“It is Satan's constant effort to misrepresent the character of God, the nature of sin, and the real issues at stake in the great controversy. His sophistry lessens the obligation of the divine law and gives men license to sin. At the same time he causes them to cherish false conceptions of God so that they regard Him with fear and hate rather than with love. The cruelty inherent in his own character is attributed to the Creator; it is embodied in systems of religion and expressed in modes of worship.”
― Ellen G. White, Great Controversy: Between Christ and Satan
It was over nine months ago that I got up and told my story. Three times I told about what seemed to be the enemy ruling my life, but then how God showed me He was truly there. He has to allow free will. He has to allow us to choose or it is not real. I chose to turn it all over to Him and it has not been easy.
At the end of my story the first time I told it that weekend, I was asked if there was anything else the Lord wanted me to share and I heard clearly from the Holy Spirit. He gave me a picture of a bathtub full of water. He said the water represented our time here on earth and that the water was getting down to a level where it was beginning to swirl. The other day, as I was talking with God, I clearly heard that suction sound, when the last of the water escapes down the drain. I have heard it twice now and feel God wants me to share, to warn. Many say that God does not give us negative words, but I say only those in fear think of this as a negative word. Jesus' return will be magnificent. We will be taken up into heaven to spend eternity with Him. It is only sad for those who will not join us, and those who have not lived out the true calling on their lives.
In these coming days the Lord is allowing division. We grow and progress through the trials of life. He does not test us, but He does allow the enemy to reign in his rightful authority on this earth. It is our choice to listen to the enemy and take part in his darkness or to listen to our Father and follow Him with all of our hearts. it is the enemy causing division in families, the Church and in our hearts and it is time for us to choose. Are we fans or true followers.
We will be surprised by the results. We will be surprised by who falls away and who picks up their cross and moves forward with Christ. There will be false prophets, apostles, teachers and leaders. One way to know if those you follow are truly children of God is by who is getting the glory in their lives. If a teacher teaches for the recognition she gets, if a leader is more interested in the praise he receives than praise given to God, and if a prophet speaks words that make us want to follow him rather than God, we know they are false. Everything we do should be for the glory of the Most High.
In these days every one will be tried. I have seen many pastor's face temptation, judgment, and trials and been surprised by who follows Christ and who continues on a path of destruction. Many pastors, leaders and churches are being tested right now and some are failing. But, there are others who are finding a new intimacy with God. There are some who are growing in their relationship with their Father. We will all be tested, not by God, but by the temptations of the evil one. We all have to choose. We may be saved and going to heaven, but what we choose to do with our lives in these times is so important to God and could determine our future with Him. What we do with our lives, in our church and how we lead our families will only be right if our hearts are aligned with His will. Our intimate relationship with Him is more important than anything, our total surrender to God is what will cause all other parts of our walk to fall into place. This is a time of division and we will be surprised by the revival of the true followers. Pick up your cross, dust it off, stand before Christ and ask Him, what is Your will? Get your relationship right with God and then be willing to follow Him anywhere. He will ask us to do difficult things and go into dark places and even be hated, but we may be the light for those dark places and we may be the only Jesus those people trapped there may ever see. We don't have time to waste with our own insecurities and fears, people are dying and we need to reach out. First we reach up to our Papa, then He will have us reach in to ourselves to heal and then He will ask us to reach out. This is not a business and we don't work for a Boss, this is a family and we love each other with our Father.
“The nature of the enemy's warfare in your life is to cause you to become discouraged and to cast away your confidence. Not that you would necessarily discard your salvation, but you could give up your hope of God's deliverance. The enemy wants to numb you into a coping kind of Christianity that has given up hope of seeing God's resurrection power.”
― Bob Sorge, Glory: When Heaven Invades Earth
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