Flee the Wrath

Continuing to seek answers as to how one escapes from our perilous state of Lukewarmeness, we find Christ offering the following advice to His church.

I counsel thee to buy from Me Gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich. Rev 3:18

Now listen up western Christian, Christ is not talking about buying gold bullion, as perhaps you may prefer to imagine. Neither is He suggesting that one should invest into gold producing companies presently listed on the stock exchange. No He isn’t even talking about physical gold, but rather He is talking about the one thing which He values more highly than any material wealth which may come to mind, your faith.

“But I have faith” you say. “I believe” you declare, surely this is sufficient. Sufficient perhaps to see Christ spit you from His mouth, as is the case with the Lukewarm church.

What is this gold which Christ counsels us to buy from Him. I wonder how many times I’ve read this scripture and not really pondered the significance of it, for here is the answer to the dilemma of lukewarmness, the way of escape for our wretched state. Surely then we ought harken to His words with a fervant zeal, for here the Saviour is to make the path of our escape known, that we might flee.

Come, He harkens, come buy from Me Gold, refined in the fire. Come buy freely, without price, faith made pure, purified in the fiery furnace of affliction.

Oh crap, I hear you mutter, faith tested in the fiery furnace of affliction! What is this heresy to thine ears?

This does not bode well for my “God bless me and keep me comfortable” religious soul. Even now I can sense an uneasiness in my soul as I earnestly consider this advice.

Lukewarm Christian, are you truly desiring to be led and directed by the will of God? Then we must pray and walk according to the will of God, in order to be found in Him on that day.

This advice of Christs seems so foreign to our ears, to my ears, to the ears of any western comfy Christian that has endured the lukewarm leavened messages of our generation. The “purpose driven Church”, the “becoming a better you” church.

But perhaps we might ask how will our faith be tested? how will these trials come for I am neither hated nor despised, nor do I endure any suffering on behalf of Christ. Most people seem to like me, I get on with most, no one ridicules my faith.

From a biblical perspective, our lives probably shouldn’t be like this. Christ said that we are in the world, not of the world, and there’s a really good chance that the world will hate you, as it hated Him. Clearly the western culture we are in today is about as worldly and degenerate as Sodom. If we fit right in, something is wrong. If we do not stand out like a light in a dark world, then someone needs to ask the question, what’s up with that?

It is the deeds of the Lukewarm Church which Christ uses as the measuring stick of their lukewarmness. Not the confession of their mouth, the beauty of their songs nor the size of their churches, but their works.

It is the works of western comfy Christians which testify against the quality of their faith. Please don’t be ignorant Christian, your heart still has the ability to deceive, you. Do not be found like the Israelites who drew close with their lips, though their hearts were far from Him.

Perhaps Peter was on to something when in His zeal to find Christ he got out of the boat, he forsook the comfortable, safe environment that offered him protection, and risked the unthinkable by stepping into the unknown. Where, when he began to sink, Christ reached forth and upheld Him. What more beautiful picture can we paint for the faith of Peter, the testing thereof, and the love of Christ who reaches forth to uphold us.

Awaken from thy slumber oh you who sleepeth. Speak and do not withhold, be bold before men, do not fear the one who can kill you, but rather, fear Him who has the power to kill and cast both soul and body into damnation.

If you are willing then pray, with a repentant zeal, that Christ would not allow you to depart this earth without first purifying your faith in the fire of trials and affliction. Then step into that faith, get out of the boat, find yourself in unfamiliar water, and when trouble comes, when you are full of self doubt, you will call upon the Lord, and He shall reach forth and uphold you by His strong hand.

Faith in the midst of fiery trial, how pleasing this faith is in the sight of the Lord. More precious than mere Gold.

1 Peter 1:7 These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 Your reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

I feel sure many Christians might say I was off track with this post, but I’ll say it anyway.

In light of the present world financial turmoil, I heard a pastor make the comment the other day that we should pray for our economy, and pray for our stock market, that God would prosper us. Well something to that effect anyway.

Maybe it’s just me, but I for one have a sense that at this time, in our nation, God would prefer to see the idols of Babylon fall, that men may awake from their slumber, recognise what they have placed their hope in, repent and be saved. Maybe, just maybe, this is a God given opportunity for our culture to recognise that wealth is fleeting, that riches are deceptive and when all the wealth is rotten and good for nothing, men might ask themselves the big question, what was the meaning of it all?

