Thursday, July 17, 2008

Time is Short

Egypt, Babylon, or the Palm of God
by James Jacob Prasch

I posted just a few paragraphs to give you a preview of this extremely important message.
You can read the complete text from the link above.

....Yet for the sake of trying to keep peace, Gedaliah tries to tell people to honor the king of Babylon. "Look, we have to go along with the system; we don't want to be deported too. We don't want to find ourselves re-scattered. We don't want to be taken away; we want to keep what we have, so we have to agree to pay homage; go along with the system." This is very much what happened in the first century. The reason the early Christians got themselves into trouble was not what they believed, but their refusal to pay homage to the Emperor, who at that time had become the equivalent of the king of Babylon. The mystery religions of pagan Babylon were now in Rome, in the pantheon, and the Emperor as the pontiff was the head of it. What the king of Babylon was in Jeremiah's day, the Emperor was in the first century. It was not what they believed, but what they did not believe that got them into trouble. "You can believe what you want, as long as you go along with the program." We will find this mindset increasing in the Last Days, even among the faithful remnant. We will have visible leaders who will try to compromise with Babylon, and they will give you what seem to be pastoral reasons: "I'm trying to protect you." "I'm trying to secure what we have, to preserve what remains." Even among the faithful remnant, expect a concerted effort to bring you into line with the status quo. They will come with very persuasive and very logical arguments along that line.
God will judge such people and their motives; they won't survive either. Gedaliah was even warned to stop what he was doing, that he was going to get himself killed; but he refused to listen. Do not think for one moment that you can make some kind of peace with the king of Babylon. Do not think that there can be any accommodation or cessation of hostilities. We cannot 'get along' with the king of Babylon.
They were invited to come to Babylon; that was their first choice. Is your church going to join the ecumenical movement? Is your denomination going to join the World Council of Churches? The False Prophet will eventually gain control over this and use it to support the Antichrist. That's the first choice; expect it to happen in the Last Days. You will find people who will try to rationalize and gloss over the issues - 'Well, maybe I don't agree with them, and I understand that we're the faithful remnant, but we have to try to get along with them.' We will find this being said; but ultimately, there is nothing in that but death. Notice that not only did Gedaliah die, but those of the poor and simple who followed him died with him. Down that road lies death; there is no peace with Babylon.
More than that, Babylon cannot be changed. Let's look at Jeremiah 51: Babylon is under judgment in verse 49; Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel. In verse 60 Jeremiah writes on a scroll of the calamities that will come on Babylon. In verse 24, it says that God will repay Babylon for what Babylon has done. But in verse 6 Jeremiah is saying, 'Flee from the midst of Babylon; each of you save his life.' In other words, 'Get out of there!' Get out of ecumenical denominations; God's purpose is to destroy them......
Jeremiah 51:19 says that all of mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge. People are stupid; Jeremiah uses very strong terms. Throughout his book, he says things that would sound crude if we were to say them. He uses two different words for human stupidity, and neither one of them is pleasant. Look at Jeremiah chapter 10:8 - "But they are altogether stupid and foolish in their discipline of delusion." One of the words he uses for 'stupid' means a perversion of logic to justify what is known to be wrong. People know that certain things are wrong, but they pervert their logic in order to ease their conscience. When Jeremiah says they are stupid, he doesn't mean they are congenitally stupid, that they are slow learners or have a birth defect. He means that they willfully pervert their logic. This is exactly what we see happening today; people who should know better, even theologians like J. I. Packer, are perverting their logic. And what is the purpose of it? - To make a deal with Babylon. But those who follow Gedaliah will wind up like Gedaliah. ....
Johanan did not hate Gedaliah; he simply tried to warn him to stop being so naïve, or he would go to destruction and bring the people with him. Expect the Johanans who say that to be ignored, just as they ignore the Jeremiahs until it is too late. Just as they found out that Jeremiah was right, so they also found out that Johanan was right. Ultimately, however, what is left is what's pure. There is a sifting process in motion here; the deception comes, but even the deception that comes from Babylon is part of the sifting process. The Lord only wants those who are really, really right..........
That was the choice they had, and that will be the choice faced by the faithful remnant in the Last Days: Egypt, Babylon, or the palm of God. Those who went to Babylon found death. Those who went to Egypt were pursued by the sword and by famine in the world. There is no safety in Egypt. But God says, "Don't be afraid of the king of Babylon. If you will stay in this land I will build you up and not tear you down. I will plant you and not uproot you." God's promise is always good, though it is very difficult to see and believe that when all around you is calamity: the sword, the famine, the king of Babylon whose power seems invincible. Yet that will be the choice, and there were and will again be people, even in the good churches, who make the wrong choice. However, once more, they will have been warned.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

While we do see the signs described by The Lord in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, we need to be very careful to take heed to a little referred to passage of scripture:

Luke 21:8 And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them.

