I believe that we are in the hour of great shaking (Hebrews 12:26-27), when Christ is separating the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46), and when believers will be tested in their relationship with Jesus to the breaking point. We are told by Christ himself, "Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name, At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." (Matthew 24:9-11).So many Christian brothers and sisters have a shallow relationship with their Savior. They expect God to act like Genie granting miracles like wishes. In many ways the God of Israel has been heathenized, people in church act like those pagans who burnt incense, and gave of their crops and more to the sun god or other gods hoping for prosperity. Well here is disparity, Jesus Christ did not promise us such a life, "Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me," (John 15:20-21), "You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved," (Matthew 10:22), "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me," (Matthew 24:9), "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you," (John 15:18-19), nor did Paul, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory," (Romans 8:17), "Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus," (2 Timothy 2:3), or Peter, "But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!," (1 Peter 4:16), "But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." (1 Peter 4"13). Our God and Savior Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and secured for us eternal life, escape from hellfire, endless access to Him, and at end of days a new body that will not decay, disease, or die (). However, we struck a bargain for this, we said "I will stand firm to the end, I will fight the good fight, I will finished the race, I will kept the faith." (Matthew 24:13, 2 Timothy 4:7 Paraphrased). We are walking in a fallen world, subject to decay, riddled with disease, and certain death of our bodies. As the Apostle Paul so asutely noticed, "Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse (the curse of Genesis 3). But with eager hope, that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God," (Romans 8:20-21). This entire planet is plunging into decay and destruction, hence why the Apostle Peter says, "And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed," (2 Peter 3:7) and that "there will be new heaven and new earth" (Revelation 21:1).
Until then we are in orbit on a globe of great sorrow. We have blessed hope of salvation in Jesus, we have the consolation and comfort of His presence, but we must make that hope more mature. As the Apostle Paul said, "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you." (Philippians 3:8, 15). We must be able to say we discard our good health in disease, and count it lost to gain Christ, for even the Apostle Paul was afflicted and not healed!, "or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). So getting well is not sign of God's favor, for the Apostle Paul was one of most devout followers of Christ! We discard our prosperity and wealth if it comes to that too, for there is only one we can serve "you can only serve God or Mammon (god of money, see Ezekiel 28)." (Luke 16:13). The time has come to stop our heathen prayers to the Most High, and recognize, He isn't going to play Genie and fertility god anymore, our love for Christ must transcend good fortune and good health. The shaking is upon us, "At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well. This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain." (Hebrews 12:26-27). I believe many who have treated the Alpha and Omega as their Ashtoreth or prosperity god will find their faith tested to the hilt, for Christ forwanred us that the narrow path, the road of salvation through Him is rarely trod, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." (Matthew 7:13-14). Christ ominously even says, "I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8), and even less comforting he warns us Elect, "there will be many false christs and false prophets who will do signs and wonders to deceive if possible the Elect." (Matthew 24:24). And unless you have been deceived to believe we Christians shall escape all hardships in last days and be raptured, explain these verses, "And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation," (Revelation 13:7), and "this means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus." (Revelation 14:12). Why would the Lord warn us of the falling away from faith (Matthew 24:10), the coming testing and tribulations, and the severe oppression of the antichrist if not to prepare us? Jesus even told us that our badge or mark as His followers is suffering (see aforementioned verses in first paragraph).
The Coming Storm is going to cause many to stumble. Many brothers and sisters will not be able to cope and contend with this change. They have been content with a paganized Christ, a false Christ of prosperity and prosperity gospel (see 2 Corinthians 11:1-20, Galatians 1:8-9), an Ashteroth-Adonai hybrid, a Zeus they called Jesus instead of the Jesus Christ found in the Holy Bible who does not promise treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21), makes us choose between Him and money/fortune (Matthew 6:24), warns us of suffering in this life (Matthew 24:9-11), warns us of persecution (Revelation 14:12), promises salvation through Himself (Romans 3:23-29), promises us a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1-53), promises us if we stand firm etenal life (John 3;16-19, John 6:40), promises us new bodies (1 Corinthians 15:35-58, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) and who is coming with sword of His mouth to cut to pieces the wicked and unbelieving (John 3:18, Revelation 19:23-40). Jesus Christ warned us there would be false christs like the ones Constantine, Joseph Smith, and other false prophets and antichrists have made, "At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it, For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him." So shall it be! Amen." (Matthew 24:23-25, Revelation 1:7), and the Apostle Paul affirms this, "But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed." (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).
