Friday, September 27, 2024
End-time events will deceive and confuse the unbelieving, the ignorant and pre-trib Christians. And just as God judged “the church in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38 KJV) when ancient Israel, at the edge of Canaan rebelled, so too will He judge, and is even now judging the church in these end-times. Many are ignorant of God’s judgments from the ancient past, and are thus unable to discern that His judgments are being visited upon the unfaithful and rebellious church of today.
The Holy Spirit said “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them” (Rom. 1:18–19). Indeed, God’s word has shown ministers biblical truths, but many “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” in order to promote traditions of men, and then suffer mental, spiritual and even physical afflictions. If you need proof of that, carefully discern the communion table of the Lord Jesus at 1 Cor. 11:27–32.
One cannot, without consequence, claim to be God’s minister, but then ignore Scriptures that govern the church, and prepares believers to endure to the end as Jesus taught, Matt. 24:13. But those who do ignore certain Scriptures, and there are many, want to advance their agendas, being like ten of the twelve spies who led ancient Israel in rebellion and suffered God’s judgments. So too, God is judging the church as rebellious men install women pastors in positions of forbidden authority and headship, 1 Tim. 2:12–14. Consequently, many men are being removed for sexual immorality, mental illnesses of varying degree; others remove themselves by self-murder. Why are many pastors and their staff on prescription drugs for depression, anxiety? Why are so many in therapy sessions? Why, if they’re called by God to preach the gospel, is there mental sickness in many, given the truth that God’s Spirit promised, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isa. 26:3). Why? Scripture answers that for us.
God has not changed and neither has the fallen selfish unrepentant nature of man. But the man truly born again has changed! The called man will preach all the gospel! The Spirit testified of early ministers of the gospel saying “To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now” (1 Cor. 4:11–13). If there were ever pastors with cause to suffer mental illness, they were it! But it was just the opposite. They rejoiced, because they were counted worthy of suffering for Christ, John 15:20. And know this, as the church came into this world, so too will it go out of this world! – under much persecution and trial, and we believers had better prepare in heart, mind, spirit and soul to endure the wrath, the persecutions, and isolation to come, and it’s near! The alternative is altogether unacceptable.
“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?…Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last … Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?’ She said, ‘Yes, for so much.’ Then Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.’ Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last … So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things” (Acts 5:1–11). We see what God thinks of lying to His Spirit, which includes lying about His Spirit-breathed word. And remember, silence speaks. If a pastor is silent on select truths, he too lies to the Holy Spirit!
Pastors of the early church suffered persecution and rejection, which most pastors today shield themselves from by being PC and culturally compromised. And those early church pastors were not on drugs for depression, they weren’t in therapy sessions, and they didn’t murder themselves like very many today do. And it was so because they kept their minds on Christ who kept them in perfect peace, they expected persecution and were thus prepared to endure it. If pastors kept their minds on Christ they would not suffer depression and anxiety. If one doubts that, and many do, then it’s unbelief of God’s word at Isa. 26:3 and Jesus’ promise saying, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). God’s peace will keep every called minister of the gospel.
Broadly speaking the church is experiencing God’s judgments which affirms God’s warning that “the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). If you know God’s word, then you know most of the organized church operates in outright rebellion of God’s word on numerous fronts. It will be churches who are PC, unguarded, government-led, not operating in God’s commands, whose leadership and flock will not recognize “the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:3), and will be swept away to become one with the New World Order church of the Antichrist.
In the unbelieving world of two-thousand years ago God also judged a national ruler. When the apostles spread the gospel King Herod tried to stop its proliferation. The results, again, brought God’s judgment. “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also … So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover … So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God grew and multiplied” (Acts 12:1–24). And by God’s promise at Eccl. 1:9–10, events such as those mentioned above, will occur again in these end-times. The time for church leadership and unbelievers to repent is now. The time is urgent. Jesus Christ “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). To anyone not born again by true faith in Christ, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).
My new book “ON EAGLES’ WINGS” was written with much Bible study and prayer and reveals many truths in preparing unbelievers and believers alike for the 7-year tribulation and finding God’s safety and provision for the last 1,260 days of “great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21).
Marlin J. Yoder
