This will be my last post for 2019 and the last post I make for 31 days. I wanted to take some time to sum up what has been the most turbulent year in Christianity that I have been alive to witness. I can remember as a child sitting in my packed Sunday school room as my teachers would warn me about a future period of time that would look peaceful on the surface, but would be full of spiritual warfare beyond comprehension. Make no mistake… 2019 was the year of “ME” or the year of “Self over others”… Somehow 2019 has become all about my desires, my feelings, and my opinions. And anyone who get in my way must be destroyed. This selfishness has penetrated into our politics, or homes and even worse, has taken over the church.
The family unit is in shambles. Even the strongest Christian families are falling to the seduction of the flesh. We eat less together. Our conversations in the home are superficial and lack substance. We seem to crave our relationships to our devices more than to those we supposedly love. Many times, we could honestly say that our family gets in the way of our relationship with our phones, internet, or television. And what quality is the vast content of what we take in through this technology? It is good and praiseworthy of the Father? Does it bring us closer in our relationship to Christ? No… Rather, Christ has become something we no longer have time or need of. When we wake up in the morning, do we think of God or do we take hold of our phone before we even brush our teeth?
Do we not also understand that we allow so many ungodly voices and viewpoints to enter our ears and slowly change our hearts overtime as our conscience is seared? If this was not the case, why is it that so many churches have done a complete 180o on matters of sexual immorality in the past 20 years? Do we honestly believe that our consumption of television and worldly propaganda had nothing to do with that?
2019 was also the year that Christian music stations died for me. In their attempt to not offend anyone from any denomination, the Truth has been so stripped away in our songs for so long that now false teachings run rampant in our Christian music. Groups like the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) now have become the fastest growing segment of Christianity worldwide as they use this new watered-down theology to promote their false teachings. 2019 was the year where hell started to become a made up place in many churches.
2019 was the year I saw more and more of intermingling between religions as cross faith ministries became the norm. You want Christian yoga, Christian Karate, and Christian Wicca? Today you will find almost any religion mixed with Christianity as they focus on the good things found in both. What was considered apostasy 10 years ago is now considered beneficial. Oh how far we have fallen.
2019 was the beginning of the end for most of our traditional denominations in America. With an aging population of tithers, the small local churches are imprisoned by their buildings as they try desperately to keep the heat on. Many churches no longer even prioritize having a pastor as it is much more cost effective to pay someone to preach once a week. I tell you the truth, the trends of the times suggest that soon our major denominations will become bankrupt because of lack of income and persecution. With so many of those denominations holding the rights to local church property, we could very quickly see the total collapse of a large denomination in the next 5 years.
So why all this sadness and gloom for my last post of 2019? Because much of last year I spent time researching and educating people about the darkness that is destroying our true faith and power in Jesus Christ and His holiness. For me, 2019 was like the servant of Elisha in 2 kings 6. God has allowed me to see the vast spiritual armies and battle that is taking place for our souls. However, unlike the time of Elisha, the great armies of the Lord are beginning to pull back.
Let me tell you of a mystery. Jesus did not send the fullness of His Spirit to the earth until He ascended into heaven. However, something that is seen in scripture but not really talked about is that the Spirit will be taken out of the earth once again before the second coming of Christ. You can find this Truth by reading 2 Thess. Chapter 2. I wish I could tell you the fullness of what this means, but it is beyond me.
In my opinion, we are entering the time of great tribulation. Many of us still retain the Holy Spirit, but the places where we can fill our cup with His presence are disappearing. Think of this as the parable of the 10 virgins. All of the Christians have the oil of the Spirit and the Light of Christ’s holiness. But what would happen if our main sources to buy oil start to close down? How powerful would our oil be if it is actually replaced by a different substance that looks and smell like oil? In truth, we would be left to wait on the Lord with only the oil we had left.
Scripture is clear that there will be a time called “day” and a time called “night”. I believe the night is coming that will soon give way to the brightness of the everlasting Light. Yet during short period of darkness, the true sheep and the goats will be separated and given the mark of whose kingdom they truly serve. Who knows how many years this will all take place, but we are called to see the times and know the season. Think of this. Never before has there been a greater possibility that our own children will not seek after the same faith we grew up with.
For me, 2019 was the year where I truly accepted that we are either in (or just about to enter) the last stretch in history where Satan will be given great power and the Holy Spirit will be removed from everything but the hearts of those who dwell in holiness. This is not a time for rejoicing, but mourning as we will watch those we love move farther and father away from the Light and embrace the darkness.
Therefore, 2019 was a time to warn and a time to see how close we are to the end (even if it takes another 1,000 years). But my call has shifted for 2020. For I have already shared the Truth about the fall taking place in the church and the world to those who would listen. Many have… Many have ended their relationships with me. Yet 2020 will be different.
In 2020 my focus will be on being a dispenser of pure oil for those who heed the warnings of the coming spiritual famine that is to come. For those who seek Him, I will do my best to be fully surrendered to the Christ and become a reflection of Light and Truth until the Lord returns or until I am martyred for doing so.
2020 is the year where I stop playing Christian and start to daily (in every aspect of my life) submit my life to God. It will start tomorrow. For our family will be taking the next 30 days (technology fast) to look at our home and our hearts and purge the things that will hinder us from serving the Lord. No longer will we be dwelling on the problem; we will be solely focused on sharing the Light while we have it.
From there it will flow by faith in Christ as we start a new type of church fellowship in Bock, MN. In February, we will host a short series of Bible studies with anyone who shows up. And just before Easter, we will start to hold our first public services. (all on Wednesday evenings)
With a reformed ministry tool and a reformed family, the thought of 2020 brings our family hope and joy. I really don’t know if this new ministry will grow, but I have faith that God is in control. I have always believed that wherever the Spirit is, people will seek Him out. Therefore, as our family puts all of our eggs in refining our Light over the next 30 days, we hope that God will bring us some people who are truly hungry for a pure and unadulterated living Word.
Let us all rejoice that it is still “day”… Let us thank God that we still have our great denominations and that God is still doing great things in many of our churches. Alas, I wish you all a blessed new year.