The Election Count – Part 23
Lengthening of days?
1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
What I believe is that if you will get saved and be godly (seek the Lord, lay up wisdom, preach the gospel) that you will have a promise of life: food and clothing, and of being alive.
That doesn’t mean you will prosper financially, that doesn’t mean that you won’t suffer as a Christian. That doesn’t mean you won’t have health issues, financial issues, and it doesn’t mean you will certainly live to be 100. But (in my thinking) the promise is that you will be alive, delivered through persecutions, until the Lord delivers you from the body entirely.
If there is a promise of the life that now is (and it is applicable to the flesh in this carnal world), then this is what I believed it to be.
This makes sense to me, but I can’t promise you, what God does not. So I’m just laying it all out.
Whether or not there is a PROMISE of this life in the flesh, I think there is something here in Scripture to the idea of righteousness and godliness POSSIBLY prolonging life on the earth.
Psalms 34:12-17 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? … 14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
You say, well that is OT. But it is said again in the NT.
1 Peter 3:10-13 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
But not, notice what part is missing in the NT. I don’t think you will be delivered out of all your troubles, in the flesh. I don’t see a promise of life or deliverance in here.
So what is left here? What is really said? All that is said is that if you desire to have life and see good days, you SHOULD seek righteousness and SPEAK it.
There is value in righteousness.
I think there is some value in your own righteousness. But not to the Lord.
Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Your righteousness has value, not to the Lord, but to your self and other men. Elihu says…
Job 35:6-8 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? 7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? 8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.
Your righteousness may profit a man, the sons of men, but it doesn’t profit the Lord.
MAY. No promise, no guarantee.
So then, what is the value of man’s righteousness to men?
When it was prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would be cut down and have his understanding taken from him and live like a beast, Daniel advised him this:
Daniel 4:27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
Daniel knew what he was talking about, no?
Break off thy sins by righteousness! Shew mercy to the poor! It MAY BE a lengthening of thy tranquility.
If this has an application to the Christian today, then we see from this pattern, that we ought to break off our sins (1) by righteousness (sounds like getting saved?) and (2) by “shewing mercy to the poor” (sounds like preaching the gospel); get saved and preach the gospel. That is DEFINITELY a lengthening of days / tranquility. Righteousness delivers from death.
Now, that is the spiritual, new testament application. That is how you get life, and life more abundantly.
So there is a pattern here that is true spiritually. It is true of a Christian, spiritually.
But as far as the flesh goes, which has not received eternal life and true righteousness, that doesn’t sound like a “promise” does it? “It may be” a lengthening of days. It’s certainly not a promise, but it may be a delaying of God’s judgment. Judgment is coming on America, on the whole world, and righteousness is the only thing that can delay it.
Because the Lord does not persecute the godly. He does not destroy the righteous with the wicked.
Genesis 18:23-26 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. … [45, 40, 30, 20, …] … 32 And he said, … Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
That is not who God is. He does not destroy the righteous with the wicked. So whether the promise of life in godliness is applicable to this present carnal life or not, there is reason to seek righteousness.
Abraham petitioned God for Sodom and Gomorrah… but 1 – he petitioned God to spare the souls, not the place, and 2 – it didn’t work! But the Lord delivered the righteous and his seed out of it, and then destroyed the place.
Our job is not to fight to save America. The only thing we are encouraged to do in Scripture is to plead the Lord on behalf of this place. But not for the country itself. Rather, for the people in it.
So if and when America’s cry comes up before the Lord like Sodom’s, the Lord will determine to destroy it. When it happens, don’t seek to save America. But rather seek to save the righteous in it. Seek to save those that would come to righteousness in it. Seek to save those that hunger and thirst after righteousness in it.
Our job is to turn many to righteousness, God’s righteousness, so that they may be saved out of her.
Don’t stand with America, you’ll be standing against the Lord. All we can do is plead the Lord for the righteous to be spared. The country may be spared for the righteous’ sake, or the righteous will be spared out of it.
