ISSUES FOR THE “END TIMES” CHRISTIAN
What To Do, What To Do?
By Dene McGriff
As some of you know, I was a founder of Antipas Ministries. Recently, Steve Shearer wrote a very interesting and heart felt work titled “Rethinking Our Mission: How Should We Organize?” He expresses his frustration at the lack of response of the readers and I understand. He only went out on two trips across country. My wife and I traveled around for nearly 2 years in a motorhome trying to organize supporters across the country, and get them interested in home churching. I share his frustration. The failure of our trip was either my fault for not conveying the message effectively, the lack of the Lord’s blessing, the people not listening or the timing not being right. Steve and Jonah blame the people but I won’t go there.
I do agree with Steve that we may not have much time left and that the “other shoe may drop” after the election. The Administration will try to do everything it can to keep the economy propped up until the election and then, all bets are off. (please see my last article on the economy at http://www.the-tribulation-network.com/newsletters/economic_deception.htm) and the other on “America’s Future” (..\..\newsletters\americas_future.htm). Strains on the economy and the “American empire” will have stretched to the breaking point, and it just may be that the “road map” to peace in the Middle East will either be signed or break out in war (the Gog Magog War). Truly, this could be the “beginning of the end.”
There is no doubt in my mind that America is the commercial, military and even religious Babylon of the “last days” (please see articles on this and the Antipas site) and that the “Last Days” Laodicean Church, corrupted by riches, is the American Church. “Christian” fundamentalism (in the worst sense of the word) is alive and well in only one country – America. So American Christians should beware or they will be trapped in the system as the agenda of the military, political and economic system and the church combine into one powerful force… and this is happening and can turn very ugly much sooner than we think!
As “watchmen on the wall” we, at Pergamos Ministries, point you to the prophetic scriptures and warn of things to come. We may give suggestions, but we don’t tell you what to do. You have to learn to listen to the Lord and follow His leading. If you don’t do that, no amount of ranting and raving on our part will do any good. It is up to you to take in the information, and go to the Lord to see what you are to do about it.
However, we do have a stern warning for you. The greatest deception and the greatest Tribulation of all history is coming upon us. It is not like a black veil that suddenly falls but a cataract that grows so slowly over our eyes. We don’t even know it is there until it is too late. The world system has never had the influence over mankind that it does today and everyone, including Christians are stuck in that political, economic and religious system with little chance for escape.
We “Laodicean” Christians truly believe that we can have the best of both worlds – this one and the one that is to come. We are so enmeshed in the system, we couldn’t escape even if we wanted to. I read in the paper this morning that nine out of ten Americans earning less than $30,000 a year are one paycheck away from disaster and the rest are only three or four paychecks away. Unless you can extract yourself from the economic system as discussed in the previous article (http://www.the-tribulation-network.com/newsletter/economic_deception.htm), you will most likely not only be caught but compromised by it. We can talk about the so-called “Patriot Acts” and how they have eroded our freedoms but you don’t have read any further than your Bible to see the true nature and consequences of our seduction.
Here are some questions for the “endtimes Christian”:
We had better be careful how we answer. Any time “Christians” have become too comfortable in this world, they lose their fire. I am sure that not many true “Christians” in the Roman Empire, Hitler’s Germany, or Mao’s China felt dual like dual citizens. Whenever Christians have felt they could reform the world, they have made a worse mess of it. And if you think you can go through your life without hearing and obeying the Lord, what makes you think you will suddenly rise to the occasion when things get tough? When Jesus warns that friends and family, even the “church”, will turn against true followers and if you can’t resist in the little things today, what makes you think you will be able to stand when suffering the ultimate pressure?
I don’t care if you agree or disagree with me. All I care about is that you have such a relationship with the Lord that you will be able to stand in that day. Revelation 12:11 tells us that the “last days Christian” will overcome because of three things: 1) they are covered by the “blood of the lamb”- not their own righteousness, 2) the word of their testimony” – these are people that actually have a testimony. They have something to say to the world because they experience the Lord every day, and 3) “they don’t love their lives even unto death” – they are willing to lose everything including their lives for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ who loved them and gave everything to them. If this isn’t your testimony, you are at great risk!
Corrie Ten Boom didn’t all of the sudden muster up her courage and tell herself she was going to help the Jews even at the risk of her own life! No, she made that decision years before as she “took up her cross and followed Him daily”. If you don’t hear and obey His voice today, what makes you think you will down the road? If you can’t stop watching your television sitcom today and spend quality time with the Lord and other Christians, what makes you think you will in a month or a year?
I don’t presume to know what the Lord wants you to do. Should you start a meeting, move to the country, the central city or another country? I don’t know. But if you can’t learn to follow Him in the little things, how will you ever be prepared when the big ones come along? I absolutely agree with Steve that most of us are “playing” at being Christians and the truth of the matter is we are “have your cake and eat it too Christians.” We want the best of both worlds. And we are under so much pressure to keep our jobs and pay our bills, take care of our families, save for retirement, plan the next vacation, that we have time for little else.
