God’s Word, His Church, His World, and His Truth
Man has been at war with God since the fall. By his grace, God designed Christianity to function dynamically within the fallen world. To be effective, the church must have a true understanding of his God’s word and a true understanding of God’s world. God reveals himself through both his written word, and his created world. Any denial of the truth of God’s holiness or man’s depravity disables the church’s mission through projecting a deceptive impression.
There is a concerted effort to distort both God’s word and his world by his enemies. God’s word presents mankind as guilty and condemned before him. Without an awareness of his sin, man has no reason to seek after God for salvation. Man’s denial of this ugly truth keeps him separate from God and causes much of the world’s desperate condition. Only when man confronts this truth about himself can he recognize his need of God. Denying this ugly truth promotes mankind’s continuing defiance of God and legitimizes the evil that man does.
The Christian faith is a reasonable faith based on actual events that left ample evidence for examination. The bible, along with its present day witness, the church, are God’s chosen means and method for spreading his message to mankind. The central evidence involves the miraculous, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion. It was attested to by eye witnesses, who eventually recorded their testimony within the New Testament. The grave was opened, the tomb was empty, Christ had risen. The guards of the tomb were bribed to lie. Those who had conspired against him in life began to conspire against him in death through the suppression of evidence and the invention of myths discounting the truth. These witnesses themselves were accused of staging the resurrection and promoting a hoax. As time passed, many of the witnesses and their followers would be persecuted and often martyred for their testimony.
“ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received , how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried , and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep . After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”
1st Corinthians 15:3-11
“ Now
after that John was put in prison , Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying
, The time is fulfilled , and the kingdom of
God is at hand : repent ye , and believe the gospel”.
1st John 14:15
The persecution of the true church has persisted to this day. It attempts to weaken the claims of Christ and the faith of the remaining witnesses. It took an organized form early on, soliciting willing bed fellows who were motivated by self interest. The same is true today. It operates in secrecy and makes use of varied levels of deception. It takes both overt and covert forms. It uses both direct and indirect methods. It occurs through infiltration and domination. It may be sanctioned by the “church” or the state. It materializes, not only through individual, unbelieving hearts, but through organizations of unbelieving hearts. Christian’s stance opposing such unbelief is an extension of the battle they experience between the old and new man within themselves.
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”
Ephesians 4:22-25
“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.”
Colossians 3:9-10
In the verses above, the old man is characterized as deceitful and corrupt, given over to lying. The new man is characterized by righteousness and holiness, renewed by the knowledge of God, and commanded to speak truth with his neighbor. Within believers, the new man and old man are described in active conflict.
“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would , that do I not; but what I hate , that do I . If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Romans: 14-25
Paul describes a spiritual conflict that is decidedly real, internal, and continual. In the verses below, an external threat is described:
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
1st John 4:1
“For many deceivers are entered
into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is
a deceiver and an antichrist.”
“For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own
belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive
the hearts of the simple.”
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the
whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:11-13
“Be
sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about
, seeking whom he may devour”
1st Peter 5:8
In the verses above, Christians are called to be
alert, wise, and prepared, in order to stand, defend, and wrestle. As
Christians live out their calling, they are met with both individual and
collective resistance to their witness, to effectively interact with the world,
to reason, and share the gospel, Christians must acknowledge both the gospel, and
their audience, including alternative faiths and beliefs that make up the
remainder of God’s world, regardless of their degree of reasonableness, or malevolence
to Christianity. Paul describes the full armor of God as provided for this very
purpose.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of
his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil.
Ephesiams 6:10
”For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God”
1st Timothy 1:7-9
In the verses above Christians are called upon to
be strong and to suffer affliction. The verses below promote confidence through
our victory in Christ.
“And
I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and
the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser
of our brethren is
cast down , which accused them before our God day and night.”
Revelation
12:10
“Nay,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him
that loved us.”
