself to walk among us. Let this mind be in you, that was in Christ Jesus, he says (Phil. 2:5). He is our Lord, and we are following Him. He came to die—and has asked us to live.

How can we do anything but tremble?!

 

We have fashioned much of our doctrine and (especially) prophecy, to accommodate sleep. Speak to us smooth things: prophesy deceit, turn us out of the way (allow us to snooze, comfortably, like the hospice providers, and professional chaplains do). –Yet, the one thing a prophet is called not to do is to put people to sleep. True prophets, and evangelists, sound the alarm (Isa. 58:1, Jer. 1:17ff, Matt. 3:3, II Tim. 2:5 . . .). True prophets know why the towers fell, and that the God who allowed such to happen cannot be prevented from judging this nation in the future, no matter how many billions are spent, and how incredibly big and convoluted, our homeland security is.

It is not bin Laden that we have to come to terms with, nor Allah, but with Jehovah God, Himself—not in the courts of the land, but in our churches, at our altars, and within our secret closets. For while Sodom is “outing,” the saints are being stuffed into the closet. But assemblies that experience the true presence of the living God, moving within their midst, will not allow demons to sit comfortably. They cannot stand the heat. Whether within “freedom” or not, the truth proclaimed in Sodom will cause persecution.

    And they said, "Stand back!" Then they said, "This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them." . . .

Genesis 19:9 nkj

The reproof given here, was to one of the weakest of all believers. Spiritually, he was a most lazy and barely recognizable person of faith. He was “just Lot” (or, only Lot, who was merely justified: “barely making it in” –II Pet. 2:7)! And should we not tremble, in our modern day Sodom?? How many of us hear even that rebuke, today???

    Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

II Cor. 7:1

I am not saying that we should go looking for trouble.

I am saying that when true revival breaks out, trouble will start looking for us, in spite of all that we do to calm the troubled waters. Is this why our Lord, after pointing out that it is the peacemakers who will be called the children of God—next commended those who suffer persecution for His sake (Matt. 5:9-12)? For the Scriptures state that all who live godly shall suffer persecution (II Tim. 3:12).

And now that I’ve shown just how precipitous this ledge is, perhaps it will drive us to a little more prayer and fasting, trembling, and reverence for our God. It may make us consider, as well, what to expect should we truly return to Pentecost, in the biblical pattern.

    And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

    Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

And again, within the same atmosphere:

    And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch.

    Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.

Acts 2:42,43, 5:12,13

In comparing those above with the two witnesses, who do not sleep (Rev. 11:3-5) and the revival soon to strike Israel (Zech. 12:10-13:1) we might consider that such activity requires intercession on a scale few of us have ever conceived or experienced. Yet, oh my Lord Jesus, let me be one of those who do!

As I continue to tremble here, in the safety and cleft of the Rock:

In the fear of God, and comfort of the Holy Ghost (Acts 9:31):

Should you, also, choose to intercede, please remember this broken vessel, as well.

Amen.

†

 

Template II

"what you see, write in a book"

Rev.  1:11

 

    Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev. 1:3

When speaking of the “template of Bible prophecy” we make reference to those elements most often described within John’s revelation of Jesus, as the capstone of all revealed prophecy. For “if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Rev. 22:19). John’s revelation forms the primary “template” (or skeleton, if you will) upon which all the inspired writings of Holy Writ may be arranged (or “hung” upon the skeleton).

Within the most current events, over a very small span of the past 10-20 years, we have seen the collapse of the former Soviet Union, an initial emergence of a humanist NWO, and an apparently serious rise of militant Islam. This is “apparent” for two reasons; one secular and the other, in the light of eternity.

In the secular vein, Islam will soon succumb to Antichrist’s wiles, to be subjugated. That outcome will be one of the ultimate results of the current war on terror . . . .

Yet in the fuller light of eternity “Edom” –the spiritual code name for Islam—is so surely headed towards judgment that its occurrence barely appears in the template of even Daniel’s writings. Edom will be destroyed (Zech. 12:9, Obad. 9-16, Jer. 49:17,18).

But Israel will not.

So will the U.S.

As was mentioned, in passing on other occasions, Israel’s explosive revival is timed to take place just after the demise of Babylon (Jer. 50:4). This did not stand out in such bold relief, at first, until noting that its occurrence is mentioned in conjunction with Edom’s judgment several times in the O.T.¹

That such a revival would take place just after Babylon’s fall now seems amazingly clear, when we realize that the “Babylon” mentioned is that which (at the time of John’s recording these events) “was, is not, and yet is” (Rev. 17:8)—historic Babylon (Iraq), religious Babylon (Rome), and now that which was not at John’s writing: secular Babylon (the U.S. of A. in her decline)—also symbolized by the mighty eagle, as Babylon once was (Ezekiel 17).

It is this third facet of the “Babylonian trinity” that sheds light upon Revelation 18, verse 19, where the merchants of the earth throw up their hands to mourn the demise of so great a consumer economy, and weeps and wails:

    for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

    The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

    And cinnamon, . . ., and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

Revelation 18:11-13

Think of the love-hate relationship that exists, even now, between the U.S. and her suppliers (creditors, trading partners, and even political rivals)—even with old time friends like France & Germany, and with newer trading partners, like Red China . . . .