I’m tired of hearing that God wants you to prosper financially, knowing full well that Christ said how hard it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom. I’m tired of hearing that you need more money, knowing full well that God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith. I’m tired of seeing men in this nation turn away from the only hope they have, and finding their hope in the world. I’m tired of seeing men in churches turning up for Sunday services and spending the remainder of the week serving the world for fleeting riches and comfort.

Maybe it’s just me, maybe I’m wrong, but honestly my prayer is more akin to “Tear it down Lord”, but one thing I ask. That you Lord, would use this opportunity to save men from their damnable condition, that they might come to rejoice in the wonder of your mercy and goodness in Christ, Amen.

In this day of turmoil in the financial markets, it should come as no surprise to see the nationalisation of faultering US financial institutions. I would say that this is par for the course for a nation determined to see her power and pride upheld at any cost.

The definition of fascism according to Wikipedia goes something like this : Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist political ideology and mass movement that is concerned with notions of cultural decline or decadence, and which seeks to achieve a millenarian national rebirth by exalting the nation or race, as well as promoting cults of unity, strength and purity.

Free market capitalist ideology will no doubt continue, but is being pushed aside by a new thinking, a thinking which does nothing to seek to address the greed and selfishness of 20 years of corporate America.

When injustice prevails, and when a nation simply turns her back on that injustice and moves on, God will hand that nation over to pursue her own ideals. This will prove disastrous.

Perhaps the church is out there somewhere, perhaps the church on small scale has been seeking to rebuke the greed and immoral behaviour that comes amidst the greatest time of prosperity the world has seen. But by and large she has been silent, preferring to address issues such as abortion or homosexuality, the in your face stuff.

Perhaps she cannot speak against the injustice of corporate America because she herself is entwined in the whole sordid affair. Perhaps that’s why God gave the job of championing the poor nations to rock stars…….

Back to the point of this article. This move to merge corporate America with gov’t America will in time prove disastrous for the nation, and particularly those who oppose her arrogance. Mussolini would be well pleased with this latest move, nothing like placing more power into the hands of the few.

Christians in America today would do well to study the very quick slide of a relatively free Germany in 1925, into the nation Nazi killing machine by 1933.

And especially remember this….Germany was a Christian nation. Yes some 70 million and the vast percentage were Lutherans and Catholics. But they, like you, may well get sucked into the patriotic fervor that devours a culture devoid of justice, and Christ. A patriotic fervor which counts the restoration of a nation at the expense of justice.

In the 1930s, many Germans took a stand against the Nazis, but likewise many Christians could not stand by and keep their mouths closed at the injustices they witnessed. This became their cross, and they, like the Saviour, were slain for righteousness sake. Courageous and faithful people like Sophie Scholl, of the “White Rose” movement.

America will bring a cross to Christianity once again, perhaps not America on her own, but a new world order led by America. This may only be early days yet, but never the less many see scary similarities to the patriotic fervour which engulfed Hitler’s Germany.

In the days ahead, many Christians will come to understand that God has called them to a cross. This present lukewarm, soft fluffy Jesus salvation will be a thing of the past. Remember this, Christ intends to hand His lukewarm, adulterous church over to the devil, for destruction of the flesh, in the hope that on the Day of the Lord, the spirit will be saved.

This is exactly what happened in Germany, and as you ought well know by now Christian, history always repeats!

I know that this all may sound a little odd, or out there, but perhaps after listening to the video feed below it will make more sense.

If you haven’t previously heard Naomi wolf speak on the signs preceding a nations move to fascism, it makes for thoughtful listening.

We all know that near the end of this present age, Antichrist is going to sit in the temple of God, right! This will be a sign of the Lords soon coming.

In 2nd Thessalonians the apostle Paul explains this scenario, that we should not be soon shaken or troubled, for this day must come first, then the Lord shall come.

But in Paul’s explanation of this latter day scenario, interestingly Paul does not refer to the one who sits in the temple as “Antichrist”, as we so often do, but instead uses the name “son of perdition, the man of sin”. In the teaching of Paul, it is the “son of perdition” who sits in the temple of God, who opposes God, who exalts himself above God, showing himself to be God.

This is all part and parcel of the “falling away”. But Paul is not talking about Antichrist in a Jewish temple, he is talking about Christian men falling away from the faith. He is talking about an apostate church, he is talking about a temple of God which is inhabited by the “son of perdition, the man of sin”

Paul knows full well that under the new covenant there is no need of a literal physical temple as in Daniels day. Christ rent the temple wall at the time of His crucifixion, tore it in two, it is finished. Christ is the sacrificial lamb, Christ is the mediator between God and man, the new High priest. There is no need for a physical temple any longer and God has no interest in a new Jewish temple that worships and sacrifices according to the law. The only temple that matters now is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the new covenant temple.

