Faith Is An Active Choice
The following position was shared with me by a sister in Christ. It was written by a friend of hers who I do not know. I wish to thank the author for doing an excellent job in tearing down the lie of our enemy that has many resting with a false peace and security about their salvation. We profess faith. What comes out of our heart as manifest in our words and deeds expresses faith and determines whether or not it is sincere. God does not give us faith, He gives us the choice to choose Him and the way of His righteousness.
This is verbatim the original author’s work.
Faith is not merely a passive state of the mind; it is an active state of the heart. Faith is not only the assent of the mind to the truths of the Gospel but faith also includes the consent of the will to the demands of the Gospel. Gordon C. Olson said, “Saving faith is not merely an intellectual state… Saving faith is an act of the will in total commitment… Saving faith is always our own act…” Gordon C. Olson (The Truth Shall Set You Free, Published by BRCCD, p. 135-136) Faith is the hearts active embrace and compliance with the truth. Faith is deliberate. Believing is a deliberation of the heart, a personal volition of the will.
Some say that faith is a gift from God in such a way that it is not man’s free choice. This would make God responsible for all of the unbelief of the world. Unbelief would not be man’s fault because he doesn’t have the ability to have faith. Augustine even admitted that God was responsible for the unbelief of the world because he believed that faith was God’s gift, not man’s choice. Augustine said, “Faith then, as well in its beginning as in its completion, is God’s gift… this gift is given to some, while to some it is not given.” Augustine (God’s Strategy In Human History by Paul Marston and Roger Forster, p. 258) A. W. Pink said “faith is God’s gift, and the purpose to give it only to some, involves the purpose not to give it to others. Without faith there is no salvation… hence if there were some of Adam’s descendants to whom He purposes not to give faith, it must because He ordained that they should be damned.” A. W. Pink (The Sovereignty of God, p. 101)
Calvinists use Eph. 2:8-9 to support their doctrine that faith is not man’s choice but is rather God’s gift. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Referring to this passage, John Piper said, “Faith is a gift from God.” John Piper (A Godward Life, Book Two pp.327-332) This verse however is not saying that faith is a gift and not of ourselves, but that salvation is a gift and not of ourselves. Salvation is not something that we earn by our works but something we receive by a living and obedient faith. Paul is saying that cannot boast since salvation is unmerited and undeserved; it is by grace. Even John Calvin did not interpret the “gift” of this passage as “faith” but as “salvation”. John Calvin (The Epistle to the Ephesians, Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1965, p. 144)
God gives the gift of salvation to those who choose to believe. Salvation is God’s gift but faith itself is our choice. God inspires faith within us by giving us all the reasons necessary to believe, and in this way he “helps” our “unbelief” (Mk. 9:24), but we ourselves must do the believing. He helps our unbelief but He does not irresistibly force us to believe. He presents the truth to our minds but we ourselves must yield to the truth and embrace it, we ourselves must choose to believe. The word “heart” in the Bible is commonly used as a metaphor to refer to a man’s will. Heart is figurative or symbolic for the human will. And the Bible says it is with the heart that men believe. “If thou believest with all thine heart…” (Acts 8:37) and “…believe in thine heart… for with the heart man believeth…” (Rom. 10:9-10). Jesus commanded men not only to repent, but to “repent and believe” (Mk. 1:15). This means that believing is a person’s choice just as repenting is a person’s choice. A command is a declaration of what you should choose. Telling men to “repent and believe” is nonsense unless repenting and believing is their choice. Jesus charged his audience to “believe the works” that he performed so that they might believe in his relationship with the Father (Jn. 10:38; 14:11). Jesus told his hearers to “believe on the light” or the illumination which he had given them (Jn. 12:36). Paul told the jailer in Philippi to “believe on the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31). All of these examples show that believing is man’s choice and that it is within man’s ability to believe. To speak to men in this way or manner takes for granted that faith is a choice. If faith was not their choice, or if they were not capable of believing, commanding them to believe would be nonsense. To tell a man to believe presupposes that faith is a choice which they are capable of making. Therefore it is contrary to sound hermeneutics to interpret Eph. 2:8-9 in such a way as to say that faith is not man’s choice, since that would contradict other plain passages which teach that it is.
A. W. Tozer said, “The day when it is once more understood that God will not be responsible for our sin and unbelief will be a glad one for the Church of Christ. The realization that we are personally responsible for our individual sins may be a shock to our hearts, but it will clear the air and remove the uncertainty. Returning sinners waste their time begging God to perform the very acts He has sternly commanded them to do.” A. W. Tozer (Paths To Power, Christian Publications, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania)
The Apostle Paul said, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” (Rom. 10:13-15). While it is God who presents the truths of the Gospel to sinners by sending them a preacher, they themselves must do the believing. Paul’s whole line of reasoning, that man cannot believe the Gospel unless he first hears it, presupposes that faith is a man’s choice to embrace the truth of the Gospel when it is encountered. The very reason that I travel the nation preaching the Gospel to sinners is because of my presupposition that they are capable of believing the Gospel. If man’s faith was God’s choice, instead of man’s choice, it would make more sense to ask God to give them faith than to ask man to believe. But you never see anyone in the Bible asking God to give faith to others, but you see lots of examples of men in the Bible telling sinners to believe.
Unbelief also is a personal choice of the will. Unbelief is a sinners own fault. Unbelief is not merely a passive state of the mind; it is an active state of the heart. Unbelief is the hearts active rejection of the truth. The Bible tells us to “take heed… lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief…” (Heb. 3:12). “Take heed” implies choice and “evil heart of unbelief” means that unbelief is not merely of the mind but is of the will. Unbelief is described as being deliberate. “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed…” (Matt. 13:15; Acts 28:27). This shows their personal and intentional choice. Their unbelief was volitional. Men purposely turn their ears away from the truth (Acts 7:57; 2 Tim. 4:4). Unbelief is the wills active state of suppressing the truth (Rom. 1:18). “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Heb. 3:15; 4:7). This command implies that a man chooses to harden his heart or not. We are also told that men refused to believe in Jesus Christ (Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Mk. 12:10; Lk. 20:17; 1 Pet. 2:7) Just as faithfulness is obedience, faithlessness is disobedience. The Scriptures even contrast disobedience is contrasted with believing. “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner…” (1 Pet. 2:7). An unbelieving heart is the wills rejection of the truth that is revealed to the mind.
Jesus even rebuked men for not believing, which implies that it is their choice to believe or not. Jesus “upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not…” (Mk. 16:14). Jesus blamed them for their unbelief, which means that it was their own fault! If it was their own fault, it was their own choice! It is a self-evident truth that they could not be blamed if it was not their own fault or choice. “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” (Luke 24:25). It would make no sense to rebuke men for not believing, unless faith and unbelief is their free choice. Their unbelief was their own deliberate choice, as implied in the rebuke “slow of heart to believe…” Jesus did not look at them in their unbelief and think, “poor men, God has not yet granted them the gift of faith”. He knew that their unbelief was their own fault, not God’s. We are told that Jesus “marveled because of their unbelief” (Mk. 6:6). If they were incapable of believing, or if God simply did not grant them faith, Jesus would not have marveled. There would be nothing to marvel at. Jesus marveled because they could have and should have believed, but they didn’t. Jesus commanded “be not faithless, but believing” (Jn. 20:27). Therefore it is our choice to be faithless or believing.
