^7(I) ”You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7, ESV)

Most people think this verse merely deals with cursing and using one of the names of God in the curse or swearing. Undoubtedly that demonstrates a vain use of God’s name, but God means something far deeper here. Jesus must have had this commandment in mind when he proclaimed,

 ^21(Z) “Not everyone who^(AA) says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will^(AB) enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who^(AC) does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ^22(AD)On that day^(AE) many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not^(AF) prophesy in your name, and cast out demons^(AG) in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ^23(AH) And then will I declare to them, ‘I^(AI) never knew you;^(AJ) depart from me,^(AK) you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

Jesus speaks to believers in this passage. These people believed they walked the earth doing might works in Jesus’ name. They traveled to Africa and Mexico from America and cast out demons, they thought, in Jesus’ name. They attended charismatic churches, home groups, and Christian camps and there they prophesied, they thought, in Jesus’ name. They spoke in tongues, saw and did miracles, and all the while thought they were doing these things in Jesus’ name. And Jesus, sitting at the right hand of his Father in heaven, saw all that they did, heard all that they taught, and knew all that they thought. When they came before him to accept their reward for their great and selfless works upon the earth Jesus declared to them, “I^(AI) never knew you;^(AJ) depart from me,^(AK) you workers of lawlessness.”

Three things he tells them. First, “I never knew you.” In Biblical terms “to know” someone means “to know one intimately.” In the Old Testament the word was often used to refer to knowing one’s wife sexually. Today many of the churches I described in the recent teaching on the Church of Thyatira believe they dwell on intimate terms with Jesus. They often talk of “passion for Christ.” Their women often sing seductively about their feelings for Christ. But, these illustrate Jezebel’s teachings which lead the Church of Thyatira into the sexual immorality for which Jesus judges her.

Other churches now teach that Jesus was or may have been homosexual. These actively ordain homosexuals to church ministry. Other churches may not yet teach or consider that Jesus was homosexual, but nevertheless, they still ordain homosexuals to the ministry. I urge everyone to read the following link written by an active lesbian “Christian,” Katherine Ragsdale, to gain some understanding of just how far these ideas have gone. Katherine Ragsdale link here.

All of these churches believe they “know” Jesus, but they know him the wrong way. They do not know him according to his truth. All of these replaced his truth with their own truth, their own food. All of them had their secret agendas, like worldly power or prestige, and secret sins, like abortion, adultery or homosexual fornication, which kept them from acknowledging truth. Because they refused to repent these sins and the animating demons behind them became their idols. Thus they ended up sacrificing truth (food) to their idols (demons and demonic sin). Sacrificing food to idols is the second grave sin of Jezebel and her Thyatiran church.

Second, to these whom Jesus never knew, he says, “Depart from me!” Where are they to go? They thought they believed in Jesus and that he would save them. Where do they go now? These are they who “have their part” in the lake of fire. The lake of fire is not hell and it will not contain for eternity. This is the place where they will be cast into outer darkness until they learn to repent and obey Christ in truth. Jesus says,

⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me,^[b] “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” ⁶ And He said to me, “It is done!^[c] I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. ⁷ He who overcomes shall inherit all things,^[d] and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving,^[e] abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:5-8, NKJV)

Third, Jesus condemns them as “workers of lawlessness.” If they had known him, then they would have known his truth, his law. But they rejected his law as too harsh. They rejected his law and replaced it with “grace.” But Jesus did not abandon law and truth in order to bring us grace. His way is the way of mercy (grace, righteousness) and truth (law, justice). It is a narrow way and few there be who find it.

Lawless people can never and will never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Hear what the LORD says at the very end of his book.

¹⁴ Blessed are those who do His commandments,^[g] that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But^[h] outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:14-15)

So what does it mean to “take the name of the LORD in vain?” It means that if we do anything in his name, if we do anything as a Christian or as part of a Christian ministry, and do it in a lawless way, or in a way not in accordance with this truth, then we have used the name of the LORD in vain. Being and acting as a Christian is a serious thing. The way is narrow. We cannot just do what we want to and call it Christian. Yet the vast majority of Christianity take the name of the LORD in vain. We establish countless church programs, ministries, and missionary trips. And we fool ourselves and try to fool others into thinking that these are all good Christian works. When we use the word “Christian” to describe our works and yet Jesus has not called us to these works, nor did they arise from our relationship with and knowledge of him, then we have used his name in vain. And, of course, when we call evil good and good evil (like abortion and homosexual relationships) within a Christian context we have used the LORD’s name in vain. So much of the Church has done this that it has become an abomination in Christ’s eyes. She has become the Abomination of Desolation.