But I don’t believe that Christians, serving the Lord in the gospel, will suffer in the wrath that is poured out on the wicked.
They may suffer persecutions from the wicked. They may be persecuted by Satan. But the Lord does not persecute the godly. He does not destroy the righteous with the wicked.
The only thing that stands in the way of the Lord’s wrath is righteousness. The only people that can delay the Lord’s judgment are the righteous.
So …
Daniel 4:27 … break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
Far be it from God to destroy the righteous with the wicked. If God spares America and lengthens her tranquility, it will not be for any other reason than for those righteous within her.
I think the “promise of the life that now is”, is a promise to have life, food, and clothing for as long as the Lord desires one here to teach and to preach the gospel. And this is how your days “may be” lengthened. But there is no guarantee that your days will be lengthened on the earth.
Righteousness. Godliness. This is how a man’s life, his nation’s days, the WHOLE of mankind’s tranquility MAY BE lengthened.
Job 35:8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.
It may be a lengthening of your days, it may be a lengthening of all of our days.
Your righteousness may profit all the sons of men. I think America’s days, the world’s days are numbered. Wrath is coming. And soon. But if this country or this world’s tranquility is lengthened it will be because of the righteous in her.
1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
The flood did not come until the boat was finished, and Noah was safe inside. And Jesus is not coming back before the harvest time; before fruit of the trees are come to the full.
So as long as the true vine is bringing forth the fruit of the harvest, He waits.
While Noah’s ark was being built, He waited. While the city of God, the body of Christ, is being built, he waits. He waits for the righteous and their salvation to come to the full.
Noah, a preacher of righteousness, singlehandedly prolonged the days of the world that then was.
And IT MAY BE that we, still growing the body of Christ, still building the boat, can prolong the days of both the righteous and the wicked: all the sons of men on the earth.
Either the promise is for here and now, or there and soon, or both, there is a promise of life in godliness. So seek godliness and righteousness. Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Show mercy/salvation to the poor. It may be a lengthening of thy tranquility. It may be a lengthening of America’s tranquility. It may be a lengthening of the whole world’s tranquility. Because the day of the Lord is approaching, and the only thing that MAY lengthen the earth’s tranquility is to break off her sins by righteousness.
As ye see the day approaching
2 Peter 3:10-12 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Peter asks, what manner of persons ought (should) ye to be? Paul gives the answer to the question Peter asks…
Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
And we ARE seeing the day approaching.
Speaking on the end times, Jesus says:
Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Man’s love has been waxing cold. Why? Because iniquity abounds! I think of the lack of hospitality in this world. The lack of charity. The lack of love for the poor. The lack of hospitality for strangers.
Iniquity is certainly abounding! Are things getting better? Are they staying the same? Is iniquity not growing?
One of the characteristics (probably should not call it a “sign”) of the day of the Lord coming is the exceedance of wickedness in the earth.
Daniel 8:22-23 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. 23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
Mankind is a tree – a vine with corrupt fruit. The people are the fruit. Today still we are moving towards the harvest, the fullness of the vine. The antichrist, the beast, will come when the evil fruit of the evil tree is come to the full. Jesus himself thrusts in the sickle to harvest when the grapes are fully ripe. And in the winepress of the wrath of God He treads the vine of the earth.
On this vine tree, people are the fruit. Notice that it’s not the transgressions, but the transgressors which are come to the full. It’s the false prophets themselves.
2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
We don’t know how close we are. We don’t know how much evil, how many evil men are “the full”. But we know that day is approaching, and we know it hasn’t been getting better and better on the earth, but rather worse and worse.
But notice that the accusation is not about evil men doing evil, its about deceivers deceiving. False prophets! And let me tell you, my opinion is that false prophets and false doctrines are at an all time high.
