THE FLIP SIDE

THE FLIP SIDE

                It is pretty easy to see the evil in the world today… and if you are a student of God’s Word, then you can also see where it is headed and what the outcome will be. And at a time when many Christians are trying to do away with the Old Testament, we read Paul’s words that the things that happened to Israel are written unto us as examples upon whom the end of the ages has come.  1Cor. 10:11. Some have learned from their experiences, but many have not.

                Shortly after the bombing of the World Trade Center Towers in 2001, the Messianic prophet Jonathan Kahn started warning us about the harbingers, the warnings of God. There are certain things that rebellious nations do that eventually bring on the wrath of God. In essence the same thing had happened to Israel as a warning of coming judgment. God was about to raise up Israel’s enemies, the Syrians and the Philistines to punish Israel for their sins.

                The Syrians had wreaked havoc in Israel, but instead of repenting of their sins, they simply said: “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with smooth stones; the sycamores have been cut down. But we will replace them with cedars.” Isa 9:10

                God warned Israel saying: “Woe to those who enact evil statutes and to those who constantly record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice and rob the poor of My people of their rights, in order that the widows may be their spoil and that they may plunder the orphans.”

                God had also warned the people saying, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness…” Isaiah 5:20a

                These can be seen as general statements, but in fact they become indictments against a nation that is approaching the judgments of God. “For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 5:24b.

                So, in spite of America’s long trend toward evil, we can see that we have reached something more specific. Laws are being enacted and our culture is literally turning into a culture that calls evil good and good evil and they are trying to isolate and anathematize anyone that says otherwise. They want to shut up the voice of God in our land… to silence the prophets, the preachers and the writers of righteousness who would warn us against a wrong course.

                Just like Israel did, we rose up after 9/11 and said “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with smooth stones. The sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with Cedars.” Five American political leaders including then president Obama quoted those exact words from Isaiah 9:10.

                 So we have built the Freedom Tower in New York City in defiance of God and guess what. The Pope stood at the foot of that same tower in 2015 and announced his formation of the global religion of the coming antichrist and now, they have lighted the entire tower in pink to celebrate the unbridled slaughter of the innocent, in chopping up babies in the mother’s womb right up to the day of their birth.

                Do we think that God is not watching? Indeed He is watching and He is sending us signs in the sun, moon and stars, and warnings from His prophets and watchmen. He is calling forth a Remnant of His people that keep His commandments and who walk in the righteousness of Christ. We have chosen to come out of this Babylon being crucified with Christ in order that the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Gal. 2:20, Romans 8:4

                I fear that a good many people misunderstand my words when I join Paul against the letter of the Law and I speak out against placing our faith in a set of doctrines. I am not against either one. But what we have today is a whole bunch of denominations that followed their chosen reformer and built a house in honor of his name, but then settle down and do not continue the reformer’s quest for truth. Where are the reformers that would rather burn at the stake then to deny the Holy Word of God?

                Where are the true prophets that are honest about our situation as was David Wilkerson? Where are the people of God who weep between the porch and the altar? WE have turned living truth into dead traditions and we have stopped growing. Therefore this nation ahs gone into perdition on our watch.

                To our generation Joel speaks saying: “Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers weep between the porch and the altar and let them say, “Spare Thy people Oh Lord, and do not make Thine inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, “Where is their God?” Joel. 2:17.

                It was this same Joel who told us that there would be signs in the sun, moon and stars just prior to the day of the Lord. Have we listened, or have we shrugged God’s warnings off as nothing.

                But there is a remnant… and we are not a remnant people because we are better than others. We are a remnant people because we have chosen the Lord over and above all that we see around us. For us the name of the Lord is a strong tower. We have run into it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10

                We have chosen to “dwell in the secret place of the Most High. The Lord has become our refuge and our fortress in which we trust.” Ps. 91:1

                He has “given His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways.” Ps. 91:11

                And we know that in spite of the flood of evil that now ravages our land, Satan took only 1/3 of the angels in his rebellion and God still has the remaining 2/3 of which a single angel destroyed an entire army of 85,000 seasoned soldiers.

