11-27-20 Salt, Light, and the Spirit of Antichrist

Nearing Midnight: Salt, Light, and the Spirit of Antichrist – Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ We’ve looked a number of times at Jesus’ words about the very end of the age. The Lord told us in very specific terms that it will be like the days of Noah and the days of Lot at the exact moment He will again intervene—catastrophically—into things going on in a world in rebellion against God. Ezekiel the prophet clues us a bit on that generation of Sodomites, who had moved so far away from God that destruction was the only remedy possible. God told Ezekiel to report the following: Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. (Ezekiel 16: 49–50) Sodom had reached the point that every form of debauchery was carried on, perversion of the most disgusting sort being the norm rather than the exception. The sexual immorality had progressed to the ultimate deviancy, marking the city and the people for destruction by the forces of Heaven. Sodom was living the high life in economic terms. As a matter of fact, Abraham’s nephew, Lot, saw its prosperity and chose to move there when his uncle gave him the choice. Lot became deeply involved in the city’s government and commerce. He was, we believe, a judge who held court at the city gate, as was the way of government of the time. The ease of life and the leisure time provided for its citizens, God told Ezekiel, led to pride, self-sufficiency, and gluttony, with no regard for those truly in need. The people were therefore haughty, and their sin-corrupted senses, they were led into abominable sexual evil before the holy eyes of God. Lot was caught up in the stream of the city’s rebellious activities, but he was considered “just” by the Lord, we see from the account given in Genesis chapter 19. When Abraham was told by the Lord He would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded for Him to relent. Abraham said there had to be righteous people in the cities—those people would make it worth saving the cities from destruction. We know God agreed to spare the doomed cities if just ten righteous people could be found. He then decreased that number until, when no righteous person besides Lot could be found, Abraham gave up and no doubt agreed that God had no other choice. Lot, as representing God’s light in the sin-darkened Sodom, no longer was enough of an influence to provide hope of saving illumination, so Lot was removed from the city to Zoar. Judgment then fell that very day and destroyed everyone in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, foretold that it will be exactly like that again: God’s judgment will fall in one day at the time in this generation when His cup of wrath is full. The question is: How near are we to that time? No matter which direction we look, we see evil proliferating. The Church of Jesus Christ is the salt and the light in this darkening world. We Christians, indwelled by the Holy Spirit—the Light Bearer—are all that stands between the total evil of this world and God’s judgment and wrath. The Lord said the following: Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5: 13–16) The spirit of Antichrist is manifesting in physical outbreaks. The evil is no longer hiding just beneath the surface of civility. Proponents of rebellion against every godly principle are attacking the Bible and true Christians in a way that makes headline news on an hourly basis. We are—as I like to say in using the KJV vernacular—sorely vexed, just as the righteous Lot was in Sodom. The New York governor just gave orders to shut down worship in his state, or limit it to completely keep congregations out of houses of worship. It is the same in many of the Democrat-run cities and states, like California, for example. If the election goes in a direction other than that we as God’s people are praying, it will likely be a short time to the implementation of anti-God measures to protect through law the Sodomite activity that caused God to finally say to those cities, “Enough is enough.” Norway is victim of the prototype government that is coming to America and the world, unless the Lord sees otherwise. Norway’s parliament has voted to expand the protections that the LGBTQ community has enjoyed in that nation since 1981 by expanding the definition of “hate speech” that can land a person in prison. Reuters reported Norway already was among the “most liberal countries in Europe” on the issue, “allowing trans people to legally change gender without a medical diagnosis” and more… Now those found guilty of hate speech face a fine or up to a year in prison for private remarks, and a maximum of three years for public comments. Monica Maeland, minister of justice, said transgendered people are “an exposed group when it comes to discrimination, harassment and violence.”… “LGBTQ+ ideology has been mainstreamed in every sphere of life imaginable. Still, radical gender activists will not be at rest until every private citizen repudiates biological truth and relinquishes his every doubt about their dogma.” Reuters noted that under the penal code, “people charged with violent crimes can receive harsher sentences if a judge decides their actions were motivated by someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.” (“Norway criminalizes private criticism of LGTBQ people, Adopts law imposing punishment of up to a year in prison,” By WND Staff, WorldNetDaily, November 14, 2020) The Antichrist spirit is becoming almost tangible as we watch the lawlessness explode across our nation and the world. Nonetheless, we, as God’ salt and light, are here at the most exciting time in human history. It’s exciting because the Lord is, we believe, on the brink of calling His ambassadors home. Our just-released book, LAWLESS: The End-Times War Against the Spirit of Antichrist, presents, through seventeen top prophecy experts, just how near that time of Rapture must be, based on the rebellion exploding across America and the world. But, Jesus Christ, who is infinitely greater than Satan or his coming Antichrist, isn’t taken by surprise by all of this end-of-the-age evil. He will prevail. And so will we who are called by His Holy Name! *** LAWLESS: The End Times War Against the Spirit of Antichrist*** Our new book that covers the evil assaulting the U.S. and world is now available