And if the new covenant temple is a spiritual temple, not a temple made with hands, then the only way that the “son of perdition” can inhabit the temple is in a spiritual sense.

This is what Paul is alluding to, and it really matters. I mean really, really, really, really, really matters that we understand this scripture clearly Christian, because God says as follows :

1Cr 3:17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Christian, take note! God allowed the two earthly Jewish temples to be destroyed because He was not well pleased with the people. Do you not see that God will also destroy the living temple which is defiled by men.

When men of carnal minds who refuse to walk in the spirit, continue to disobediently walk in the flesh, to lust after earthly possessions, sensual lifestyles, all manner of selfish desires and doctrines of demons ……..at this time, the temple of God will be defiled by the “son of perdition, the man of sin”.

The carnal man shall exalt himself and his own selfish desire (lover of self, lover of money, boastful, proud) above the will and purposes of God, he can call himself a Christian, go to church, pay his offering til the cows come home but he will be destroyed because he placed his own self will, his own selfish desires, his own carnal plans and purposes above the one who he claimed to serve. There bye exalting himself above God, and defiling the temple.

Interestingly only one other person in the bible is referred to as the “son of perdition”. John 17:12 Remember Judas, had he lived in our day you would have called him a christian. You would not have known that he was the “son of perdition”. The disciples also believed Judas was one of them. Not one of the disciples had any idea that Judas was the “son of perdition”. In fact the disciples asked, Lord who shall betray you? is it me Lord? shall I betray You?

It was not until the appointed time that the disciples became aware that it was Judas. At that time the lawless one was revealed, the son of perdition, the man of sin.

What was Judas primary motivation? money, mammon, silver, earthly treasure. He placed his own will above that of Gods and sold the Saviour into the hands of men. Sold the Saviour for personal gain. Sought no real good for anyone but himself and used the gospel as a means of personal gain.

Christian, I tell you, never have we been closer to seeing the fulfillment of Paul’s prophecy. This is the mystery of lawlessness at work, and the man of sin is shortly to be revealed. The mystery of iniquity has almost reached it’s fullness.

Related Articles :http://fleethewrath.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/the-marketing-of-christ/

http://fleethewrath.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/third-temple/

2 Thessalonians 2 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

One of the questions I had when I studied the end times and the book of revelation was this, where the heck is Babylon?, or Mystery Babylon of Revelation 18.

It’s pretty important you see because God in His wisdom calls His people out of her prior to it’s destruction. I really wanted to know cause how was I supposed to come out of something I couldn’t identify. It’s pretty important right, cause God says if we don’t come out of her we share in her sorrows.

There are plenty of good studies out there, to help you work it out. A link to one of these can be found at the bottom of this page.  But I just wanted to share a further thought I had today.

The thought was this, if Babylon had a currency for financial transactions, what would it look like ? Bearing in mind that the word Babel, which is the foundation of the word Babylon, means confusion, Babylon is a pretty confused place. She exports her wares, her idolatries to the whole earth and they drink and in like fashion become confused and follow after all manner of false gods. Rev 18:2-3

So what would her financial instruments look like. Well on this basis they would look kinda confused, perhaps something like this:

Perhaps a word of truth, along with a symbol of confusion. Perhaps a symbol of truth, along with a word of confusion.

Maybe something like “in god we trust” alongside the all seeing eye of Lucifer and a pyramid, symbols of freemasonry, or perhaps a symbol of scales representing justice and truth, along with a statement “new world order”.

Anyone who tried to work out what that was all about would just end up downright bloody confused.

Ok so you worked it out, I’m having a shot at the mighty US dollar. But truthfully Christian, don’t be ignorant of the role that US money and finance have played in placing the idols of Babylon in front of Gods people. Well in fact to take that further, so much of what the US exports today, her wanton luxury, excessive wealth, her moral value system, exported through the media and TV has all comeout of Mystery Babylon, and her financial instrument is the US dollar.

The following statement will probably come as a shock to most western Christians. I believe that we, like the Israelites, are surrounded and held captive in the midst of Mystery Babylon. In the  old testament it had a literal, natural fulfillment, In the new covenant it has a spiritual fulfillment, and we western Christians who bow before her idols are the fulfillment of the Israelite example.

Remember what Paul said of the history of Israels trials : 1Cr 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

Christian, flee from her, come out of her, have no part of her, lest you also share in her sorrows.

