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By: Pr. Adauto Rezende
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Over the past few days, I have been hearing the Spirit continually whisper the word "urgency" during my prayer time. I asked the Lord what the meaning of it was, and He brought to mind some important facts of our day.
We are experiencing apocalyptic events and an imminent global upheaval. Right is rejected and wrong is applauded by men. As Jesus said, we are living like the days of Sodom—with sexual aberrations where even children are not spared. Practices such as pederasty[1], bestiality, homosexuality, among others forbidden by God.
The family is under attack, and moral values are being destroyed. Children rebel against their parents, and parents despise their children. Thousands of babies are murdered in abortion clinics daily. After innumerable broken marriages, many decided that the "solution" was no longer the marriage covenant but simply a common-law relationship, making separation easier. Many godly people are being persecuted for standing up against the sexual aberrations instigated by a corrupted media and by Hollywood puppets.
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Jesus also said it would be like the days of Noah: a violent and bloodthirsty civilization. The drug lords are killing and destroying thousands of young people on all continents. Men are making use of narcotics to escape their problems, however, it is just another weapon used by the devil to annihilate thousands.
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The nations are on alert. Israel is threatened by Iran and by some Islamist groups in neighboring countries, which are politically aligned with Russia and China. Bloody battles are being fought in Islamic nations to overthrow their leaders, who until then were controlled by the West. Syria portrays in our days a little of how the great tribulation mentioned in Scriptures that will come over the whole world will be. Children were killed in the streets, fathers and mothers crying in despair, and orphaned kids in search of shelter and bread All these calamities were done by unscrupulous, arrogant, violent, and hypocritical leaders who were inventors of intrigues and lovers of themselves.
Communism is advancing rapidly through schools and universities in the West, mixed with other anti-Christian ideologies, led by the Chinese Communist Party. Countries frighteningly increase their arsenals in the face of an imminent Third World War. The apocalyptic cauldron is about to burst. It is important to remind everyone that today's military arsenal is no longer the old tanks and planes of World War II. The bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is nothing compared to the atomic power in the hands of world leaders. The spiritual x-ray of such leaders is revealed in the following way in the Scriptures: " But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”[2]
If this painting doesn't bother you, there must be something wrong. If you call yourself a born-again Christian, and it doesn't trouble you, something is not right with your spiritual life. The apostle Peter wrote something quite revealing about the person of Lot. Abraham's nephew lived in the city of Sodom, the cradle of sin, however, it is described: "and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)".[3] Note that Lot, unlike his wife, did not accept the perverted culture of the city's inhabitants, he felt daily in his soul the pain of seeing and hearing hedonistic, rebellious, immoral people—a ferocious enemy of God. Look at this man's example.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to
test and approve what God's will is —his good,
pleasing and perfect will.”[4]
The Lord in the same eschatological sermon exhorted his disciples saying, "Remember Lot's wife!”[5] What are the reasons for such a warning? What should be remembered about her? Why should we have it in mind? She was removed by divine mercy from judgment and destruction; however, her unbelief, disobedience, and indifference are examples of not being followed. We must not fall into the same mistakes.
When was the last time you heard a message about Jesus' return? I have heard dozens of preachers talk about prosperity, how to get rich, how to be happy, and how to live a joyful life, but they teach very little about missions, evangelism, holiness, and spiritual vigilance. We're buying the latest iPod, installing satellites to access 500 channels on televisions, and keeping in touch via Facebook, and we don't realize that our spiritual life is in shambles. As marriage contracts, we make our electronic friendships, so we don't commit to other people's problems. Individualism reigns. The Word of God says that in the church of the first century, everything was common among them. They were willing to share, donate, and serve with sincere and unselfish love. Are we living this reality in our churches today? Do we truly love our neighbor as ourselves? We spend five hours in front of our TV, and computer, and talking on cell phones, but we don't spend fifteen minutes in prayer. God have mercy on us! Lord, forgive our apathy! God changes our hearts! The last prayer in the Bible says: "He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”[6]
Noah is the example of perseverance and obedience in a violent and rebellious generation; Lot is a model of godliness in a profligate culture; and Lot's wife is an example of apostasy, integrated into a perverse and worldly society. Which of the three characters best represents your spiritual life?
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“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
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Remember: JESUS IS COMING ANY TIME.
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All the glory to HIM!
[1] A sexual relationship between a man and a boy), pedophilia (a perversion that leads an adult individual to feel sexually attracted to children and the practice of sexual acts with children.
[2] 2 Timothy 3:1-4
[3] 2 Peter 2:7,8."
[4] Romans 12:2
[5] Luke” 17:32
[6] Revelation 22:20.
