November, 2013
Greetings,
On the heels of writing and sharing, 'When Evil Comes in Like a Flood' which addressed the rise of evil in our nation, and the response needed by the church, this word comes forth. It will be revealed in eternity of how many times God warned us, gave us wake up calls, for what was coming, but we missed the warning signals. I believe our nation, and paitcularly the church is at this cross road right now. God has sent alarming signs to show us the path we are on and what is coming. And unless a proper response is done by the church, we will go down in the history books as, 'having eyes to see, but could not see; having ears to hear, but could not hear'. Brethren I beseech you take notice of these words and let us respond now, while there is still time, before the 'night cometh when no man can work'.
Luke 11:42, "But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."
Hebrews 2:1, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."
1. What is the problem? It seems necessary to once again list, and make mention of what is all this alarm that I am sounding off about. It has been building for some time, with crisises, events and troubles always happening and being reported across our nation in the news headlines and reported in our communities and churches. But for some reason, it is apparent that all this building up is now at a crisis point of eruption. Evil has been happening this month alone locally and nationallly, that seems to me to be unparalled to anything that I can remember or have seen documented. When evil flares up like this, something is happening and the church should be discerning enough to find out the answers.
--murder-suicides are rising at an alarming risks; Reports are showing all over the country, grisly happenings that demonstrates the restraints of evil are happening. Most of these murder-suicides is generally adults in relationships of family or acquaintances. But this month there has been a spike in babies and children being pulled in to this evil. Failed attempts have kept the numbers down, but the rise in its activity should provoke us to see and discern something is happening.
--drugs and alcohol affects have been active for decades across our land; but in recent weeks death and destruction have been reported due directly to these two vices of hell; It never is alarming, it seems to the church, until it hits in our backyard. The affects of this upon our young people and families is alarmingly rising. The question for the church is, how far are we willing to let the enemy occupy our land and loved ones?
--legalislation of sin in our land is one of the building planks for hell; Supreme Court ruling, state legislations of same sex marriage; US congressional pushing ENDA, which leads one step to outlawing any voice against sin in our land; legalizing of the very things that are killing us as abortion, prescription drugs and state laws allowing drug use; All these are examples of our nation which was built upon, 'One nation under God' to becoming 'One nation destroyed by God'. Each passage of legislation, judicial, or executive decisions against God's Word and ways are an affront to Him and provokes Him to wrath to consume us.
There are of course, more issues specifically targeting our Christianity and way of life. These mentioned are only a few of the deatils that have surfaced to reveal, convince and make us aware that evil is forwarding its progression at a rapid rate that has not been seen for quite some time. Our history of advancing evil:
--Prohibition was ruled upon in 1933; it was almost another 30 yrs. before another step was taken by our nation that would take us away from God;
--Supreme court ruling on removal of Bible reading from public school (1963) by one contrary, lost woman made the nation begin an onslaught of evil to offend and provoke God; then in the next 10 yrs. the next step was taken;
--Abortion was ruled in 1973 as legal; allowing for the sancity of life to be lessened and undervalued; creating a huge flow of innocent blood upon this nation which will be required upon this generation and those to come;
--Same sex marriage was all but ruled 'ok' by the Supremem Court this past July, 2013 that is allowing for the rise in abominations to have God consume us and remove us from the earth;
These events are major decisions over 80 yrs, that has all but taken us from God's mercy and protection to God's anger and destruction. The signs of this destruction are on the horizon and left unattended will lead us to its ultimate conclusion of annhilation. And the verses mentioned earlier are warning that things left unattended by God's people, the church will hasten evil bringing us to the end. But a proper response by the church may find the Lord's favor, forgiveness and faithfulness to glorfiy His Name in our midst.
2. Secondly,what has the church been doing while this evil has been advancing? Or what should she have been doing?
There are several issues at my heart that sounds off here. The earlier verses warn us, 'take heed to the things which we have heard and don't let them slip'. And, 'you shouldn't have let the more important things undone.' It was preached and declared by Leonard Ravenhill throughout the 1960's and '70's and then picked up by Henry Blackaby in the 1990's into the new century that the state of the church has revealed it to probably be 'one of the most Biblically ignorant generations of all time'. I know other saints may have said it, but these are the ones that I heard it. Meaning that we have had more opporuntity to read, memorize, share, and fully appreciate the Word of God than most other nations and generations. However, due to our lack of 'taking heed' we have let it slip. Rather than making it a priority we have left it undone to other vain priorities and objects.
