It is not America that I am worried about. It is the unfaithful New Testament congregation that is falling away. The only signs and wonders we shall be before Christ returns are natural signs, such as the increase of false teachers, the apostasy in the Church, the degradation of society, the unnatural affections between same-sex couples, the forsaking of God and the collapse of the family and marriage union, etc.
THESE are the signs and wonders of our day, which the blind cannot see and the unfaithful congregation denies.
It's my view that every single conscientious Christian should "inherently" know that this world is totally different from what it was in the past, and that Satanic forces are at work in the Church bringing it down to the level of the world. So, whatever level that the world sinks to, the Church is soon to follow. Personally, I don't think it's really rocket science. It's quite obvious. I really can't think of one single abomination in the world that hasn't found it's way up into the Church today. From Homosexuality and Evolution to Divorce and Remarriage and everything in between. And the next wave of abominations come on a daily basis. They are all creeping up into the Churches like a disease. And that has never been, to
any great degree before, even in its previous darkest hours. Those who can't see what is the difference today are, generally speaking, in a state of denial.
There was not the image of the beast being cabled into our living rooms daily indoctrinating everyone in the religion of envy, in the lust of the eyes, the pleasure of swearings. The religion of evolution in the love of self. The religion of greed, filling the basket of never satisfied. The religion of self-respect (or pride if you like), wherein no one can tell us what to do. Because really, it's much better to watch TV and judge by the imaginations of our own heart, than to search out a doctrine in scripture. And of course, your favorite and mine, the religion of lust. Need I say more? The
fact is, people today have so much on their plate, and they are so mired down in self and the wickedness of this world, they don't know which way is up. Literally! Right is wrong, up is down, sin is righteousness, and righteousness is sin. And on a scale that is unprecedented. The Church doesn't know how far it has fallen from the faith because they are under strong delusion, which being interpreted is deception. They have been "seduced" by the beast in a way that has never happened before.
There was not the total worldwide slide into acceptance of ungodly degradations such as homosexuality, nor the embracing of the "normalcy" of sexual immorality everywhere. Homosexuality has always been
an anomaly, even in the world. But in our day it has become something not unusual at all, and indeed
quickly becoming part of everyday life. How many Churches speak of homosexuality as an abomination anymore, humm? It's a little sin at best, that Christians should not speak against, because it's "unloving". Christians look upon the widespread sexual immorality today as a matter of adiaphora. And how can these things be? Yes, there may have been pockets of such diverse behaviors in the past, but we are talking about
a global degradation here, even in America. There has never been a time when personal irresponsibility rules as it does now. Or when women were the heads in God's House almost routinely. Or when the casual consent to divorce is in "almost" every single Church. None of this was even rampant in the world in the past, "MUCH LESS" in the Church! These are all precedent setting, common on this scale only in our day. And it should be obvious to any
conscientious Christian that there has been a serious change in the Church, and that decay is eating away at its foundations. And yet, not only is it "not obvious," these abominations are outright justified and the decay denied. Because we are in a war. Funny thing about warfare in these high places, it's spiritual rather than carnal. Wherein, if we endure to the end, to withstand in the evil day, we shall do well.
Ephesians 6:12-13
- "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
- Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
But all of this is really a
matter of spiritual discernment. If we are led by the Spirit to have a heightened sense of God's holiness, then I have no doubt that we will see abominations when they are in the Church. And we will recognize them for what they are, and that they are of a nature that we must not be in agreement with. It is then that we will separate ourselves from it. So it's not a matter of convincing anyone of abominations, it's a matter of being able to recognize abominations "by" the power of God, rather than men.
Nevertheless, to be sure, these things we see today are things that have never happened in the past on this level, and seeing how they aren't going to subside, but grow worse and worse, we will never see happen again.
Matthew 24:21-22
- "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
- And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
That time may well be so far upon us that we can't see the forest for the trees.