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  • Because the days are evil – Prepared for Judgment

    Because the days are evil – Prepared for Judgment

    Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign LORD,
    for the awesome day of the LORD’s judgment is near.
    The LORD has prepared his people for a great slaughter
    and has chosen their executioners.

    Zephaniah 1:7 NLT

    Not so Prepared

    Where is my hope now? What will happen to the one who has not anticipated the inevitable and prepared for the day of judgment?

    We claimed the Lord; then life proceeded with so many unexpected turns in our narrow path of faith. I was prepared for life, yet never expected death.

    “I will sweep away everything
    from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.

    “I will sweep away people and animals alike.
    I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea.
    I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble,
    and I will wipe humanity from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.

    Zephaniah 1:3 NLT

    “I will consume man and beast… And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked… says the LORD.” Why did I not believe the word of the Lord? Were my eyes blinded to the scripture before us?

    הַרְנִ֤ינוּ גֹויִם֙ עַמֹּ֔ו כִּ֥י דַם־עֲבָדָ֖יו יִקֹּ֑ום וְנָקָם֙ יָשִׁ֣יב לְצָרָ֔יו וְכִפֶּ֥ר אַדְמָתֹ֖ו עַמֹּֽו׃ פ

    “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people;
    For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
    And render vengeance to His adversaries;
    He will provide atonement for His land and His people.”

    Deuteronomy 32:43 WLC;NKJV

    Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

    Romans 12:19, quoting Deuteronomy 32:25

    But we knew this.

    Why then were we not prepared?

    Zephaniah

    12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
    and punish those who are complacent,
    who are like wine left on its dregs,
    who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing,
    either good or bad.’

    Of course, the Lord executed judgment against Judah. For his chosen ones, a nation set aside as holy before the gentiles, fell back into their sin of idolatry – the worship of gods who are not the LORD!

    14 The great day of the Lord is near—
    near and coming quickly.
    The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
    the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
    15 That day will be a day of wrath—
    a day of distress and anguish,
    a day of trouble and ruin,
    a day of darkness and gloom,
    a day of clouds and blackness—
    16 a day of trumpet and battle cry
    against the fortified cities
    and against the corner towers.

    17 “I will bring such distress on all people
    that they will grope about like those who are blind,
    because they have sinned against the Lord.
    Their blood will be poured out like dust
    and their entrails like dung.

    camp fire in CA homes burning

    In the fire of his jealousy
    the whole earth will be consumed,
    for he will make a sudden end
    of all who live on the earth.

    Zephaniah 1:18b NIV

    That was then — in another land at another time. This is now, here. Yet we flee the inevitable!

    Has the Lord not reserved His righteous Judgement on the earth and its idolaters for a Day to come? Will the trumpet not sound?

    Ignoring the deep darkness

    I knew a brother who sat on a bench in the graveyard, speaking to his departed loved one measureless hours as if this lost soul had never departed. In charred remains of a building nearby roamed restless souls tormenting the faithful, tempting the saints.

    I feel your presence, he laments. Why have you not departed this scorched earth for the waterless places where souls are not quenched?

    You, blinded flesh who must see the unseen in the darkness of sin – you do not believe. Yet unseen powers would lure you and me into the pit of destruction. For the dreams of the prophets you have never believed.

    Psalm 82

    Deliver the poor and needy;
    Free them from the hand of the wicked.

    They do not know, nor do they understand;
    They walk about in darkness;
    All the foundations of the earth are unstable.

    I said, “You are gods,
    And all of you are children of the Most High.

    But you shall die like men,
    And fall like one of the princes.”

    קוּמָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים שָׁפְטָ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֥ה תִ֝נְחַ֗ל בְּכָל־הַגֹּויִֽם׃

    Arise, O God, judge the earth;
    For You shall inherit all nations.

    Psalm 82:8 Masoretic Text; NKJV

    Inevitable death, Inevitable Judgment

    Isaiah 14: excerpt

    9 “Hell from beneath is excited about you,
    To meet you at your coming;
    It stirs up the dead for you,
    All the chief ones of the earth;
    It has raised up from their thrones
    All the kings of the nations.

    “How you are fallen from heaven,
    O Lucifer, son of the morning!
    How you are cut down to the ground,
    You who weakened the nations!

    Isaiah 14:12 NKJV

    13 For you have said in your heart:
    ‘I will ascend into heaven,
    I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
    I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
    On the farthest sides of the north;
    14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
    I will be like the Most High.’

    15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
    To the lowest depths of the Pit.

    And I ask you:

    Is this the one over whom you revel, the unseen spirit of darkness you celebrate this night?