Our most offensive weapon, according to Ephesians 6, is our sword, which is the Word of God, has been reduced from a 3 ft. two edged sword to a 3 inch pocket knife dull on both sides. All because of unfaithfulness to 'study to show ourselves approved unto God'. Men gave their lives for the furtherance of the Bible to be printed, shared and proclaimed. Many North Koreans were just last week executed for owning, possessing a bible.
And even though prayer and Bible reading as spiritual discplines seems to have risen in most recent time; still the church as a whole are desperately ignorant of the value of these two needful weapons of our warfare. Satan has lulled us to sleep, caused us to be busy about less important things, and we have missed the time in prayer and the Word that would have kept us sharp, Spirit filled and ready for use as 'a vessel unto honor' by our Master. The recent rise of interest and awareness is helpful and needful but a more urgent plea must be sounded. War is on our threshold and souls are being ushered out into eternity without Christ. There is no more alarming sound than eternity.
Our schedules, plans, activites must all be priortized to the sitaution that is even now upon us. If this current trend is not met with an assualt of prayer, fasting, tears and declaration of God's promsies from God's Word I fear what 6 months may look like, what a year will look like. Evil is multiplying while we are adding.
'We should not have left the other things undone' - while we have been busy about our activites, we should never have left the things of God undone. We lived for self, for money, for matieralism, for plans, programs and have spent whole lives for self instead of the Savior. The old song tells us the truth, 'Wasted years O how foolish'; for we can never reclaim that which has been lost. The time should have been spent on prayer, Bible and intimacy with God. The things of which can neve be replaced or restored. This has created a void in us, as the church, that has been filled with earthly, carnal things rather than spiritual, eternal things. AW Tozer, Vance Havner and Leonard Ravenhill are respected and admired as 'men of God' among us. They are those 'very men of God' due that they kept the main thing the main thing - prayer, Bible and alone with God. We have heard these truths and know them to be right. Then 'take heed to the things which you have heard and don't let them slip'.
What leaving these things 'undone' has caused us? A recognition in our hearts that we have filled this void with pride, humanism, entertainment, advancement, comfort, and has caused us shame before our Lord. This is a great need of confession, repentance and restoration among us to to do the 'things of God' for His glory.
Until,
Dan Biser
rdbiser@live.com
Began:
Nov. 21, 2013
edited:
Nov. 22
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
WHEN EVIL COMES IN LIKE A FLOOD
November, 2013
"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." Isaiah 59:19
In this day and age, we are seeing more evil of the worst kind happening than we ever have before. All around us, across our nation, in our homes, in our churches, it is all around us. This verse is for our direction and admonishment as the church and servants of our Lord. Far too often, many develop a great fear that isolates and removes them from the conflict. Others lose hope when they see the swelling of the flood waters of evil. But this verse is a promise for us, that when such times come, and we are in these times, that God will raise up a standard to counter and contend with the forces of hell and the flood of evil.
1. What is this flood of evil?
--Let me give you an example from just this month of November, 2013; Murder-suicides have triple to their normal pace in our country. Grisly, evil murders of multiple family and friends at one time. Just in the last week: 4 dead in Phoenix; 4 dead in Boston (including two babies); 4 dead in New York City; VA state senator's son stabs his father, critically wounding him and then shoots himself (a failed attempt of murder-suicide); These are all recent cases of that which has been much before me for two years. This is an increased evil apart from but similar to the rise of suicides and homicides in our land. The enemy comes to destroy, and he is destroying the fabric of our land in the homes through this tragedy of murder-suicide.
--younger generation being swept out into darkness; their choices, lifestyles all products of evil damage and impact them for the rest of their days; From drugs, alcohol, sexual sins, music and materialism all impacting them for years to come. It has been a literal evil cancer eating away at what should be our next generation of hope. Hope is being diminished by so many being destroyed before they have the opportunity to make a difference in homes, our nation and our churches.
--drugs and alcohol is an evil of convenience; It is amazing to see and study how Satan over the decades has made these two sins to be so prevalent in the lives of the majority of our younger generation. From high school to college there is a constant state of health, emotional and long-lasting affects upon them for their usage of these sins. Death, nervous system, mental capacity, abuse and other affects are detrimental to our young ones. All passed down and access granted by the previous generation. The access to these things in each city and location is so easy and accommodating to this younger generation. Money is not an object, access is no problem, limit is uncontrolled but the damage is unseen in the moment. Each week at our local college there is a report of 1 to 2 alcohol poisoning calls, on a campus around 2000 students.. Last week a 25 yr. old drug overdose death, and multiple more affects left unreported are happening each day. This reflection of our local area is only multiplied by bigger cities and other areas in our nation. It is destroying us from the inside out.
