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The Lookout Post
35 “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. 36 Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. Luke 12; 35-38
42 “Therefore be
on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24; 42
33 And the word of the
Lord came to me,
saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the sons
of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people
of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,
3 and he
sees the sword coming upon the land and blows
on the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then he who hears the sound
of the trumpet and does
not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood
will be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the
trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken
warning, he would have delivered
his life. 6 But if the watchman
sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not
warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken
away in his iniquity; but his blood
I will require from the watchman’s hand.’ Ezekiel 33; 1-6
4 For certain persons
have crept
in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked
out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the
grace of our God into licentiousness
and deny
our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1; 4
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7; 15
The Last Chapter of World History
Is about to unfold, and we already have the key to what is about to happen. The purpose of this post is to warn humanity of what is ahead and in particular those who are bible believing Christians. The bible will be used to support the claims made and if the reader is not a bible believer then they will simply remain unconvinced of most of what is warned about here. For instance, the book of Revelation speaks of a time when people won't be able to buy or sell without what is called the 'mark of the beast' on either their right hand or forehead, and it also says that those who receive it will end up in the Lake of Fire forever. The straightforward translation of this is: 1) you won't be able to buy or sell without something (technology) on your right hand or forehead enabling it, and 2) if you receive it you land yourself in hell. I am not going to stoop to the level of arguing about if it is a literal 'mark' that shows up, if it is only 'mystical,' or if a person can receive it and still skate by and be 'saved' somehow by a last minute dodge to grace, or if hell is real and if people go there. This post will minister most to those who at least claim to believe what the bible says and take it seriously. My only advice to everyone else is: read it, or reread it; and take it seriously.
Where We Are Now
Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but
cannot discern the signs of the times? Matthew 16; 3
We are living in the days of the Great Apostasy of 2 Thessalonians 2; 1-12. There has always been apostasy from the truth, but the difference is that it is an ailment of the body of true bible believing Christians. The apostasy is not merely at the extremes, it has knocked on the door of the Evangelical church, the core areas of the body of Christ, it has not only made it to the pews, but it has advanced to the pulpits and spread like a cancer. Yet most Christians sit naively in the pews, browse the Christian bookstore, and listen to the radio or TV preacher completely unawares that they are smack dab in the midst of it. Listen very carefully to what I am about to tell you. Most of the Evangelical/Bible believing church has been infiltrated by ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing. Most of the all too famous speakers, preachers, bible teachers, evangelists, authors, and music artists are part of this great big infiltrating, deceiving, conspiring, apostasy! Sounds paranoid? Can't believe it? Ah, but that is the beauty of it! It wouldn't work otherwise! The apostasy does not begin with an angel blowing a trumpet from which hangs a banner declaring 'The Apostasy has begun!' The wolves do not go around looking like wolves, but dress in sheep's clothing. They are intentional deceivers. The antichrist will not emerge on the scene wearing a robe with the title 'antichrist' and holding a pitchfork. Do you see what I mean?
There is a prevailing attitude out there among 'born again' Christians that these pulpit puppets are above reproach, pillars of biblical truth and of the faith, and if you dare say anything to the contrary, woe to you! They could never believe that pastor __________ could be a heretic or a wolf! They will attack you fiercely for even suggesting such a thing! They will defend that TV personality fangs, jaws, and claws, yet what they say contradicts the bible on a regular basis. So what do these gullible sheep do? They start doubting the bible! Not admittedly, but if you confront them with scripture and compare what was said, they will go with what their favorite speaker said over what the bible clearly states. Now that is apostasy! Their favorite speaker twists scripture into meaning something completely false, and the blatant truth of the verse is ignored. For a recent example, there is a famous speaker who even has his own 'version' of the bible and who recently made a remark at a 'Christian' college that a person could still be saved after receiving the mark of the beast. FALSE!!! That is one of the most dangerous lies of the devil ever and it is coming from the lips of an evangelical Christian 'leader', with hardly any outcry from the Christian audience. Now, that could have something to do with that recent series of end times books about the rapture and all that by another wolf who depicted such a scenario in his book about accepting the mark and still being 'saved,' which paved the way for this idea. Do you see where this is all going? The church is fast asleep and needs a good bucket of cold water splashed on to wake up! Then there is all of that "aw, I'm not gonna worry about all of that stuff, we won't be here for that anyway so I won't have to worry about the mark of the beast and all of that other stuff." Why? Because of another little theory called the Pre-Trib Rapture. Do you know that over 20 years ago the orthodox standing was that there were 3 possible views; Pre, Mid, and Post Trib. There was not enough solid evidence for any one in particular. Now, woe to you if you claim to hold to anything else other than the Pre Trib view and I have even seen these in CC belief statements at church as if it is a solid pillar of the core beliefs of the faith. Now, if it is pretrib, lovely. But, what if it's not? Indulge with me in a hypothetical here. If it is post trib, and you think it is pretrib, and the wolves have told you that you needn't worry your pretty little head over who the antichrist is or any of that end times prophesy because you won't be here, so you will never see him or suffer any of these things, and then it is post trib after all and pop, he emerges. You will think just what you have been programed to think: "Aw, that's not him, it can't be, because pastor _____ said that he doesn't emerge until after the rapture, which everyone knows is pre trib anyway!" And so it goes, next thing you know you are following this wolf around and taking his mark to buy and sell and it will be too late. Besides, just in case, you can still be saved with the mark, right? Isn't that what Speaker John Mac-something said? In such a case; woe to you! False! The best advice I have for you is: read your bible, turn your radio off, be a Berean, and pray for discernment, it is more important these days than ever. Or as some would say, 'don't take my word for it...' and I really do want you to read the bible from cover to cover and understand it. Some of the highlights of the apostasy include:
There was also an unnatural emphasis on 'Republican' economics (different from conservative values such as pro life, etc.) that caused a lot of animosity both in and out of the church. Now the pendulum has shifted in the opposite direction of 'yes, let's help the poor, but let's not worry so much about conservative values.' Interestingly, the new pope has emphasized a similar approach. That man is a topic of study all by himself.