Joel 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
Maybe these things (COVID, mask mandates, riots, anarchy and defunding the police, election disintegrity, race wars, cancel culture, communism, globalism, gay pride, murders and thefts on the rise, abortions legalized and even encouraged, the Bible removed from schools) are happening because that day is near upon the whole world. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe these things are happening because tribulation is soon coming on the world. Maybe its not for a while longer (30 years, a few generations, 500 years…). Regardless, the day is approaching. And quickly. Maybe these are deliberate movements, direct indications of wicked men being come to the full. Maybe not… Maybe the fullness of wickedness is a little ways off still. But its coming… quickly. And we are seeing the day approaching.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Could these recent events be the “falling away”? What is the “falling away”?
Is it the wickedness of the world being come to the full? The wickedness of America, or of the world? I’m not convinced that the “falling away” has to do with the wickedness of lost mankind.
I don’t think it is good works, and righteousness, and hospitality, and love, from which there must be a “falling away first”. I think it is the truth of the gospel from which there will come a “falling away”?
Luke 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
It’s the Lord that they fall away from. It’s the fruit of the good tree that they cannot produce. They fall short of the glory of God.
I believe it is not from “good works” from which they “fall away”, but it is salvation from which they “fall away”.
Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Now, just so you know that is not someone losing salvation, I’ll include the next two verses.
Hebrews 6:7-8 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
You are either good ground or not. You are either a good tree, or an evil tree. You either bring forth good fruit, or evil fruit. Not both. The tree either has brought forth good fruit, or it has not. And if not, it shall be hewn down and cast in the fire. If a tree has brought forth good fruit, it is a good tree, and will not be hewn down.
Likewise is the ground. The ground is either blessed because it drank the rain, or cursed because it had no rain. No living waters from heaven. These are not saved people losing salvation. This is not good ground. This ground is cursed from the start. These are corrupt trees from the start. These are not good trees that lose their salvation. These are lost people (cursed, rejected children) falling away from receiving salvation – eternal life. These grounds and these trees are separate people.
To “fall away” is TO NOT GET saved; to not receive grace.
The fruit of this earth always results in death. The fruit of the evil tree always brings forth death. To fall away is to have temporary life/carnal life, but not receive eternal life. To fall away is to die.
1 Peter 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
None of these passages are talking about people with eternal life losing it – losing salvation.
These are unsaved people who were offered life, but did not receive it / drink it. And when tribulation comes, when the Lord comes with fire, they will not stand. They will not endure the fire – the Sun rising.
These are unsaved people, these are people who SHOULD get saved, but who forsake the truth, thus they “fall away”.
These are people “falling away” from salvation. These are people falling from grace.
Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
This is more likely the “falling away first”. As the gospel is forsaken, leavened, and suppressed in the whole world. As the Bibles are corrupted, the word of God is changed into a lie, and the gospel is hidden from man, the truth of God is changed into a lie. This is the “falling away first”.
And it’s not just unsaved man and the false prophets deceiving. It’s the churches that fall away, being deceived!
To one of the seven churches He says:
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
The day of the Lord “cometh as a thief in the night”, but that we are not in darkness that that day should overtake us as a thief.
However, those churches that have rejected the light of the gospel, and will not repent, those that sleep on in darkness, those that will not watch (for their souls), He will come on them as a thief… because that is how he comes on the lost. These are churches that need to repent or they will be rightly judged with the lost, because they are lost, having turned away from the gospel. The candlestick, the church itself, is, or will be taken away from his place before the Lord completely.
To another He says this:
Revelation 2:19-22 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
The individuals of these churches are not exempt from going into the tribulation. Why? Because they’re lost. They need to repent of their works/deeds. Five of the seven churches are told to repent. To repent of their works. They’re teaching works.
