Until the Fulness of the Gentiles Be Come In
Last December, I recounted a dream I had where Google had decided to disable my associated accounts (i.e., Youtube, this Blog, etc.). The reason? Content about homosexuality being a sin.
In the dream, God told me not to try to reestablish those accounts, but to be ready to "transition" to the next thing He had for me. I stated in the post that I did not know the time frame by which these things would happen, but it is interesting to note that it is starting already.
This summer, Youtube has been systematically penalizing my account; rejecting or disabling videos, removing audio, etc. Videos that have been hosted on Youtube for years have now all of a sudden become problematic and many of my posting privileges have been revoked. Although for the past 2 years they have been asking me to become a Youtube Partner and receive advertising revenue from my videos (which I continuously refused), now my account is "not in good standing" and I cannot even load videos more than 15 minutes in length. According to their Terms of Service, these are the steps which need to be taken in order to finally disable my account. The Lord has already shown me what will happen; so be it.
The point of this post however is not to quibble about what is happening to me. My reason for sharing this is that I want to reiterate again the serious changes I believe are coming for the church of God. As I live, it seems more and more apparent to me that the Age of the Gentiles is wrapping up. Church "as usual" is simply not going to prepare many for the days to come. Now more than ever let us gird up our hearts and focus on Jesus. While we may not all be called to walk the same path, I do believe that "transition" is coming to the Church as a whole.
In mentioning how we are in the last days this week, my cousin asked me whether I really believed that these are the last days. I said that in Jesus' time, such was also referred to as the "last days"...and considering the viewpoint of our eternal God, I suppose it is. However, Jesus also gave us certain signs to look for to know that the time of His Second Coming was approaching; and those with eyes to see can surely redeem the times in which we now live.
One of those signs is that the condition of the world would be like the days of Noah and the says Lot: a land filled with permissiveness, indulgence, and perversion. People would be wholly given over to the lusts of the flesh and will be violently antagonistic about anything relating to God & His truths. Something that has made this abundantly clear is the recent reaction to Chik-fil-A's stand for God's word.
One post that I think describes this quite well is from D.L. Foster's the Gay Christian Movement Watch blog (emphasis by me):
Whatever the reason, its important to understand this battle isn’t about chicken and not about CFA. God is allowing us to see what is to come if we don’t stand up and be who we are. Its very clear that CFA did nothing wrong legally, morally or spiritually. Nor did its CEO. And despite what you’ve heard, this isn’t a human rights issue, not a respect issue, not an equality issue, not a business issue, not even a gay marriage issue per se. Its a glimpse of an intense, unseen spiritual war occurring all around us which has manifested in the natural.
The vitriol satan has stirred up in the hearts of those who hate the relational model God created (which bears his image) is about to explode. They can barely contain their rage because they lust for the death image of satan to prevail in the land. If they could, they would burn every CFAs in the country to the ground. And they way things are going, eventually laws are going to be passed to do just that. Intolerance (of their lifestyle) will not be tolerated and they will empower God-haters to take mob action against those who will not bow to the perversion of the prince of this world.
We’re on an unavoidable collision course with the god of this world and his insatiable desire to enslave the people of God. You have heard it before: there is no middle ground in this war. You may have noticed the counterfeit church is deploying its lying prophets to call for a cease fire. But keep your weapons at the ready and don’t stand down.
We need this training for battle. We need a hardening for war. That’s why God is presenting us with this live fire practice session. Trying to give his people some real time practice in learning how to stand. There is a time to pray, but understand its prayer that has brought us to the point of now STANDING. That’s right! Prayer actually stirs up and intensifies spiritual warfare. You have prayed for God to have his way. Now, get up off your knees and STAND so that he can have his way.While of course prayer will be what continues to get us through even in the days to come, prayer always precipitates action. As God moves, we want to be sure that we are moving with Him.
