My beautiful wife has the ability, the gift if you prefer, which is probably more towards the truth, to see clearly not only much of what is occurring in this sinful world, but to have an understanding of what is approaching, the sin that is enveloping the planet, and yet she remains calm, for the most part. Few people can do this, few can look at truth, accept it for what it is, and then, without encouraging a fatalist or defeatist mentality within themselves, continue to serve the Lord Jesus as if the sun is shining and a warm breeze is blowing.
I speak to quite a few people every day, from all different ideologies, most of them seem to have a “cause,” a recognized problem in society that they are directing their lives toward, and very few of them indeed seem to be able to realize that many of their efforts are for the temporary, that not one they seek after is going to be recorded forever, that they are indeed in a trap. Others have such a skewed view of the Scriptures that it is often frustrating to me, so many verses taken out of context, so little studying to show themselves approved, (2 Tim. 2:15) so little knowledge when the entire Word of God is at their fingertips each day, but almost all of these seem to have one particular item in common, they are anxious.
The lost cannot see what the Lord is doing, and many of those who claim Christ as Lord misinterpret the Scriptures so badly that they must modify it to suit the particular emotion they are experiencing at the moment. For many of those it is the beginning of the end of the gentiles, the end of the age, and inevitably they fall into two classes, the “Oh, I hope the rapture happens soon!” And the “All Christians must go through the tribulation,” or at least half of it. Notwithstanding those who want to escape the battle before it has even truly begun, and those who for some reason think they must endure the wrath of God during the tribulation,the two groups have one thing in common I have begun to notice, very few of them indeed speak of how the Lord is using them today.
From the incredible number of false prophets to those who still believe in the gifts of the Spirit as they were given in the first century, to those who spend far too many words trying to explain their particular “scriptural” point of view, I hear very little of the work that is being done by them to reach the lost, to comfort and lift up the believers, or even to praise the name of the Most High. They, for the most part have an individualized cause, usually nothing to do with the truths of Scripture, but concerned instead with the current events of the day, and they are almost to a fault as anxious, as nervous, and unsure of the future as the lost are.
It is, in my humble opinion, another sure sign of the falling away, (2 Thess. 2:3) little time to praise, much effort on complaining and offering advice that is rarely inline with the truths of the Word of God. These are not allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them, that is not to say that they are lost or completely deceived, but they have determined to place their views and opinions above the truths that have been given to us.
To be crucified with Christ means much more than giving up our ambitions and desires for the sake of the glory of the Lord, it means being still before Him, (Psalm 46:10) if means hearing and then obeying after we have tested the Spirits (1 John 4:1) against His truths, even when that spirit is ourselves. We want to be right; we want to be heard, we think our opinion is worth listening to, and so many will search the Scriptures until they find the verses that fit their cause, until they can be bent and fashioned in such a way to make what they think is correct sound feasible.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12) Its good when it cuts us sometimes, if that is what it takes to show us the truth before we go out and tell others our version of it. The lost and even some of the saved are confused and misled enough the way it is, don’t be part of the reason for their continuing journey on the wrong path. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) Be sure it is His words in truth that you are offering.
