The world, today, is riddled with sin and depravity, the likes of which we have never seen before. As human beings, we have lost our moral compass, because we have continued in our rebellion against Almighty God. Make no mistake, the God of Heaven IS our Creator, the King of Kings and His Son, Jesus Christ, our Messiah IS Lord of Lords. This is the truth, and the truth cannot be changed. GOD does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. And 2 + 2 will ALWAYS equal 4 — even if we want to believe it’s 9 — or in today’s world, with our reprobate minds, we may even try to assert that 2+2 equals ORANGE, or BLUE or RAINBOW SWIRLIES!
But the feeble thoughts of man are all futile, because truth is truth, and we have DENIED the truth. We have rejected our Creator and our Savior. We have cursed Him, we have even taught our children He doesn’t exist, and is just a figment of the imaginations of ignorant, superstitious, uneducated men of old. (And today, everyone KNOWS that MEN — especially old and WISE MEN, are no longer relevant… in fact, they are to be despised).
And therefore, because we deny and reject the King of Kings, and the ancient, timeless TRUTHS of God’s Holy Word, like the people we read about in the book of Judges, “every man does that which he feels is right in his own eyes.” NO MORAL COMPASS.
Of course, we know from one of those wise old men of ancient times, as we read in Proverbs 14, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” We also read: “A wise man feareth and departs from evil, but the fool rages and is confident.” And Psalm 2: “Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His anointed…” WHO do we think we ARE? We think we are wiser than God. We think we know what’s best for ourselves. Indeed, today, we are so narcissistic, we actually believe we, ourselves, actually ARE the only gods that exist.
Friends, there is a battle raging all around us and we don’t comprehend the enormity or significance of it. Certainly the worldly, unsaved don’t see it; and very FEW church-goers truly understand what is going on. We are not taught about these things in our Institutional Churches today. We’re taught about how to have a happy marriage, how to be a good neighbor, how God just LOVES everybody, the whole world, no matter what, and of course we are taught how to tithe to the church. We’re taught about how to have our best life NOW, how to GET BLESSINGS FROM GOD, and riches and prosperity. In more and more churches, we are outright LIED to, and the greater, weightier matters of the WHOLE counsel of God are never spoken of. So we need not wonder why our world and our country is in such disarray. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, we have turned, every one, to our own way.”
Our problem is spiritual apathy and biblical illiteracy of course, but at the most basic level our problem is sin. But where did sin originate? And who was the first sinner? Some may say it was Eve, or even Adam and Eve together. But that is not entirely accurate. Sin and rebellion against God FIRST arose in the very inner circle of God Himself. In the beginning, “war arose in heaven… Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down — that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Revelation 12).
Now look at Genesis 3: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made….” We all know what happened next. That ancient serpent, called the devil, or Satan, began leading the whole world astray, by first preying upon an innocent and naive woman using lies and deception, causing her — and her husband with her — to question God and reject Him. God had given them the WHOLE WORLD to rule over and subdue and to be their home. At that time, He had only ONE restriction, and that restriction was for their own well being and safety. But the serpent was craftier, filled with lies and deceit, and wanted nothing more than to destroy God’s image bearers, bringing death and destruction upon us all. And they fell for it. And so do we.
Even as believers in Christ, how often do we, in our own imaginations, try to justify what WE want to do — even though we know it is against God’s will — by listening to that serpent’s voice that whispers, “Did God REALLY say???” And if it is like this for CHRISTIANS, how much worse for those who have outright rejected and despised the very THOUGHT of God, our Creator?
Now, GOD, from the foundations of the earth, made a way for us to find our way BACK to Him, through His Son, Jesus. Jesus explained to Nicodemus, “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
Jesus may have been referring to the words of Isaiah 9 here: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned…” But of course, even in Isaiah’s day, the people loved the darkness more, and because of their arrogance, the Lord allowed them to go their own way and suffer His wrath. Later in Isaiah 9 we read, “So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; the ELDERS and DIGNITARIES are the head, the PROPHETS who teach lies are the tail. Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray.”
Of course, we know that in the last days, “people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” But it seems this is not just something that happens in the last days…. it’s been going on forever. How many prophets of God were shunned, tortured and killed for speaking the truth, for shouting ‘Thus saith the LORD,’ even in the days long before Paul wrote these words to Timothy?
