The King is coming. Do you know Him?

PART 2

Lying

"False accusers" (v. 3) is the term that refers to this sin. Churches in our nation and around the globe are coming apart at the seams because of exaggerated stories (outright lies in many cases) church members spread about their so-called friends. When a person falsely accuses a brother, he breaks God's ninth commandment. Exodus 20:16 says, "Thou shalt not bear false witness." Do you know what will happen to false accusers? Revelation 21:8 says, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone." You will notice that in this book, I am coming down harder on Christians than on unbelievers. We who say we honor Christ should know better. We are held to a higher standard than those who do not know the Savior, Yes, the end-time clock is ticking faster and faster; sins of the flesh and the spirit will increase; lying and half-truths will continue unabated. That is why during these perilous times you and I must remain firm, believe what we say we believe, and stand in the gap as we anticipate the return of our Lord in all His glory.

What about a world that is out of control, with
an increasing number of murders and sex-on-
demand overtures on the Internet? Are these
signs that the return of our Lord is near?

We live in a world that is spinning out of control. Murder is on the increase. Students in our high schools are killing their classmates and their parents. Virtual-reality sex on the Internet is becoming a national pastime for adults and children alike. Our loved ones are increasingly at risk as they download material of prurient interest now available at the click of a mouse button in the privacy of one's own home. Still, for all the "power" supposedly available to our citizens, people are more powerless than ever. What does the Bible say about such pursuits? How do such sins suggest that the return of Christ may be near?

In Matthew 7:18 we read that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. This is what we are seeing in our society today. There are lots of "trees" growing all around us. The good ones honor God and bring glory to His name. The bad ones, however, continue to put forth branches that are diseased and deformed. Let us look at the four areas mentioned in this question.

No Self-Control

Incontinent would be the best term to define this problem. It speaks of the lack of control over one's sexual appetites. The world says, "Live it up. Premarital and extramarital sex are good and healthy-just be 'safe' with your sex." I say, "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4). Sex is pure and holy in marriage. Hebrews 13:4 states, "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled." However; the verse continues, "whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." What God demands and what our society craves are light-years apart. Look at these four statistics:

1. One out of every two marriages ends in divorce.
2. The average age today for divorce is thirty-four for men and thirty for women.
3. In the 1960s, a woman was responsible for one of every ten households with no husband present; in 1986, a woman carried out her duties in one of every six households with no husband present.
4. One million teenage girls will become pregnant out of wedlock this year.

Temper

Some men would be minus their front teeth if they spoke to the server in a restaurant like they talk to their wives at home. They claim they love Jesus Christ. They are great Christians at church, but what a fierce, vicious temper they exhibit at home and at work. Anger is killing people on the freeways; it is responsible for accelerated spousal and child abuse, and it is destroying relationships at the office and in the church. The Bible says, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice" (Ephesians 4:31). My friend, when a person has not been redeemed by the love of Christ, he or she will fall prey to an angry spirit. When this unholy spirit takes over a family, a community, a state, a nation, and a world, we know that the end is near.

Pleasure

"Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:4). In the last days, people-professing Christians included-will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of our heavenly Father. We have become a nation-and a world- of hedonists. This sign is evident as churches increasingly use the tactics of the entertainment business to draw crowds. People want to be amused; so many churches feel they must meet the cravings of their pleasure-mad constituents.

How else are the lukewarm and backslidden going to be held together? How else can halfhearted members be attracted to the services? Consequently, the latest Christian minstrel show takes the place of the Word of God.

God has not called us to run a showboat to entertain those who would be amused but a lifeboat to save the lost from ultimate destruction. Many religious telecasts and crusades today feature unsaved or carnal personalities whose lives are a mockery to God. Still, they appear because entertainers draw crowds. Many evangelistic meetings feature folks who are still working in nightclubs where drinking, gambling, filthy jokes, and solicitation of sex are prevalent. Is this a sign of the end or what! The organizers rationalize their activity by saying, "It does not matter, because the end justifies the means. If these religious fakes draw crowds, then it must be the right thing to do." God forgive us!

Through it all, people without Christ are lulled to sleep and made to feel religious while every carnal desire of the flesh is gratified under the sanction of the Church. Will this continue? Yes, I am afraid it will. That is why it behooves Bible-believing Christians to stand up and be counted on this issue.

Lack of Power

We eat power lunches, wear power ties, demand more horsepower in our automobiles, and ingest power vitamins. Power, power, power. The Bible talks a great deal about our quest for this power, which is, in reality, a false sense of security. Paul wrote to Timothy, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5). It should be obvious by now that the world system has no staying power. Zero! What concerns me more is that there is so little power in the Church. How could it be otherwise, when the Church has strayed so far from seeking and doing God's will? Study this sign in the Scriptures, and you will be compelled to come to one conclusion: Soon the trumpet of God shall sound and we shall hear three words, "Come up hither" (Revelation 4:1). Then, in the twinkling of an eye, we will sweep through the heavens to meet Jesus.

Jack Van Impe

jvim.org

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