The reason that men do not know God is not because they are ignorant of God. God has given all men knowledge of Himself. The Bible says that God “lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Jn. 1:9). The word “lighteth” means that to “enlighten” and “illuminate” (Strong’s definition in e-sword) We are also told, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20). All men are “without excuse” for not acknowledging and serving God because no man is without the knowledge of God. The reason that men do not know God is because they choose not to seek after God. Jesus said, “…seek and ye shall find..” (Matt. 7:7). Paul said, “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.” (Acts 17:27). The knowledge of God, and knowing God, is available to everyone. The problem is that “there is none that seeketh after God.” (Rom. 3:11). Seeking is volition of the will. “And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee” (Isa. 64:7). God said that sinners “refuse to know me” (Jer. 9:6). Sinners choose not to know God. They purposely choose not to know Him.
We see in the Bible that God calls all men to believe the Gospel and He blames them if they do not. If faith was God’s gift, not man’s choice, then all men would believe and God would not blame men for their unbelief. To teach that faith is God’s gift is to accuse God of being partial instead of benevolent, and of being a tyrant instead of a reasonable and just Ruler, since you would accuse Him of withholding faith from most men because He doesn’t want them to be saved, and then He blames and punishes them for not believing. It would be the height of unreasonableness, injustice, and cruelty than to blame a man for that which was not his fault, or for that which he could not have avoided, and nothing could be conceived of as being more partial and unloving than to damn men that you could have saved.
This was very well said and should help us to remember what believing on the Lord Jesus is all about.
May God Bless You Richly!
Fleeing From Babylon
Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
A sister in Christ asked a question about what we are actually fleeing from when we obey God and leave Babylon. The obvious answer I thought was to just say the fallen church. But since “church” is not really a physical manifestation or even a denomination, it requires a more thorough answer. Telling somebody NOT to go to church because we don’t agree with the doctrine or how they run worship services didn’t sit well with me. It struck me as what a Pharisee might say and I thought caution was in order to ensure a critical spirit or spirit of judgment was not working to deceive me. I have been highly critical of many “churches” in general and by association, the people who attend these churches. I like all men am in no position to judge the heart on anyone as only God can see into our hearts. We can judge doctrine and we can judge sin, but we cannot judge the hearts of another man. I repent of my ungodly judgments.
Just as God’s church is not a building, an organization or a doctrine — neither is Babylon the fallen church. Church is the spiritual gathering of the hearts and minds of people. Jesus builds His church and Satan has been building his own church with deception. Belonging to a church is really about what you believe in your heart and what is on your mind. Is your heart pure and your mind focused on Jesus or is your heart full of idols and your mind on the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world? The MARK we have on our forehead or on our hand (our deeds) determines whether or not we are in Babylon or in the true Church of Jesus Christ. We see John describe the church as a mystery with the key markings identified.
Revelation 17:5 And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Those marked by God on their forehead will have the mind of Christ. Those marked by Satan, carry the mark of the beast as they have the mind of the Satan. Those live for fleshly desires, walk in the flesh — which is the nature of Satan. Modern day Babylonians have not put on the divine nature of Christ. God calls these Christians harlots and vain worshippers. Harlots don’t die to their flesh yet claim to be married to Jesus. This spiritual adultery is practiced by the vast majority of professing Christians. They are in Babylon, they have been deceived and it is time to blow trumpets to wake them up and help them flee from Babylon. My post on the MARK OF THE BEAST will help the reader understand these two marks which define who we really are in Christ or of the devil.
Whether one has the mark of God or the mark of the beast is not directly dependent on where a person chooses to spend a few hours of week in a building with a steeple on top or a cross on the wall. Church transcends all of these physical manifestations and is a spiritual place of gathering. God knows your heart and your mind, there is nothing that is hidden from Him. God knows where you are, whether you belong to Him and have His mark of whether you are in Babylon playing the harlot.
Babylon is a mind that is set on the flesh. It is a state of mind that combines the things of God with the things of the world. The sanctified vessels of God are defiled with wine and the abominations of the earth. The “religion” of those with this mindset points to another Jesus that is really the image of the Beast. The Babylonian church does not purify themselves, they do not make themselves ready for the Bridegroom. They sit exalted as a queen thinking they lack nothing and blindly trust in their false peace and security. Suddenly one day destruction shall overcome them and Babylon will not escape. Flee from Babylon.
God’s Call to Come Out
There is a persistent call for God’s people to come out of or flee from Babylon. Understanding what Babylon is and how we are to flee is an essential answer all Christians must know. In a previous post I laid showed the linkage to the first fall of Babylon to the second and final fall. In both cases of Babylon falling, it is because the sanctified vessels of God are defiled with the wine and abominations of the world. Let’s review some of the calls to flee from Babylon.
Zechariah 2:6-7 Ho there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the LORD, “for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens,” declares the LORD. 7“Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” Here we see the LORD telling His people to flee from the north which is where the enemy resides and takes God’s people captive. The Prophets speak of the escaped remnant from Babylon, these are the few there be that shall find the narrow gate. WE ALL MUST COME OUT OF BABYLON. True heart felt repentance and separation from the ways of the world is how escape Babylon. We don’t have to move to another country or necessarily change what assembly house we go to worship each week. But we do need to be careful with whom we associate with and what behavior we endorse by our action or inaction.
Jeremiah 51:6 Flee from the midst of Babylon, and each of you save his life! Do not be destroyed in her punishment, For this is the LORD’S time of vengeance; He is going to render recompense to her. The judgment of God is for the defilement of His temple. We are the temple of God — He lives in His people. When we defile that temple by staying in the spiritual state of Babylon, walking as a harlot, and living like the world lives, we will be judged and bear the vengeance of God. This is how we neglect such a wonderful salvation when we become religious and stay in Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:45 Come forth from her midst, My people, and each of you save yourselves from the fierce anger of the LORD. The Lord is very serious about us getting out of Babylon. He calls His people to take action , we must choose life and choose to sow to the Spirit. Paul spoke to the consequences of our choice in Romans 8.
Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live
Isaiah 48:20 Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! There are some interesting things about the Chaldeans which are the inhabitants of Babylon. If you read my last post, you might be interested to know that the Chaldeans always come from the north or live in the north with even Abraham being called away from the Chaldeans.
Isaiah 13:48-50 For the destroyers will come to her from the north,” declares the LORD. Indeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, as also for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen. You who have escaped the sword, Depart! Do not stay! We escape the sword by being under the protection of God. This means we are in covenant with God. When we are rescued from the sword, God tells us to move on which sounds like Jesus telling the sinners to “Go and sin no more” or “ pick up your mat and walk.” When God shows up, we have to follow Him, we cannot stay put in Babylon.