This, I believe, is the “falling away first”. The churches have fallen away from preaching the true unleavened doctrine of the gospel. Most aren’t even preaching out of the pure word of God – the undefiled Scriptures. I think we are seeing a falling away from the gospel. We’re not seeing any revivals anywhere anymore. There have been famous preachers in past generations that have preached the gospel and started revivals preaching the gospel of Jesus out of a KJB. But these last few generation’s famous preachers aren’t famous for preaching the gospel and winning souls. They’re famous for their inspirational messages. They’re getting fat with television money (Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar) and leaving their ministries to run fight politics and run for congress (See MLK, Raphael Warnock)
These churches, which were Middle Eastern, then European, and now American churches, which used to be true gospel preaching churches, have fallen away, with very few exceptions… fallen from grace! To me, this is what most indicates the tribulation coming soon. Not globalism, or socialism, or sex-trafficking, or gay parades, or drug wars, or lack of equity and justice. Rather, the fact that the word of God and the gospel has been forsaken. The world will proclaim “peace and safety”, yet without the pure Word of God, and without the pure gospel.
Yes, transgressors will be come to the full, and wicked man will be ready to harvest, but this has been increasing for a long time, and I don’t know when the “fullness” is. But the “falling away”, I believe, is when churches stop preaching the gospel. And in terms of seeing that day approaching, and determining how soon that day is coming, that is much easier to measure: 0. Zero is easier to measure than a great number.
When He tells the church in Sardis to repent, or He will come on them as a thief, it means that that church will go into the tribulation.
1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
That day will come on the unsaved as a thief. But Jesus will not come on the saved as a thief. It may surprise them, while they are asleep. Maybe they were sleeping with the lost, instead of awake and watching as they should be, but Jesus will not come on His own sons, as a thief. Servants, yes. But sons, no.
The only hope we have to delay that day is in the gospel. The only thing we can control is how many people get to hear the gospel before that day comes.
2 Peter 3:10-12 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Who ought you to be? What OUGHT you to be doing. Wake up! We are hasting unto that day!
What manner of persons ought ye to be? Live like you were dying? Yes, and live like you are dead! Live like you are a rich man who just got out of hell, and go and tell your brethren about that place!
Break off thy sins by righteousness. Stop living for the flesh. But live for the Spirit. Preach!
Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
We need to take heed. Take these things that are happening, the falling away of the churches, and these words of God as a warning. Its time to get ourselves ready. Its time to get right with God, be the person you ought to be. Its time to get in Church. Don’t forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Don’t be missing church! When you miss, don’t neglect to listen to the recording. You don’t have to be in church. But you should be. You ought to be in church every Sunday. We don’t beat you guys up or shame you when you aren’t here. That’s The Lord’s job. I let Him do the beatings.
Some generation is going to be raptured. Which means some generation is going to live through the time coming before the rapture. And as we see the day approaching… things could get really bad for Christians. There could be MASSIVE persecution of the Church, worldwide.
And if it begins now, we ought to be ready. We ought to strengthen and prepare ourselves, putting on the whole armour of God to stand through it, and to guide and teach our children through it. To suffer these things and to trust the Lord through them.
What manner of persons ought ye to be seeing the day approaching?
The day is coming… and quickly!
Its not for us. Its for the heathen, the wicked.
Ezekiel 30:3 For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.
Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Jeremiah 46:10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: …
As that day approaches that the Lord will avenge Himself of His enemies, what manner of persons ought we to be?
This is the time to fast, and weep, and hunger, and thirst, and be poor, and be hated and to deny ourselves. Its not time to be rich. This is the time to suffer for His sake!
Jeremiah 45:4-5 Thus shalt thou say unto him [Baruch the son of Neriah the servant of the prophet Jeremiah], The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. 5 And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
As this day is approaching, we should not be seeking great thing for ourselves. We should live in holiness and godliness. We should be prophesying and preaching.
This is a time of judgment. This is not a time for us to seek great things for ourselves. This is not a time to prosper ourselves. Now is not the time to be full, to be rich. Now is not the time to rest. This is a time to wake and walk and work and watch.
Time to stop sleeping and wake up! This is the time to sorrow.
May 9 2021
The Election Count – Part 23
Downloadable Word document:
The Election Count – Part 23
The Election Count – Part 23
Lengthening of days?