I’m not saying this because I’m better than you. No, I’m one of you! And I know the pressures you are all under. I know how hard it is to live life with an eternal perspective, how hard it is to make those little decisions, how hard it is to obey in the little things. I know how difficult it is to imagine that the worst tribulation the world has ever experienced may soon be upon us. I watched a documentary about what happened to Flint, Michigan – how it went from a model, prosperous factory town and suddenly became a war zone of crime and an empty shell as people left or were evicted. Hard to imagine that could happen in this day and age, people wandering in the streets with nothing to do and no where to go. It is also hard to imagine loved ones turning against us and delivering us up to be killed, but that is precisely what Jesus tells us WILL happen. It sounds trite to say, that we will either be a part of the “problem” or the “solution” – but that is also what it says. We will deliver up one another thinking we are doing God a favor BUT THOSE DELIVERED UP WON’T EVEN HAVE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AND THINK OF WHAT THEY ARE TO SAY. (Matthew 10:17-24)
I would challenge you with this thought. Decide now that you will follow Him wherever He leads you. Decide now that this world is not your home, but just a stopping place as you pass on to eternity. Decide now that all the “things” you own are worth nothing compared to eternity. Decide now where your citizenship lies. Determine to follow Him now in the little things. Praise Him that you are a part of His glorious expression along with other brothers and sisters who have no stake in this present life, who are willing to suffer the loss of all things for the One who bought us for so great a price. Ask the Lord to protect your mind (your thoughts and imagination) from the evil powers of this world, from the deception that is building around us. Ask Him to open your heart and mind to see the true condition of this world, your own government and even your church. Reach out to others with the good news. No matter what the world may through at us, we have an overcoming life within. Hang on to your brothers and sisters for dear life and love them. Things will get worse before they get better, but you are privileged to share in that divine life that has seen the saints down through the ages through the toughest of times.
The most difficult thing about a prophetic ministry is that it hasn’t happened yet. In fact, right after Jesus discourse about the tribulation and his second coming, it says “For the coming of the Son of man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark.” (Matthew 24:37-38) I would encourage you all to read the entire chapter in context. Verse 42 says, “Therefore be on the alert for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” This chapter talks about two things coming: tribulation and judgment. The church is never spared tribulation in this world, although it is spared the judgment reserved for the world.
It will be business as usual. No one will see it coming – unless they take heed to the Word, just as Noah did. Now is the time to prepare. Moses had to do something to get ready for the judgment – build an ark and everyone thought he was crazy. In our day, the ark is the corporate body of Christ. We are here to build up one another in life, not with organizations and programs. Joseph had seven years of plenty to get ready for the seven years of famine. I believe our seven years are almost up. What have you done to get ready? Are you free of debt or stuck in the world? Are you caught up in an institution called a “church”, or in real relationships with Christians who know and experience the Lord daily? Are you tied to your possessions and relationships or willing to let them all go? Are you occupied by the things of this world or are you caught up in His presence?
There is a difference between the institutional church and the Christians that attend them. The institution may be broken but still, there are brothers and sisters in it. They may be broken by the institution if they stay in it. Just a quick example which, I am sure could be multiplied many times across the country. They are continually inviting guest speakers and participating in programs of questionable value. Juan Carlos Ortiz, who we spoke of in the last article, spoke there several times as did Erin Baxter who was one of the original “latter rain” prophets and one of the Fort Lauderdale Five. Lonny Frisbee, who died of AIDS, spoke there several times levitating people in the back of the room. Recently John Dawson, President of YWAM (a dominionist organization) spoke there. They embraced Promise Keepers, the “purpose driven church”, cell groups, and are now reading Bruce Wilkinson’s latest book (author of the Prayer of Jabez – please see http://www.banner.org.uk/apostasy/Jabez.htm, http://rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Letter/V10n1.htm and http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1512.cfm) The clergy leadership of the church shows absolutely no discernment in terms of what they expose their members (the laity) to. This has been going on for 20 years. What effect will this have on these saints? Rather than prepare them for the deception and apostasy to come, they introduce them to it!
So when we encourage you to get out of the church institution, it is for many reasons – this corruption, not to mention the unbiblical form it takes and the stifling effects it has on the “milk fed” congregation/audience. Extraordinary times calls for extraordinary action (like building a boat when there is no rain). Can you justify staying in that apostate institution? Can you listen to the voice of the Lord? What are your alternatives? What should you do about fellowship? Your lifestyle? Your bills? Your friends? Your time? If only you could see that you will have all eternity to ponder whether you made the right decisions. We all only get one chance. The years ahead could be the most glorious or the most miserable and it is all up to you!
Dene McGriff,
Sacramento, California
December 7, 2003