Friday, July 19, 2019
The United States and the world have returned to a place of normalized global iniquities. How? By the return to the days of Noah and Lot. Yet, most people think the world is progressing to a much better place – globalism, no need for God, less world hunger, sickness, disease, racism and poverty, amid increased economic opportunity, artificial intelligence, robotics, sexual equality, tolerance, and religious ecumenism. It’s all viewed as desirable and normalized progress.
Most have been deceived to believe the lie that this world is trending toward a better way of life. But unknown to most, Satan specializes in deceptions of the normal. Just think – seven decades ago most people were appalled at what today is called normal sexuality. Today, the LGBTQP agenda has gone global, with Tel Aviv, Israel hosting the largest GAY PRIDE parades!
But true Christians who know and believe God’s Word know that “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, ‘See, this is new’? It has already been in ancient times before us. [But here’s the problem in the Church] There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of thigs that are to come by those who will come after” (Eccl. 1:9–11). Global iniquities that were before us, are returning! Thus saith the Lord God!
Jesus Christ, comparing the times of the end to the days of Noah and Lot, said that people “ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so it will be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:27–29).
Though the days of Noah and Lot had gradually grown corrupt, it was ultimately accepted as normal. Gender identity was destroyed, but normalized. Homosexuality and transgenderism was accepted and normalized. And today the world has normalized perversions, violence, wars, evils, and kingdoms and nations against one another, and false religious ecumenism. The iniquities of Noah’s and Lot’s days and false ecumenism has also been normalized in many churches!
The perverse, but normalized state of the American Psychological Association is revealed in Tony Perkins’ July 8, 2019 Washington Update and Family Research Council article entitled “APA: We’d Like To Teach The World To Swing…”, and states: “Just when you think you’ve heard it all, the American Psychological Association (APA) decides this: Monogamy is the new bigotry. That’s right. According to the supposed “mental health experts,” open marriages are the tolerant approach to intimacy. And they’ve launched a task force to prove it to the world.”
No boundaries. Nothing is off limits. Be what YOU want to be. That’s exactly how it was in the days of Noah and Lot. And how did people get there? Gradually. Incrementally. Not all at once, but slowly and deceptively. God and His Word was ignored, then abandoned, then outlawed as perversions and lawlessness crept into the hearts and lives of people because of the increase of wickedness. And because of this, Jesus said, “the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). Agape love, gone! Note that Jesus said this to professing Christian believers in the Church!
What’s the answer, Church? Let every pastor and teacher who names Christ as Savior and Lord call their flock to specific attention, saying, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Repentance is named 26 times in 24 verses of the NKJV of the New Covenant. We better consider it imperative. We need the power of the Holy Spirit more than ever to confirm God’s Word to our hearts and lives and not be complicit with the world’s normalized iniquities.
God reminds us that “the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:7–8). Because we care for and love one another in Christ, we speak the truth and testimony of Jesus Christ in love, trusting it, and not religious ecumenism, to accomplish what can only be done by grace through faith and the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ is returning for “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). The Lord returns for “His own special people” (1 Peter 2:9), not those “who say they are Jews and are not, but lie” (Rev. 3:9), but those who have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14). We owe it to our relationship in Christ Jesus to know, believe, and act upon the testimony of Jesus.
There’s also a deceptive normalcy in the Church – an abandonment of teaching the end-times. From CharismaNews.com: “Why Aren’t Pastors Preaching On End-Time Prophecy?” In part it says, “If our congregations do not get regular biblical instruction and inspiration about the last days and our Lord’s Second Coming, we and they are in danger of deception by the devil (Rev. 12:9), his demons (1 Tim. 4:1-2), or—eventually—his end-time agents, the Beast (the Antichrist, Man of Sin, Son of Destruction; 2 Thess. 2:3, 7-12; Rev. 13) and the false prophet (Rev. 16:13, 19:20).” I believe, Gary Curtis, the author of this article, knows we must endure the tribulation.
Gary Curtis, however, will likely discover, if he hasn’t already, what I’ve discovered many years ago, which is, teaching the end-times and especially the testimony of Jesus, will not be permitted in denominational churches that hold the pre-tribulation rapture tradition. His message will be stopped at the door, because he won’t be viewed as a team player. It’s truly astonishing how organized denominational churches have safeguarded the pre-tribulation rapture deception.
Don’t be taken captive by normal things of this world or church traditions. Blood-bought saints of Christ are called out, separated from unbelief and this world, not meaning to leave this world before our appointed time, but to faithfully separate ourselves from its corruptions, iniquities and unbelief, and from many church traditions that are now so commonplace and normalized. From this point forward, until the Lord’s return, we should approach everything the world tells us as being a lie designed to deceive us. Check everything against the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Marlin J. Yoder