Romans
8:37
“He
that committeth sin is of the
devil; for the devil sinneth from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested , that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
1st
John 3:8
By accusing believers and corrupting God’s word, the opposition seeks to weaken
and misrepresent God and his church to the world at large, by suppressing the actual
“good
news” of the gospel, so to speak, including: God’s love, sacrifice,
provision, patience, justice, mercy, and grace. The opposition also seeks to suppress
and distort the “bad news”
of the gospel, so to speak, including: the true nature
of man’s depravity, his inability to justify himself, the necessity of
repentance, the true nature of evil, the existence of Satan and other evil
spirits, and Satan’s true disposition toward God and mankind. The opposition’s
attack of the truth is, far from direct, but rather, highly complex and
deceptive. For example, it often encourages people to “make up (in)
their own mind” who God is, rather than denying his
existence outright.
Conversely, it presents the character of Satan as primarily mythical,
often within the context of benign and mysterious events, absent his true nature
and handiwork of injustice, license, confusion, dissatisfaction, suffering,
pain, and death. In the wake of events, that do present
his true handiwork, his mention is conspicuously absent, as man prefers rather
to place God in the pillory, or deny his existence outright. It is curious how Satan
and those of his earthly agency seem to dependably deflect their responsibility
onto God and the “innocent” in the wake of their evil deeds. The promotion of
this perspective, and its derivatives, is an affront to the God of the bible,
and displays ignorance of his revealed word. Satan has invested much effort in
promoting God as the creator, promoter, sustainer, or excuser of evil. His
hatred for God and his church is as relentless, as it is real. His ability to
present evil as good, and good as evil grows continually more subtle and
effective. Most insidious are his mechanisms that misrepresent the
world at large to itself,
in an effort to establish a generalized artificial context, into which he can
nestle further distortions.
Outside “organized religion”, the default positions of agnosticism, moral relativism, and collectivism are now increasingly promoted as faiths of social acceptability and political correctness. By default, these “faiths” are conveniently able to externalize individual conscience and responsibility, into a collective mind, that provides little intellectual resistance to broad social agendas. Presently, there is an agenda to confuse, misrepresent, and exalt the “progress of mankind “over the “love for mankind”. It is this love for mankind, or more precisely, “the love of God for mankind”, that provides Satan his target, whether it is revealed in God’s word, or through each “pilgrim’s progress”.
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded , lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
2nd
Timothy 3:2-5
Is it possible that the form of godliness mentioned above may refer to a soul/body likeness that has been so willingly manipulated, that its ability to independently function has been compromised through atrophy? Failing to obey and enforce God’s moral law provides a recipe for societal destruction. At the present time, one must consider, whether society has been collectively committing a slow, multi-generational suicide, or is it being incrementally euthanized as well? And who are the individuals and organizations responsible for helping things along? What principles do they promote and oppose? How do they affect their control upon the population? Who alone has the authority to direct, renew, and control the hearts and minds of men?
"When
any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its
subjects, 'This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden
to know,' the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the
motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man whose mind has been hoodwinked”
-Robert
A. Heinlein
Once the organizations of social influence and control are properly acknowledged and understood, a more cogent, yet more disturbing view of the world appears. Only then, do the seemingly organic, incremental, manifestations of societal decay take on a more conscious and coherent design. Within the church, Christian’s are seldom encouraged to investigate these malevolent organizations of God’s world, and there is little tolerance of their curiosity. Organizations adverse to Christianity, seemingly far from the truth, remain a part of God’s world. Ignoring their relevance and influence promotes a sanitized perspective that limits the church’s understanding of, and effectiveness within the world. Embarking on an investigation of malevolent organizations is considered treacherous territory. Those demonstrating curiosity toward the investigation of such are often shamed into redirecting their efforts toward personal sanctification and examining their own ugly truth. However, willingly ignoring these organizations perpetuates their virtual anonymity and contradicts scripture’s exhortation to acknowledge, expose, and oppose deeds of darkness.
The church should not be intimidated by investigations into God’s world, especially when it involves the ugly truth of man’s depravity. In the world, similar shaming and intimidation is used to discourage the full investigation of high profile crimes, involving broad political and financial networks. Failing to expose such activities has no place in civilized government or Christian faith. To assent to such secrecy equates to complicity, and reverences the criminal behavior. Denial of evil is a tenant of Gnosticism and the occult. It is a Christian’s duty to expose evil in the light of truth, both personally and in the world at large. The alternative is to promote injustice and may involve the condemnation of the innocent.