Here is the point, our planet is decaying, sinful, and collapsing, our souls and spirits are saved in Christ through believing in Him and confessing Him (Romans 10:9-10). However, while we have our eternity secured, and when He returns assurance of new bodies (1 Thessalonains ) and new world free of pain and death (Revelation ), until then we are in planet full of suffering, caused by Adam and Eve's fall (Genesis 3:1-40), and so we must endure to end (Matthew 24:13). I am not saying there is no consolation or comfort, on the contrary we promised in Christ, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ," (2 Corinthians 1:3-6), and we through Christ become, "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ,who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13). I do not want to paint a bleak and mean Catholic christ, but rather I want to say Jesus warned us fairly of the sufferings that would come, and we suppose to want to be with Him, which is the fullness of love (1 John 4:8), to be with Him because we desire Him, not for prosperity and fortunes.
As I mentioned in recent post, The Church of Imperialism versus The Church of Intimacy, Constantine merged Christ with Sol Invictus, and his priests turned the Roman and Greek Churches back to their pagan gods via the Cult of Saints, and their understanding of God became like the pagan gods, if I burn incense and offer sacrifice (sacraments) we will be rewarded with better crops, rain, and healing, when in contrast Jesus Christ said, "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature. So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith. Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble," (Matthew 6:26-34), God will supply our needs, we should work hard too (2 Thessalonians 3:10), but do not worship money (), and "But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward youWhen you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:6-8). The infection of pagan thought has made Churches even today think that if they prosper materially, physically, and emotionally that God is favoring them, and if a calamity, illness, or castrophe occurs, it is God's disfavor, when in truth it is the decay of this fallen world (Romans 8:20). It is my observation via Holy Spirit that Constantine and men like St. Antony of Egypt, and the like, made the Cult of the Saints so that none of passages in New Testament about the saints having to suffer (Revelation 14:12) or other requirements be applied to the average Christian, they didn't want to have to abide by words of Christ and Apostles, like King James who changed in his Englsih Bible KJV the requirement to be Baptized, something he didn't want to do. So these emperors and ecclesia twisted Scripture, changing the meanings later, after the Apostles were all dead and Christ had ascended, to be only for saints, superhuman beings, when in truth all of the Scriptures apply to every Christian and mortal man and woman who believe in Jesus Christ! Jesus cares about our needs (Philippians 4:19), but He told us we can serve only one of two masters, God or Money (Matthew 6:24), and our relationship with Him isn't suppose to be about prosperity or powers in the Spirit, but a personal intimacy with Him. For to those who thought in their powers and prosperity they were safe He will say, "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness,"(Matthew 7:21-23), and "that all of them may be one (Greek: essence, so close you don't know where Jesus begins and you end, and you begin and Jesus ends, the same in romantic relationship how you get lost in each other), Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:21). Jesus died to give us free access to Himself, The Father, and Holy Spirit, to be as Adam and Eve where before the Fall, but even better, to have God live in us! (Colossians 1:27, 2 Corinthians 3:16). But sadly, many under Constantine and Satan's Super Apostles ( see 2 Corinthians 11:3-20, and Revelation 2:2, 24) many have been seduced, "I fear like Eve you will be seduced from pure and simple devotion to Christ," (2 Corinthians 11:4) and "always learning they are never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth." (2 Timothy 3:7). It will not be what we know, knowledge that matters when we stand before God the Trinity, but if we know Jesus, which in olden times meant sex (Genesis 4:1 ESV, cross ref Matthew 7:23), in God's case deep intimacy (not sex) to the point that you can identify the Lord who is love (1 John 4;8) when you appear before Him.
The truth is startling. The only trustworthy source we have as Christians is The Holy Bible, and the Holy Spirit's instruction (John 14:26).. We must personally learning from Messiah our teacher (Matthew 23:10), learn form Holy Spirit (John 14:26), speak to the Father (John 16:23-26) and memorize what His written down words in the Gospels and the Epistles of His Apostles in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. Have you not wondered why when reading the Gospels or Epistles they have no similarity to how church is run today or the writings of scholars and clergy post 33-70 A.D.? Since Constantine, and even before him, the devil has been hard at work to deceive mankind, to make men return to their gods and follow false christs (Matthew 24:24) that demand sacraments, when the True Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 10:1-18) and we know Him via the Holy Scriptures in the New Testament and from His personal voice and presence inside us (2 Corinthians 3:16). Seek to know the Holy Trinity's personal voice, and test what you hear in your heart and head by the Holy Bible New Testament (Matthew thru Revelation). Anything that contradicts the Holy Bible must not be heeded and held on to, for example is a voice tells you Jesus came not in body, that is contradicted by all Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the epistles "This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God," (1 John 4:2), "I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist," (2 John 1:7). So you see, listen for voice of God, but test the voices to see if they are from God, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world, This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world," (1 John 4:1-3), and "All Scripture (Holy Bible) is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17). In order to even have known what the apostle John said about how to test spirits, you needed to know the Scripture, and its good to have the Holy Spirit Gift of the Discerning of Spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10) which you can ask the Holy Spirit for, but he decides what to bestow to each person (1 Corinthians 12:11, 1 Corinthians 12:27-30).
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