Pastor Roger and Melodee Tickle

   Sign of the Times?  by Pastor Roger 

     I know I have used these passages on a number of occasions, But as I read about some of the ridiculous things that are taking place in our country I can’t help but refer back to them because they are so true about our culture.

     I Timothy 4:1-2 ¹Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; ²Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron…

     II Timothy 3:1-5 ¹This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. ²For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ⁴Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; ⁵Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

     These 2 passages give us a good description of what the last days before Jesus comes back for his church are going to be like. Jesus said in Mt. 24:37-38 ³⁷But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ³⁸For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark…

     What were the days of Noah like? Gen. 6:5 ⁵And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. In other words they were influenced by seducing Spirits and doctrines of devils. Their conscience had been seared. They were lovers of their own selves… (Refer to II Timothy 3:1-5) I wonder; are the days we live in similar to the days of Noah?

     It seems to me the only way anybody could buy into some of the rhetoric that is being propagated these days is to give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Many, even in the church are giving in to hypocritical lies. The lie of separation of church and state; the lie that homosexuality and almost any sexually deviant behavior is acceptable; the lie that marriage is a secondary option to cohabitation; the lie that Islam is a religion of peace and Jehovah and Allah are the same God.

     Somehow we think God has gone soft and will wink at all these things. Just have fun, whatever that means for the moment. Have ‘fun’ at the expense of your family; have   ‘fun’ at the expense of your faith; have ‘fun’ at the expense of your culture.     

‘Fun’?! We have overflowing prisons. That’s healthy and ‘fun’ isn’t it? How about all the children you are reading about that have been sexually assaulted. We’re having a blast aren’t we?! Did I mention depression and suicide among our youth? WHEEEEEE!!!! What a joy ride! Turns out being lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. 

Do I sound cynical and maybe a little angry? Shouldn’t we be?     

A Macy's employee in San Antonio, Texas, was fired after telling a cross-dresser he could not use the women's dressing room to try on apparel. The employee had pointed out to management the consequences of a policy that affirms the lesbian, "gay," bisexual, transgender (LGBT) lifestyle. "She says that mothers of young daughters come up to her periodically and ask her to keep the men from going into the women's fitting rooms."

The Pentagon has decided that military chaplains will be allowed to perform same-sex unions on military installations despite the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.    

Last weekend, Home Depot set up a booth at the Atlanta Gay Pride festival and entered a float in the parade.Alongside Home Depot's float were marchers and other floats celebrating sadomasochism and bondage. For example, one group of marchers had large dog collars strapped around their necks and were being led by leather-clad "owners" holding chain leashes and whips. (I know for a fact that men expose themselves to children at these events and the police are told to do nothing.)    

A young man was thrown out of his high school class and maligned by his teacher, (even made fun of on the  Ellen DeGeneres show), after answering a question his teacher asked him. “What do you think of Homosexuality?” “As a catholic I don’t think it is good and moral behavior.” [Not an exact quote but you get the idea.]

It is reported that marriage is at an all time low. More people are ‘cohabitating’ rather than getting married because of finances, convenience, fear of a lasting commitment and many other lame excuses.  

Lowes is being targeted by a U.S. senator for pulling their add from a reality show about the happy, friendly Muslim lifestyle. (I don’t have the space to tell you about the threat and danger Islam poses to the USA and the world. Does reject Jesus and confess Allah or lose your head sound happy? “There is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is his messenger” is the confession they demand. Allah orders his people to fight until ‘there is no one left on the earth that doesn’t worship Allah’.)    

This is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg! I could go on and on, occupy Wall Street; the Emergent church; planned parenthood; John Freshwater; dare I say Barak Hussein Obama, the most pro abortion, pro homosexual agenda, pro socialist president we have ever had. (If you’re ok with that it is your American privilege.) Seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; hypocritical lies; seared conscience; lovers of themselves; lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God…     

None of this is rocket science. You don’t get intimate with animals; our nation’s history screams Jesus; same sex marriage is unnatural no matter how you slice it; men, no matter what their perversion, don’t belong in the ladies changing room; Christianity offers grace and we won’t slit your throat if you disagree or don’t accept it. It makes your head feel like it is going to explode doesn’t it?       

We, (the church), have been convinced we should be tolerant and quiet. At what cost? Do we remain silent and tolerant at the cost of our freedom; at the cost of our children’s future; at the cost of our nation’s heritage; at the cost of our faith in the one true God, creator of the universe who left his eternal throne in heaven to come to this earth as a mortal man and be permanently scarred so I could have a right relationship with him and an eternal reward in heaven? What price are we willing to pay?   

We as Christians are called to be loving, joyful, peaceful, longsuffering, gentle, good, faithful, Meek, and temperate. (Galatians 5:22-23) However we are not called to be liked or passive, silent and tolerant of every godless deviant behavior that comes down the road.     

Jesus condemned sin and offered the sinner an alternative life. Was his message met with rave reviews? They crucified him! Jesus said we would suffer with him in this world. Suffering comes when we stand for truth at any cost. “The world hates you because it first hated me.” Are we silent because we love the praises of man more than the blessing of God?     

I believe I am having to write an article about this stuff because the church bought into political correctness and hid in the sanctuary. If anybody needs to come out of the closet it is the church. Let me close with this mandate from Jesus: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” This is the only hope we have for any good change.    

WHAT IF…

 What if your life were to end today? Are you 100% sure you would go to heaven?

If you are not certain about the answer to that question, then please listen to what God says in His word.

The Bible teaches that you need to understand and believe four things in order to have a home in heaven:

1. You have sinned against God.