"...and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14
If you have visited this blog for any length of time, then you know that its purpose is to help prepare God's people for the end times. Do not think it by chance that you have come here. If you have put off "getting right with God" before, do so no longer. You can no longer afford to live for yourself. Whether Jesus comes in 10 years, 20 years, or whether you are scheduled to leave this world tomorrow; turn your whole heart to God and let Him guide you in these evil days. Now is the day of salvation for you!
May we each get our ears attentive to what the Lord would say to us as the days unfold.
That said, I recommend the following resources:
Prophetic Guide to the End Times: Facing the Future Without Fear by Min. Derek Prince.
"The first point is basic. It is, in fact, so simple we may not see its importance at first glance. As Christians, we are waiting for Jesus Christ; conversely, we are not waiting for the Antichrist...I have met follow believers who are so busy with theories about the Antichrist - his number, his name, the countries he will rule, the methods he will use, how he will put his stamp on people's foreheads and hands - that they are almost advertising agents for him. Our business as Christians is not to be witnesses to the Antichrist but to the Christ. Jesus said, "You will be witnesses of Me." (Acts 1:8)"
The Biggest Failure of the Church Age by Min. C.I. Scofield
"Christians, let us leave the government of the world till the King comes; let us leave the civilizing of the world to be the incidental effect of the presence there of the Gospel of Christ, and let us give our time, our strength, our money, our days to the mission distinctively committed to the Church, namely, to make the Lord Jesus Christ known "to every creature"!"
Don't Cry for Me sermon by Pastor Gary C. Price
UPDATE:
I was asked in the comments about what to do to be prepared or to be ready. I suppose I kind of left yal hanging by not addressing that in the original post. :-) I thought it might be helpful to post a previous response to that question from another post. When it comes to being ready/prepared in these times, I am referring to the following:
If you mean that you feel there is something holding you back spiritually, then perhaps some time fasting would help to weaken that resistance. I have found that cutting back on a lot of the world's noise and spending more time with God in prayer can often give me clarity when it seems difficult to hear Him.Please also read the Derek Prince book, Prophetic Guide to the End Times: Facing the Future Without Fear, which is a great encouragement!
If you mean that you feel unprepared for the days to come (financially, physically, emotionally, etc.), know this: There is nothing any one person could do to be prepared outside of obeying what the Lord commands. It is God's desire and His expressed will to protect His people during this time (Rev. 6:6, 7:3, 9:4). He knows what you understand and what you don't. He is not sitting around thinking, "Well, I sure wish he/she could get what I was trying to tell them. Oh well, I guess they will just have to figure it out on their own." If He never expressly tells you anything by way of preparation, He is still more than able to guide and protect you during anything which is to come.
Jesus definitely tells us to be prepared and to watch during this time. Perhaps it is beneficial for us to talk about why. We are asked to watch - not so that we become anxious, paranoid, or fearful - but so that we are not caught unawares (Matt. 25:1-13; Mar. 13:33-37; Luke 12:35-40. 21:34-36; Rom. 13:11-14; Eph. 5:15-21; I Thess. 5:4-10; I Pet. 4:7). We are not to be so distracted by the "cares of this life" that we forget why we are here (lose awareness of, and focus on, Jesus).
Please take a moment to review the Scriptures I referred to above. Notice how many of them talk about drunkenness, rioting, wantonness, gluttony... Jesus said these days would be like the days of Noah where people were going about life as if it would never come to end, getting caught up in all kinds of worldly endeavors and lusts of the flesh to their own detriment (Matt. 24:36-51). We should not be that way. God does not want us to live without purpose (His purpose).
This is how we are to be prepared in these evil days, by keeping our eyes on Him and not letting our love for Him grow cold (Matthew 24:12; Rev. 2:4). And of course, if God tells you to do something additional in terms of natural preparations, then certainly do it. But it is not the status of natural preparations of which God is mostly concerned, but the condition of our hearts.
If you feel that God is prompting you to leave some things behind and come closer to Him, then pray for the strength to do so. The flesh may be weak, but if the spirit is willing God will make a way. His strength is made perfect in our weakness, which is perhaps why fasting can play such an integral role in coming against the things of the flesh which try to hinder us."Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." Hebrews 12:1-3
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