    For by his deceit he would pull you easily down to the pit with him.

    By the sweat of your brow you have eaten the bread of a difficult life, but remember you are dust… and to dust you will return.

    The days are evil and sin clings near to the dying flesh. Have you not prepared for this time, rather than reveling in a brief respite from a quickened failing flesh?

    Prepared for Judgment

    Have you put on your armor of light? Do you bow down to the Lord God and Christ Jesus, who IS and will return to judge all mankind?

    The angel of darkness may deceive you into believing any lie, but God IS and in Christ the Lord’s mercy is offered to sinners.

    Perhaps you believe his lie that you will return to dust and then that’s it… nothing more… no accountability before God for what you have done in this brief life in the flesh.

    Would a good God not judge those who have wronged the righteous? Shall evil triumph over good?

    Not at all. For the Lord is good, full of mercy and love for His created ones. Therefore He sent His only Son to the world and out of His great mercy paid the great price of sin on the Cross so that those who love the Lord could be saved. Justice is served by the grace of Christ Jesus, sacrificed for us.

    Hebrews 9:

    He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

    Prepared by faith

    Hebrews 11:

    Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

    3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible…

    6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

    7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

    What is your verdict?

    Knowing that your end will come, knowing that the end of the world as we know it will come; have you, like Noah, prepared for these dark days by faith? Do you seek the Lord Jesus who will return on the clouds as promised by scripture?

    The LORD has prepared a way of escape from your sin, though Jesus Christ. By his holy sacrifice for our sin God the Father has redeemed the chosen and restored our hope in these last days.

    The days are evil – you see it – and ever so brief by comparison to all eternal time beyond the judgment.

    Have you prepared to meet your Maker — to bow before the Throne of Judgment of your eternal soul?

    Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He has prepared a new body for you for a new heaven and earth.

    So also has the Lord prepared a place of punishment for Satan – a horrific place of punishment and torment for fallen angels, fallen men and fallen women who chose evil over good. The verdict is the same for all sinners:

    GUILTY!

    Yet by the grace of Christ Jesus, will you accept God’s love and forgiveness?

    Prepare… for the days are evil and you do not know the hour or the day of your death and then … your judgment.

  • Because the days are evil – 6 – put on the armor of light

    Because the days are evil – 6 – put on the armor of light

    The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

    Romans 13:12 NKJV

    As these days of darkness slowly impinge upon the light which brought joy to our days and shortened our nights, we despair. The enemy somehow has taken hold in the stealth during the unwatched hours before dawn’s light. In days past an armor for the battle at hand would have lain nearby, but not this evil eve of a day we dread and denied could ever dawn.

    The mist of the valleys of death’s shadows billows toward our resting place, while evil awakes nearby the tents of huddled men of flesh naked to assault without watchman or armor. Because this day of evil will soon commence, a day of the enemies choosing, not ours, we should have stayed alert with armor at hand. But the battles of darkness have wearied our flesh and the sound of the trumpet alarms the unprepared warriors bereft of their armor.

    War

    We never saw it coming. And the unseen awful creatures of the unseen darkness, even those of the light which stand with us, we never saw.

    Yet these also stand in a battle – a struggle of spirits; those of light and those of darkness, all vying for victory in the war to come.

    I heard the second living creature say, “Come! ”

    Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its rider was allowed to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another.

    And a large sword was given to him.

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 6:3b-4 CSB

    The LORD God prepares His faithful and sends out His angels. The victory was won at the Cross, but these final battles are not yet fought.

    Even now, angels of the prince of darkness would lure your soul, captive in this failing flesh, toward the false light of the fires of darkness deep in the valley of the shadow of death.

    You don’t believe in this, you say – evil spirits and angels. Just fearful myth, you say, since the evil one has already questioned God in your ear.

    Yet the spirit of true light, the shining hope of the resurrection of the dead and judgment of death and evil tells us the truth of eternity.

    Light

    Genesis 1:

    Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

    Formless and empty – does this describe your mortal life? What shape have your battles of this frail flesh taken – defeat?

    Yes, defeat in inevitable death.

    Darkness covered the surface of the watery depths…

    As you sleep so briefly, lightly the enemy lurks in the mist of dark valleys. He plans his battle against you, helpless prey to sin and death.

    The deceiver whispers to your restless soul as he once whispered to man before our original sin, ‘Did God really say “the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of an unformed universe?”

    ‘I wonder,’ you think.

    ‘My theory of life need not include a Creator of separation of light from darkness – of good from evil.’

    Then God said, “Let there be light,”

    and there was light.

    God saw that the light was good,

    and God separated the light from the darkness.

