Hi there,
So I contend two things, here: one that the Holy Spirit reminds us of Jesus' Cross; two, that the inactivity of the Church, will lead to the battle of Armageddon. The concept I want you to understand, is that the world, in whatever state it is in, needs to see evidence of faith. When the Gospel of Christ is preached in every nation on Earth, then the End will come (as Jesus said); but, the longer the End stays and no one acts on faith, the more the fools of the world will begin to doubt it. When every fool in every nation, doubts the Gospel of Christ the same, then they (the fools and the nations) will be tempted to war with one another - this will lead to Armageddon. This is one of the things Christ was not able to tell us at the time, because we were not ready (gospel of John, from memory).
What this requires of us, is threefold: we need to be judicious, wise and sworn against the world - judicious, because even if the Devil finds no power in the cross, it still has power over fools; wise, because we cannot simply parrot the Gospel unthinkingly, but must render its meaning appropriately; and sworn against the world, because when Jesus said "don't swear by anything" He did not mean the world, which is not a thing but a phenomenon, such that we are particularly awake to what the fools complain is a lack of faith. Now, this is not fair, and God will shorten the days, but God cannot hold Armageddon off forever (again something Jesus could not tell us before, because we were not ready). We should know that God says "I will not always strive with Man", because at some point we have to mature beyond relying on God to defend us from everything (again, which Jesus could not tell us, because we were not ready).
These things come together, as a test of the faith, which we will overcome, but even if we had not prayed for deliverance in this time to come (Jesus said literally "Pray") then we should be praying for deliverance in the time to come. At that point, the Rapture will not be able to save us from the onslaught; but it will be able to be revived, once the test of our faith has run its course. This is sort of to give you perspective, but also to remind you that the Holy Spirit is going to remind you to pray, which if you don't do, will separate you from God. You really should know to pray. That's what is being said here. Praying may not avert what is to come, but it might save lives in the process. That's God's heart. We should be beating together with Him.
Now, some things that it is not: it is not an insistence on panic - the Devil panics because his sin is great; it is not a insistence just any prayer - the thing which Jesus said was "pray always that you be counted worthy to escape these things that are coming to pass and to stand before the Son of Man" (gospels, from memory); neither is it an assessment of the faith that will be tested the most - that is for God and God alone to judge. I am just pleading with you, don't get swept up in the moment, when the Rapture and the Tribulation come. If you have been praying that the Rapture be great and the Tribulation limited, up to the point that it happened then your spirit will be strong and your soul capable. That is what God is asking of us, right? "The prayer of a righteous man, availeth much" (letters, from memory).
The Devil will try his darndest to derail the nations and he cares nothing for the fool, while fools agree he has a hard time winning against God, but fools can't always believe the same thing, that's what makes them fools. We can rebuke the Devil, and he will be forced to find another way around, but he will keep trying - until the time comes when God has had enough! This is the struggle we face, whether we can be united together for both the world and the fool, not as substitutions for these things, but as an alternative, which is not of the world or its sin. I hope this has been of some encouragement to you.
God bless.
So I contend two things, here: one that the Holy Spirit reminds us of Jesus' Cross; two, that the inactivity of the Church, will lead to the battle of Armageddon. The concept I want you to understand, is that the world, in whatever state it is in, needs to see evidence of faith. When the Gospel of Christ is preached in every nation on Earth, then the End will come (as Jesus said); but, the longer the End stays and no one acts on faith, the more the fools of the world will begin to doubt it. When every fool in every nation, doubts the Gospel of Christ the same, then they (the fools and the nations) will be tempted to war with one another - this will lead to Armageddon. This is one of the things Christ was not able to tell us at the time, because we were not ready (gospel of John, from memory).
What this requires of us, is threefold: we need to be judicious, wise and sworn against the world - judicious, because even if the Devil finds no power in the cross, it still has power over fools; wise, because we cannot simply parrot the Gospel unthinkingly, but must render its meaning appropriately; and sworn against the world, because when Jesus said "don't swear by anything" He did not mean the world, which is not a thing but a phenomenon, such that we are particularly awake to what the fools complain is a lack of faith. Now, this is not fair, and God will shorten the days, but God cannot hold Armageddon off forever (again something Jesus could not tell us before, because we were not ready). We should know that God says "I will not always strive with Man", because at some point we have to mature beyond relying on God to defend us from everything (again, which Jesus could not tell us, because we were not ready).
These things come together, as a test of the faith, which we will overcome, but even if we had not prayed for deliverance in this time to come (Jesus said literally "Pray") then we should be praying for deliverance in the time to come. At that point, the Rapture will not be able to save us from the onslaught; but it will be able to be revived, once the test of our faith has run its course. This is sort of to give you perspective, but also to remind you that the Holy Spirit is going to remind you to pray, which if you don't do, will separate you from God. You really should know to pray. That's what is being said here. Praying may not avert what is to come, but it might save lives in the process. That's God's heart. We should be beating together with Him.
Now, some things that it is not: it is not an insistence on panic - the Devil panics because his sin is great; it is not a insistence just any prayer - the thing which Jesus said was "pray always that you be counted worthy to escape these things that are coming to pass and to stand before the Son of Man" (gospels, from memory); neither is it an assessment of the faith that will be tested the most - that is for God and God alone to judge. I am just pleading with you, don't get swept up in the moment, when the Rapture and the Tribulation come. If you have been praying that the Rapture be great and the Tribulation limited, up to the point that it happened then your spirit will be strong and your soul capable. That is what God is asking of us, right? "The prayer of a righteous man, availeth much" (letters, from memory).
The Devil will try his darndest to derail the nations and he cares nothing for the fool, while fools agree he has a hard time winning against God, but fools can't always believe the same thing, that's what makes them fools. We can rebuke the Devil, and he will be forced to find another way around, but he will keep trying - until the time comes when God has had enough! This is the struggle we face, whether we can be united together for both the world and the fool, not as substitutions for these things, but as an alternative, which is not of the world or its sin. I hope this has been of some encouragement to you.
God bless.