--Lust, sexual sins and flesh are another evil ravaging through homes, our nation, churches and families; I have said often over the last several months, that with all the legalizing of same sex marriage, a nation working to promote sexual sins as normal that I do not know of a family that is not affected with adultery, divorce, homosexuality, fornication and other sexual sins of abuse. Again, where God is absent from the hearts, homes and heads of a people, sin, self and Satan comes barrelling right in as a flood to sweep them away to destruction.
--Family - we have seen the erosion of 'family' in our nation over these last several decades; I can remember as a teenager hearing James Dobson, lead Focus on the Family, making the church awarre of the reality we are not living in. Marriages being torn by adultery, divorce, abuse. Relationships of children to parents all victims of a society of self and sin, causing great rifts between that which was meant to be love. Money, time and routines tearing away from family time, creating those that live in the same home to be as strangers. Satan seeking to destroy the Christian homes more violently and viciously than it seems ever before.
2. Where is this battle really at?
The above example of this flood of evil are only the symptoms of the root of the problem. Much energy, thoughts, discussions, prayers are all focused on the symptoms and are forgetful that without cutting away the roots of the problems there will be no solution nor remedy to this flood. Just as when an actual river floods from a dam breaking or a downpour of rain; until those water sources are stopped or cease, the flood will not subside. So it is with the source that keeps the symptoms occurring. The sources of the flood of evil are sin, self and Satan.
Sin - 'all have sinned and come short of the glory of God'; It is this recognition that men know and understand that they are not good, they are not 'okay'. But born into this world we are given to sin, our flesh fails us. Our hearts are evil and follow after sin easily enough. It is only when sin is revealed and that men understand they need help to be delivered from sin, that they can find a shut off valve to the source of the flood of evil. The remedy for sin is the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. So long as men do not receive Christ as their Savior and Lord, sin has a root that continues to feed every lust, desire, thought and word that is anti-God.
Self - men are more lovers of self than God; it is that nature of sin with self that compels us to continue to seek for selfish desires, fulfillment and direction. Self always leads away from God. When one comes to Christ, he must die to self; must die to sin in order that the source of evil might be cut off so that roots of righteousness, holiness and faith might grow. But it is quite evident that many that proclaim that they are Christians, have not died to self, and therefore the flood of evil is still continuing. This failure to die to self allows for the water to continue to flow.
Satan- that old crafty enemy is always preying upon God's people; he is not worried about the lost, he already controls them. 'But as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour,' Satan is pursuing the Christian. And because he knows man so well he uses sin and self to tempt them, to try them and to persuade them to give in. But as Christ put down Satan all three attacks, so we must defeat him in the same way. Satan cannot have a foot hold lest the flood of evil continue. He is the one that breaks the dam wide open to cause the flooding.
3. What is the response of the church?
God promised that when evil would raise its ugly head, that God would raise up a standard against it. The question for us to answer or examine is what is this standard and what does it look like.
First, we must recognize the source of this flood, which we have identified in the previous section. Granted, there is far more details and descriptions that can be addressed and spelled out, but it is enough for our purpose here. The understanding of this is crucial for we are aware by Scripture, 'we are not wrestling flesh and blood, but against priniciplaties, against pwoer, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places'. This is where the conflict is fought and won. I repeat, it is not against the symptons of the flood of evil; but rather, at its source.
Christ demonstrated His victory over Satan's temptations as a means for us. On all three occasions of temptation, Christ quoted the Word and refuted and refused Satan. So our weapon of warfare is the Word of God, it is a Sword. It is an offensive weapon to combat and defeat the enemy. Christ had been days in prayer to be dead to flesh but powerful in Spirit. Prayer is what saturates the Word with power from on high. I feel that many invoke the Word without power in prevailing prayer and it fails to accomplish God's intended purposes of victory. Many a solider claims a promise from the Word, but does not prevail due to lack of prayer.
We are to tear down the strongholds that are rooted in these evils of our day. They are in multiple places to be found. Thoughts, intents, words, deeds/actions, in society, traditions, religion, are some of the places that show forth as strongholds in the hearts, souls and lives of many. And only there when the strongholds are torn down and removed will there be victory.
There is a lesson here to be taught and learned by the church. God is willing to show us what is going on and hwo to deal with it. Not all the church is aware or alarmed at what is going on. It seems to often they are never alarmed until it hits home. But it is happening in rapid form and it does require for the church to recognize it and teach it to their flocks to be aware. A warning of this threat should be admonished to the brethren for what is happening and its consequences if it continues. Satans activities, plans and ways should be made aware to the body fo Christ to stand against him. 'We are not ignorant of his devices', but I would say the church of today is very ignorant of Satan's activities.
