We live in a day of great deception, fear, and witnessing many falling away from the faith. (Matt. 24:10 & 1 Tim. 4:1). We all need assurance in moving forward in the truth and standing faithfully in right standing with God in these troubling times. Many leaders in Christendom are being slandered; accusations are flooding the internet, as wars and rumors of wars are threatening peace worldwide. We are witnessing one of the worst times in history with the war in Israel with Islamic radicalism – Hamas and others in demonic hate. It is truly demonic activity in the atmosphere. There is also a parallel in the church of demonic activity. Today, there is great evidence of the last day's events of judgment beginning in the Church, starting with leadership being exposed for sexual impropriety and great scandals. It is heartbreaking to witness!
However, in the last month, I have talked with several pastors and leaders who have been betrayed. In parallel to these world events, we see the prophesied words of Jesus, “the love of many growing cold in the last days.” Many wolves in sheep’s clothing are attacking righteous leaders, and these people are filled with false accusations, bitterness, and name-calling. It is tragic when you see the love of those close to you grow cold. Division and discord are being sown, even under a banner of so-called "Christian love." This is prophetic of the behavior of the last days we are seeing now more than ever before. Perilous times are here, and deception is rampant as we see this amplified version of 2 Timothy 3:1-7 manifest right before us:
“But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come, challenging days of heartbreak: For men will be lovers of themselves, consumed with self-centeredness, selfish ambition, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, disrespectful to authority, rebellious, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, sowers of false accusations, liars, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, betrayers, headstrong, insubordinate, full of pride, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, consumed with the love of money, greedy, and with jealousies abounding having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who deceptively creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins of rebellion and feminism in our day, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
As we witness these troubling days, we all need assurance in God’s word to navigate our path. (Psalm 119:105) We need called godly men who are bold and truth-telling as Jesus’ elders, protecting the church from those creeping in and deceiving many, especially protecting unsuspecting sheep from those who want to feminize and control men. Understand, beloved of God, that these demonic spirits are masterful in manifesting in men and women; it is not just women being deceived by Jezebel. These LGBTQ+ demonic Jezebelian brow-beating spirits manifest in men just as much as it does in women who desire to push God’s called elders out and install controlling Jezebel spirits, manipulating men and women to be soft, quiet, and effeminate. Cross-dressing and other perverted fetish behaviors are also rampant in the church. This is now the state of many evangelical churches today, coalitions, and networks of ministries, especially in “ex-gay” type ministries and LGBTQ+ affirming churches. We all need an assurance of Jesus' love and comfort to be able to move forward in godliness. Living actively in Coram Deo brings peace. The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds as many rise-up against one another. Jesus said that even members of our households would betray us. Brothers against one another and children betraying their parents even unto to death. (Matt. 10:21) Oh, dear friends, I know about great grief with nine immediate family members who have died. I know about great betrayal in two churches and three different ministry settings in my forty-plus years in Christ. Betrayal is the worst because it comes from people we love, and being traumatized and blindsided by these people can be a soul's undoing. Betrayal is truly ordered up from hell, just like Jezebel in 1st and 2nd Kings reveals a hateful demonic oppression against God’s men in the last days. This demonic spiritual oppression comes full-force into the church, as we see Revelation 2:20 with sexual uncleanness and compromise with Jezebel’s presence. The red letters of Jesus’ prophetic warning is truly upon us:
“These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols (bowing to idols). And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. (The Lord is giving many time to repent, but many turn way with cold hearts). Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, (death and destruction comes into families) and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.” (A Coram Deo moment of meditation - Shelah). The need for a real God-breathed revival and repentance is greatly needed in the church to confront the religious spirits in America. I am amazed that people will read what I have written here in this Biblical warning, the very red-letter words of Jesus, and continue to ignore or justify Jezebel’s operation in their lives with cold hearts of lovelessness.