Isaiah 52:11 Depart, depart, go out from there, Touch nothing unclean; Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves, You who carry the vessels of the LORD. When we have the Spirit of God in us, then and only then are we born again. When we carry this vessel (the Holy Spirit) we are to come out and be separate from the world. This is the lesson that man’s church just doesn’t want to believe. They think it is perfectly fine to mix with the world. This wasn’t the way Jesus explained it to us in the Parable of the Wheat & Tares in Matthew 13. No this carnal thinking is nothing more than religion. Man has confused the things of God with the wisdom of men. We are not supposed to be building a church, that was never anything God told us to do. This is a tough truth for many to swallow that believe and want to make the road to eternal life very broad.
Paul gave us very good insight into what is meant by fleeing from Babylon when he wrote to the early church at Corinth. He feared for these earlier believers because many were still practicing sin and were mingling and fellowshipping with people who did not know God and consequently they were being corrupted.
2 Corinthians 6:14 - Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.
Therefore “ Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you,
and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”
Paul told us to separate from those that call themselves brothers and that also practice sin.
Ephesians 5:7 Therefore do not be partakers with them
1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
Babylon Promotes Idolatry
Babylon is a spiritual mindset where idolatry is promoted and perfectly acceptable to its inhabitants. It is perfectly okay in Babylon to have Jesus plus other things in your heart. Those that have the mark of the beast carry idols in their hearts, yet God said He wanted 100% of it, not just a portion. Babylon says Jesus will share your heart with other idols, things such as sin, worldly lusts, objects, reputations and even church doctrines. Paul warned the church about such folly.
1 Corinthians 10:12-14 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
An idol is anything that has a place in your heart that you love more than God. We provoke God to jealousy when we have idols in our hearts. If we do not flee Babylon, eventually our hearts will become so hardened by sin and rebellion that the WORD will no longer be able to heal us. We need to get out of Babylon before the God Sent Delusion comes upon us. Man has played the harlot, creating religion, building organizations, constructing big palaces ( fortified towers) which deceive people into loving the system and the assembly more than God and His Word.
Revelation 13 tells us the enemy comes disguised with two horns like a lamb yet speaks like a dragon. The false prophets come under the guise of religion yet they deceive the whole world.
Jeremiah 7:4 Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’
Going to a building once a week has nothing to do with true salvation. We should fellowship, absolutely but we can’t elevate this encouragement above the call to purity. If we put our trust in religion and the assembly houses we call church today, and do not purify our minds and our hearts but trust in a false peace and security, we are in Babylon and what happened to Shiloh will happen again.
Jeremiah 7:14 I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave you and your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. The account is in 1 Samuel 4, but to suffice it to say the people of God did not keep covenant with God and rested on their laurels of being God’s people. They forgot the little part about obeying God.
What Babylon Is Not
Very many people see Babylon as America. Babylon is not a country or a nation the way we think of nations today. It is not America even though a case can be made by interpreting the prophecies as natural signs rather than spiritual ones. I just read a very interesting book THE END OF AMERICA that lays out the case for why America is Babylon and suggests specific times and events that should trigger a mass exodus of Americans to foreign countries. I don’t doubt such a migration will happen or that the USA won’t be hit with nuclear bombs at some point which this book speaks in detail – but I doubt the identity of America as Babylon. Many see Zechariah’s flying scrolls as nuclear missiles coming to destroy America in one hour. I see them as false words coming as a curse against the fallen apostate “church” of Babylon.
If we are truly in Christ Jesus what do we have to fear besides the LORD? God is in control and if He wants to take us home early, then to die is gain didn’t Paul tell us? I am human and I do not want to die but I know that the life lived here is just a stepping stone to the gift of eternal life promised by God. I am trusting that if He wants me to flee either physically or spiritually from any place that the Holy Spirit will tell me to flee. That is what the sons of God do, they are led by the Spirit of God. I don’t recall Jesus giving us many examples of fleeing to avoid persecution by the world even telling us we would be hated and that many would be killed by others thinking they are doing a service for God.
Babylon is not a religious denomination. God saves people not men and just as going to church does not save anyone, going to an apostate church does not in and by itself condemn anyone either. God looks to our hearts to judge all men. I like to use Mother Theresa to make this point. While I have no doubt the Catholic Church is apostate and has departed far from the truth, Mother Theresa was a saint. She came out and was separate from the ways of the world. Her heart was pure before God, she humbled herself and obeyed God walking as Jesus walked. Her ministry was not one of admonishment or prophecy, it was one of sowing love and compassion. That is every bit as important a ministry as the role of a watchman or a preacher called of God.
1 Corinthians 12:4-5 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord
The soul that sins shall die. Yet God protects His own — those that walk in covenant. When we walk in covenant with the Lord, we do not and in fact CANNOT practice sin. So fleeing something in the natural such as America or a church membership doesn’t address the issue of sin and judgment. We are told to flee Babylon so we will not be partakers of her sins. Babylon obviously describes a place where sin is practiced. That is in our hearts. Those Born of God, are given a new heart and DO NOT PRACTICE SIN and they come out of Babylon.
1 John 3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God
So fleeing Babylon is really talking about making our hearts pure before the Lord. We must guard our hearts from idols and purify ourselves just as Christ is pure.
When To Flee Babylon
As we repent and turn our heart fully to God, God takes away our blindness to spiritual truths. As we learn obedience more and more by the things we suffer in the flesh, God reveals more of Himself to us. It is all in God’s timing. The time to flee Babylon is when God tells you to get out. If one is truly Born of God, I believe the Spirit will lead you out just as an angel led Lot out of Sodom. Speaking of the end times, Jesus said this:
Matthew 24:15 Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place let the reader understand, 16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17“Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18“Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
The Preterist will tell us this verse spoke about what happened in 70 AD. I don’t disagree with that but I do believe it has application and is a spiritual lesson for us to heed today in the end times. When Jesus reveals to us the mysteries of His Kingdom, including the mystery of lawlessness, then we are to flee from Babylon. Jesus was not talking about physically packing up and moving, He was speaking of spiritual actions, another words A CHANGE OF HEART AND FOCUS OF YOUR MIND. Remember Lot’s wife Jesus told us. She turned her heart back into the world and was destroyed.
If we are in the midst of apostasy and religious deception, our deeds may very well be impacted by the false gospel. We have a choice to make when Jesus opens our eyes and shows us the truth. We can stay in Babylon and remain comfortable (relatively speaking) and not disrupt our lives, our friends, our habits, our interests and let the approval of men and family continue to be elevated over the approval of God; or we can choose to trust God fully and speak the Word in season and out of season, more importantly living it by example and invite the condemnation and hatred of the world upon us. This is why the road to life is so difficult and narrow that we must strive to get on it by paying the cost of true discipleship. Few are willing to do this. Jesus said we would not be worthy of Him if we make such a choice.
How Babylon Is Destroyed
Babylon is destroyed because of sin. The opening passage from Revelation 18 tells us the angel said to come out so we would not be partakers of her sin and receive the plagues of judgment, which is God’s righteous judgment. Deception is how destruction comes. That is the flood of lies. God makes the people of Babylon drunk with religious doctrine that accomodates sin.