God used his prophets to announce the coming Day of the LORD to his people when they crossed a particular line in the sand. That line occurs when a society begins to call good “evil” and evil “good.” The United States crossed that line a long time ago.  Two dates come particularly to mind. The first was when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed prayer in public schools in 1963.  The second was when the same court in 1973 legalized abortion in every state of the union. Christians remained largely silent on both occasions. They kept sending their kids to public schools and they began sending their daughters and wives to the abortionist’s butcher block.

God gave us many years to repent after those days now two generations ago, but we have not repented. Christians continue to flock to public schools (because they are free of course!) and to send their daughters for abortions. Today’s public school success rate is only 18 percent, but hey, “it’s free!” Our sons daughters learn all about every sort of sex there in mandated sex education programs and our daughters are sometimes even bussed from school for an abortion without a parents knowledge or consent, but hey, “it’s free!”

Now we have leaders of “Christian” schools singing the praises of abortion and homosexuality. How can this be? What has happened to the once Christian United States of America? Slowly we began to let sin creep into our lives, often through movies and television. We became tantalized by the beautiful women, handsome men, and romantic affairs. Then the affairs became more graphic.  We also began to support one lawless war after another, never bothering to win even one … Korea, Vietnam, Iraq (remember we left Saddam Hussein in power in 1991). We sent our girls and boys to die for meaningless conflicts in lands that have nothing to do with us. In the meantime we as a people developed a bloodlust. The movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre comes to mind although I never saw nor would see it. I don’t watch movies, so I really can’t list any more for you, but the title of this one alone reveals this truth and it has been a continuing hit with sequels for decades now. We as a people love illicit sex and blood. We are a fornicating, murdering people.

Of course, we don’t admit that. We pretend otherwise. We pretend we are upset with John Edwards for having an adulterous affair while he runs for President and we make his wife a feminist hero for not divorcing him. On the other hand we simply ignored all we knew about Teddy Kennedy’s affairs and idolized him. I just happened to mention two Democrats here, but Republicans are no better. Just do a little research into who Henry Kissinger is and what he is all about, or George H. W. Bush, or Dick Cheney. Capitalist big business is no better than Communist big business. It’s all about covetousness and money. And lust is lust and murder is murder.

But no one admits to these things. We hide behind our lies and say these bad things don’t happen, or, like Dean Ragsdale, we simply change the definition of things and say these things are not bad. Thus people like Ragsdale end up rejoicing and being blessed by abortion and homosexuality. They have inverted, perverted, and redefined God’s Law. They have called good “evil” and evil “good.” They can no longer repent for now they have nothing to repent of. Jesus says that these people have now become “unforgivable.”

Therefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. (Matthew 12:31-32)

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of purity and perfection. If you do not believe what he says, if for example, you believe that murder (abortion) is good, then you have spoken against the Holy Spirit. If you believe that homosexuality is good, then you have spoken against the Holy Spirit. If you believe that fornication is good, then you have spoken against the Holy Spirit. For you truth does not exist because God (the Holy Spirit) is truth and you deny the truth that he speaks. Thus you cannot be forgiven because you cannot repent. You have nothing to repent of, do you?

When men reach this level of wickedness, the wickedness Sodom knew and the wickedness even Israel and Judah knew before each were destroyed, the Day of the LORD comes.

Hear you this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel [Christian Church]. The virgin of Israel [Christian Church - the destruction of Christ Church, New Zealand by earthquake was another sign of the Day of the LORD] has fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up. For thus says the Lord GOD; The city [the Christian Church always considered herself the Bride of Christ and the future resident of New Jerusalem, but she has sinned as did Jerusalem of old that destroyed in 70 AD for her crucifixion of Christ and murdering of Christians] that went out by a thousand shall have left a hundred, and that which went forth by a hundred shall have left ten, to the house of Israel Christian Church]. For thus says the LORD unto the house of Israel [Christian Church], Seek me, and you shall live: But seek not Bethel [Do not go back to you old ways, your Nicolaitan and Jezebel churches], nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing. [The era of the Christian Church is over. She is Mystery Babylon and you must come out of her] Seek the LORD, and you shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph [Epraim, son of Joseph, was the leading tribe in Israel so this also speaks of the Christian Church], and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

