Hi there,
So just making predictions leading up to my cross (2053), this time more psychological.
With the decline of man towards the end of mankind (not just "the end") there are a number of things we can expect, regardless of the reign of Christ (because of the goodness of God). The two main ones that stand out, is that the flesh will go in two directions, as the pull of the pride of life and the lust of the eyes go in two directions. On the one hand you will have contradiction, and on the other hand you will have hypocrisy.
Contradiction on the one hand, will become harder. This is because a contradiction is usually slight and incorporates many things, if in sin, leading to many further contradictions. Because there is no real depth to how contradictory people become (who do not study scripture, nor write testimony) people will tend to write contradictions off, put them under the rug so to speak. But doing this (putting contradictions under the rug), will mean that they remain unaddressed and easily associated with far too much. Associations are good, but not when they are snagged by contradictions, then they become your enemy. This will mean that they harden and, if in the heart, that the whole body will harden.
On the other hand hypocrisy answers in a complicated way for many things, without doing much. So you can have an actor who is very capable at doing a number of different roles, without ever really experiencing the life that is behind the roles they play. Because of the simplicity of this and the facile nature of the world and its lust, people will cling to hypocrisy, it will become famous again and again in different guises and many people will be lead away by it. Lead away, not because it compels them to change or follow after it, but precisely because it does not. In this very few will remain pure, in the most original sense of the term (I'm thinking Amish here), and so those that learn to cover themselves or hide themselves from this sin will be both hated and neglected.
You might ask, why I did not cover the lust of the flesh, the reason for this is that the lust of the flesh remains fairly much a constant. We know from the Bible that God has "handed them over to the lust of the flesh" in a sense so that He can stop thinking about them doing the wrong thing over and over again, or whatever reason it is that God washes His hands of people (a serious reason, of course). We also know that the Ages move on, as man progresses to the end of mankind that everyone fears but which no one knows what to do about (you can't do anything). So the lust of the flesh is basically a snare of snares, for those that do not know how to keep themselves undefiled and free of violence. It is this that drives mankind towards Armageddon but in the grander scheme of things that is a bump in the road.
What you should really be asking is how you keep true religion throughout all of this, and indeed there are many things you could say. For one thing, orphans do not know how to identify with hypocrites, a hypocrite is no help to an orphan. A television will never replace a real father and just seeing other kids act tough in the playground is still going to be a major let down if you don't actually have a dad. So that calling, to find the Lord in the orphans of the world and adopt them remains a strong calling. For another thing, contradictions are no help to a widow, if in fact you do ever get past them long enough to help, which is the point. If we knew who it was the Lord was with and that He was already helping them, we would know that there is nothing better for doing away with contradiction than by helping a widow or someone in that position, the way the Lord is, not because it goes against the contradictions we have in our life, but precisely because it is nothing at all to do with them. In this, many may learn to do the will of God, if they will actually listen to His word and actually do it, but again as the word says these will actually be few (and we must be mindful to hope in the Lord, not merely in the changing of our circumstances).
"Ah!" You say "But you have said nothing of keeping oneself unspotted from the world". Well, in true religion you do that, but that is not where the hope originates, the hope originates in taking care of those that need it and do not merely play the hypocrite or contradict themselves in order to get what they "want". There is however, more you can say, simply because the Lord has indeed taken care of the widows and orphans already (if you will accept this on faith) and that is that we must follow the cross. "But how if everyone is hypocrites and full of contradictions? And there is much work to be done?" you say. Well, naturally, through confession.
Confession purifies the heart, whether there are small bleamishes or great. In the grander scheme of things, confession is really where things become unpredictable. As Jesus said, a righteous man may think himself better than others and a sinner may think himself at the mercy of God, there is no telling what a confession may change. Indeed it is an excellent place to start, when you know that contradictions have made you hard hearted or that playing the hypocrite has caused you to lose touch. Confession reminds you of who you are and where you are headed, and if it is in Jesus' Name, it empowers the soul to take advantage, even of the world, as it grows ever more corrupt. By confessing we make ourselves rich, strong and experienced, even desirable.
"But what of the future?" You say. "How shall I confess that I am ready for the future?" That is harder to answer, for one thing, you must be mindful of the times, that means for example knowing that men's hearts are harder now and that suspicion is rife. For another thing it means holding fast to the faith that the things of this world pass away, that they are not a snare to those who walk with the upright. You will of course need to know who the upright are, and for that I recommend Church, but remember that those who live in the Lord have been alive for far longer than those who are alive now. The time will come when you are tested no matter what confession you have made, so do not be too hard on yourself, but by the same token, bear in mind that confession is the minimum standard of the faith, not an adjunct that you turn to if necessary. If reason was the foot of the cross for the men of the world, confession is the foot of the cross for the sons of light.
Let that sink in (and be blessed).
