being light -- in a world of darkness

"[W]e know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness."

1 John 5:19 

Jesus Christ foretold what would be the condition of the world at the time of his return.  In Matthew 24:21, Jesus said: " For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be".  Stop and think about that statement -- and the context in which that appears in Scripture.  Jesus was answering his disciples' question, namely: "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:3).  Jesus replied, that at the time of his return, there would be a time of trouble in the world -- such as never was until that time, and never would be again after that time.  In other words, at the time of Christ's return, the world will be in a state of utter chaos; it will mark the worst time in ALL of human history -- from the Creation, throughout eternity to come!

Such a singularly dark period of time cannot appear overnight.  It can only develop progressively, over time, as conditions in the world steadily deteriorate.  During the so-called Tribulation, that process of societal disintegration shall culminate in the darkest time in human history, as Christ foretold.  Conditions in the world have already degenerated very far toward that miserable end-point.  We are even now living in one of the very worst times in human history.  And conditions in the world are only going to get worse, until the Rapture.

I stress "in the world," because, I do not suggest that things are only going to worsen for true Christians.  I firmly believe that God is already moving to prepare the Body of Christ for a glorious manifestation of the Holy Ghost prior to the Rapture.  And that fills me with joy, as it also sustains me in hope.

At the same time, I am profoundly concerned about the condition both of the professing Church and of the unsaved world.  Notwithstanding the most zealous efforts of the most sincere Christians in America, still, I do not believe that anything like national revival is possible.  But that does not prevent me from seeking God for spiritual Revival, in the hope that multitudes may yet be saved -- even though America, as such, cannot be restored to anything like it was in former times.

Thus, I am seeking the Lord not only for a great outpouring of His Spirit to and through the Remnant.  But I am moreover seeking God for answers to a most important question (as Francis Schaeffer famously put it), viz.: "How should we then live?"

I believe the first thing that must happen, is, that the Remnant must be awakened to perceive that this is the time "of our visitation".  In the parable of the "Ten Virgins," they all ten slept.  That has been the condition of most Christian persons (in America, at least), throughout this past generation.  In the parable of the Ten Virgins, "at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him".  Today, we are the very generation that is witnessing the fulfillment of the prophecy of that parable!

Wake up, Church!  The Bridegroom is coming!  Open your eyes to see -- not merely the trouble that surrounds us, but also where we stand, prophetically.  We must see both our responsibility as well as our opportunity, in God.  For, truly, we are in a real measure accountable to God, for the plight of this generation in which we live as Christians.  Jesus himself said, "Ye are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).  How are we being that "light"?  Do you know what it means to be "light in the Lord"?  It is something more explicit, in Scripture, than mere "witnessing":

"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 

"Be not ye therefore partakers with them.  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) proving [demonstrating -- by your own life] what is acceptable unto the Lord.  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.  For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.  But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 

"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit..." (Ephesians 5:3-18)

"Light" exposes whatever was previously unseen or indistinct, in the darkness.  Imagine being in a completely dark room: you can't see anything!  Is the room empty?  What objects -- if any, are present in that room?  Where are those objects located?  Is the floor solid, without, perhaps, an open stairwell or another kind of pitfall?

Now, imagine turning on even a low-powered night-light in that same room.  Instantly, everything in the room is visible.  Every object, and every potential danger, is thus revealed.

Christians are supposed to be like that amongst the darkness of the world.  The passage in Ephesians, quoted above, explicitly relates our being "light" to "reproving" the "works of darkness".  To "reprove" someone means to "admonish, convince, tell a fault, rebuke".

"All things that are reproved are made manifest [revealed] by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest  is light."

That is the Biblical "definition" of "light".  Light is that which "makes manifest" (reveals, exposes) by "reproving" (admonish, rebuke).  There is not much of that going on, today.  Christians have been kowtowed by a culture -- within the churches themselves! -- which culture does not merely frown upon, but ostracizes, those who dare to reprove and rebuke sin.  Even preachers, these days, are expected (in the vast majority of churches) NOT to speak dogmatically concerning any kind of "sin".  "Tolerance," and "diversity" have replaced "truth" and "damnation," in the new-and-improved version of the "gospel".

Yet, Christians claim to be perplexed as to how it is that such gross darkness has overtaken the culture at large.  But take a peek inside many church services, today, and you will discover that literal darkness (lights turned down or off) is purposively chosen to create the desired "atmosphere" to facilitate "worship," in the hope that some may thus have a spiritual "experience" or "encounter".  Whereas, any witch or warlock can easily conjure up such spiritual "experiences" and "encounters", and in a similar "atmosphere".  Black is universally understood to be the "color" of darkness and of death.  The Bible records that the very first thing God did, in Creation, was to turn on the light.  Literally.