As the guilty seek refuge within secrecy, they employ lies and alibis, fabrications and exaggerations. Scapegoats may be required to deflect responsibility. Such fraud often includes elements of the truth in the service of believability. When premeditated crimes involve two or more individuals they are known as conspiracies. In order to avoid punishment the criminals may plea bargain by either admitting to a lessened degree of responsibility and/or releasing information that people want to hear.
Unreasonable, official explanations for high crimes of national significance provide a refuge for scoundrels, and an opiate for the masses. Under duress, within the wake of the event, an explanation appears to develop organically, that meets the cathartic needs of the victims and the pragmatic desires of the scoundrels. The truth of the matter is left marginalized and of secondary importance. The explanation defies verification, strengthens existing allegiances, excoriates existing enemies, and most importantly, minimizes the emotional distress of the victims. It demands a misplaced trust in civil authority and encourages a decreased commitment to personal responsibility. The official explanation, by rendering logical inquiry unnecessary, legitimizes the exercise of ignorance in the service of reasoning, promoting the usage of “positive thinking”.
"A
great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for
illusion is deep."
-
Saul Bellow
Often expressed as wishful thinking, positive thinking, is perhaps, better defined as delusional thinking, or blind faith. It is the same blind faith attributed to Christians, by skeptics who fail to confront the verity of God, as he has revealed himself. Skeptics are often not satisfied by denying the personal claim the gospel makes upon them. They attack the witnesses and the evidence directly by means of either constructing alternative explanations for supernatural events, or denying the events altogether. Their promotion of God as a liar, or lunatic is simply the echo of Satan’s original thesis. The term blind faith is, in fact, a better description of the skeptic’s faith. For it is their denial of the evidence that produces their “disbelief”, a willful blindness producing “blind faith”. Remove this blindness and real faith appears.
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46
Through the Holy Spirit, mankind must realize his blind, helpless condition, his necessary repentance, and the sufficiency of Christ, to believe God. A willingness to look at the evidence, and come to a reasonable conclusion is the logical ability that God created within man to lead him back to God. Though detractors persist to discount and suppress truth, the church remains a living witness.
Various heresies reappear throughout church history, from a spectrum of directions demanding ongoing attention. Most often, the attacks are directed toward church doctrine and practice. In its defense, the church is guided by Holy Scripture, historic confessions, catechisms, and occurrences of similar attacks from church history. This context, when prayerfully considered, provides the church its ability to distinguish between truth and error. Accordingly this same context is available to the Christian laymen, along with the spirit of God, and a redeemed conscience. The ugly truth of man’s spiritually dead condition before God, and his inability to justify himself is a popular target of the opposition. These attacks may come as bold accusations or subtle misrepresentations. They may come personally, from within one’s own heart, or externally, projected through other’s actions. The natural man, instinctively, seeks God’s position by denying the truth of his own depravity, ultimately legitimizing the evil he does in the service of his own will. I recently discovered such a legitimization of evil which had been obscured by a misrepresentation of truth.
I had been on line verifying some Obama campaign rhetoric regarding the
proposal of a civilian security force within the
As I looked deeper into the matter, I found many more facts that were left
under reported, especially with regard to the events in
“Whether it is right in the sight of God to
listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of
what we have seen and heard”
Acts 4:19-20
As I confronted the seriousness of my conclusions I broadened my inquiry.
Beginning with the 1993 WTC bombing,
"We destroy arguments and
every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought
captive to obey Christ."
2 Corinthians 10:5
The unsettling nature of my discoveries has radically altered, and intensified my world view, yet provided authentic desire for me to re-investigate God’s word with renewed enthusiasm. God’s world has been revealed as a much more deceptive and dangerous place. However, God’s goodness, grace, and love have emerged more infinite, perfect, and necessary than ever. Only through studying his word and his world, as he commanded, can we fully realize what it means to trust only in him. I no longer excuse media culture as merely the symptom of a lost world doing the best it can without God. My suspicion of, and toleration for, much of mass media has lessened accordingly. The irrational allegiance, ignorance, and apathy it endorses beg several important questions.
