Posted on 11/11/2012 6:10:48 AM PST by GiovannaNicoletta
How can there be a “falling away” after the rapture? The Church is gone from this world after the rapture. The falling away is before the rapture. What you are seeing, and I also, are true believers beginning to stand apart. Sure there will be those who God has called who prior to now have not been vocal but those will be few imo.
God would have saved Sodom and Gomorrah if only ten righteous had been found.
I don't see our nation turning from its wicked ways, unless things get so bad that there is no other choice (but, then, Sodom and Gomorrah were bad and they didn't turn).
However, to me, the problem is not with the wicked - it's with those of us who say we are God's people who are not being the salt and light we are called to be and allow the wicked to triumph. If there were even a small number of truly "righteous" people, I believe God would save our land. The fact that He doesn't appear to be doing so says to me that most of us who call ourselves evangelical Christians are lacking. We need to get our act together before we can expect God to act on our behalf, instead of complaining about how bad things are.
Perhaps that's what I've been seeing.
The believers are becoming more determined, for lack of a better term.
Oh I’m not complaining about how bad things are. Not in the least. I’m actually rather exited about the future. I understand the times we live in and understand what is coming. Prophecy is very clear.
That’s the way I see it. It will become clearer as time goes on who is and who isn’t a true believer. Those of us who believe will have to be strong and stand our ground. There are and will be very clever deceivers amongst us.
Isaiah 9:10
We had an awesome Lord’s Supper this morning. As we remembered the Lord’s death (till He come), we couldn’t help but be mindful that a shockwave was sent through America this past week (and past weeks—what, with Sandy, and all). Many at our assembly were in fervent prayer about our nation this election cycle and the movement of the two campaigns seemed to suggest that the Lord was “doing a work” and granting America, through His grace a reprieve of sorts. Alas, we found that to not be the case. Wednesday brought disillusionment, disappointment, anger—all the usual “fleshly” responses to the events of the world. But huddled together this morning, with our thoughts centered around the Preeminent One, we were reminded that the tiny shaking of our world this past week (and weeks) is nothing to be compared with the shaking that is to come. It says in Haggai chapter 2:6-7:
For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
There is a great shaking of this world that is to come, and who will be able to stand! While we wait for a kingdom that cannot be shaken, we must realize that this world and all that is within it will be shaken to its very foundation. In that great and terrible day there will be those who will cry out for the rocks to fall on them as the “desire of the nations” - the One who had come with a word of peace and hope and reconciliation, but they would not have it - that One will come, His feet alighting on Mt. Olivet and He will step back into this earthly scene to assume His throne as King of Kings. Remember the story of the Lord’s triumphal entry: the crowds cried out Hosanna - blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. One week later they cried out: Crucify Him! Jesus marks in the middle of these two events:
Luk 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
Luk 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
Luk 19:44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
Jesus’ warning of a great shaking to come—but it was preceded by the day of their visitation! When He who came in the name of the Lord, He who would be their peace with God was made manifest but they would not!
We were also reminded, as we remembered His death, what He said to His disciples that night: “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer...” His desire is toward the sinner, toward us, toward whosoever will [come unto Him]. His desire that night was to institute the very ordinance of which we all partook. It meant the cross for Him...and life for me! His desire was, and is, for me! For you! He calls us out of this world that is passing away (and all the lusts thereof) to life everlasting, to joy unspeakable, to hope eternal. Paul would say, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” These petty distractions (the election included) are but blips on the screen. If you are His, you have something of far more lasting value - you are His and He is yours!
There will be a great falling away—we have been witnessing it already as, one by one, the denominational sects cede this doctrine, that bit of holy ground. We see mega-gatherings of “believers” heaping to themselves “teachers” that will tell them what their itching ears long to hear. No doubt, some of the President’s followers have elevated him to messiah-status in their simplistic and misguided view of life. There will be more—it will be a great apostasy. In the days of His flesh, our Lord was followed by multitudes, but there is a picture in John 6 when the “hard sayings” of the Lord hit the ears, many followed Him no more (it seems all but the 12 departed). These men were to endure the kinds of trials you and I can only imagine (as of right now, anyway). But their names are now written in the Lamb’s book of life, as is yours and mine if we are His.
Thank you for this humbling and convicting messsage regarding this timely subject.
I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. (Psalm 146:2-6)
I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. (Psalm 146:2-6)
I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. (Psalm 146:2-6)
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