.

However they arrived at their deficient doctrinal destination, churches that refuse to budge decide they must protect their chosen traditional identity. It is why they reject any Biblical truth that reveals their error.

CHOOSING AN EARTHLY KING

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. [1 Samuel 8:4-7]

Those churches that refuse the full authority and presence of the Spirit of the Lord God are also rejecting the Lord Jesus, regardless of their pronouncements to the contrary. There is actually no distinction or dichotomy here though they have created a false one. Rejecting the fullness of the Holy Spirit means rejecting King Jesus. In the exact sense that one who rejects the Son also rejects the Father and is thus left Godless, whoever rejects Pentecost essentially rejects God.   

Those devoid of His Holy Spirit lack everything associated with His Spirit, including primarily, for the sake of this discussion, what may be termed spiritual backbone, that which equips believers with the willingness, courage, and strength to not only fight against powerful evil forces but defeat them. Without the Spirit of God Christians have no chance. This is why such empty vessels compromise and capitulate to the enemy. They know they are spiritually wimpy and weaponless. Rather than shine a light upon a sinful culture they weakly succumb to it. Even more so, they surrender to the devil, shuddering at the thought of actually doing battle against him. The incessant priority for Pastor Soy Boy, rather than serving the Lord, is maintaining a counterfeit enterprise and the cash flow thereof which gives him his power.

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” [Luke 16:13]

Remember, Christians are to be an offensive force taking the battle to the enemy. The Lord Jesus clearly said the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church (Matthew 16:18). Christians are supposed to attack the gates of Hades, the very entry, for the sake of rescuing those held in bondage within them by evil forces. How can such jail breaks ever be possible without His powerful demon-scattering Spirit and anointing?

CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES TODAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE

Given that this rejection of God is a conscious choice, one wonders why, historically, the vast majority of Christian groups, churches, and denominations decide thus. What’s their problem? Actually, one wonders only a second or so and then sees very clearly why they make such a decision—it is simple human pride. The real Gospel not only reveals the hope of salvation and real life, it also exposes sin. It reveals personal sin and corruption. Those having their sin exposed or pointed out by the Lord do not appreciate it. Their human pride insists they must stand up against whatever may attack it. They consider the revealing of their sin to be an attack upon their character. They do not like having their incorrect life choices being exposed because it challenges not only their social presence, but primarily wounds their mental self-perception.

This is what entrenched sin does to a person. It actually makes a person his own worst enemy. Once infected, one becomes easily angered at being exposed as infected. It makes one feel extremely uncomfortable. The resultant conviction diminishes one’s perceived self-image. The Bible plan of salvation, the very thing designed to save people from the debilitating effects of sin and personal corruption, is perceived as an enemy out to get them instead of save them. This is why the real Gospel is only readily received by those who have previously been prepared to some extent, but such preparation can usually only come through a personal hunger for truth and righteousness.

RECOGNIZING THE BANKRUPT FOLLY OF THIS WORLD

Longing for spiritual truth and righteousness proves a deep-set desire for God sourced from the deepest part of one’s heart. Why some have this desire and others don’t is not necessarily so mysterious. Along with human pride there is also human selfishness. Prideful, selfish people, those who are predominantly fixed on taking care of number one, who plan and live their lives according to selfish purposes based on optimum acquisition and pleasure, have no desire for even the thought of spiritual discipleship. Rather than recognizing their own sin and dead spiritual state and have a desire to do something about it, which entails a destruction of the flesh and thus, actual discipleship, they reject the very notion and decline the cure because they would rather seek the pleasures of the flesh.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” [Luke 9:23-26]

GOD ALSO CONVICTS CHURCHES

We know from passages in the Book of Revelation that God dispatches heaven-sent letters of correction to churches. Remember, these are His own people. In reading His contentions against the ancient churches in question, He relays serious problems among those groups and also reveals His own antipathy with their sin and intransigence. But His first desire is to cancel the sin. He cannot do this, of course, without their willingness and cooperation. He does caution them with cancelation, however, if they refuse:

EPHESUS

“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.” [Revelation 2:4-5]

SMYRNA

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.” [Revelation 2:11]

PERGAMUM

 “Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” [Revelation 2:16-17]

THYATIRA

“He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.” [Revelation 2:26-28]

SARDIS

“I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.” [Revelation 3:1-3]

PHILADELPHIA

“I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.” [Revelation 3:11-13]

LAODICEA

“Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” [Revelation 3:15-22][1]

FUTURE PROJECTIONS AND WARNINGS REJECTED

God has been trying to get our attention for several decades now with regard to the current crisis. Though DA church leaders apparently reject the notion of God’s superior intelligence, He is actually pretty smart. He pretty much has the decided ability to extrapolate trends far off into the future. Imagine that. He thusly sends warnings far ahead of time and doesn’t let up, providing He can find willing warners to help with the heavy lifting sweating out a truthful witness in the face of gross opposition. Because of His great love to rescue whosoever will, some actually hear His voice and comply. Some end up getting saved from sin, delivered from oppression, blessed with a spiritual calling to get the word out, and also prepared for the future.

But if history is any guide, the majority, stuck fast in their present, rejects His warnings because such are based on future circumstances the people thereof cannot see or forthcoming trends they cannot perceive.

Then the flood comes. Then foreign enemies suddenly invade the nation. Then Jerusalem gets burned to the ground. Sound familiar? It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. In all that time, he built and he preached and he warned but not one single person outside his immediate family listened. The same thing happened to Jeremiah. He was one of the most astute and willing prophets of ancient Hebrew history but was continually outvoted and disregarded. The lessons here should be obvious in that majorities can become utterly stupid, absurdly asinine, willingly duped, and easily triggered. How much of a dunce must one be to reject a clear warning designed to save and bless?

Therefore, because faux Christians who “stand in the authority of Jesus” (as the Pharisees stood in the authority of Moses), and refuse to obey the One they claim to honor (as the Pharisees refused to obey the law of the one they claimed to honor), there is nothing else to be done once the predicted disaster actually arrives. Those who climbed aboard the ark have protection, provision, and sail along above the fray in the cool refreshing sea breeze, having spent much time preparing for the exact scenario God warned about.

But those outside the ark get rained on and flooded by a massive harvest of unprecedented reaping-what-you-sow evil emerging unexpectedly and unanticipated like a cancel event of Biblical proportions.

And no one answers 911. What a shocking surprise.

© 2020 by R.J. Dawson. All Rights Reserved.

[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.