                “Planted in the house of the Lord, we will flourish in the courts of our God. We will still yield fruit in old age; we shall be full of sap and very green to declare that the Lord is upright. He is our Rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”” Ps. 92:13-15

                “There is a river whose steams make glad the city of God. The holy dwelling places of the Most High God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered, He raised His voice and the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.” Ps. 46:4-7.

                And though the nations teeter on the brink of judgment, “God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” Romans 5:8, 9

                In faith we wait for “God’s Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thess. 1: 10

                “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thess. 5:9

                And though the Law may be holy and righteous and good and though our doctrine may be true, there is nevertheless something better to which we can now turn. It is the Lord Himself, who covers us with His blood and fills us with His Spirit so that we might have fellowship with Him and walk in His ways, by His power. We have been adopted as His sons and daughters. We have entered by the new and living way. Heb. 8:7-13, Heb. 7:18, 19, Heb. 10:20

                There is an antichrist coming, which Revelation 13:4 tells us that he will be inhabited and powered by the dragon (Satan) Himself. But we have the very Spirit and presence of Jesus Christ in us, who not only created Lucifer in the beginning, but the entire universe, for as John testified, there is nothing that has been made that was not made by Him. “In Him is life and the life is the light of men.” John 1:3, 4 and we have this testimony that “Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.          1 John 4:4. The coming antichrist is no match for the infinite power of Jesus Christ.

                The world may hate us and consider us as sheep to be slaughtered, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves us.” Romans 8:37

                For God knew us even before the creation of the world and He predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born of many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

                Did you ever stop to think that we are not only going to look like Jesus, but we are also going to share His power, His authority and His glory? Can such a thing even be imagined? What is it about God that He would draw once sinful men and woman into His courts… to join Him on the throne? He has a passionate love for us that is far above and beyond our understanding. Jesus came and died for us because HE could not face eternity without us. He loves us that much!

                “Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:39

                “We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.” 2 Cor. 4:7

                And God has made us servants of a New Covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2Cor. 3:6

                “We are always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Cor. 4:10.

                But “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then we also will be revealed with Him in glory.” Col. 3:4.

                “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” Phil. 1:21-24.

                So we have a purpose under heaven for living and we also have a purpose when the time comes for dying, for we will be with the Lord. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him, those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”

                For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. 1 Thess. 4:9, 10.

                “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Heb. 6:19, 20.

                We have believed the good news of the Gospel and since we have believed it, we have entered His rest just as He said.” Heb. 4:2, 3

                “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end…”Heb. 3:14

                “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” Heb. 2: 18.

                “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds, as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your Seed,” that is Christ.” What I am saying is that the Law which came four hundred and thirty years later does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” Gal. 3:16-18, 29

                “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

                Jesus said that unless we believe that “I am He” you will die in your sins.” John 8:24

                But the good news is that Jesus is exactly who the Word claims Him to be. The Father said it from heaven. The Holy Spirit landed upon Him and His apostles and prophets from Genesis to Revelation testify that Jesus is indeed our High Priest and coming King. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” John 1:29.

                 Jesus promised to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire. Mt. 3:11 And Jesus kept His promise on the day of Pentecost, on the same day in which He gave the Law on stone, He came by His Spirit to write His Law in our hearts.

                “And suddenly there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves and they rested on each one of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit was given them utterance.” Acts2:2-4.

                God’s promises are all true and all of them are currently active and available to all who will call on the name of the Lord.

                “Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever Amen.”

                The flip side of this current mess we find ourselves in is that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of Lords. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. Rom. 14:11, Phil 2:10.

                “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Eph. 4:30. It is He who dwells in you that will also raise you from the dead if you are asleep, or catch you up to meet Him in the air with a transformed and glorified body if you are still alive. Either way, we belong to the Lord ...and that is the flip side.

                You may want to add these texts to your growing arsenal of faith. They are good for the soul.