For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 ESV emphasis mine)
In this time of chaos, confusion, and calamity it’s important to stay alert and be clearheaded. Those who live in the light of God’s glory must be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. (1 Thess. 5:; 2 Cor. 4:6). This morning as I was reading “The Second American Revolution/Civil War by author Rick Joyner something he wrote captured my attention. Keep in mind the book is not about a physical war taking place as in the first American Civil War in 1861. Joyner stated “On December 14, 2018 I had a dream of a coming second American Revolution/Civil War. In this dream I saw events that are now unfolding at a rapid pace. I saw the conclusion of our present trauma, and the triumph over the evil that has been subduing our land. I saw how this victory will be accomplished.” 1
Joyner also stated, “The church as we perceived it in the West, is about to die. This is cause to rejoice. This is not to imply the church in the West has not accomplished many great things. Nevertheless it is time to move on”2 These words captured my attention because I shared the following in a 2018 blog post It’s Time for An Awakening!, “On November 21, 2007 the following Words: “Strengthen what remains. You will have to be strong and courageous. Many are living for self without seeing the condition of God’s house. Sadly, many leave God’s house after service feeling empty, unsatisfied and weak. This is not what God intended for His people, and it grieves Him to see it.”
As I read these words, I am compelled to continue to implore Christ’s Church to awaken, be on guard and stay alert! (Mark 13:33). There is an urgent need for the Church of Jesus Christ to wake up from it’s slumber. The body of Christ must awaken from the deadness of religion and strengthen what remains. We must come out of our religious way of thinking to receive the revelation that will open our hearts and minds to the present day realities.
“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
Colossians 2:8 (NASB)
Throughout the history of the church pastors and church leaders have been calling for renewal, reformation, and revival. So why is it it that the church has not heeded the call? Deception has played a major role in keeping the church from fulfilling its true purpose. Religious tradition, personal opinions, politics, racism, fear of the other, money, trials and temptations, a hardened heart, accommodation and so forth can all lead to deception. The worst part? Those who are deceived don’t even know it. Scripture warns that in the later times deception would cause many to depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits. “The Spirit says clearly that some people will abandon the faith in later times; they will obey lying spirits and follow the teachings of demons. Such teachings are spread by deceitful liars, whose consciences are dead, as if burnt with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:1-2).
Here is the great evangelical disaster—the failure of the evangelical world to stand for truth as truth. There is only one word for this—namely, accommodation: the evangelical church has accommodated to the world spirit of the age.
Francis Schaeffer
Paul wrote in Romans 13:11-14, “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Understanding these present times of darkness will help guide you in the direction of God’s truth. It’s time for the church to wake up!!! Ephesians 5:13-14 (The Voice emphasis mine) says, “When the light shines, it exposes even the dark and shadowy things and turns them into pure reflections of light. This is why they sing,
Awake, you sleeper!
Rise from your grave,
And the Anointed One will shine on you.
May God continue to enlighten you to the truth of His Word!
Minister A. Francine Green
Notes:
- Joyner, Rick (2021). The Second American Revolution/Civil Wars. Morning Star Publications
- ibid
afrancinegreen.com 