First, is the “projection” of popular culture merely reflecting the depravity of our time, or is it complicit in its generation? Secondly, is it possible that the media seizes upon, or stages, outrageous displays to provide distraction, instill ambivalence, and build tolerance for further outrage? Thirdly, is the audience’s attention being directed toward a plausible, but utterly false, and directed perspective of the world for the sake of those in control? Fourthly, what makes the population at large so desirous of shocking and traumatizing fictional experiences? Fifthly, who governs the agencies of information and entertainment that have such tremendous influence upon the population, and why do they remain conspicuously under the radar and out of site? Finally, is it possible that the depravity displayed in the media is merely a decoy for a degree of depravity, so unspeakable and profound, that once uncovered, would produce the actual fear and trembling prerequisite for repentance and a true spiritual awakening of God’s elect?
“It
is as hard for the good to suspect evil, as it is for the evil to suspect
good.”
-
Marcus Tullius Cicero
The majority of the populace remains unaware or unwilling to confront these questions. They accept the elegantly deceptive view of the world projected through the media, awaiting spectacles that gratuitously draw their attention away from issues of consequence, allowing them ample opportunity to “express themselves”, within “discussions” that can do little more than advance moral relativism. Excusing distractions of depravity as simply outgrowths of mankind’s rebellion, fueled by commercial motives is a mistake. Opposing viewpoints and heated debates do not presuppose relevance. A vast hierarchal network, run by an ever shrinking number of owners, with daily access to an entire population should be under, not above, suspicion at all times, especially as it showcases and modulates ongoing thematic presentations of “outrages” that fatigue viewers into capitulating to its own prescribed, and implied “solutions”.
"Men,
it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in
herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one."
- Charles Mackay
Why do most people remain willfully ignorant of the agencies of power and social control, especially in the wake of inexplicable events? What makes the majority of the population willing to sacrifice their God given rights, ignore their own law, come under suspicion, offer themselves up for examination, and present themselves to their military as “living sacrifices” in the wake of inexplicable events? Why do they refuse to responsibly examine the evidence and the testimony of witnesses for themselves? Who are they trusting? What do they fear? Who do they obey? Who do they worship?
Indeed, internal, self-examination is justified by scripture, and we are to
accept all things as from God’s hand, but not to the exclusion of examining the external
evidence of all things for ourselves, and certainly not to the exclusion of
restraining the human agencies of evil deeds for ourselves.
It is through the examination of evidence that truth is revealed. In this same manner,
God
chose to reveal himself living, victorious over evil, and sufficient to save mankind,
as in the passage below.
“And as they thus spake , Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he
said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have . And when he had thus spoken
, he shewed them his hands and
his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb . And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled , which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then
opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written , and thus it behoved Christ to suffer , and to rise from the dead the third day: ”And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold , I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of
Luke 24:36
In the passage above, Christ offers himself for examination, as the external evidence. He offered himself physically to their senses, and spiritually through his testimony. Christ offer’s himself today for the same examination to his people, through his written word, and his living witness, the church. Each person can only know God by confronting the evidence for himself! One may possess a personal, professional, economic, nationalistic, emotional, or religious excuse for ignoring the evidence, but never one that respects one’s duty to God and mankind.
Man can not accept God’s salvation without admitting his own depravity. God reveals himself as, good, magnificent, beautiful, forgiving, merciful, gracious, and loving. God reveals Satan as an adversary, deceiver, accuser, tempter, liar, and slanderer. Satan prefers not to reveal himself. Goodness and evil are only secondarily manifestations of humanity. Primarily they reveal the spirit of God, and man’s depravity. While God’s spirit strives with man, not willing that any should perish, Satan tempts the spirit of man through trickery and deceit, making promises to him for his acquiescence, and never fulfilling promises as presented. In this manner, he manipulates the hearts and minds of men on earth to accomplish both their, and his goals, not the least of which is keeping the knowledge of his spiritual agency a secret, along with that of his earthly cohorts.
All of mankind is under delusion, but some more than others. Through either
ignorance or allegiance they make themselves servants of evil to varying
degrees. It is a reasonable assumption that a small group of such servants,
being of high status and earthly power, could plan, implement, and cover up
high crimes, through their position of authority, in service to their god,
whose vast majority of followers don’t even admit his existence, even after the
sacrifice of three thousand of their fellow citizens to his anti-agenda.
Perhaps due to the fact that they had been sitting at his altar for most of
their lives, being prepared, desensitized, and insulated from reality in its
evidentiary form.