I am currently ministering to several families dealing with the betrayal of children, demanding that their parents accept their demonic activity and sin. I have also dealt personally with false accusations, manipulation, distortions, and lies. It is truly a troubling and perilous time. Many Christian parents and extended families are suffering. The depression from such events is so destructive. It can take years to recover from such traumatic wounding, mainly from adult children’s woundings. It is imperative to receive good pastoral care and counseling. We all need safe people to process and talk out our sorrow, acknowledge our grief, and mourn our loss well. [1] Jesus told us that we are blessed if we do something with our state of grief, which is being blessed in the act of mourning. (Matt. 5:3-5). We can find liberty in the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ assurance in moving forward in HIS Truth. (Rom. 8:18-39) So wonderous is the grace of God and the power of HIS might, because all things are possible in overcoming through knowing His divine love and mercy. (Rom. 8:28-29). I have spent many hours studying the life of Joesph concerning his brother’s betrayal (Gen. 37-50) and the life of Job in dealing with such sad “friends”. (Job 42:7-8) the last few years of my life. It is truly amazing how the flow of God’s grace and power comes in, giving hope in difficulties and studying these truths in the pain as we humble ourselves, as the passage of James 4:4-10 gives us the walk of repentance. I have been reminded of a few of AW Tozer’s quotes in God’s process of sanctification and maturity since my daughter’s death, now over ten years of processing these truths which I find myself tested-in over and over:
“If God has singled you out to be a special object of HIS GRACE, you may expect HIM to honor you with stricter discipline and greater suffering than less favored ones are called upon to endure.” – A.W. Tozer
“It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply." "God actually rises up storms of conflict in relationships at times in order to accomplish that deeper work in our character. We cannot love our enemies in our own strength. This is graduate-level grace. Are you willing to enter this school? Are you willing to take the test? If you pass, you can expect to be elevated to a new level in the Kingdom. For He brings us through these tests as preparation for greater use in the Kingdom. You must pass the test first.” – A.W. Tozer
It is why I also meditate on Psalms 34:15-19 which brings such comfort in the testing as I really want to pass the tests.
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. Yet, the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, (especially doing evil to those who are working out righteousness)… the Lord will cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as who have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
There is an assurance for all of us to move forward in the truth, as Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). The battle is in the mind! It is imperative that we take every bitter-wounding thought captive. (2 Cor. 10:3-5). I have found that Philippians chapter four, verses 4-9, has what I call the passage of success and victory over depression in the betrayals and bitter-wounds. It begins with our need to worship, “rejoice in the Lord!” remembering Jesus is coming in verse five, “the Lord is at hand” and then the intensity of prayer and fasting in verses 6 and 7, with really taking every thought captive with replacement thoughts of righteousness in verses 8 and 9.
4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
There are the requirements of walking out repentance in true love as I shared above in James 4. But imagine a love that changes everything about your internal view of thinking. The power of God’s love. Not frail human love, but a truly powerful heaven-breathed love. Where you put to practice and start loving others in the same power of Jesus’ heartfelt passion as we see repeated in His words in the Gospel of John chapters 13 through 17, when Jesus said, LOVE “THE WAY in which I have LOVED YOU.” These words have empowered grace in my soul to forgive my betrayers, pity their deception, and commit those who will continue to persecute all of us with false accusations to the Lord for vindication. Jesus will give us great assurance of His love in the meditation of His passion. Oh the amazing sacrifice of God crucified! Calvary’s cross takes my breath away! This past passion week in April of 2023, when I was blindsided and experienced horrible betrayal, Jesus began changing my life again. Jesus was repeating another layer of grace in the A.W Tozer quotes above. I am in amazement at the ways of God. He gives us His perfect ways and truth in allowing us to move forward in His sanctification and assurance. Isaiah 26:3, tells us that Jesus will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on HIM because he trusts in God.
This is the assurance of real peace in moving forward in the way, the truth, the life, and the extreme LOVE of God. I love the Creator of the Universe and why Coram Deo is the DNA of my spiritual life! May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you in an assurance of his peace in moving forward in truth.
[1] Highly recommend “Reaching Your Prodigal” by Phil Waldrep and participating in a grief support group.