As we see in Isaiah, and all throughout Scripture, God is furious with the elders, the dignitaries, the false prophets who teach lies and mislead people and lead them astray. What words did JESUS use to describe the Scribes and Pharisees and religious leaders of His day? God is equally furious with the cowardly pastors of today who do the VERY SAME…. speaking lies, refusing the preach the whole counsel of God in order to remain well-liked and popular among the people… telling the people what they want to hear, rather than the truth. Truly, they ARE a brood of vipers… SERPENTS, like their father, the devil. Jesus described them well.
You see, we have set up for ourselves TEACHERS, rather than being “homeschool” STUDENTS, rather than being Bereans and studying on our own, to show ourselves approved workmen that need not be ashamed. We have turned Christianity into a spectator sport. All we are expected to do now is sit and listen and then go home. Our Bibles are dusty, friends! We cannot blame the false teachers and cowardly pastors for ALL the judgment of God that has fallen upon us. Ultimately, we are responsible, ESPECIALLY in this country of America where we still have the freedom and ability to KNOW God’s Word and Jesus’ commands. The false teachers and popular pastors are not changing their ways. They have been with us from the beginning. If we want to know the truth, it is up to US to seek and find it.
But that is a narrow road that few will ever take. The broad way that leads to destruction is much more convenient. It’s a four-lane highway of ease and comfort. And we live our Christian lives on ‘cruise control,’ as we crank up the praise and worship music, raise our hands in song, sway back and forth to the “beat” and utter our prayers in vain to a God who will NOT hear because we are such children of disobedience.
We are not supposed to rely on the “professional” Christians to teach us. We need to study, learn and understand the things of God OURSELVES and we are without excuse because God has made all things plain to those who seek that truth. Let me ask you: do you think the devil uses people in his evil schemes? Of course, he does. Likewise, does GOD not ALSO use people? Yes, and He does not seek out the high and mighty “professional Christians.” He seeks the humble of spirit, and He uses those He knows He can trust because they truly love Him.
The enemy of our souls — the serpent — was cast out of heaven along with a third of the angels and they are with us NOW, today, on this earth, wreaking havoc. Those angels are demon spirits and they thirst for the blood of God’s image-bearers. Peter tells us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…”
Back to Revelation 12: “Woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”
Friends, this spiritual battle is raging. It’s raging stronger every day, and God’s people are being trampled by the serpent and his demons. Destroyed for lack of knowledge. And so demonic delusion reigns; legalized, legislated murder of our own babies, sodomy, “gender confusion,” brainwashing of our children to an evil, godless agenda, resulting in murder, rape, pharmakea, worship of false gods, rejection of our loving Creator, spiritual and emotional bondage.
God is looking for WARRIORS in this spiritual battle. Faithful servants who will get up out of their padded church pews, take up the Sword of the Spirit and go engage the war. It’s up to US, my friends, because it is obvious that the vast majority of our pastors, prophets, elders and “professional Christians” simply want to be well liked and popular, but never get their soft, delicate hands dirty. They have missed that portion of Scripture where James writes, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity with God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be an enemy of God. I also NEVER want to hear those words, “Depart from me, you worker of iniquity, I never knew you!” On the contrary, someday, maybe someday soon, I want to hear, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy Lord.”
Please friends. You know the stakes. You know the time is short. How much longer will God’s patience remain? Get up. Stand up for Jesus! The dragon and his demons are having their way. Who will stand and fight the enemy, as David marched boldly and courageously to Goliath and said “NO!” Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and that authority He gives to US TOO — His faithful who can honestly be called by His name. He said we, as His followers would do even greater things than He, if only we would fear not, understand our authority in Christ, and step out and stomp the head of that evil serpent with our heel!
This is OUR job. Not a job for the delicate professionals…. it’s for those who aren’t afraid to get hot, sweaty, dirty, and beat up in battle. Nobody said this spiritual battle would be easy. But we CANNOT be defeated if we will just STAND. Remember Revelation 12: “And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and loving not their own lives, even unto death.” The spiritual battle for the souls of men, women and children is raging. Will you enlist? Or will you remain asleep while the prowling, hungry lion devours you — AND your children and your grandchildren, and our nation? It’s time to put on the armor so you may stand your ground and after you have done everything, to STAND! Remember Matthew 24: “The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Audio CDs and transcripts of this message are available when you call me at Wisconsin Christian News, (715) 486-8066. Or email Rob@WisconsinChristianNews.com. Ask for message number 222.
© 2018 Rob Pue – All Rights Reserved
