In the End, There Will be Perilous Times

An email I sent to a brother and sister in the Lord this morning:

Hi Brother and Sister-Am feeling to contact you about the perilous times we are in; I think we are in the great falling away. Even though people are still going to church, it's their hearts that are falling away from their first love of Jesus and turning to themselves and pleasures of this world.  Just sensing lately that something is happening in the spiritual realm; something coming down the line. Also, grieved over the blindness of so many here in America. Am reading Steve Hill's new book, Spiritual Avalanche, in which he goes into the various false doctrines which are permeating "the church" today. He was in and out of reality the past 5 years with cancer and treatments, and then when he "came to" he looked at what had happened in the church; God gave him a vision about this avalanche so many are ignoring or don't see and continue to ski the slopes happily, so to speak, and he was mortified at what he saw, and in what preachers are preaching. He identifies 5 false doctrines that are going around and are shipwrecking people's faith, even though they think they have "seen the light." Sad, sad. Even some in my own family have been sucked into this "me" teaching, presented though as what Jesus wants you to have and receive, etc. They think I am legalistic to want to do what Jesus wants us to do in being righteous. That is how they resolve the differences in what we believe in their own minds.  

When we got out of the system 9 years ago, we saw the emphasis go from our spiritual walk with the Lord to "what' s in it for me" preaching, with no dying to self or us serving Him, but in Him serving us, in other words. Because this poison from the world that exalts man was steadily creeping in, and changing the focus of Christianity from Him to us, or man, we had to get out while the getting was good. We couldn't eat that food, and let our spirits die. Of course the real eating is of Him one on one, but if we agreed to listen to what worked against that, it would be counter productive to our growth in Him and to the cross He has asked us to take up in being conformed to His image, and to walk in His will and not our own.  A cross less Christianity is no Christianity at all.  

One of the main things that has slipped away, I believe, is the concept of "holiness." They now want to say that is "putting oneself under the law." Just listened to YouTubes with Paul Washer, Ravenhill, and Wilkerson. Thank God Paul Washer and now Steve Hill are holding up the standards of truth according to the will of God, and which you, Ralph, also are doing. But it will not be an easy road, since the masses are being sucked into these "new revelations" they think God is sending. I can see all of this, and don't know what to do with what I see many times except get grieved and sad at what I do see. I'm also feeling that "the die has been cast" but this may just be my discouragement coming through.

 It's as if people have made their choice. When they follow these doctrines of men, (or worse, the devil) they are in essence saying that they have chosen Mammon over God. Mammon can represent not only money, but self, too, as money does satisfy the lusts of the flesh of having possession, fame and build up one's ego. These doctrines appeal to the lust of the flesh, and away from God being the Sovereign One, who we worship and fix our eyes on and His will. God tells us we can't have 2 masters; that we have to pick one. Trying to serve these 2 together, God and Money (or the world or self) is what these doctrines do.

Sigh-You and a few others are some who are still holding up and believing in the standards of truth, and want to contend for the faith, or preserve the truths of God's word in this generation, as I do. So, we need to encourage one another in that, as the majority of people who call themselves "His" are straying from that, and unfortunately blindness has set in. The force of the majority satan will try and use to make us join in, and that is one reason we not only need to support each other, but we need to pray for each other. I commit to pray for you two, as the strength of that force gets stronger and stronger as time goes on. We can be assured that He promises to spare us by coming back soon, so we won't be deceived. This is serious stuff.

The Million Muslim march on Sept. 11 this year could have some significance in things turning around somewhat, and possibly in this time (if things get bad) people's eyes will then be opened, and they will come to themselves, as the prodigal did, and return home to their Father's house. Didn't He say, "let judgment begin with the house of God?" If, and when they do come back, we need to make sure we don't respond to their returning, as the elder brother did, but we join in with the Father in celebrating their return, as His mercy and forgiveness will be there for them. It seems the most pressing mission field will be to those who once were His, and have gone from the narrow path to the broad one. I will be praying on that day, and ask that you join me. Right now, I don't know what I will pray, but when I set down to do it, God, by His Spirit will show me. Maybe just pray in the Spirit.

I would welcome your responses. God bless you and keep you, as He will, when we trust in Him to do it.