Say what you will, even the destruction of the Vatican will not evoke so mournful a response of woe and regret, from the remaining merchant economies of the world. Nor has the destruction of Iraq (nor will any possible future destruction have) done so. There is simply no consumer economy with such a vast and available disposable income, anywhere in the world, like that of the U.S.

This prospect irks us within the U.S. economy, but makes abundant sense to watchmen on the wall, for we are already beginning to hear the rumblings of this judgment in the European post modern world: partly erupting in the latest discord over the unseating of Saddam—while also realizing that, with the rising Muslin influence in the European world, America’s backing of Israel will gain only diminishing returns in the eyes of that northern continent.

And the destruction of so great a commercial power in the Americas, and trusted (most powerful) ally of Israel would obviously force a reevaluation, even conviction and repentance, on Israel’s part, just prior to the Lord’s returning.

    And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

    In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

    And the land shall mourn, every family apart; . . .

Zech. 12:10-12a

And the template tells us when these events will take place (in Rev. 18). It is:

      · after Antichrist arises, to be embraced by an increasingly God forsaking world (Rev. 13 & 14)

      · as a sleepy church, largely drunken with the pleasures of this life (I Thes. 5:6,7) has become so lax at the wheel, upon her watch, that Antichrist’s success is guaranteed (II Thes. 2:1-3).

      · and after his issuance of the Mark, as the economies of the world explode in prosperity (Dan. 8:25) and politicians, and clergy alike, make excuse for accommodating this activity—much as they now do for homosexual activity, and such unions.

It is easy to say, let us not sleep, as do others (I Thes. 5:6)—but we all know the difficulty of staying awake in the late hours. Even within exceptional assemblies the contest and conflict of interests is intense. Prosperity tends to breed complacency (Prov. 30:7-9). Diligence, like any discipline, is as rare as a true saint. That’s why this remnant is likened to “two witnesses:” very few will stay awake until midnight.

But we can pray. We must pray. Even on the Titanic, with advance knowledge of impending disaster, we are duty bound to do all we can to warn as many as possible to board the life boats early.

Yet, for the true saints none of these things move [us] neither do we count our lives dear. While for all others, the matter is precarious—and most noteworthy among these concerns, is a warning to be wary of increasing wealth. I know how it feels, for the Lord is “blessing my sox off”—yet, I am not for sale(!!). I didn’t come this far, to burn it (and myself) up in smoke!

    And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

    . . .

    But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

    And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

    The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

    And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 21:34, Matt. 24:48-51

In other words: Worldly wealth and prosperity are more often warned about/against than commended to us for our keeping (and is never upheld as an object to be pursued—even in the OT, Solomon, the richest man on earth, agreed – Pr. 23:1-4). “If riches increase,” the psalmist enjoins, “set not your heart upon them” (Ps. 62:10). The current fad, and propensity, to teach that “Jesus wants you rich,” is a precursor for Antichrist.

I say it again. Those who teach a pursuit of personal wealth are, quite simply, agents of darkness and of the devil himself. God is a good God!! If you serve Him, He will bless you with the best that is available within your environment. (For example, Sudanese and Saudi brethren and those living under Sharia law, or Communism should not expect wealth and ease, if they’re faithful—but neither should we who live in “freedom” pursue it.) For true wealth cannot be measured by a bank account (Lk. 12:15).

I have a brother whom I love dearly. His income is much less than my own. Yet his walk with the Lord is green and flourishing. He is always leading people to Christ. His life is an open book. To be around him is to catch the scent of Heaven. When he leaves someone’s presence, they often find themselves thinking, “What can I do to get what he has?”!!

He is a living demonstration, in other words, of the fact that the grace and graciousness of God cannot be bought. I know, also, that he is truly rich. His name is Creighton. I suspect that you’ll hear more of him, in the future, if not here then in Heaven. Pray for him, as you also remember this little one. We need more brothers like this. Such are the salt and light of the earth: the seasoning and enrichment of a decaying society and world.

For those who have tasted the powers of the world to come (Heb. 6:5)—the loss of this world, and society, truly means that we are about to gain our inheritance, and become the real winners. Such is a rare view point, and I have heard even ministers hesitate to consider leaving here early (in martyrdom, for example) as a real personal blessing. Yet, my honest personal appraisal is that Paul’s evaluation was correct: it is far better to depart and be with Christ.

However, in Heaven, I will lack one thing that I now have: the opportunity to partake in His pain: to link arms with my Lord, as a true yoke fellow, and to “know the fellowship of his sufferings” to a small degree (Phil. 3:10).

To be a friend of God, through thick and thin. What a privilege!

Such possibilities, Western “saints” hardly seem to consider, today. Service to Christ, for them, is like unionized labor: the least work, for the most pay. Yet true service in Christ’s Kingdom is to be a labor of unvarnished love (Titus 2:14). Such persons never have a problem with the Biblical template describing our future, for our only real treasure is in Heaven: with Christ, and in Him alone. He is our hope of glory. He is our shield and great reward.

He is the lover of my soul.

    And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

    . . .

    And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Revelation 14:13, 22:17

Amen. So be it.

Even so come, Lord Jesus.

†

¹ Compare Obad. 16 with Zech. 12:9 & Jer. 50:3 --then Obad. 17 with Jer. 50:4 & Zech. 12:11-13:1. Notice the parallel patterns of first (a) Gentile desolation, and then (b) of Israel’s mourning. Jeremiah 50 connects this Gentile judgment with Babylon. Revelation 18 (within the “template”) lets us know the relative timing of this event.