Jeremiah 51:57 I will make her princes and her wise men drunk, her governors, her prefects and her mighty men, that they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up,” Declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
God is not going to bring judgment by getting people drunk with alcohol. I hope you see that this refers to false doctrine or in other words religious deception. Babylon is destroyed as a result of spiritual drunkenness. This is the end time FLOOD and the God Sent delusion that comes to all that love and practice sin. People in Babylon stumble in the daylight over the ROCK that has become an offence to them. They do not want to stop sinning, they don’t want to carry a cross daily. They want to be lord over their live and just say Jesus is Lord with their lips. As a result of sin, God sends the enemy to take the people captive.
Lamentations 1:5 Her adversaries have become her masters, her enemies prosper; for the LORD has caused her grief because of the multitude of her transgressions; her little ones have gone away as captives before the adversary.
The powers of darkness are the locusts, they bring the judgment and roar in conquest over Babylon and its inhabitants. This truth about the enemy is the truth that should elevate the fear of God and compel people to come out of Babylon. God said we would understand it in the end. Speaking out on this truth, doesn’t win and influence very many worldly friends. In the mainstream American churches, you can’t talk about the devil except for the idea of one guy with a red tail and a pitchfork that is nothing for you to worry about. People are being destroyed because of ignorance to the truth.
Jeremiah 50:41 “Behold, a people is coming from the north, and a great nation and many kings will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth. They seize their bow and javelin; they are cruel and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea; and they ride on horses, marshalled like a man for the battle against you, O daughter of Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:6 Babylon has been a golden up in the hand of the LORD, Intoxicating all the earth. The nations have drunk of her wine; Therefore the nations are going mad.
Jeremiah 51:14 The LORD of hosts has sworn by Himself: ”Surely I will fill you with a population like locusts, and they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.” Everyone needs to study Jeremiah 50-51 and Lamentations very carefully. This speaks to what is going to happen to the end time Babylon, the fallen apostate church of the end
The Great Millstone
I chose the picture of the space rock splashing into the sea to depict a visual understanding of how Babylon is destroyed.
Revelation 18:21 Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.
Millstones were used in windmills and watermills, for grinding wheat or other grains. It was how raw grains were processed to create edible food. The reference to a millstone is a signficant clue into the spiritual message about Babylon. The inhabitants of Babylon and this gathering of spirits serve and eat a sweet tasting false gospel that does not conform one to godliness. This sweet honey like bread are delicasies that later turn bitter and do not nourish the soul. The grace of God is implicitly packaged and sold as a license for sin or immorality. God says He blinds people who practice sin even saying that in the end He would send strong delusion upon all that practice unrighteousness and love not the truth to be saved. This includes you, me and everyone.
The word “violence” in the spiritual sense is perversion of theWORD of God. I don’t have space to branch into that, but look in the Prophets for the word violence and the priests doing violence in the sanctuary and you may just see some new truth. Babylon is thrown down by violence which is twisting of the truth for following the voice of the false prophets, not by nuclear bombs falling from the sky. The final destruction of Babylon is when the millstone, the bad food factory, is thrown into the sea. This is the God sent delusion, when the apostate church is consumed by the powers of darkness, which are the roaring sea throughout the Scriptures. Interestingly, Jeremiah spoke of the falling of Babylon and when done, was told to tie the scroll to a stone and throw it into the river. This verse also helps confirms that the judgments spoken of against Babylon apply to the end time Babylon of today.
Jeremiah 51:63 When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. 64 Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will fall.’ “
Sadly, fallen fallen is Babylon the Great. Most people that call themselves Christians are being cut down and destroyed for defilement of God’s temple. They have been deceived. Leaving Babylon is all about avoiding being swept away by the flood of deception that brings about the end. The powers of darkness are the sea or the river (many waters) that Babylon is thrown into.
Babylon here is referred to as a great city whereas it is also called a mother and a woman. Just like the true spiritual Jerusalem is referred to as a “city”, a woman and a mother, the false spiritual Jerusalem shares all of these definitions also. There is the church Jesus builds and there is the church that Satan builds. Those in Babylon worship the image of Satan. The cups may be clean on the outside, but those in Babylon are defiled with impurity and carry the mark of their god which is the beast.
The event of the millstone being thrown into the sea is symbolic and not literal. I believe this “event” is right on the horizon. The security of the big buildings, large congregations, ear tickling gospel and of course the uplifting music has brought a false peace. This harlot church sits on many waters and dwells securely in the land; but not for much longer.
Flee from Babylon.
May God Bless You Richly!
For a related post, click UNDERSTANDING BABYLON
Gog the Invaders from the North
My purpose with this post is to look at the Gog Magog Prophecy with spiritual eyes and convey an understanding of who is attacking and being attacked and what this is really speaking about. The conventional wisdom is wrong and while I don’t profess to have it all figured out, what I will share aligns with the spiritual interpretations of the end time signs that have been the focus of prior posts.
Who is it that will attack Israel from the North? The answer may be “none of the above” from the list of suspected modern nations. It is my understanding that both the attackers and subject of the attack (Israel) have been misidentified by man’s religion. This is all part of the deception that comes to deceive the entire world leading up to the return of Jesus.
Ezekiel 38:14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? 15 You will come from your place in the FAR NORTH, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.
This prophecy spoken about the ISRAEL OF GOD is well along the path of fulfillment. A lot of people are looking to the current events in the middle east and see this prophecy being fulfilled or seemingly on its way to fulfillment. Many believe the nation we call Israel today, established in 1948 by the rule of men will soon be attacked from the north by a coalition of countries — presumably Iran, Russia, China with some combination of Islamic nations. While current events logically seem to fit this interpretation of the Gog Magog event, I believe there may be a totally different fulfillment. Doesn’t Ezekiel’s prophecy describes the same one John wrote about in the book of Revelation?
Revelation 20:7-9 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.
God’s people is the true Israel of God. The City God loves is Spiritual Jerusalem. Satan has gathered a massive army to come against the TRUTH. This speaks to the same army, riding the same horses (walking in the flesh) spoken of by the Prophet Habakkuk. God told us we would not believe what He does in the end times even if someone told us.
Hab 1:5 Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days– You would not believe if you were told.
But now as we near the very end, the Lord is connecting the dots and revealing His prophecies. God always tells His saints and prophets what He is going to do before He actually does it. I pray many more wake up to the attack coming from the North. Habakkuk continues the Word of the Lord that speaks to the army sent out to attack.
Their horses are swifter than leopards
And keener than wolves in the evening
Their horsemen come galloping,
Their horsemen come from afar;
They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.
“All of them come for violence.
Their horde of faces moves forward.
They collect captives like sand.
Many Christians are captives and in bondage to sin and the powers of darkness. This is the horde of followers (gathered like sand) that we also see defined in Ezekiel’s Gog prophecy. Many apostate Christians profess a belief in Jesus yet they are not really free. They are not following the Lord but instead have followed after the many liars that have come in the name of the Lord. The church is under major league attack right now. Spiritual Israel is already surrounded. These invaders have come from the north and you will soon see the significance of that direction. The true Israel of God is a spiritual body that has nothing to do with the Middle East. Jesus spoke of this prophecy also when speaking to the disciples about the sign of the end.
Luke 21:20-21 When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.
These attacking armies refer to spiritual battles not physical armies and bombs. The modern church has completely cut out of their bibles the powers of darkness and have totally forgotten we are in a real spiritual war. We either put on the weapons of Christ and fight or we are overcome by the adversaries. Most Christians and pastors have ignored this war or teach us to fight in the flesh, which in either case is a losing proposition.