But I don't want to get too far away from the central theme of this essay.

The prophecy (of the Ten Virgins) continues.  After the cry went out at midnight, the Virgins were commanded: "Go ye out to meet him".  Go ye out -- "out," where?

1. Out of the world: that is, separate yourself from worldly attachments, from worldly pleasure-seeking.  Live as though you are a stranger to, and a pilgrim in, this present world.
2. Out of the Apostate Church: "Come out of her [Babylon], my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Revelation 18:4).  True believers must separate themselves from persons and organizations that willfully compromise and adulterate the truth of Christ.
3. Out of the box -- of traditional thinking and of carelessness (thoughtlessness).  These are desperate times we live in; which, circumstances, call for us to re-evaluate our thinking, in order to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.  The world we live in, today, is already very different from the world we lived in a decade ago.

I believe God is seeking a generation which LIVES as though we truly BELIEVE what we say, that is, that we believe we are THAT generation which shall not see death.  Do we, really, believe that?  Really?  Why, then, are some Christians socking away loads of money in retirement accounts, instead of earnestly seeking for ways to spread the Gospel and to build up God's Kingdom in other important ways?  Why is there no evidence of a determined and concerted effort on the part of any church (that I am aware of), to have a major impact -- of Biblical proportion?  We say we believe the Rapture could occur any day now.  If we honestly believed that, then, why are we not meeting together every night for prayer for Revival?

Very, very, very few Christians REALLY believe that Jesus is coming "any day now".  It is so easy to tell who they are, too: just spend five minutes talking with them.

We are living in the days of the "Fifth Seal" (http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Seals-Prophecy-History/dp/0692245707/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454045344&sr=8-1&keywords=randy+wills+seven+seals+in+history).

The fifth seal wasn't opened yesterday.  But that cup of suffering, I believe, must be rapidly filling up with the martyrs' blood.  Jesus said, "In such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44).  As for me, I could almost say I am nearly exhausted, from looking after so many different signs of Christ's soon return.  Years ago, I stopped being a full-time news-hound trying to connect world events with Bible prophecy in order to determine how close we are to the Rapture.  Lately, it seems I've stopped looking for signs of any kind; I've just fixed my gaze Homeward, knowing. . . .

But while I'm still in the world, I've set myself to seek God with my whole heart, for Revival.

I'll conclude with a couple of related thoughts.  I have never watched "Lady Gaga" perform.  Nevertheless, I know something about the nature of her performances.  In a word, they are demonic.  She is demonic (how I pity her).  I found a quote, supposedly hers, which appears below:

I believe it.  Masses of people must indeed "love the chaos in [her] brain".  But because it's in HER brain, "it" does not "terrify" them.  Her?  She's "terrified" by "it".  Yet, this present, evil world loves "it" -- at a seemingly safe distance.  Oh, but all that is getting ready to change, big-time.  "It" is clawing at the doors of the pit, desperate, so desperate to get out of that place of torment.  And when that "chaos" breaks loose from those chains forged in hell, absolutely nothing in this world will be capable to withstand against the unspeakable onslaught.

So, what are we, the Church, doing -- in view of the knowledge of that impending Horror?

Here's what we ought to be doing:












"We engage...."  We don't run away from.  We don't negotiate with: "If you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone, Mr. Devil."  We don't accept a stalemate: as Israel did the Philistines and their Goliath.  We "engage".  Superior forces "engage" the enemy.

And we engage in spiritual -- not in carnal -- warfare.  It matters little, who's elected President of the U.S.  But it matters much, who is praying -- and how.  The Spirit of God clearly impressed within my spirit, recently, this word: "Nothing happens in Israel, or in the larger world beyond, but that it begins and ends right here, in My Sanctuary, through prayer".  You may take that as you please.  But I know what the Spirit showed me: that is, the power and authority of God's ministers, in prayer.

To "conquer the satanic chaos," furthermore, can ONLY be accomplished to the extent that we "triumph in the divine economy" -- which is a fancy way, perhaps, of saying, that we must flow in the gifts and power of the Holy Ghost!  For, there is no other means, and no other way, that anyone can "conquer the satanic forces".  But the Holy Ghost flowing through the sanctified life of a Christian, is ALWAYS effectual to defeat the enemy and to destroy the works of darkness.  Thus, again I say, we must have Revival.

I will leave you with a final comment by Steve Martin:

If he only knew how profound that statement is. . . .

When the Body of Christ shall soon, and suddenly, be removed from this world, that will truly be "a day without sunshine" -- a night without hope of redemption or deliverance.

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.  For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.  Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? 

Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!  Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.  And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth....  (Jeremiah 8:20-9:3)

How should we then live?  I want to live as if I will be called to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, in the very next moment, in the twinkli