So just making predictions leading up to my cross (2053), this time more psychological.
With the decline of man towards the end of mankind (not just "the end") there are a number of things we can expect, regardless of the reign of Christ (because of the goodness of God). The two main ones that stand out, is that the flesh will go in two directions, as the pull of the pride of life and the lust of the eyes go in two directions. On the one hand you will have contradiction, and on the other hand you will have hypocrisy.
Contradiction on the one hand, will become harder. This is because a contradiction is usually slight and incorporates many things, if in sin, leading to many further contradictions. Because there is no real depth to how contradictory people become (who do not study scripture, nor write testimony) people will tend to write contradictions off, put them under the rug so to speak. But doing this (putting contradictions under the rug), will mean that they remain unaddressed and easily associated with far too much. Associations are good, but not when they are snagged by contradictions, then they become your enemy. This will mean that they harden and, if in the heart, that the whole body will harden.
On the other hand hypocrisy answers in a complicated way for many things, without doing much. So you can have an actor who is very capable at doing a number of different roles, without ever really experiencing the life that is behind the roles they play. Because of the simplicity of this and the facile nature of the world and its lust, people will cling to hypocrisy, it will become famous again and again in different guises and many people will be lead away by it. Lead away, not because it compels them to change or follow after it, but precisely because it does not. In this very few will remain pure, in the most original sense of the term (I'm thinking Amish here), and so those that learn to cover themselves or hide themselves from this sin will be both hated and neglected.
You might ask, why I did not cover the lust of the flesh, the reason for this is that the lust of the flesh remains fairly much a constant. We know from the Bible that God has "handed them over to the lust of the flesh" in a sense so that He can stop thinking about them doing the wrong thing over and over again, or whatever reason it is that God washes His hands of people (a serious reason, of course). We also know that the Ages move on, as man progresses to the end of mankind that everyone fears but which no one knows what to do about (you can't do anything). So the lust of the flesh is basically a snare of snares, for those that do not know how to keep themselves undefiled and free of violence. It is this that drives mankind towards Armageddon but in the grander scheme of things that is a bump in the road.
What you should really be asking is how you keep true religion throughout all of this, and indeed there are many things you could say. For one thing, orphans do not know how to identify with hypocrites, a hypocrite is no help to an orphan. A television will never replace a real father and just seeing other kids act tough in the playground is still going to be a major let down if you don't actually have a dad. So that calling, to find the Lord in the orphans of the world and adopt them remains a strong calling. For another thing, contradictions are no help to a widow, if in fact you do ever get past them long enough to help, which is the point. If we knew who it was the Lord was with and that He was already helping them, we would know that there is nothing better for doing away with contradiction than by helping a widow or someone in that position, the way the Lord is, not because it goes against the contradictions we have in our life, but precisely because it is nothing at all to do with them. In this, many may learn to do the will of God, if they will actually listen to His word and actually do it, but again as the word says these will actually be few (and we must be mindful to hope in the Lord, not merely in the changing of our circumstances).
"Ah!" You say "But you have said nothing of keeping oneself unspotted from the world". Well, in true religion you do that, but that is not where the hope originates, the hope originates in taking care of those that need it and do not merely play the hypocrite or contradict themselves in order to get what they "want". There is however, more you can say, simply because the Lord has indeed taken care of the widows and orphans already (if you will accept this on faith) and that is that we must follow the cross. "But how if everyone is hypocrites and full of contradictions? And there is much work to be done?" you say. Well, naturally, through confession.
Confession purifies the heart, whether there are small bleamishes or great. In the grander scheme of things, confession is really where things become unpredictable. As Jesus said, a righteous man may think himself better than others and a sinner may think himself at the mercy of God, there is no telling what a confession may change. Indeed it is an excellent place to start, when you know that contradictions have made you hard hearted or that playing the hypocrite has caused you to lose touch. Confession reminds you of who you are and where you are headed, and if it is in Jesus' Name, it empowers the soul to take advantage, even of the world, as it grows ever more corrupt. By confessing we make ourselves rich, strong and experienced, even desirable.
"But what of the future?" You say. "How shall I confess that I am ready for the future?" That is harder to answer, for one thing, you must be mindful of the times, that means for example knowing that men's hearts are harder now and that suspicion is rife. For another thing it means holding fast to the faith that the things of this world pass away, that they are not a snare to those who walk with the upright. You will of course need to know who the upright are, and for that I recommend Church, but remember that those who live in the Lord have been alive for far longer than those who are alive now. The time will come when you are tested no matter what confession you have made, so do not be too hard on yourself, but by the same token, bear in mind that confession is the minimum standard of the faith, not an adjunct that you turn to if necessary. If reason was the foot of the cross for the men of the world, confession is the foot of the cross for the sons of light.
Let that sink in (and be blessed).