Whether or not physical armies from the north, the nations of Iran, Turkey or even Russia will ultimately surround the present day flesh city of Jerusalem, I do not know. Most scholars see it that way so I admit my “spiritual” view is far from the mainstream. Every time something happens in the Middle East; multitudes gravitate to the natural interpretations of this Ezekiel 38 prophecy. You can logically rationalize this if you extrapolate out the events of today. But are these natural events the true sign or are they a distraction to the real spiritual truth?
There very well could be some parallel signs in the natural and spiritual yet I see these natural signs and world events as part of the enemy deception that deceives the whole world and keeps people sleeping and stumbling in spiritual drunkenness. If we misinterpret who the Israel of God really is, we will get the end time signs totally wrong. I have already made my points about who is the ISRAEL OF GOD and the MISSED SIGNS OF THE END TIMES in prior posts and videos. If so led, you can click on these hyperlinks to go to the posts/video, respectively.
I see misidentification of Israel and ignorance to the powers of darkness leading to spiritual blindness. These errors are necessary to pull off the deception that ensnares the whole world. We need to be ready right now for the return of the Lord. Don’t wait or assume we will have the opportunity to read a news story about something happening in the natural and then get ready. The wisdom of men is foolishness to God and Jesus told us He would come suddenly, like a thief and virtually everyone would be fast asleep except those that were sober and alert.
The Attackers From the Northland
I am going to take a quick diversion and explore a repeated type and allegory for the powers of darkness in the Scriptures. Understanding this allegory will set a foundation to understand Ezekiel 38 but will also open up revelation throughout the prophetic books. No nation is going to attack anyone riding horses in this era. If you want to see what references to “horses” refer to please watch my video Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but know this for now – it means people walking in the flesh. But let me take you aside and show you what the NORTH is all about. It is not about points on a map or a compass. You really need to see this truth about the NORTH and it was not covered in prior videos or posts.
All true Born Again Christians have been delivered from the hands of the enemy. Jesus delivers us from our previous captors and brings us out of the land of the north. We possess the spiritual land promised to Abraham when we come out of Egypt (the world), come thru the wilderness (trials and temptations) and cross the river (the enemy) and enter and possess the land.
Jeremiah 23:7-8 So then, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ 8 but they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”
Once you see the powers of darkness in the Scriptures, you will begin to see that they always come from the NORTH. The truth of scriptures and the prophets is hidden in parables and allegories. God reveals this to us in His perfect will and in His timing. I never saw it until God showed me who the lions were and then other references and allegories began to show up in a consistent unbroken pattern. Scales have fallen off my eyes in ways I cannot even explain to any man. The consistency about the North is amazing which confirms to me the revelation God intended. Let’s look at some prophetic passages about judgment.
Jeremiah 6:21-23 Therefore, thus says the LORD, ”Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people and they will stumble against them, Fathers and sons together; neighbor and friend will perish.” 22Thus says the LORD, ”Behold, a people is coming from the north land, and a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth. 23“They seize bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, arrayed as a man for the battle. Against you, O daughter of Zion!”
This passage is clearly speaking about the powers of darkness coming against the daughter of Zion. We are the daughter of Zion which is the The True Israel of God and is comprised up all who belong to Jesus having been re-birthed as a new creation in Christ. The enemy is the testers of faith and God’s instruments of judgment on the earth. We must overcome them to finish our race but need to know they are sent by God. If you don’t understand this you do not yet have spiritual eyes to see the powers of darkness. This link will show you key Scriptures and I encourage you to go study and pray for truth about this “taboo” subject in most Christian circles. I also have a video on the blog header OUR ENEMY that provides an essential background that may unlock some revelation.
It is widely believed that God was speaking about Satan and his fall from grace in Isaiah 14. Guess where Satan sits? In the North.
Isaiah 14:13 But you said in your heart, ’I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.
Ezekiel 26:7 For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry and a great army.
Here above we see King Nebuchadnezzar portrayed again as a type/metaphor for Satan. He represents a false jesus, the little “k” kings of kings, the prince and ruler of this world, but he is not the true God. He comes from the North and rides horses (works thru the flesh of men) and brings a great army (lots of demons) with him.
Joel 2:20 But I will remove the northern army far from you, and I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, and its vanguard into the eastern sea, and its rear guard into the western sea and its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, for it has done great things.”
When we are delivered by Jesus, this northern army is taken far from us. In commissioning the young Prophet Jeremiah, God sets the foundation of what Jeremiah was being sent out to oppose.
Jeremiah 1:14-15 Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the NORTH the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land For, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD; “and they will come and they will set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the cities of Judah
The powers of darkness are made up of many kingdoms and families. God sends them to test hearts and bring judgment for sin and defilement of His temple.
Jeremiah 4:6 Raise the signal to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay! For I am bringing disaster from the NORTH, even terrible destruction.”
There are trumpets blowing in Zion today. We need to wake up, the disaster and final judgment begins with the house of God.
Jeremiah 10:22 The sound of a report! Behold, it comes, a great commotion out of the land of the north to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a haunt of jackals.
The abomination that causes desolation is already here. Very few actually see it but more are being awakened. Babylon is a dwelling place of demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit including jackals and many other “beasts”.
Jeremiah 50:9 For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon
A horde of great nations from the land of the north,
Babylon is the fallen away church of the end. This is the exultant city that worships the image of the beast and lives with a false security telling the people “peace & safety”, when suddenly destruction will break forth. Babylon is already captured my friends and now itself is attacking the true church of Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 51:48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon,
for the destroyers will come to her from the north,” Declares the LORD.
This is the roar of the lions referenced in Psalm 74 and numerous other places when they conquer their prey. Fallen Christians are the bounty, the plunderers are roaring in Babylon already.
Ezekiel 1:4 As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire.
I recently wrote about these whirlwinds that bring the judgment of God. Notice they too come from the north beginning by darkening the light of the true gospel.
Zechariah 6:8 Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north.” This verse never made any sense to me until I realized the powers of darkness work for and serve God and His righteous purposes. When we practice sin, we are captive to the enemy and spiritually speaking are taken to the north where we are exiled from God. These dark horses bring the discipline and judgment of God when we sin and that is what is meant by appeasing His wrath.
Jesus came to set the captives free and protect us from this northern enemy. We must stand on the Rock Eternal and act upon the grace of God that has appeared to all men. With this baseline, there may just be a different interpretation of the Gog Magog prophecy.
Interpreting the Gog Prophecy
Knowing who the attackers from the “north” are, let’s go look into the Gog Magog prophecy. I see the Book of Revelation as simply giving a lot more detail to what Ezekiel wrote about hundreds of years before Jesus came in the flesh as our Messiah.
Ezekiel 38:7-9 ‘Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. 8 After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. 9 You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.
Satan and the demons are NOT operating outside of the control of God. Here you see God speaking to “them” as He gives this prophecy to Ezekiel. The hordes are the people they deceive, the fallen apostate church that gathers around the false prophets and antichrist’s. The enemy has taken command of Babylon, it is indeed a dwelling place of demons and those in Babylon are worshipping the image of a false Jesus — the image of the beast.