    Genesis 1:3-4 CSB

    The Light of Good News

    You worship self or you worship things and traditions of men who have died. Perhaps a false prophet or spirit of an evil age gave your fathers excuse to deny God, your reason to reject the LORD’s own love for His creation.

    Though you have heard of the Gospel, you turn away from the eternal Light of your only hope.

    The Gospel of John

    In the beginning was the Word,

    and the Word was with God,

    and the Word was God.

    He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

    In him was life,

    and that life was the light of men.

    That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. = John 1:1-5

    So much darkness and deceit in these last days… God help us.

    They have heard the Gospel of John, yet their hateful words and stopped-up ears fail to discern the darkness to come.

    This is the judgment:

    The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.

    But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

    The Word after John 3:16 – John 3:19-21 CSB

    Jesus spoke to them again:

    “I am the light of the world.

    Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

    Gospel of John 8:12 CSB

    The Armor of the Redeemed

    “He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
    and I will continue to see the light.”

    Job 33:28

    You may not believe the supernatural battles spoken in scripture, the heavenly scenes of Job, Ezekiel and others. Certainly you doubt the earthly battles of God’s redeemed.

    Yet only a man or woman of foolish flesh will deny the truth of death and the good judgment of a righteous justice of the souls of man.

    Those asleep in these last days must heed the warnings of Almighty God through Scripture.

    The metaphor of God’s armor required to resist the evil one stands as preparation for all who seek the light of day.

    Warnings of the evil to come

    The LORD will destroy evil just as before, even using warriors of the enemy to purge the sin from the chosen.

    Jeremiah 46:

    3 Deploy small shields and large;
    approach for battle!
    4 Harness the horses;
    mount the steeds;
    take your positions with helmets on!
    Polish the lances;
    put on armor!

    5 Why have I seen this?
    They are terrified,
    they are retreating,
    their warriors are crushed,
    they flee headlong,
    they never look back,
    terror is on every side!
    This is the Lord’s declaration.

    Isaiah

    2 כִּ֤י אִם־עֲוֺנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ הָי֣וּ מַבְדִּלִ֔ים בֵּינֵכֶ֕ם לְבֵ֖ין אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם וְחַטֹּֽאותֵיכֶ֗ם הִסְתִּ֧ירוּ פָנִ֛ים מִכֶּ֖ם מִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ׃

    … We stumble at midday as in the twilight;
    Among those who are healthy we are like dead men.

    14 Justice is turned back,
    and righteousness stands far off.
    For truth has stumbled in the public square,
    and honesty cannot enter.
    15 Truth is missing,
    and whoever turns from evil is plundered.
    The Lord saw that there was no justice,
    and he was offended.

    17 He put on righteousness as body armor,
    and a helmet of salvation on his head;
    he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
    and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
    18 So he will repay according to their deeds:

    20 וּבָ֤א לְצִיּוֹן֙ גּוֹאֵ֔ל וּלְשָׁבֵ֥י פֶ֖שַׁע בְּיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָֽה׃

    Isaiah 59: excerpts WLC, AMP, CSB

    “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord:

    “My Spirit who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children, from now on and forever,” says the Lord.

    Isaiah 59:21 CSB

    The Armor of Light

    Jesus answered. “If anyone walks during the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks during the night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him.”

    He said this, and then he told them,

    “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m on my way to wake him up.”

    The Gospel of John: 9b-11 CSB

    Ephesians

    This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

    Ephesians 5:14 NIV

    The Armor of God

    Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.

    Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

    Ephesians 6:10-12 CSB

    Darkness verses Light — that is, evil opposing good, the rebellious turned against redemption and Christ’s enemy, the prince of darkness battling against God until the very end.

    This darkness will fall upon the sleeping warriors of these last days, consuming their failing flesh and fallen world. The Lord will purify with the refining fire of His righteousness.

    Yet those dressed in His armor will live victorious. By the Cross Christ has redeemed the faithful from our sins!

    13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

    “with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

    Ambush by the enemy

    The attacks of Satan are not the quick end which destroys instantly, but burning flames of ambush from the darkness of the unseen places.

    And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

    Ephesians 6:11 NASB

    The SWORD OF THE SPIRIT is the WORD by the HOLY SPIRIT of the Living God, sent for our salvation.

    Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

    Ephesians 6:18 CSB

    Have you dressed for this dark day?

    I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet…

    After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”

    Revelation 1:10, 4:1,

    Is your armor at hand for the day of evil?

    “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.

    Matthew 25:13 CSB

    Put your armor on, because the days are evil.

