the gloves are off

For the past three days, I've been following the daily White House press briefings led by President Trump's Press Secretary Sean Spicer.  It has been nothing less than breathtaking to see the dramatic change that has come over that bunch of so-called reporters who gather together in that small room every day to hear what Spicer has to say.  Today, especially, I discerned a sobriety amongst those people, unlike anything I've ever seen amongst that group, in my lifetime.  Apparently, it is very quickly beginning to dawn upon their minds that Trump absolutely means business, and that he fully intends to carry through with the things he pledged to do, during his campaign.  Which, after all, is exactly why that by far the legitimate majority of American voters put their names, as it were, on the ballot beside Donald Trump's.

What is going on?  I am going to be very bold to say what I believe is happening.  I have publicly stated (on this blog and elsewhere) that I believe we have now entered into that very brief period of time which I have called, "the Great Transition."  The Church Age is all but over.  The Rapture of the Church is verily knocking at the door.  The "great and the terrible day of the LORD," as the prophet Joel called it; the "day of his [God's] fierce anger, [and] of his vengeance," as the prophet Isaiah characterized it; "a day of vengeance,...when the sword shall devour," said Jeremiah: behold! the day of the LORD is at hand!  And God's anger even now is burning white hot!

Though the Lord is "slow to anger," as the Scripture says; yet, neither have the nations nor has anything like the majority of professing Christians, humbled themselves before God to pacify his fierce anger towards sinners.  God is merciful and gracious.  He has been very patient and longsuffering, as throughout this generation God has called the erstwhile Christian nations to repentance.  But God is nobody's fool; he is not one to trifle with.  

Now, I believe that God is beginning to turn his face to deal with the world's inhabitants in a very different way than in the past.  Whereas, until very recently, God has attempted by his grace and mercy to woo sinners to repentance.  But instead of repenting, multitudes ~ even of professing Christians ~ have turned their backs to God.

God has promised, and God is perfectly determined, to rid the world of sinners.  Many who are familiar with Bible prophecy have said they believe that we are in "the last of the last days."  I couldn't agree more.  What then does that mean?  Jesus compared the time of his return, with the days of Noah and with the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Does any Bible-believer suppose that we have not been living in such times as those for quite a while already?  And what was God's mind toward the world, in the days of Noah and of Sodom?  Though he was willing to show mercy, still God was angry.  And the longer that God waited, whilst sinners went on sinning, God's anger increased until it reached the point at which his mercy would wait no longer, and his wrath was all that could satisfy the justice of God's righteous indignation.

We're there, folks.

I believe that God is moving in America to turn back the floodtide of evil that has long been spewing abominable filth to cover this nation.  It will be stopped by God, by whatever means necessary!  I perceive that God, at this time, is moving powerfully through the agency of government ~ which is the ordinance of God, to stem that floodtide.  But, tragically, I also believe that that is the very thing which will provoke the godless masses in America to reveal their beastly nature.  Do we not already see that happening ~ and, on a scale which no one did foresee only a few months ago?  Soon, God will need to move by other means ~ when the masses of people will have resisted the will of God expressed through government.

The Bible decrees that: "the powers that be are ordained of God.  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation" (Romans 13:1-2).  God is there speaking about the institution of human government, as being the "power" (authority) amongst men, which is "the ordinance of God."  Consider, if you will, that before God destroyed the world in the Flood, he sent a man of God, Noah, a "preacher of righteousness," to warn the people to turn from their wickedness.  Noah was acting upon God's authority.  Likewise, in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, God doubtless sent warnings to the inhabitants of Sodom, through the person of Lot, who "sat in the gate of Sodom" (Genesis 19:1) ~ a euphemism for "one in authority."

Truly, these are, as the Bible forewarned would come in the last days, "perilous times."  Still, we should rejoice that God is evidently moving powerfully to "clean house," so to speak.  The Tribulation, in fact, shall serve to that very same purpose.  This is only the beginning of that process; yet it is, I honestly believe, the beginning of that.

Only the pure in heart shall be able to stand in the midst of the fire of God's judgment.