The pre-tribbers are screaming that "The time has drawn near!"

As it stands, the antichrist has not been revealed yet so we have at least 7 years before the Lord returns....

We need to be careful not to say:

"Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 2 Peter 3:4

or

'The time has drawn near.' Luke 21:8

We also need to take heed to:

Luke 21:34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.

and:

Matthew 24:48-51 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

'My master is delaying his coming,' sounds very similar to "Where is the promise of His coming?........."

Unknown said...

What program are u talking about? What program are everybody going along with? What's the program?

Marcel said...

James,
Just like Israel missed the time of Jesus' first visit ,so too Christian's miss the times of these last days.

To understand that Jesus return's at the last trump is not to deny His return as many deceived Christians who assume wrongly to be gone when tribulation comes upon the earth.
They are willingly ignorant of the last trumpet of Matthew 24:31
which is after the great tribulation of verse 21 of same chapter.
I believe we are in it now and that in the midst of the 7 years ,3 1/2 years the anti-Christ will come on the scene.

Kathy,
The same old Tower of Babel program.
Very early on in God's creation the evil one succeeded in uniting the world at that time as united and one for evil and not good.
The first time ,God came down and confused their language and stopped their evil agenda.
The same agenda is being pushed again on a global scale (economically,politically,religiously,all false and evil)
It amy look good to the natural eye ,but the Creator has warned that this is in rebellion against Him and this is why it will end terribly for all who rebel against God and follow after lies.
It is not God's unity but the unity of the evil one so that man will worship him instead of God.

Ask Him to show you the truth and to lead you because there is much decpetion and confusion abounding again.

Anonymous said...

I'm totally convinced that we will be caught up post great tribulation by scripture.

I'm not convinced the tribulation has started yet though.

Daniel 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."

http://www.endtimepilgrim.org/apostasy.htm

Marcel said...

I'm convinced that when the war with Iran starts ,the tribulation period will begin and that this is Revelation 6:3-4,the rider on the red horse.
This will catch many believers off guard assuming they would have been gone by this time.
After a few billion people are killed this will be the antiChrist's moment to restore order out of chaos.
I don't think that's too far away.

Unknown said...

I personaly don't believe that any of us can second guess the one who knows it all. No matter how many times we read the bible and think we know his next move. No it will happen when it happens and not until. I believe sometimes he stays the execution when he sees everybody thinks they got him figured out, in a box, so to speak.
Just my personal opinion. Been wrong many times, this time I hope and pray I'm correct! For sure!

Marcel said...

We can second guess or strive dilligently to know and read God's word every,every day ?

We get what we settle for.

I'm striving for 100%,if I've got something wrong ,I'm open to the Lord to correct/show me the right word from His word.

Most of the religious views,prophetic stuff I first learned from books written by imperfect men like Hal Lindsey,I've had to unlearn.
It's better to let the Lord teach us then men.
Coming out of man's corrupted religious system I've learned to not put my trust in imperfect man.

Most people settle for less than God's 100%.

What has happened before to God's people Israel happens now to God's people.
They don't listen to God and choose to follow their opinions or what they were taught be deceived men instead of seeking the Lord and His word.

The people do not listen to God by way of His prophets but guess and hope and fall into deception because the whole earth is flooded with darkness and lies.

If we do not hear from God we are deceived.
We must reject our personal opinion for His sure opinion.

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 29:19
Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
Daniel 9:6
But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; Daniel 2:28
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Revelation 22:6

Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. 2 Kings 17:23

Anonymous said...

The One who "knows it all" except when He will return commanded us to watch.

Mark 13:37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

Mark 13:32 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Those who are watching will not be caught unaware.

Luke 21:34 21:34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.

1 Thessalonians 5:4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.

He only stays the execution when ...

Proverbs 24:17-18 17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him.

In any event, I'd rather be on the edge of my seat than asleep in it..

But it looks like we all sleep as the disciples in the garden did...

Matthew 25:5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

Marcel said...

amen,
When I hear the pride and hubris of those pushing for war against Iran ,I know it will blow up in their face.
wearing down the saints has begun.
Even speaking the truth that homosexuality is sin and abomination against God is a crime against the godless state now.