When Satan has his minions holding a soul, holding a region, a place by their evil power, and prayer is made against this evil and no victory is seen or had; then we know that 'this kind can come forth by nothing but prayer and fasting'. Oftern our failure is in not understanding nor knowing what we are dealing with nor how to deal with it. We must discern and know and be obedient to the 'heavenly calling' that God puts upon us to stop this flood of evil.
Failure by the church to do these things, allows for the flood to continue. It permits the evil to grow, taking more souls with it than it should have. Satan is not stupid. He knows if the church, if families are not praying, then he has free access. He has an inroad on the unprotected souls. Herein is our failure to a great extent. We have lost enough ground, enough souls, enough time. We must return to the 'old paths' and stop this flood of evil before our entire nation is swept away into destruction. Time is eveything with this truth. We have sqaundered enough, and now we are in crisis mode for the souls of our loved ones, and the soul of our nation and future.
"Arise my beloved and be doing'
until,
dan
Began:
11/19/13
Edited: 11/20/13
11/21/13
"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." Isaiah 59:19
In this day and age, we are seeing more evil of the worst kind happening than we ever have before. All around us, across our nation, in our homes, in our churches, it is all around us. This verse is for our direction and admonishment as the church and servants of our Lord. Far too often, many develop a great fear that isolates and removes them from the conflict. Others lose hope when they see the swelling of the flood waters of evil. But this verse is a promise for us, that when such times come, and we are in these times, that God will raise up a standard to counter and contend with the forces of hell and the flood of evil.
1. What is this flood of evil?
--Let me give you an example from just this month of November, 2013; Murder-suicides have triple to their normal pace in our country. Grisly, evil murders of multiple family and friends at one time. Just in the last week: 4 dead in Phoenix; 4 dead in Boston (including two babies); 4 dead in New York City; VA state senator's son stabs his father, critically wounding him and then shoots himself (a failed attempt of murder-suicide); These are all recent cases of that which has been much before me for two years. This is an increased evil apart from but similar to the rise of suicides and homicides in our land. The enemy comes to destroy, and he is destroying the fabric of our land in the homes through this tragedy of murder-suicide.
--younger generation being swept out into darkness; their choices, lifestyles all products of evil damage and impact them for the rest of their days; From drugs, alcohol, sexual sins, music and materialism all impacting them for years to come. It has been a literal evil cancer eating away at what should be our next generation of hope. Hope is being diminished by so many being destroyed before they have the opportunity to make a difference in homes, our nation and our churches.
--drugs and alcohol is an evil of convenience; It is amazing to see and study how Satan over the decades has made these two sins to be so prevalent in the lives of the majority of our younger generation. From high school to college there is a constant state of health, emotional and long-lasting affects upon them for their usage of these sins. Death, nervous system, mental capacity, abuse and other affects are detrimental to our young ones. All passed down and access granted by the previous generation. The access to these things in each city and location is so easy and accommodating to this younger generation. Money is not an object, access is no problem, limit is uncontrolled but the damage is unseen in the moment. Each week at our local college there is a report of 1 to 2 alcohol poisoning calls, on a campus around 2000 students.. Last week a 25 yr. old drug overdose death, and multiple more affects left unreported are happening each day. This reflection of our local area is only multiplied by bigger cities and other areas in our nation. It is destroying us from the inside out.
--Lust, sexual sins and flesh are another evil ravaging through homes, our nation, churches and families; I have said often over the last several months, that with all the legalizing of same sex marriage, a nation working to promote sexual sins as normal that I do not know of a family that is not affected with adultery, divorce, homosexuality, fornication and other sexual sins of abuse. Again, where God is absent from the hearts, homes and heads of a people, sin, self and Satan comes barrelling right in as a flood to sweep them away to destruction.
--Family - we have seen the erosion of 'family' in our nation over these last several decades; I can remember as a teenager hearing James Dobson, lead Focus on the Family, making the church awarre of the reality we are not living in. Marriages being torn by adultery, divorce, abuse. Relationships of children to parents all victims of a society of self and sin, causing great rifts between that which was meant to be love. Money, time and routines tearing away from family time, creating those that live in the same home to be as strangers. Satan seeking to destroy the Christian homes more violently and viciously than it seems ever before.