1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
What I believe is that if you will get saved and be godly (seek the Lord, lay up wisdom, preach the gospel) that you will have a promise of life: food and clothing, and of being alive.
That doesn’t mean you will prosper financially, that doesn’t mean that you won’t suffer as a Christian. That doesn’t mean you won’t have health issues, financial issues, and it doesn’t mean you will certainly live to be 100. But (in my thinking) the promise is that you will be alive, delivered through persecutions, until the Lord delivers you from the body entirely.
If there is a promise of the life that now is (and it is applicable to the flesh in this carnal world), then this is what I believed it to be.
This makes sense to me, but I can’t promise you, what God does not. So I’m just laying it all out.
Whether or not there is a PROMISE of this life in the flesh, I think there is something here in Scripture to the idea of righteousness and godliness POSSIBLY prolonging life on the earth.
Psalms 34:12-17 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? … 14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
You say, well that is OT. But it is said again in the NT.
1 Peter 3:10-13 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
But not, notice what part is missing in the NT. I don’t think you will be delivered out of all your troubles, in the flesh. I don’t see a promise of life or deliverance in here.
So what is left here? What is really said? All that is said is that if you desire to have life and see good days, you SHOULD seek righteousness and SPEAK it.
There is value in righteousness.
I think there is some value in your own righteousness. But not to the Lord.
Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Your righteousness has value, not to the Lord, but to your self and other men. Elihu says…
Job 35:6-8 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? 7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? 8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.
Your righteousness may profit a man, the sons of men, but it doesn’t profit the Lord.
MAY. No promise, no guarantee.
So then, what is the value of man’s righteousness to men?
When it was prophesied that Nebuchadnezzar would be cut down and have his understanding taken from him and live like a beast, Daniel advised him this:
Daniel 4:27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
Daniel knew what he was talking about, no?
Break off thy sins by righteousness! Shew mercy to the poor! It MAY BE a lengthening of thy tranquility.
If this has an application to the Christian today, then we see from this pattern, that we ought to break off our sins (1) by righteousness (sounds like getting saved?) and (2) by “shewing mercy to the poor” (sounds like preaching the gospel); get saved and preach the gospel. That is DEFINITELY a lengthening of days / tranquility. Righteousness delivers from death.
Now, that is the spiritual, new testament application. That is how you get life, and life more abundantly.
So there is a pattern here that is true spiritually. It is true of a Christian, spiritually.
But as far as the flesh goes, which has not received eternal life and true righteousness, that doesn’t sound like a “promise” does it? “It may be” a lengthening of days. It’s certainly not a promise, but it may be a delaying of God’s judgment. Judgment is coming on America, on the whole world, and righteousness is the only thing that can delay it.
Because the Lord does not persecute the godly. He does not destroy the righteous with the wicked.
Genesis 18:23-26 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. … [45, 40, 30, 20, …] … 32 And he said, … Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
That is not who God is. He does not destroy the righteous with the wicked. So whether the promise of life in godliness is applicable to this present carnal life or not, there is reason to seek righteousness.
Abraham petitioned God for Sodom and Gomorrah… but 1 – he petitioned God to spare the souls, not the place, and 2 – it didn’t work! But the Lord delivered the righteous and his seed out of it, and then destroyed the place.
Our job is not to fight to save America. The only thing we are encouraged to do in Scripture is to plead the Lord on behalf of this place. But not for the country itself. Rather, for the people in it.
So if and when America’s cry comes up before the Lord like Sodom’s, the Lord will determine to destroy it. When it happens, don’t seek to save America. But rather seek to save the righteous in it. Seek to save those that would come to righteousness in it. Seek to save those that hunger and thirst after righteousness in it.
Our job is to turn many to righteousness, God’s righteousness, so that they may be saved out of her.
Don’t stand with America, you’ll be standing against the Lord. All we can do is plead the Lord for the righteous to be spared. The country may be spared for the righteous’ sake, or the righteous will be spared out of it.
