"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Ephesians 6:12
(KJV)
In my last post I alluded to an article Mom used to refer to often. It was printed in China many years ago, and it gave a description of how things would be right before Jesus comes back. I found the words as sobering as they used to be when Mom would read them to me or speak of them through the years. After I published the post, a commenter asked that I post the full article, and I am just finding the time to grant her request.
As I said, I did not write this, nor do I know who wrote it. Since it was printed in China, I am assuming it must have been written by someone in China, or perhaps a missionary to China? I am almost certain this weathered, tattered paper copy belonged to my Papaw, who was one of the most stalwart prayer warriors I have ever known. When he passed away, I believe this article was passed down to Mom, and now it is mine. I wish I knew who to credit for having written it. All I know is it was published as a prophecy in China many years ago, and anyone with spiritual discernment can see that you and I are watching this prophecy unfold in fulfillment in front of our very eyes. It could not be more on target in describing the exact conditions of our day, and it truly brings a solemnity over my spirit. I hope it stirs yours, also, as you read.
(I have taken the liberty of making a few spelling, punctuation, and grammatical corrections.)
Just Before Jesus Returns
"Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that before the coming of our Lord, there would come a falling away first. (2 Thessalonians 2:3) To Timothy, he stated that evil men and impostors would wax worse and worse and there should be perilous times in the LAST days. (2 Timothy 2:1-13) It will be noticed in the Scriptures that the apostasy is not concerning education or fine churches or able ministers or large congregations or the progress of intellectual or material prosperity, but the breaking down that is foretold of the visible church is on faith and the denial of the power of landslide in the visible church toward higher criticism which is lower infidelity, and a denial of the supernatural working of God in regeneration, definite answers to prayer, and the revelation of the apostles and their successors.
We then are to expect great deceptions and delusions deceiving if it were possible the very elect. We may also expect great advances in a "form" of godliness in the LAST days. Faith will not only become low thru worldliness and the denial of the Scriptures, but through the "remakable initiative faiths" which will work on in their deceptive power. A pastor says those movements will become an unseen influence in the air around us, an atmosphere of people with evil spirits and heavy with the depression of HELL. These evil spirits will do their utmost to injure, mislead, confuse, and depress the children of the Lord. Our bodies will be afflicted, it will press in our minds and becloud our souls. All kinds of strange feelings and peculiar trials will come to us. A surprising lack of desire and energy Godward, a spiritual deadness, a mental heaviness, lethargy of soul, an alarming desire for forbidden things, and a peculiar delight and fascination in any of the world's pleasures. In liberty and power it will be difficult to give attention to the WORD when it is preached. It will be very difficult to get in real earnest and continued prayer. This is the atmosphere in which we must battle as the LAST days darken around us. Oh, let us be strong in the Lord! Satan will no doubt bring a mysterious power to bear on our minds and wills, which will make it exceedingly difficult to walk closely with God and very easy to live in the flesh. We will be amazed at the power he can use against us. It will become very hard to serve God faithfully and to pray earnestly, and it will seem as if everything without us and almost everything within us has conspired to keep us from following Christ all the way and to influence us to compromise. We will be surrounded by a worldly atmosphere that will draw us away from God, that will render prayer half-hearted, that will deaden our spiritual senses to the reality of Heavenly things, and that is out of communion with God and harder than ever to keep communication open between our souls and Heaven.
Already we feel the beginning of the influence of the in-rush of those things upon us as worldliness in various forms weaves the ever-expanding power over many congregations. Things are not only allowed, but are unblushingly organized now which would not have been possible a generation ago, since the craze of the drama and the exciting round of pleasure is catered to in connection with many places of worship, to the destroying of deep spirituality and bringing to an end of revivals and the furtherance of the spirit of compromise, with doubtful things and associations. There is a terrible decline of faith and true religion all over the world at this moment. We do not deny that there may be, here and there, a few exceptions, but looking at the Christendom as a whole, it presents a sad picture. Reviewing these matters, do they not constitute a loud call to the servants of Christ to arise and seek during the intervening short period to make the most of this, the day of opportunity, before their Lord and Master comes to summon them to give an account of their labors at the Judgment seat of Christ?"
PRINTED IN CHINA
God bless the dear soul who wrote this. It was not by accident that I came across it recently. It is a timely warning to those of us who are fighting the good fight of faith in these last days and doing our utmost to "dwell in the secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:10) May we pick up our weapons of prayer and our shields of faith and war against all that seeks to draw us away from living a life in close proximity to Jesus.
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1,2