Here is the link to a fairly clear and concise and much more detailed explanation helpful in identifying and understanding ”Mystery Babylon” http://www.theendtime.com/index.php/The_Rise_and_Fall_of_the_Anti-Christ/Mystery_Babylon

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1Cr 10:1 MOREOVER, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 1Cr 10:2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 1Cr 10:3 all ate the same spiritual food, 1Cr 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 1Cr 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 1Cr 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 1Cr 10:7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”[fn1] 1Cr 10:8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;1Cr 10:9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 1Cr 10:10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 1Cr 10:11 Now all[fn2] these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

A message from some 40 years ago to a proud and arrogant nation, by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jnr.

Rev 18:24  “And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”

This is a very good sermon which I would hope many might have the opportunity to listen to, and more importantly, act upon. 

No idea who “Francis Chan” is, suffice to say thank God he had the courage to speak what is a difficult message, but a message I believe God is desperate for us to hear.

I think of these western nations we live in. The prevailing societal conditions of a consuming culture of materialism, a capitalist system of self seeking pleasure and personal fulfillment.

I think of how we operate as a culture, the prevalence of marketing products through the media. The continual flow of advertising through television, radio and newspapers.

I can’t help wondering if this thinking has infiltrated the church. I wonder if we, the western church have sought to sell the Almighty, to make Him a marketable product, something which will provide you with good value should you choose Him.

Have we devalued Him, debased Him, sold Him for profit, into the hands of unrighteous men for 30 pieces of silver. Have we done the very thing Judas did.

Have we now replaced Him with a new, more culturally acceptable product that offers all manner of personal desire and fulfillment, a god that would meet the needs of a materialistic, self seeking culture. So many questions Lord.

Have we sought to establish His kingdom on earth and gained from it. Have we ourselves gained financially, have we built a church and gained honour amongst men. Have we made for ourselves disciples and taken pleasure that they follow after us.

Selah!

I wonder how many times I’ve preached Christ and said, He will give to you this good thing or that good thing, or some other desire or personal fulfillment, as if an offer of sale of a product. Then closed the contract with the acceptance of that offer.

Is this how we should declare the Almighty to the peoples?

Then I think of those in persecuted states and nations. I think of a Christian minority group who having now declared their faith in Christ are subject to threat and violence from the opposing culture or religion. Why did they follow Christ? What possible thing did they hope to gain from confessing Christ. Were they seeking persecutions, tribulations. Why?

It’s interesting when you look at what Christ said, “if any man should come after me let Him forsake all that He has” If any man should lose His life for My sake, He shall gain it” “If any many should follow Me, let Him deny Himself, take up His cross and follow” “If any man should follow after Me, first let Him count the cost”

When I read His words, I sense that He never desired that we should sell him to the public on cheap terms, likened to a god who dances whilst we whistle the tune. He himself never sought to market Himself so cheaply.

When I read the words of Christ as above I see a costly call. A costly call in terms of personal gain, of personal fulfillment, of personal desires and the enjoyment of the temporal pleasures of this life. Basically the forsaking of ones own will and plans as we pursue His will and the unseen kingdom.

So the question begs asking of the persecuted church. Why do persecuted peoples follow Christ when the terms of trade are so bad. I suspect it’s this reason alone ;

John 6: 68 “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

John 6:69  “Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And to us, the western lukewarm, self seeking, materialistic church. Ought not this be enough. Ought not this be the reason we follow. Is God Himself not enough for us.

Lord have mercy!

Christian, come out of Babylon, come out of all forms of religion that are self seeking and personally fulfilling and come to Christ for He is, and there is no other besides Him.

Isa 55:1  

“HO! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price.

.

I heard a quote this morning that got me thinking. Where this quote comes from I don’t know but anyway it goes something like this. Apparently the statement comes from an atheist.

Had I truly believed that God would condemn an unbeliever to hell, and had I truly believed hell to be such a place of darkness and eternal torment as Christians confess, then I would have got down on my hands and knees, crawled all over Britain, even if it were paved with pieces of broken glass, just so I could rescue one person from going to that place.

Made me think, do I really believe this gospel, and if I do then shouldn’t I be absolutely focussed on seeing souls saved for Christ, as in deed Christ was. Surely if a generation rose up that had this conviction of the reality of eternity and hell, then men might begin to repent and believe. Surely if we followed in Christs steps, in his example, then others would see and believe.

Lord help us in this day, to forsake the things of this world, to cast off the value of this temporal dwelling, to take up our cross and follow, that we may truly believe, not just in word but in faith, in the confession of our lives our works, our values, of everything we are. That others might see and believe. Let your kingdom come Lord, Amen.