[No God begins to explain why judgment must come, the calling of evil "good" and good "evil"] You who turn justice to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, Seek him that makes the seven stars and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night: that calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name: That strengthens the plundered against the strong, so that the plundered shall come against the fortress. They hate him that rebukes in the gate, and they abhor him that speaks uprightly. Since therefore you tread upon the poor, and you take from him burdens of wheat: you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink wine of them. For I know your manifold transgressions, and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, [nothing is done in government or big business without bribes] and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. Seek good, and not evil, that you may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as you have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:1-15)

Maybe, if we repent, the LORD will be gracious to us! But, we cannot repent if we call good “evil” and evil “good.” Thus the Day of the LORD must come … it has come. This is the Day of the LORD.

Abortion is repugnant to every principle of God.  Those who practice it and compel others to do so make their beds in hell and they will soon learn that, even if it is on their death bed.  “Repent of your evil deeds,” says the Lord of Hosts.  Those of you who vote and voted for people who support abortion must learn to repent as well.  Do not deceive yourselves under your cloak of religiosity and “faith” in Jesus.  Even the demons believe…and tremble.

1. The Catholic Church Silences One of its Prophetic Voices
2. The Myth of the Pro-life Democrat
3. Public School arranges 15 year-old’s abortion without parental consent
4. Secret abortions for twelve year olds allowed by State Law in Public Schools
5. Sacrifices to Molech, i.e. abortion, included in Democrat Obamacare
6. New Dean of Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge says, “Abortion is a blessing!”
7. Dean Ragsdale’s full pro-abortion sermon
8. Midwest Conservative Journal on the issue
9. Rabid pro-abortion governor chosen to head our nation’s health
10. Catholics may close their hospitals because of radical new pro-abortion laws
11. Live baby thrown away
12. Why Tiller won his trial and was not charged with felonies
13. Planned Parenthood conceals statutory rape
14. Recompense upon the wicked

Yesterday we considered the “pattern” that God has established in our approach to Him.  One of the passages that we looked at was from Titus.  Let’s look at that again:

But you speak the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sensible, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becomes holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sensible, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sensible. In all things showing yourself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing incorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is an opponent may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not talking back; Not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise you. (Titus 2:1-15 KJ2000)

Paul makes it clear that if our lives display a ”pattern of good works,” then the Word of God will not be “blasphemed.”  The word “blasphemed” is a transliteration of the Greek word blasphemeo.  The word means “to vilify, to speak impiously, or to speak evil of.”  It is precisely because Christians abandon the truth of God’s Word that others gain liberty to blaspheme the Truth.  Consider, is any other religious leader (not to mention that our leader is the actual and literal Son of God) routinely blasphemed and cast in derision as our LORD Jesus Christ?  Who has tried to produce artwork of Muhammad or Buddha submersed in urine as one has of Jesus?  Who has produced movies of Muhammad as a homosexual as at least one has of Jesus?  In the name of what other religious leader does one preach the joys of homosex and the murder of the unborn as does “Christian” Dean Katherine Ragsdale?  What has led to such blatant blasphemy of the Word of God, Jesus Christ, in this generation?

I submit that the sole reason is that Christians en mass for the last three generations at least have refused to obey even his simplest commands.   What command could be simpler, easier, and more freeing than a woman staying home to raise her children, take care of her house, and love her children and husband?  Yet, who does this anymore?  Which of my generation really did it?  Who stayed at home and actually taught her children rather than having allowed the State to take them, pervert them, and teach them to blaspheme?  And how many of you now need both incomes of husband and wife in order to simply pay the bills?  Brethren, we have been fooled by sin and made its slave!