2. Where is this battle really at?
The above example of this flood of evil are only the symptoms of the root of the problem. Much energy, thoughts, discussions, prayers are all focused on the symptoms and are forgetful that without cutting away the roots of the problems there will be no solution nor remedy to this flood. Just as when an actual river floods from a dam breaking or a downpour of rain; until those water sources are stopped or cease, the flood will not subside. So it is with the source that keeps the symptoms occurring. The sources of the flood of evil are sin, self and Satan.
Sin - 'all have sinned and come short of the glory of God'; It is this recognition that men know and understand that they are not good, they are not 'okay'. But born into this world we are given to sin, our flesh fails us. Our hearts are evil and follow after sin easily enough. It is only when sin is revealed and that men understand they need help to be delivered from sin, that they can find a shut off valve to the source of the flood of evil. The remedy for sin is the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. So long as men do not receive Christ as their Savior and Lord, sin has a root that continues to feed every lust, desire, thought and word that is anti-God.
Self - men are more lovers of self than God; it is that nature of sin with self that compels us to continue to seek for selfish desires, fulfillment and direction. Self always leads away from God. When one comes to Christ, he must die to self; must die to sin in order that the source of evil might be cut off so that roots of righteousness, holiness and faith might grow. But it is quite evident that many that proclaim that they are Christians, have not died to self, and therefore the flood of evil is still continuing. This failure to die to self allows for the water to continue to flow.
Satan- that old crafty enemy is always preying upon God's people; he is not worried about the lost, he already controls them. 'But as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour,' Satan is pursuing the Christian. And because he knows man so well he uses sin and self to tempt them, to try them and to persuade them to give in. But as Christ put down Satan all three attacks, so we must defeat him in the same way. Satan cannot have a foot hold lest the flood of evil continue. He is the one that breaks the dam wide open to cause the flooding.
3. What is the response of the church?
God promised that when evil would raise its ugly head, that God would raise up a standard against it. The question for us to answer or examine is what is this standard and what does it look like.
First, we must recognize the source of this flood, which we have identified in the previous section. Granted, there is far more details and descriptions that can be addressed and spelled out, but it is enough for our purpose here. The understanding of this is crucial for we are aware by Scripture, 'we are not wrestling flesh and blood, but against priniciplaties, against pwoer, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places'. This is where the conflict is fought and won. I repeat, it is not against the symptons of the flood of evil; but rather, at its source.
Christ demonstrated His victory over Satan's temptations as a means for us. On all three occasions of temptation, Christ quoted the Word and refuted and refused Satan. So our weapon of warfare is the Word of God, it is a Sword. It is an offensive weapon to combat and defeat the enemy. Christ had been days in prayer to be dead to flesh but powerful in Spirit. Prayer is what saturates the Word with power from on high. I feel that many invoke the Word without power in prevailing prayer and it fails to accomplish God's intended purposes of victory. Many a solider claims a promise from the Word, but does not prevail due to lack of prayer.
We are to tear down the strongholds that are rooted in these evils of our day. They are in multiple places to be found. Thoughts, intents, words, deeds/actions, in society, traditions, religion, are some of the places that show forth as strongholds in the hearts, souls and lives of many. And only there when the strongholds are torn down and removed will there be victory.
There is a lesson here to be taught and learned by the church. God is willing to show us what is going on and hwo to deal with it. Not all the church is aware or alarmed at what is going on. It seems to often they are never alarmed until it hits home. But it is happening in rapid form and it does require for the church to recognize it and teach it to their flocks to be aware. A warning of this threat should be admonished to the brethren for what is happening and its consequences if it continues. Satans activities, plans and ways should be made aware to the body fo Christ to stand against him. 'We are not ignorant of his devices', but I would say the church of today is very ignorant of Satan's activities.
When Satan has his minions holding a soul, holding a region, a place by their evil power, and prayer is made against this evil and no victory is seen or had; then we know that 'this kind can come forth by nothing but prayer and fasting'. Oftern our failure is in not understanding nor knowing what we are dealing with nor how to deal with it. We must discern and know and be obedient to the 'heavenly calling' that God puts upon us to stop this flood of evil.
Failure by the church to do these things, allows for the flood to continue. It permits the evil to grow, taking more souls with it than it should have. Satan is not stupid. He knows if the church, if families are not praying, then he has free access. He has an inroad on the unprotected souls. Herein is our failure to a great extent. We have lost enough ground, enough souls, enough time. We must return to the 'old paths' and stop this flood of evil before our entire nation is swept away into destruction. Time is eveything with this truth. We have sqaundered enough, and now we are in crisis mode for the souls of our loved ones, and the soul of our nation and future.
"Arise my beloved and be doing'
until,
dan
Began:
11/19/13
Edited: 11/20/13
11/21/13
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