But I don’t believe that Christians, serving the Lord in the gospel, will suffer in the wrath that is poured out on the wicked.
They may suffer persecutions from the wicked. They may be persecuted by Satan. But the Lord does not persecute the godly. He does not destroy the righteous with the wicked.
The only thing that stands in the way of the Lord’s wrath is righteousness. The only people that can delay the Lord’s judgment are the righteous.
So …
Daniel 4:27 … break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
Far be it from God to destroy the righteous with the wicked. If God spares America and lengthens her tranquility, it will not be for any other reason than for those righteous within her.
I think the “promise of the life that now is”, is a promise to have life, food, and clothing for as long as the Lord desires one here to teach and to preach the gospel. And this is how your days “may be” lengthened. But there is no guarantee that your days will be lengthened on the earth.
Righteousness. Godliness. This is how a man’s life, his nation’s days, the WHOLE of mankind’s tranquility MAY BE lengthened.
Job 35:8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.
It may be a lengthening of your days, it may be a lengthening of all of our days.
Your righteousness may profit all the sons of men. I think America’s days, the world’s days are numbered. Wrath is coming. And soon. But if this country or this world’s tranquility is lengthened it will be because of the righteous in her.
1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
The flood did not come until the boat was finished, and Noah was safe inside. And Jesus is not coming back before the harvest time; before fruit of the trees are come to the full.
So as long as the true vine is bringing forth the fruit of the harvest, He waits.
While Noah’s ark was being built, He waited. While the city of God, the body of Christ, is being built, he waits. He waits for the righteous and their salvation to come to the full.
Noah, a preacher of righteousness, singlehandedly prolonged the days of the world that then was.
And IT MAY BE that we, still growing the body of Christ, still building the boat, can prolong the days of both the righteous and the wicked: all the sons of men on the earth.
Either the promise is for here and now, or there and soon, or both, there is a promise of life in godliness. So seek godliness and righteousness. Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Show mercy/salvation to the poor. It may be a lengthening of thy tranquility. It may be a lengthening of America’s tranquility. It may be a lengthening of the whole world’s tranquility. Because the day of the Lord is approaching, and the only thing that MAY lengthen the earth’s tranquility is to break off her sins by righteousness.
As ye see the day approaching
2 Peter 3:10-12 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Peter asks, what manner of persons ought (should) ye to be? Paul gives the answer to the question Peter asks…
Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
And we ARE seeing the day approaching.
Speaking on the end times, Jesus says:
Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Man’s love has been waxing cold. Why? Because iniquity abounds! I think of the lack of hospitality in this world. The lack of charity. The lack of love for the poor. The lack of hospitality for strangers.
Iniquity is certainly abounding! Are things getting better? Are they staying the same? Is iniquity not growing?
One of the characteristics (probably should not call it a “sign”) of the day of the Lord coming is the exceedance of wickedness in the earth.
Daniel 8:22-23 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. 23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
Mankind is a tree – a vine with corrupt fruit. The people are the fruit. Today still we are moving towards the harvest, the fullness of the vine. The antichrist, the beast, will come when the evil fruit of the evil tree is come to the full. Jesus himself thrusts in the sickle to harvest when the grapes are fully ripe. And in the winepress of the wrath of God He treads the vine of the earth.
On this vine tree, people are the fruit. Notice that it’s not the transgressions, but the transgressors which are come to the full. It’s the false prophets themselves.
2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
We don’t know how close we are. We don’t know how much evil, how many evil men are “the full”. But we know that day is approaching, and we know it hasn’t been getting better and better on the earth, but rather worse and worse.
But notice that the accusation is not about evil men doing evil, its about deceivers deceiving. False prophets! And let me tell you, my opinion is that false prophets and false doctrines are at an all time high.