These are the types of things that we must understand before we can acknowledge that we are the beast, that we have usurped the throne of Christ, that we are the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians.  Because of our sins and the sins of our parents, the Word of God has been and is being blasphemed.  Let us now repent, confess our sins, and begin to walk in His ways.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and deity; so that they are without excuse: Because, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is shameful, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was fitting. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not proper; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:16-32 KJ2000)

This passage states that mankind deliberately suppresses God’s truth.  More than that, they actually turn God’s truth into a lie.  We see rampant examples of this everyday in the once Christian nations of the West.  Actions specifically condemned by Paul (and, indeed, all of Scripture) are now approved and even celebrated by modern Christians in these nations.  Just read the sermons on abortion and homosexuality by the “Reverend” Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, Dean of Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA to get a real sense of turning God’s truth into a lie.  Ragsdale in these sermons commits the blasphemy and unforgivable* sins of calling evil good.  If you have been reading F.B.’s commentary on Revelation you will understand that Ragsdale is a “carnal Christian,” one who has committed “sins unto death.”  See 1 John 5:16-17.

This active suppression of the truth and the turning of the truth into a lie reveals the times in which we live.  This is the “mystery of lawlessness” Paul alludes to in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.  Mankind en mass has now exalted himself and his opinions above God’s revelation of truth, thus proclaiming that he (man) is God.  The apostasy, or rebellion, spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 literally means “a standing away from” or “divorcement.”  It speaks of divorcing oneself from the truth, which is what apostasy literally means.  The man of lawlessness in now revealed.  He is not just one man; he is every man that does not practice righteousness by confessing and repenting of his sins.  The man of lawlessness cannot confess because he cannot admit that God defines truth and he does not.

Thus, we now live in the time when the parousia of Christ may occur and the Sons of God may be glorified.

* Deliberate rebellious acts against the Truth remain unforgivable until a person repents.

(Zedek’s Note: I am publishing Ragsdale’s sermons in full in order to give my readers a better understanding of who and what Mystery Babylon really is.  This is from Ragsdale’s own blog, http://ragsdalesermons.blogspot.com/2008/08/gay-pride.html  She is very proud of herself)

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Gay Pride

posted by KHR+ | 2:02 PM

Remarks of the Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, Birmingham, AL

(Zedek’s Note: I am publishing Ragsdale’s sermons in full in order to give my readers a better understanding of who and what Mystery Babylon really is.  Ms. Ragsdale is now Dean of Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA.  This sermon is taken directly from the NARAL site http://www.prochoicetexas.org/news/headlines/200708172.shtml)

Well Operation Save America came, they saw, they harassed, and they annoyed; but they did not close the clinic. The clinic stayed open, no patients were turned away, and the doors never closed. We remain victorious. And that victory is a good thing – but, make no mistake, even though OSA has gone home; our work is not done.

If we were to leave this park and discover that clinic violence had become a thing of the past, never to plague us again, that would be a very good thing, indeed; but, still, our work would not be done.

If we were to find that, while we were here, Congress had acted to insure that abortion would always be legal, that would be a very good thing; but our work would not be done.

If we were suddenly to find a host of trained providers, insuring access in every city, town, village, and military base throughout the world, that would be a very good thing; but our work would not be done.

When every woman has everything she needs to make an informed, thoughtful choice, and to act upon it, we will be very close; but, still, our work will not be done.

As long as women, acting as responsible moral agents, taking responsibility for their own lives and for those who depend on them, have to contend with guilt and shame, have judgment and contempt heaped upon them, rather than the support and respect they deserve, our work is not done.

How will we know when our work is done? I suspect we’ll know it when we see it. But let me give you some sure indicators that it isn’t done yet:

- When doctors and pharmacists try to opt out of providing medical care, claiming it’s an act of conscience, our work is not done.

Let me say a bit more about that, because the religious community has long been an advocate of taking principled stands of conscience – even when such stands require civil disobedience. We’ve supported conscientious objectors, the Underground Railroad, freedom riders, sanctuary seekers, and anti-apartheid protestors. We support people who put their freedom and safety at risk for principles they believe in.

But let’s be clear, there’s a world of difference between those who engage in such civil disobedience, and pay the price, and doctors and pharmacists who insist that the rest of the world reorder itself to protect their consciences – that others pay the price for their principles.

This isn’t particularly complicated. If your conscience forbids you to carry arms, don’t join the military or become a police officer. If you have qualms about animal experimentation, think hard before choosing to go into medical research. And, if you’re not prepared to provide the full range of reproductive health care (or prescriptions) to any woman who needs it then don’t go into obstetrics and gynecology, or internal or emergency medicine, or pharmacology. Choose another field! We’ll respect your consciences when you begin to take responsibility for them.