    To be continued...
  • Good Works – a letter from Peter – 3

    Good Works – a letter from Peter – 3

    What do our good works have to do with faith?

    Peter opens his letter to a persecuted church concerning this salvation with blessings.

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

    The Apostle calls us to holy living and then continues by defining it.

    1 Peter 2:

    Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.

    Peter asks new Christians to ‘desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good.‘ He then continues by contrasting Christ, as the Living Stone of the Temple, to those who reject Jesus as a stone over which they stumble because they disobey God.

    This brings Peter to call upon all Christians to do good works now that we are no longer part of worldly unbelievers destined to destruction.

    Good Works

    1 Peter 2:11-

    11 [YLT] Beloved, I call upon [you], as strangers and sojourners, to keep from the fleshly desires, that war against the soul…

    Where do you stand with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, asks Peter?

    • Are you now a stranger to the worldly and sojourner through this mortal life?
    • Or do you cling to those same fleshly desires which always drag our flesh into sin and our souls into judgement?

    Live honorably among unbelievers

    12 [CEB] Live honorably among the unbelievers. Today, they defame you, as if you were doing evil.

    Young’s Literal Translation speaks of ‘having your behaviour among the nations right’ and the NASB states: ‘Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles.’

    Believers know God and true followers of the Way of Christ Jesus have received the Holy Spirit through His grace. We must live differently, Peter urges us. And he also gives a reason for good works through our honorable witness to those who do not yet believe.

    Though unbelievers accuse us as if we are doing evil (which, of course, they commit as well), ‘they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.’ [NIV]

    How do others recognize Christ through our good works?

    In a word, subjugation; Christians submit to authority for our Lord’s sake.

    Submit yourselves

    I can tell you right now that you are not going to like this next part… because I don’t. I resist it and want to talk about freedom and grace instead.

    Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.

    1 Peter 2:13 CSB

    You may say, “Emperor? That doesn’t apply to me.” But other versions use the example of ‘every human authority’ as ‘the king.’ And note that governors are sent out to praise those who do good, but to punish those who do evil.

    The sword of scripture gets even sharper by our examination of other versions.

    Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme… 1 Peter 2:13 KJV

    “Every ordinance of man?”

    A King, County Commissioner, Mayor… President of either political party? Ordinance, as in every Law passed by Congress or Parliament? I don’t like it one bit.

    The one in authority.

    Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

    Philippians 2:3-4 NASB

    “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,” Paul writes to the church in Philippians 2:5.

    Submit yourself for the Lord’s sake.

    It’s hard for us to act like Jesus. His humility is not the first thing that comes to mind in our witness of His benefits to us. Paul give us the reason in his letter to the Romans:

    “because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.” – Romans 8:7

    We do not want to submit to anyone, yet because of our faith must do so ‘because of the Lord.’

    1 Peter 2:15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.

    Slaves

    There’s another word we don’t like. (Not very politically correct either.) -Slaves! Submit as God’s slaves.

    Shall we water it down or dilute scripture’s meaning?

    Some English translations call on us to become ‘bondservants’ of God and others simplify it with the word ‘servant.’

    Maybe that’s a little better, like a butler, gardener, waitress or food delivery person at your door. I might occasionally take on the role as a servant of God with minimal complaint. The actual Greek word is δοῦλος doulos.

    • a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
      • (of the Lord, maybe, but not likely to other men)
    • metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
      • How can I do that?
    • devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests
      • This is Peter’s meaning for Christ’s servants.

    Honor by Christian Servants

    I could mention names here, causing dissension between the believers, but honor in our public witness by ‘christians’ frequently falls far short. I’ll just ask you (and myself), “Do you honor those Peter lists as a bondservant of God?

    Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respectful fear of God. Honor the emperor.

    1 Peter 2:17 Common English Bible

    Honor everyone? I cannot keep words that do not honor some from my witness to unbelievers.

    Love everyone in our church? Is Peter serious? We are a bunch of sinners! And as Paul once suggested I can claim, ‘of whom I am the worst.’ The good works of Grace between Christians can be our most challenging witness. I have already mentioned that ‘the emperor could be the king, president or other most powerful government leader. Examine your own witness.

    Please note that Peter points to everyone or the world first. Then he narrows into our relational connection to others in the church. Peter reminds us to fear God. (Look it up.) And lastly, in essence, honor civil leaders responsible for the good works of our society at all level.

    Good Works of Christ’s Good Servants

    Next Peter will outline the reasons for us to serve from our various stations of this life in the flesh, a moral life of good works serving others. These include: masters and slaves, husbands and wives.

    Will you witness Christ when persecuted?

    Do your good works glorify God?

    To be continued...