Not Many Days From Now
An accurate reading of 2 Thessalonians 2; 1-12 will tell you what you don't want to know. The next event is for the antichrist to arrive on the world scene (if he hasn't already!). I actually do suspect someone and it isn't one of those crackpot candidates you hear about all the time. But time will tell. After that it's all gonna hit the fan. Maybe not right away, after all, he has to win everyone's affection first and appear to be humble, like the real Christ. Once the world is under his belt, we are his #1 target. More on that later.
Why Doctrine Matters
Over the next paragraphs I will go over some key doctrines that have been and will be twisted to pave the way for the church to receive the antichrist. (Yes, that is the plan.) It is the truth that will set you free. The doctrine of truth makes all the difference as to whether you will follow Christ, or the antichrist. Of course to many this is just one of those 'hairsplitting' and divisive pursuits... but as I already said, woe to them. There are multitudes of doctrines we could explore and compare the legitimate with the counterfeits when it comes to everything from basic principles of salvation to vastly complex spiritual topics in the bible. For the purposes of this blog, I will stick strictly to doctrines that will get twisted around to seduce the church towards accepting the antichrist's kingdom on earth so as to inform of the deceptions involved.
True Doctrine # 1
The church is comprised of those who are saved and true believers in Christ and they are spread out all over the world but are spiritually combined into one body, the body of Christ, because His Spirit lives in us. It is a mystery but that is the church, literally. So if you have been saved and have Jesus as your personal Savior, you are in this body. In that sense you can call the church 'universal' as it is spread all over the world. This has nothing to do with church buildings or membership, rituals, sacraments, etc. and if you are truly saved you tend to gravitate towards the more 'spiritually active' congregations that are sound bible teaching churches. It is not the name on the door but the activity inside that is important. But if you are saved, YOU are the church.
False Doctrine # 1
The counterfeit of this doctrine is the notion that all the Christian denominations should join into an 'ecumenical' body and the only way that unity can occur is if truth of doctrine goes out the window. This is the heretical version of the 'universal church.' Furthermore, this will lead even deeper into an interfaith unity that joins all the religions of the world into one. This is the one world religion that will ultimately worship the antichrist.
True Doctrine # 2
Through God's love in our hearts, all the redeemed become joined as one body and they consist of people from every language, nation, race, tribe, etc. and they leave their other belief systems and lifestyles behind at conversion. In this way, people of diverse backgrounds do unite in peace and love, but only through God's love is this kind of miracle possible, only with God at the center, not humanity or antichrist. God's love does not discriminate when it comes to national borders and ethnical diversity, if you receive Christ, He receives you and no border can keep His love out to seek and save the lost.
False Doctrine # 2
If we just try hard enough, we can all hold hands around the world and unite under one banner. We can unite in peace and brotherly love and bring in world peace on our own without God's help (or it will be acknowledged in an indirect sense). All diverse peoples of any background can unite and we can all be 'one' regardless of religious convictions. Ultimately this is what the platform of the antichrist will be and he will appear to accomplish this for a brief time. He will claim that since he was the only one who could, the whole world should worship him as a result.
True Doctrine # 3
Good has triumphed over evil and Jesus was victorious at the cross over all of evil. God's kingdom will be victorious and reign over all. If we are in Christ, we are part of that kingdom, the proclaiming of the gospel spreads it out, and our kind deeds of love help demonstrate the power of the gospel of God's love in a tangible way. We are called to engage in good deeds, help the poor, live a holy life, love the oppressed, and spread the message of salvation. Yet ultimately the Kingdom of God will not enter until after the antichrist has had his brief moment in the spotlight and the world stage to rule as prophesy dictates. God will institute His Kingdom Himself and not us. No matter how many good works we do, we will never bring in God's Kingdom ourselves, with God mystically in the background or not. God will install it Himself in a tangible way visible to all at the end of world history. Just as Jesus was victorious at the cross and our salvation was secured by Him and we cannot purchase it with good deeds, so Jesus will return triumphantly to claim His prize which He purchased and victoriously seize His Kingdom to rule and reign over it... without any necessity for good deeds from us. By the way, there are 7 Jewish feasts instated by God and the first 3 have to do with Jesus' redemptive work, the 4th is the 'birth' of the church at Pentecost, and the last 3 have to do with his victorious and triumphant return. It is split in two sections and both are secured by Him, first as the suffering savior (lamb) and last as the conquering king (lion) to claim what He has purchased.