- Here’s another sign. Did you notice the arguments that were being shouted at us in front of the clinic? They’ve been trying for years, and seem to be pushing especially hard now, to position themselves as feminists – supporters of women. You heard them – yelling that they understand that it’s all men’s fault. That men must do better at supporting women and children so that women, presumably, won’t feel the need to abort. They yelled that they understood that the women going into the clinic had been hurt by men and were reacting to that pain and betrayal. They pledged to help men be more responsible so that women wouldn’t want abortions.

Let me tell you something. Any argument that puts men alone at the center  – for good or for bad — any discussion of women’s reproductive health that ends up being all about men, is not feminism. Nor, for that matter, is it Christian, or reflective of any God I recognize. And as long as anyone can even imagine such an argument, our work is not done.

- And while we’re at it, as long as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States can argue, as Justice Kennedy recently did, that women are not capable of making our own informed moral decisions, that we need men to help us so that we won’t make mistakes that we later regret; as long as a Supreme Court Justice can deny the moral agency of women simply because we are women – and can do it without being laughed off the public stage forever – our work is not done. What has happened to us that he could even think he could get away with publishing such an opinion? Our work most certainly is not done.

- Finally, the last sign I want to identify relates to my fellow clergy. Too often even those who support us can be heard talking about abortion as a tragedy. Let’s be very clear about this:

When a woman finds herself pregnant due to violence and chooses an abortion, it is the violence that is the tragedy; the abortion is a blessing.

When a woman finds that the fetus she is carrying has anomalies incompatible with life, that it will not live and that she requires an abortion – often a late-term abortion – to protect her life, her health, or her fertility, it is the shattering of her hopes and dreams for that pregnancy that is the tragedy; the abortion is a blessing.

When a woman wants a child but can’t afford one because she hasn’t the education necessary for a sustainable job, or access to health care, or day care, or adequate food, it is the abysmal priorities of our nation, the lack of social supports, the absence of justice that are the tragedies; the abortion is a blessing.

And when a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion – there is not a tragedy in sight — only blessing. The ability to enjoy God’s good gift of sexuality without compromising one’s education, life’s work, or ability to put to use God’s gifts and call is simply blessing.

These are the two things I want you, please, to remember – abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Let me hear you say it: abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done.

I want to thank all of you who protect this blessing – who do this work every day: the health care providers, doctors, nurses, technicians, receptionists, who put your lives on the line to care for others (you are heroes — in my eyes, you are saints); the escorts and the activists; the lobbyists and the clinic defenders; all of you. You’re engaged in holy work.

Lawlessness stands as the preeminent sign of the times, the most telling sign that Christ’s return and establishment of his Kingdom is near.  Nothing perhaps is more lawless than the pronouncements of leading evangelical Christians, like Rick Warren, proclaiming support for gay rights and marriage as he did this week.  Or, the blasphemous babblings of Jezebels, like Dean Katherine Ragsdale, who pander to feminists and gays and push abortion rights down every one’s throats.

“Don’t be so judgmental,” some will say, but forget that Jesus said, “My Word will judge you.”  Paul taught that the spiritual man judges all things.  Men like Warren and women like Ragsdale are not spiritual; they are carnal Christians wrapped in a robe of false spirituality which denies the power of godliness.  Jude the prophet speaks very eloquently of them, saying, “For there are certain men [and now women] crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying [contradicting] the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4 KJV)

An important New Testament scripture regarding the timing of the LORD’s second coming deals specifically with this type of lawlessness we see in Warren and Ragsdale.  Paul said,

Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 ASV)

God gave us his law for a reason, so that we could learn to discern good and evil.  If there is no law, there is no evil.  If there is no evil, then Christ died for nothing because there is no need to repent of anything.  Likewise, Jesus did not die to “put away the law.”  Again, if the law is put away, there is no sin, no evil, and no need for repentance.  There mere fact that today we see prominent Christians defend the rights of others to sin without the need of repentingreveals the ubiquitousness of lawlessness and eminence of Christ’s coming.

“Forsake not the episunagoge,” said Paul.  He meant, forsake not the doctrine of Christ’s second coming, “especially as you see that day approaching.”  Brothers and sisters, let us be clear.  We see that day approaching!  Do not neglect to repent from sin and to preach repentance from sin until he comes!