The most casual observer of the mass media over the past several years must admit the accelerated intensification of “programming”. The highly descriptive, personalized, hypnotic concoction of sex, violence, and trivia, garnished with blasphemous obscenity directed toward the hated group of the day, heated over a sensational flame, producing a toxic visual brew, leaving ”viewers” as numbed and dumbed as any Gnostic mushrooms or witches spell, resulting in a myopic, misinformed, and alienated human condition, unable to sensitively observe, rationally contextualize, affectively love, or legitimately suffer without the aid of a pharmaceutical, or technological crutch, and resulting in a fragmented, fatigued, disconnected, uninformed, and suspicious population of “subscribers” whose awareness of, and participation within the media matrix, offers the universal sociological connection that advances the desired dystopic, global mindset.
“He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger sins.”
-John Chrysostom, Archbishop of
“Uncensored patience sows the seeds of vice, nourishes negligence, and encourages good people to do evil.”
- Thomas Aquinas
While most media criticism focuses on content, little criticism is made of the forms it employs to deconstruct the boundaries between reality and fantasy, relevance and irrelevance, consciousness and unconsciousness. Radio and television themselves, far from neutral mediums, are unable to contextualize, or diverge without “losing” the viewer or listener. Like newspapers, they default to simple, isolated ideas, visual symbols, sensations, and sloganeering. Multifaceted issues are simplified to “opposing” views voiced by “spokesmen”. It is curious that our political system has come to mirror such a structure. Two “parties” debate over isolated “issues” outside of meaningful contexts. Content is reduced to a catalyst for “theatrical” performances that perpetuate “viewership”. Viewers then, predictably, sacrifice their allegiance to partisan networks or pundits through a cult of personality.
“A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight
and understanding.”
-
Marshall McLuhan
Within it’s true context, the media spectacle can be viewed more objectively as a distractive vehicle for disinformation, and a system of social control, fostering a plethora of sensations, intoxications, half truths and sound bites, leaving the viewer no choice but to become either predictably reactionary, distracted, or perplexed, but always too “contented” to pursue any verification of its content through independent investigation.
“A
pervasive medium is always beyond perception.”
-
-Marshal McLuhan
There are compelling books, and documentaries by independent film makers
that offer suppressed information, and eyewitness testimony, regarding many of
the specific persons, places, and events mentioned previously. The films
however, nearly never appear on mainstream media, and must be purchased or
viewed over the internet. While providing information that will spark
curiosity, films simply cannot offer the necessary contextualization. This must
be done independently, through books, over time. There is no faultless producer.
Some are more faultless that others. There are several producers, who offer
verifiable, previously suppressed, evidence alongside New Age, Theosophical
heresies that are offered as remedy. These must be confronted and opposed. Along
with the light of God’s word, through one’s own critical, independent thinking,
a reality based context can develop. The examination of the evidence of
God’s
word, and the evidence of God’s world demands our continual
attention:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Romans
12:2
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”
Ephesians4:22-25
The mass media continues to attract and hold the attention of the majority
of the populace by default, just long enough to isolate them from one another,
narrow their vision, foster their dependence, and discourage their curiosity,
by providing a simple, safe, predictable, understandable, nonthreatening, and artificial
world view, where “viewers” offer their idleness on the altar of a grand
illusion.
“They could be made
to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully
grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently
interested in public events to notice what was happening “
- George Orwell
There are good and evil spirits competing for the hearts and minds of men. Evil promotes a distorted view of God’s word, and a distorted view of his world. Christians must search his word and his world for themselves, paying particular attention to the evidence, seeking out the testimony of witnesses, reading their accounts, thinking critically, and coming to their own conclusions. The church does not deny the opposition’s attacks to alter the correct understanding of God’s word. Neither should the church deny the opposition’s attacks to alter the correct understanding of God’s world, especially with regard to the depth of man’s depravity, as it continually shortchanges, and misrepresents itself through its “medium of choice”.
“The coming of the lawless one
will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays
of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that
wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused
to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful
delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who
have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”
2nd Thessalonians
2:9-12
“O God, thou hast cast us off , thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased ; O turn thyself to us again . Thou hast made the earth to tremble ; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah”.
Psalm 60: 1-4