Joel 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
Maybe these things (COVID, mask mandates, riots, anarchy and defunding the police, election disintegrity, race wars, cancel culture, communism, globalism, gay pride, murders and thefts on the rise, abortions legalized and even encouraged, the Bible removed from schools) are happening because that day is near upon the whole world. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe these things are happening because tribulation is soon coming on the world. Maybe its not for a while longer (30 years, a few generations, 500 years…). Regardless, the day is approaching. And quickly. Maybe these are deliberate movements, direct indications of wicked men being come to the full. Maybe not… Maybe the fullness of wickedness is a little ways off still. But its coming… quickly. And we are seeing the day approaching.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Could these recent events be the “falling away”? What is the “falling away”?
Is it the wickedness of the world being come to the full? The wickedness of America, or of the world? I’m not convinced that the “falling away” has to do with the wickedness of lost mankind.
I don’t think it is good works, and righteousness, and hospitality, and love, from which there must be a “falling away first”. I think it is the truth of the gospel from which there will come a “falling away”?
Luke 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
It’s the Lord that they fall away from. It’s the fruit of the good tree that they cannot produce. They fall short of the glory of God.
I believe it is not from “good works” from which they “fall away”, but it is salvation from which they “fall away”.
Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Now, just so you know that is not someone losing salvation, I’ll include the next two verses.
Hebrews 6:7-8 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
You are either good ground or not. You are either a good tree, or an evil tree. You either bring forth good fruit, or evil fruit. Not both. The tree either has brought forth good fruit, or it has not. And if not, it shall be hewn down and cast in the fire. If a tree has brought forth good fruit, it is a good tree, and will not be hewn down.
Likewise is the ground. The ground is either blessed because it drank the rain, or cursed because it had no rain. No living waters from heaven. These are not saved people losing salvation. This is not good ground. This ground is cursed from the start. These are corrupt trees from the start. These are not good trees that lose their salvation. These are lost people (cursed, rejected children) falling away from receiving salvation – eternal life. These grounds and these trees are separate people.
To “fall away” is TO NOT GET saved; to not receive grace.
The fruit of this earth always results in death. The fruit of the evil tree always brings forth death. To fall away is to have temporary life/carnal life, but not receive eternal life. To fall away is to die.
1 Peter 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
None of these passages are talking about people with eternal life losing it – losing salvation.
These are unsaved people who were offered life, but did not receive it / drink it. And when tribulation comes, when the Lord comes with fire, they will not stand. They will not endure the fire – the Sun rising.
These are unsaved people, these are people who SHOULD get saved, but who forsake the truth, thus they “fall away”.
These are people “falling away” from salvation. These are people falling from grace.
Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
This is more likely the “falling away first”. As the gospel is forsaken, leavened, and suppressed in the whole world. As the Bibles are corrupted, the word of God is changed into a lie, and the gospel is hidden from man, the truth of God is changed into a lie. This is the “falling away first”.
And it’s not just unsaved man and the false prophets deceiving. It’s the churches that fall away, being deceived!
To one of the seven churches He says:
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
The day of the Lord “cometh as a thief in the night”, but that we are not in darkness that that day should overtake us as a thief.
However, those churches that have rejected the light of the gospel, and will not repent, those that sleep on in darkness, those that will not watch (for their souls), He will come on them as a thief… because that is how he comes on the lost. These are churches that need to repent or they will be rightly judged with the lost, because they are lost, having turned away from the gospel. The candlestick, the church itself, is, or will be taken away from his place before the Lord completely.
To another He says this:
Revelation 2:19-22 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
The individuals of these churches are not exempt from going into the tribulation. Why? Because they’re lost. They need to repent of their works/deeds. Five of the seven churches are told to repent. To repent of their works. They’re teaching works.