Most people cannot fathom the fact that God created the enemy and uses the enemy to accomplish His purposes and will. On the surface this seems like an oxymoron, that God would send an enemy to attack His very own Israel. But God is God, His ways are not our ways and if you read the whole prophecy you see why God does it. It is to bring contrast and reveal and distinguish the glory and holiness of God Almighty.
Ezekiel 38:23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD
My synopsis of what the Gog prophecy foretells is as follows: Satan will deceive the world and exalt himself as God and gather in hordes of followers. The true remnant that is saved will become increasingly isolated and attacked and persecuted by the religious mainstream that worships the beast. God of course protects His True Israel and in the end (Ezekiel 39, Rev 19:17) the fallen church, the fakes, the tares become the sacrifice of the Lord at a great supper. This supper is also known as the feast of demons and is the wrong feast to be attending. You want to be at the marriage supper of the lamb. Do not be deceived. I can’t possibly cover all of this and show the direct linkages to Revelation in this one post, but I hope to finish a video on this topic in the near future.
I encourage you to go reread Ezekiel 38-39 with the understanding of who Israel refers to and who the invaders from the North represent. I suspect you may see a different truth than what most have been taught or continue to hear preached and commented on everytime something happens in the Middle East. Let’s finish this post by looking at some key descriptors of the Ezekiel prophecy. In my view, they line up perfectly with the spiritual interpretation of the end time signs and the truth about the powers of darkness and the true Israel.
1. Enemy Comes like a storm and cloud covering the land - This is what the powers of darkness do, they bring religious deception that blots out the true gospel from the land. Locust bring darkness like a cloud also and result in famine of the Word. Gog is the storm and the whirlwinds and tempests of God. The result is the sun is darkened (no true gospel) and the moon (the church) no longer will sheds its light as spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24, Joel and John in the Book of Revelation.
Ezekiel 38:9 You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many people’s (Babylon) with you.”
2. Israel is restored from the sword - To become a child of God we must be born of the seed of Isaac and Jacob. We must be born again. This means we are set free from the powers of darkness and sin in our lives. The powers of darkness bring the sword which are the curses that follow man’s failure to keep covenant. You can see this clearly in Deuteronomy 28-29. We all are under the sword until we come to Christ and walk in new covenant with Him. That is how we are restored to right standing with God.
3. Inhabitants gathered from many nations – People are readily deceived by the fact that modern-day Israel is composed of inhabitants that emigrated from many flesh nations. But that is not who God’s Israel is as has been shown in the referenced posts. God gathers His children on a spiritual Mt. Zion that is the destination of the highway to holiness. So yes, Spiritual Israel has been gathered from many nations, we have been set free from the plunderers who reside in the north lands.
Ezekiel 38:4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. 5 Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.
4. Living securely in the mountains of Israel – The modern-day nation of Israel is not living securely so this should be a red flag that Israel is not Israel.
Ezekiel 38:8 They had been brought out from the nations, and now ALL of them live in safety.
The only group of people I believe that are living in real safety are those in Christ Jesus. If you are not in Christ (the ARK) you are not safe. Everything else and all those in Babylon live with a false security and a false peace and suddently destruction will come upon them. The modern-day nation of Israel is certainly not living in peace and safety today in the natural world and all but a relatively few that live there still deny Jesus Christ.
5. Living without walls and gates - The True Israel of God relies on God for their protection and they possess a peace that transcends all understanding. They fear only God and trust not in men or the works of their flesh. Speaking about the mind of the enemy, here is what evil says to itself.
Ezekiel 38:11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates
The enemy is called the enemy for good reason. He attacks the true Israel of God that lives in safety and in peace.
6. Gog comes to plunder - I have written on this before, but the plunder is our souls and the powers of darkness are the plunderers (Jeremiah 12:12). Speaking about GOG, the question is asked….
Ezekiel 38:13 “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?”
Just like the Babylonian and Assyrian attacks on the first Israel, the enemy carried away the goods and valuables into exile into the lands of the north. That is still the enemies goal, to kill, steal and destroy.
7. When GOG attacks, spiritual earthquakes and the flood follow – Through much tribulation we shall endure and enter the Kingdom (Acts 14:22) . The true children of God will be protected and will endure to the very end and will not be shaken off the Rock or swept away by the flood of deception that results from Gog’s attack. Sadly many will be lost especially if they remain ignorant of the devil’s schemes any longer.
Ezekiel 38:17 – When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops
The God Sent Destroyers are Destroyed
Praise God. In the end justice and righteousness will prevail. The LORD turns against GOG and destroys the very destroyers He creates and sends to attack. Their weapons are taken away and the troops (the wicked and fallen Christians) are sent off to a great supper.
Ezekiel 39:2 – I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 2 I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. 4 On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals.
Ezekiel spoke of the feast of demons, where the spiritual dead are taken as a sacrifice. This feast is spiritual in nature so don’t think about this in the natural.
Ezekiel 39:17 - Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls—all of them fattened animals from Bashan. 19 At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. 20 At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,’ declares the Sovereign LORD.
The fallen church of Babylon and all of its partakers are swept away by the flood of deception. They are deceived into taking the mark of the beast and worshipping the image of the beast. GOG and its horde of followers are given over to the birds of heaven which are also known as vultures.
Luke 17:34 – I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” ”Where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”
This verse from Luke was Jesus speaking to the disciples and answering their question of where the wicked would be taken. Part of these verses are typically used to sell a pre trib rapture but the exact opposite is what actually happens. The spiritually dead (i.e. the wicked) are taken to be feasted upon by demons. The same scenario is shown to us in the Book of Revelation.
Revelation 19:17 – And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.”
These are tough teachings. They don’t go very well with the cotton candy gospel peddled in most churches today so they are never part of any mainstream teaching. These prophecies correctly interpreted do not tickle ears. They are given to us to remind us of the call to holiness and to keep the fear of the Lord front and center in our walk of faith.
The invading army will shake many out of their faith and expose the tares. The wheat and the chaff must be separated. The goats and the sheep will be distinct from each other when the Lord returns. It is already beginning to happen. Yet God is faithful and His true church will be protected and so long as they trust in God will be spared the wrath that is to come. The true children of God have been delivered out of the hands of the people from the north. We have been set free in Jesus and our possessing the spiritual land of milk and honey right here and right now.
May God Bless You Richly!
Accepting God’s Invitation
Matthew 4:19-20 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20Immediately they left their nets and followed Him
Here Jesus chose the first disciples. God appeared to them, they were not seeking God. That is the way it works for all of us, and is even how God appeared to Abraham and Moses and all the Patriarchs. God comes to us first there can be absolutely no debate about that.
Notice the second part of the above passage. When the invitation went out to “follow me“, the disciples made a choice to drop their nets and “follow” Jesus. They answered the call God placed on their lives and put their trust in God and left everything behind. As we will see below all true disciples must leave everything behind and follow Jesus.
RSVP God’s Invitation
The message of the eternal gospel will be proclaimed throughout the entire world. Jesus told us that once this threshold is achieved that then the end will come. We are quite close and the day of our salvation draws ever nearer yet God’s invitation to come is still open to ALL.
Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, ALL who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest
God says “Come and give your heart to Me” and I will do the rest. It is a gospel of love and repentance. If man had no choice in coming to God than Jesus was in error when He taught and sent the Disciples to preach the gospel of repentance. Why does God tell us to do things if we are supposed to be robots without free will to choose? Turning around and changing directions requires an action. Accepting God’s invite requires an act of faith on our part. This action is not of works, it is of grace. Exercise of faith is divinely inspired and is a choice that is left us to us. We have the final say in the matter, it is called our free will to choose to obey God or not. Our choosing repentance is central to understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Luke 13:3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish
In fact, Jesus said that is why He came.
Matthew 9:13 For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, TO REPENTANCE
God calls us into action. He invites us to come to Him. He calls us to turn our hearts to Him. This is a godly repentance where we truly are sorry for our sin and choose to love back the God who so loves us. The Apostles all preached repentance when Jesus sent them out.
Mark 6:12 So they went out and preached that people should repent
Repentance precedes being BORN AGAIN. Regeneration follows repentance which opens our eyes to see the kingdom of God here and now. If we do not repent we can not come to the place where we can be Born Again. We will be devoid of the Holy Spirit and remain in rebellion to God, despite what might be an outward expression of religion and our flesh attempts to be a good person.
The question “what must I do to be saved” must always be followed by the answer of repentance. That is how and when the Holy Spirit comes and it is the Spirit of God that brings the spiritual knife to circumcise our hearts.
ACTS 2:38 Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
ACTS 3:19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord
The opportunity to choose repentance is granted to us by the soveriegn grace that comes from Jesus. We choose repentance and then the Holy Spirit comes and brings regeneration which completes itself ONLY IF we stay the course with God. All men must make this choice. We either turn our hearts to God and put our trust in Him or we continue to live in rebellion to His Word. God is patient with us and wishes none to perish and keeps His invitation open until we die or He shuts the door when He returns in flaming fire.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that ANY should perish but that ALL should come to repentance.
Many people who call Jesus Lord do not repent from the heart and remain unchanged and in bondage to sin. God does not sprinkle magical pixy dust on anyone; – we must make a choice to live for God. God in His majestic way brings wrath to those who choose not to repent and by this makes known the glory of His riches to those that truly love Him.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast shows God’s invitation and our preparation requirements. After the first invitees, the Jews rejected the invitation and did not come, God sent His bond servants (slaves) out to invite all that they found to His feast. It says they invited ALL, even those that were sinners (did evil). Jesus came to call sinners to repentance and a walk of holiness with Him.
Matthew 22:8-10 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10“Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.
We don’t get to crash God’s party. We must be invited by God and He says everyone gets invited. We accept this invitation by preparing ourselves and putting on the proper clothing that the Lord gives to us. We must walk in covenant to put on the garment of salvation which is the righteousness of Christ. This means we die to self and obey God’s commandments. One man at the feast was quickly noticed and expelled. He did not prepare himself for the feast, he failed to purify himself. The Bride of Christ will make herself ready we are told in Revelation. If you are part of the church of Jesus Christ you are doing things to prepare yourself for the wedding feast.
Matthew 22:11 – But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.13“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness;
Many Christians spurn the invitation of God and the call He places on their lives. They do not RSVP the invite, they just show up and expect to enter the narrow gate. They are just like this man in this parable. Paul described these types of believers speaking to the early church in Rome.
Romans 2:5-8 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
We better be seeking glory and making wise choices. To reject the truth, all men must make a decision. When we choose not to follow Jesus, we reject the truth and say no to God’s invitiation.
Yet we don’t find God and then get to boast about it. Many have indeed gotten this part wrong and have become modern-day self-righteous Pharisees and bring the way of truth into disrepute. Their self-righteousness and form of godliness has a root of spiritual pride deep in their heart that secretly wants to draw disciples unto themselves. Make no mistake, God makes us Holy, we do not do it out of our own goodness or the strength of our flesh. It’s all grace which is the power of God working inside of us. But the gospel doesn’t end with this one truth.
John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him
Following Jesus is not automatic, the grace of God is not irresistable as taught by many. Man must make a choice to follow Jesus and to love Him. Indeed that is why we have an enemy so God can test our hearts and make sure we love Him with all of it. This is the heart of the gospel and is at the core of any rightful definition of love.
When we are Born Again into God’s Kingdom as adopted sons, our walk is not done, it is just beginning. We don’t complete the race by simply entering the race, we must run with endurance and finish said Paul. We must move on to maturity and endure the trials, tests and temptations of life, overcoming all of them and endure all the way to the end to be saved. If we remain a baby and never move past the milk (basic faith) we will be overcome and not make it. In speaking of the end times, Jesus said woe unto those that are still nursing infants. He was not talking about little babies, He was speaking about Christians that do not move on to maturity. They will not endure. Please go read Hebrews 5 for a clear definition of moving onto maturity.
Regeneration starts our walk and seals it, IF we keep following Jesus being led by the Spirit of God. But if we choose to be a rebel and shrink back from the Word that has washed us and brings about sanctification, we will fall from grace. The guarantee of the deposit of the Holy Spirit is valid only if we keep covenant with God. If we follow other voices or turn our hearts back into the world like Lot’s wife did, we no longer walk in covenant and will be destroyed unless we are brought back. This is the role of fellowship and helping one another and carrying one another’s burdens, so we will not wander away. Praise God for His great mercy that is abundant and enduring.
God’s Hedge of Protection
The promises of God include both promised blessings and promised curses. Curses are God’s judgment when we do not keep covenant with Him. The new covenant brought better promises than the old and gave us the means (Holy Spirit) to actually keep covenant. That is why Jesus came, to destroy the work of the devil and give us the POWER to overcome sin in our lives. When we walk in covenant, which means we practice righteousness; nothing will come snatch us away and God is faithful and will not cast us out. But the Word of God is very clear, that IF we CHOOSE to disobey and not stand in His grace, then we can indeed fall away from His hedge of protection.
Hebrews 10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
If we deny Him by our deeds, God will absolutely deny us. Any practice of sin separates us from God even if we claim to be a Christian or previously walked in righteousness. Every single verse of Scripture that speaks to judgment; speaks to our deeds and what we DO. We better be found obeying God and keeping covenant being led by the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s wrote something in the Book of Romans that is commonly used in an isolated fashion from the rest of Scripture to add leaven and build the false doctrines around the meaning of grace and regeneration.
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If we are actually IN CHRIST, we will not be practicing sin. Jesus is not a minister for sin. This verse confirms the truth, that if we are IN CHRIST (the ARK) we are in covenant and receive all the blessings and protections of God. If we walk with Jesus, nothing — no demon, no trial, no man and no temptation will be able to separate us. We will be able to do all things thru Christ who strengthens us. However, we will lose our protection if we are enticed away in our hearts by the deceitfulness of sin and choose to sow to the flesh. Romans Chapter 8 is about walking in the Spirit and builds on the prior Chapters that define for us what being IN CHRIST really means. We only can serve one Master and one Lord. People practicing sin are not IN CHRIST and Jesus is not their Lord.
