I recently commented to my husband that I had no idea there were so many people succumbing to the wiles of evil! I’m not naive about Satan being the active ruler of this world, but I am alarmed at how many deceived followers he has, especially in America.
Maybe evil is so prevalent today because during times of lawlessness, like we’re experiencing, evil goes unchecked by those in authority and in many cases is blatantly defended and encouraged. Never in my lifetime have I seen the display of evil actually bowed down to and elevated like in the Old Testament days when the people turned away from God and worshipped idols and other gods.
Would you have ever thought in America that . . .
Governors and mayors support and encourage the destruction of their own cities by anarchists and domestic terrorists.
Public and private property decimated and vandalized by cheering crowds and local officials do nothing to stop the mayhem, even telling the police to “stand down” while innocent citizens are terrorized? A congressional leader’s response, “People will do things.”
Vulgar and hateful words become graffiti covering city and government buildings.
Toddlers shot and murdered while sleeping in their beds and babies shot in their strollers or car seats.
Young innocent children playing outside, walking home, riding in a car, or getting out of a car shot dead and the local government does nothing.
Millions of unborn babies legally murdered by genocide in their mommy’s tummy. Or if born alive, they could still be left to die!
Police officers assaulted, disrespected, defunded, and restrained from protecting us.
Loss of our First Amendment and God-given right to attend church and worship together.
Guns confiscated from owners using them to protect their property from rioters who threaten to kill them and burn down their house. The victim homeowners are prosecuted but not the criminal rioting trespassers.
Criminals set free.
A Marxist organization that wants to disband the patriarchal family, eliminate the police, provide free abortions, support the LGBTQ agenda, and control America or burn it down, receive praise, money, followers, and is bowed down to and paid homage.
Sexual immorality runs rampant and few take notice, even in the church?
The Supreme Court allows tighter restrictions on churches than on casinos!
Craziness!
Anyone denouncing any of these anomalies is subjected to discrimination, slander, threats, hate, and told to let the carnage continue!
I could go on, but you see it all happening too. Most of this barely makes the mainstream media.
Evil and mayhem normalized.
What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. Isaiah 5:20 NLT
Why Is God Letting This Happen?
I believe that God is exposing rampant evil because the church has forfeited its position in mainstream society. How many pastors have you seen publically respond to or denounce any of the issues I mentioned above? Yes, there are a few, but very few.
It’s a wakeup call. A line-in-the-sand moment.
If the church stays quiet and lets evil reign, Christianity will become irrelevant.
This is our deciding hour. Not to cower from Satan but to advance the name of Jesus Christ, the only hope and solution to the survival of America! Not to ignore evil but to confront it and boldly offer the only cure.
Much like God warns the Church in Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6 NLT:
Write this letter to the angel[a] of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit[b] of God and the seven stars:
“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.
6 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
For the church or Christian who is trying to straddle between the world and the Word, God has a message to them also as He tells the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-16, 19-21 NLT.
14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning[a] of God’s new creation:
15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! . . . 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.
20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
Pastor John MacArthur, Grace Community Church, wrote an excellent response to the unjust closing of churches: Christ, Not Caesar, is the Head of the Church: A Biblical Case for the Church’s Duty to Remain Open. I came across his article as I was finishing my blog, and once again, God confirmed that I heard His voice clearly on what I was to write.
Here is a paragraph from Pastor MacArthur’s article, which I encourage you to read, especially if you question whether the church is to follow the local government or God. If your church is closed right now share it with your pastor.
As government policy moves
further away from biblical principles, and as legal and political pressures
against the church intensify, we must recognize that the Lord may be using
these pressures as means of purging to reveal the true church. Succumbing to governmental
overreach may cause churches to remain closed indefinitely. How can the true
church of Jesus Christ distinguish herself in such a hostile climate? There is
only one way: bold allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our prayer is that every faithful congregation will stand with us in obedience
to our Lord as Christians have done through the centuries.
Today in my church, our pastor preached on Acts 4:1-21 where Peter and John were arrested by the “temple police and the Sadducees” for publically teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Temple where 5000 people were saved! Peter and John were ordered to leave and commanded not to teach or preach again in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John replied, ‘Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.’” (Acts 4:19 NLT)
How Long Will God Tarry?
Evil will not end until Jesus returns, but it doesn’t mean we surrender to it until then. No, we fight against Satan with every breath in us! We put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Then together we take a bold, courageous, prayerful, vocal, and faith-filled stand against the schemes of the enemy.
Hebrews 5:13-14 reminds us of all the teaching and training we’ve had in the church—now is the hour to apply it!
“Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
Honestly, God has put this so heavy on my heart to share right now. I can’t ignore the moral and cultural decline we’re watching in our world today. I hope you can’t either!
The Bible tells us that no one knows when Jesus will return. Also, no one knows when he or she will take their last breath. My burden is that we all be found ready for both.
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served . . . , or the gods of the Amorites, [today’s culture] in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 (my additions in brackets)
Note: We need to be praying for all our police officers. Here is a prayer I wrote for them and their families: 4 Prayers In Honor of Police Officers.
If you haven’t read my past blogs, I share thoughts on Don’t Let COVID Divide the Church! We’re On the Same Team!
America’s Problem is Systemic Secularism NOT Systemic Racism!
I read with interest your post Janet. It takes accurate note of the evil spewing from society and that we, as Christians are to stand against evil. However I felt it stopped short on our response on HOW to stand against evil. Jesus clearly tells us to BE THE LIFHT which shines even brighter in darkness by LOVING FIRST and SHARING THE GOSPEL. When Christians rake a stand WITHOUT LOVE (like some of my Christian friends who spew hate of those against Trump on their FB page, or who give store managers like my daughter so much grief for having to wear a mask that the store manager feels so threatened she has to call the police), then Christians are just clanging cymbals and part of the problem. We need to show love to those who hate us, AND to share Jesus’ love with them. This is not being silent or lukewarm. This is part of the solution…food banks, supporting families with children home from school, voting, abstaining from purchasing from companies that support abortion, etc. there are many ways to show love and at the same time be respectful in our disagreement. I would encourage you to use your platform to give examples of how to live as a Christian in today’s world with love and respect.
Katie you make good points. Have you read my previous blogs because I’ve covered much of what you suggested before. I’ve added links to several previous blogs now at the end of this one. My emphasis here was churches opening at a time as you say when they are so needed! Perhaps I will do a Part 2 to this one. Thank you for your comments. There is indeed such a missionary field in our own backyards.