False Doctrine # 3
If we just do enough good works and acts of love, we can bring in the Kingdom of God. In fact, God is just reclining in a sofa chair and waiting for us to set up His Kingdom for Him. When we through everything else out the window (from the bible) and just unite in brotherly love and accept each other (pedophiles too, right?) and focus only on making the world 'a better place,' then we can bring down the 'kingdom of God.' Then, all the nations will unite into a one world government under the antichrist.
True Doctrine # 4
We are called to love the sinner, but not the sin. God has given us a free will and we must respect each person's right to choose what they will believe. That is not the same as condoning, agreeing with, accepting, or validating their beliefs. We just acknowledge others' right to choose what they believe. It does not make what they believe right and it does not mean we agree with those beliefs. They must respect our rights in the same way. In that lies the balance of tolerance, exactly where God left it. ('Choose this day whom you will serve' sound familiar?) We will be judged later for what we chose to believe, by God and not by other human beings. We can scruntinize and judge ourselves that it is wrong, but we cannot dictate to another what they can and cannot believe. We cannot tell anyone else what to believe any more than they can tell us. We are called to share the gospel, not shove it down people's throats. The choice is up to the free will of each person, as God intended it, since He made people and not robots. He wants voluntary compliance, not remote controlled compliance. As for sin, we are called to condemn the sin but love the sinning person in an effort to draw them to salvation. We are not called to bash them into the ground with picket signs that use the word 'hate.'
False Doctrine # 4
We should not be judgmental, that is not loving. We should be tolerant and accepting of everyone and their lifestyle, beliefs, choices, etc. and not judge at all.
True Doctrine # 5
The rapture happens at an unknown time. Various bible passages have been used to support the rapture at different times from the beginning to the middle to the end of the tribulation period. Personally I have noted that most of the verses indicate a post trib rapture and all verses used to support a pre trib rapture can also be interpreted in another way that does not necessarily imply a rapture (such as preserving someone from harm does not require a physical removal from the planet). When you read 2 Thessalonians 2; 1-12 and Matthew 24, you cannot be left with any other interpretation as you clearly see that the Return and rapture happen at the same time.
False Doctrine # 5
The assertion that there can be no other interpretation than the pre-trib rapture. This doctrine did not emerge in the church until one heretic introduced it around two centuries ago.
True Doctrine # 6
There will be a great apostasy before the end of the age. This will lead to the reign of the antichrist.
False Doctrine # 6
There will be a great revival before the end of the age. This will lead to the reign of the antichrist, seen in a positive light.
True Doctrine # 7
There is only one way of salvation, and that is through Jesus' finished work on the cross. (Those who hold to this are the true church, the 'virgin bride' of Christ.)
False Doctrine # 7
Of all the myriads of religions and belief systems you can 'pick your path.' Those who claim to be believers but join in with the 'one world religion' and subscribe to this 'pick your path' mentality are part of the 'harlot' and 'mystery babylon.'
This is a good start for your armor of truth to defend against all the false doctrines designed to seduce the bible believing Christian and the church in general astray and into following the antichrist. Notice the subtle differences between the true and false. The word of God is a sharp sword that does split hairs, by the way. There are always more doctrinal discrepancies to be aware of, more than can be listed here, but a good personal study of the bible and communion with the Lord has no substitute. Remember, study the real so that you can identify the counterfeit!
Other helpful websites to google:
thetrumpetblower@blogspot.com (includes outlines of prophetical detail of the end times and what is going to happen during the last seven years of human history, and plenty of backup bible verses for support)
Galatians 4 Blog (current events relating to end times prophesy)
New Jerusalem Chronicle (subtle behind the scenes workings of current events)
Ephesians 5;11 Blog (current events and end times topics)
Apostasy Watch (issues relating to the apostasy, end times prophesy, and the church)
Lighthouse Trails Research Project / Understand the Times International (topics related to the apostasy, the emerging church, current events and end times prophesy)
The Truth Will Set You Free
Again, the purpose of this blog has been to warn the church about the deceptive plots to lead them astray and into accepting the rule of the antichrist, even unknowingly. Now that the stage background that has been painted for the church has been stripped away, let us take a look at what is in fact going to happen.
So, now that you know, what should you do? Below is some practical advice on how to survive the tribulation (consider the word survive to be in quotes):
Most of all: Do Not Be Deceived! Stay on the alert! God bless you as you seek His Truth
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Friday, October 25, 2013
The Watch Keeper's Lookout Post
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