Romans 6:16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
In the Parable of the Vineyard, the Lord tells us what happens when we sow unrighteousness.
Isaiah 5:4-5 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? 5 Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. Jesus spoke about a vineyard as well and gave us a parable about how we stay under His protection.
John 15:5 – If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
Neglecting Our Salvation
The adage, “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink” aptly applies here. Sure God could force us to drink, if He so chose, but He does not. He leads us to the water (draws us near) and then leaves it up to us whether we drink of it (repent). We are accountable for our own salvation. We don’t save ourselves but we need to respond to the call of God. We must invest the grace God pours out on us.
The writer of Hebrews asks a very good question about our salvation.
Hebrews 2:1-3 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
To neglect something implies that there is awareness and a conscious action or choice must be made to do or not do something. To know about something and not do it is negligence. To not know about something is ignorance. In both the case of negligence and of ignorance the people of God are destroyed. God gave us His written Word so we would not be ignorant, whether or not we are negligent however is TOTALLY UP TO US and the choices we make to be led by the Holy Spirit or go our own way.
Many Christians are being negligent about their salvation in these last days. They are disregarding the clear instructions given by God to follow Him in a walk of holiness in order to overcome sin, the powers of darkness and the world. We must overcome these obstacles that God Himself has placed in our path for our testing and purification. We must become DOERS of the Word. If we only hear the Word but do not do it, we deceive ourselves and carelessly reject the salvation that has appeared to all men. This is negligence and we have nobody to blame but ourselves.
Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to ALL MEN, 12instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age
Those that hold to Calvinism will tell you that the word “all” just means the Jews and the Gentiles that actually were saved. I will give you a few passages to ponder the point about the meaning of the words ALL MEN. Here the Apostle John speaks on his purpose in life.
John 1:7 He (John) came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him ALL MEN might believe
1 Tim 2:4-6 who desires ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time.
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
God’s plan was EVERYONE who believes to be saved. Of course what “believing” means is an issue of the heart not what we say with our lips or in our head. We have no excuse for negligence of such a great salvation. We won’t be able to blame God, our parents, our families or even the devil. It will be our fault if we don’t make it thru the narrow gate.
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
All men everywhere are responsible to seek the God who is revealed in nature. God is a rewarder of all that diligently seek Him.
Making Disciples Thru Preaching
There is no such thing as a saved person that is not also a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus defined a very high bar of what it meant to be a disciple. He told us to count this cost before we even consider CHOOSING to follow Him. I cannot possibly recap all of that here but this is the punch line.
Luke 14:33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple
God does not take these things in our hearts away from us, we must freely surrender them to God and then He will help us overcome. His grace is sufficient for us to suffer in the flesh and lay down the things of the world and overcome the trials of life. We must make the choice to die to self and live for God. I am angry at the devil for propagating the lie of election; perverting the WORD into a blood shedding, soul killing doctrine of demons.
Jesus told us we would do the works He did and even greater works. We were told to go make disciples following the example He gives us in the gospels. We do the works of God by preaching the truth and pointing people to a walk of holiness setting the example with our own walk and testimony. Woe to the hypocrites which include the former me, the one that played church and believed in the traditions of men.
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you
We are told to preach the WORD in season and out of season. Whether or not the seed takes root in someone’s heart is up to God and His perfect will. But we are not to water down the truth, tickle the ears of men and try to build God’s church. That is what religion and Babylon is doing.
Romans 10:14-15 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
God Shows No Partiality
We all need to remember that God is not a respecter of any man. God shows no partiality in His dealings and His judgments except for the promises contained in His Covenant. Clearly those in covenant and those out of covenant are treated differently. But speaking to believers and those in covenant with God, we are all judged to the same standard. There is no partiality with God.
ACTS 10:34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him
If we fear God and obey His commandments, we are God’s children. This is the heart of the eternal gospel as spoken by the angels and handed down to the Apostles. Whether we receive blessings or curses depends on us staying on the straight and narrow path that leads to life. God does not change and all of His promises, both good and bad come as a result of covenant.
Romans 2:9-11 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.11For there is no partiality with God
Ephesians 6:7-9 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. 9And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Colossians 3:25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.
The soul that sins shall die. If a man turns from practicing righteousness, his previous righteousness shall be remembered no more. Did God really say there is no eternal security for those that practice sin? Yes He did. God does not play favorites. He wants ALL MEN to have eternal life. His will is for the sanctification of all men. God is not a respecter of any person including the ones He invites to His banquet.
Galatians 2:6 – But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to NO MAN
Many will come against the truth of God’s Word. They will use clever questions and refer to man’s dictionaries often to try to prove a point. We are told that teachers of false doctrines will promote forms of godliness, but not godliness itself — and will want to argue the meanings of words and ask controversial questions. They will seek us but not commendably. This has indeed been my experience in recent dealings in my walk. These arguments remind me of the very sad affair with our former President Bill Clinton. In his infamous deposition testimony, Mr. Clinton wanted to argue a point based on what the meaning of the word IS is. Unbelievable but all predicted for us in advance.
1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
I truly hope that nobody remains in spiritual darkness over the issue of free will. It is the exercise of one’s faith in God that will prove God’s love for us and the love we have for God. That is covenant! We must make it and walk in covenant to have eternal life. Only those that do the will of God enter the Kingdom. The will of God is that you keep covenant. Give God all the glory for the work He is accomplishing in you.
Exercising Faith
God is a tester of all faith and our hearts. We must make constant choices to overcome sin, the powers of darkness and the world. That is the walk and the journey set before us once we are Born Again into His Kingdom. We do that thru the power of the Holy Spirit from a regenerated heart given to us by God when we repent with our whole heart.
All the Patriarchs in the Bible chose to follow God once God appeared to them. Most did not want to go at first but they chose to live for God just as the disciples did when they dropped their nets and walked away. That is the exercise of our faith. It is a choice we make out of love. God doesn’t make you do anything. Here are some classic examples of faith being exercised.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household
Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac
Hebrews 11:24-25 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25CHOOSING rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season
True Christians will follow Jesus into death. It takes the exercise of faith to walk up a hill carrying a cross and become a living and holy sacrifice unto the LORD. If we had nothing to do or no faith to exercise then it would not be a sacrifice. We must die to the flesh, we must crucify the old man, mortify the deeds of the flesh; otherwise our faith is all in vain and we tell God “I love my flesh more than I love you.” To be born again, we must heed the call of God and die and be willing to give up everything. To produce fruit we must abide in the vine but we cannot abide in the vine until we choose death via a godly repentance. As we die, a new creation bursts forth one full of righteousness and fruit.
John 12:24-26 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and DIES, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
God wants our love. That is why He made us — to love Him and show His love to others in the image and likeness of His Son. He does not force us to love Him and we can certainly choose to live out our life in this flesh pursuing the things of the world and its lusts. He is not going to stop us from choosing that path. He respects our free will to choose to serve Him or to choose to lord it over our own life. We must humble ourselves and He will exalt us on the last day and redeem us from every lawless deed.
I pray and hope that more and more will act upon the undeserved grace that has been poured out. Choose life today.
Stumble It!