This, I believe, is the “falling away first”. The churches have fallen away from preaching the true unleavened doctrine of the gospel. Most aren’t even preaching out of the pure word of God – the undefiled Scriptures. I think we are seeing a falling away from the gospel. We’re not seeing any revivals anywhere anymore. There have been famous preachers in past generations that have preached the gospel and started revivals preaching the gospel of Jesus out of a KJB. But these last few generation’s famous preachers aren’t famous for preaching the gospel and winning souls. They’re famous for their inspirational messages. They’re getting fat with television money (Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar) and leaving their ministries to run fight politics and run for congress (See MLK, Raphael Warnock)
These churches, which were Middle Eastern, then European, and now American churches, which used to be true gospel preaching churches, have fallen away, with very few exceptions… fallen from grace! To me, this is what most indicates the tribulation coming soon. Not globalism, or socialism, or sex-trafficking, or gay parades, or drug wars, or lack of equity and justice. Rather, the fact that the word of God and the gospel has been forsaken. The world will proclaim “peace and safety”, yet without the pure Word of God, and without the pure gospel.
Yes, transgressors will be come to the full, and wicked man will be ready to harvest, but this has been increasing for a long time, and I don’t know when the “fullness” is. But the “falling away”, I believe, is when churches stop preaching the gospel. And in terms of seeing that day approaching, and determining how soon that day is coming, that is much easier to measure: 0. Zero is easier to measure than a great number.
When He tells the church in Sardis to repent, or He will come on them as a thief, it means that that church will go into the tribulation.
1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
That day will come on the unsaved as a thief. But Jesus will not come on the saved as a thief. It may surprise them, while they are asleep. Maybe they were sleeping with the lost, instead of awake and watching as they should be, but Jesus will not come on His own sons, as a thief. Servants, yes. But sons, no.
The only hope we have to delay that day is in the gospel. The only thing we can control is how many people get to hear the gospel before that day comes.
2 Peter 3:10-12 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Who ought you to be? What OUGHT you to be doing. Wake up! We are hasting unto that day!
What manner of persons ought ye to be? Live like you were dying? Yes, and live like you are dead! Live like you are a rich man who just got out of hell, and go and tell your brethren about that place!
Break off thy sins by righteousness. Stop living for the flesh. But live for the Spirit. Preach!
Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
We need to take heed. Take these things that are happening, the falling away of the churches, and these words of God as a warning. Its time to get ourselves ready. Its time to get right with God, be the person you ought to be. Its time to get in Church. Don’t forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Don’t be missing church! When you miss, don’t neglect to listen to the recording. You don’t have to be in church. But you should be. You ought to be in church every Sunday. We don’t beat you guys up or shame you when you aren’t here. That’s The Lord’s job. I let Him do the beatings.
Some generation is going to be raptured. Which means some generation is going to live through the time coming before the rapture. And as we see the day approaching… things could get really bad for Christians. There could be MASSIVE persecution of the Church, worldwide.
And if it begins now, we ought to be ready. We ought to strengthen and prepare ourselves, putting on the whole armour of God to stand through it, and to guide and teach our children through it. To suffer these things and to trust the Lord through them.
What manner of persons ought ye to be seeing the day approaching?
The day is coming… and quickly!
Its not for us. Its for the heathen, the wicked.
Ezekiel 30:3 For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.
Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Jeremiah 46:10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: …
As that day approaches that the Lord will avenge Himself of His enemies, what manner of persons ought we to be?
This is the time to fast, and weep, and hunger, and thirst, and be poor, and be hated and to deny ourselves. Its not time to be rich. This is the time to suffer for His sake!
Jeremiah 45:4-5 Thus shalt thou say unto him [Baruch the son of Neriah the servant of the prophet Jeremiah], The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. 5 And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
As this day is approaching, we should not be seeking great thing for ourselves. We should live in holiness and godliness. We should be prophesying and preaching.
This is a time of judgment. This is not a time for us to seek great things for ourselves. This is not a time to prosper ourselves. Now is not the time to be full, to be rich. Now is not the time to rest. This is a time to wake and walk and work and watch.
Time to stop sleeping and wake up! This is the time to sorrow.
By Pastor • Christian Life • 0