Guest Post: Mystery Babylon

MYSTERY, BABYLON PART I

July 1, 1993

Hunt, Dave

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets,...how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Luke:13:34

I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore...With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication....I saw a woman...And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT....[She was] drunken with the blood of the saints, and...of the martyrs of Jesus....[She] is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth [and is built on] seven hills [i.e., Rome]. Revelation:17:1-6
,18

Jerusalem and Rome! How different and yet how similar are these ancient (and current) rivals for worldwide spiritual leadership! Both figured so largely in Christ's crucifixion and the persecution of the early church. Both are destined by God also to play dominant roles in the final events prophesied in Scripture. Antichrist will rule the world from Rome's fabled throne of the Caesars, revived as the seat of the new world order. This "Wicked [one]" (2 Thes:2:8
) will be embraced by Israel as her Messiah (Jn:5:43
) when he brings peace to the Middle East and allows the temple to be rebuilt. That the stage for these coming events is already set seemed apparent to the participants in last month's videomaking tour of Israel and Rome.

The fate of Jerusalem has been inextricably intertwined with that of Rome ever since they joined in unholy alliance to reject and crucify the Lord of glory (Acts:2:23
; 1 Cor:2:8
). That uneasy partnership was shattered with Jerusalem's destruction by Rome's legions in A.D. 70, foretold both by Daniel (9:26) and Jesus (Mat:24:2
). The Roman Empire must be revived, for one day its armies will belong to Daniel's "prince that shall come"—i.e., Antichrist––and will seek to destroy Jerusalem again.

The woman in Revelation 17 can only be Rome/Vatican City. No other city built on seven hills wields such authority, exchanging ambassadors with nations. Nor does any other city claim to represent Christ, and thus no other could stand accused of spiritual fornication due to unholy alliances with earth's rulers. Neither can any other city rival the blood of both Jews and Christians which pagan Rome and later the Vatican have shed. Thomas Hobbes perceptively said, "The Papacy is...the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof."

"In the midst of the [70th] week [seven-year tribulation]" (Dan:9:27
), Antichrist will forbid further sacrifices, place his image in the temple and demand to be worshiped as God. Israel will object, bringing the armies of the entire world, under Antichrist, against her to effect a "final solution" to the Jewish problem. Accompanied by the saints of all ages in their resurrected and/or glorified bodies, Christ will intervene. Destroying Antichrist and his armies, Israel's Messiah, at last recognized and accepted by her, will rule the world from David's throne in Jerusalem.

Such prophecies remain hidden from Israel. The spiritual blindness of the vast majority in that land was both apparent and incomprehensible to those on our recent tour. How true is Christ's sorrowful pronouncement: "this [rebellious (Ps:78:8
), faithless and perverse (Mat:17:17
), evil and adulterous (12:39, 16:4), etc.] generation [of vipers (12:34)] shall not pass, till all these things [i.e., all the prophesied signs] be fulfilled" (24:34). Only after all prophesied events have occurred (which must precede and foreshadow the Second Coming), and Christ comes visibly in power and glory to rescue her in the midst of Armageddon, will Israel at last believe (Zec:12:10
). Then shall be fulfilled Christ's words: "he that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Mat:10:22
); and Paul's: "all Israel [that have survived to the end] shall be saved" (Rom:11:26
).

How astonishing it is that stubborn unbelief should persistently characterize the descendants of Abraham, the father of the faithful (Rom:4:11-16
)! "[B]lindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles..." (Rom:11:25
). More than 30 percent of Israel's Jews are atheists. Although that figure is high compared with many other countries (10 percent in the USA and Ireland, 20 percent in Italy), it is even higher among kibbutz dwellers. This communal lifestyle of Marxist origins breeds atheism. We were told by our host on a visit to a kibbutz in Galilee that out of 300 kibbutzim throughout Israel only about 15 were "religious," atheism being the faith of all of the others, including his own.

Politely but pointedly, I asked how Israel could assert any better claim to that land than the Arabs, if God did not give it to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for "an everlasting possession" (Gen:17:8
; 48:4; Ex 6:8; Joel:3:2
). He had no answer. I then reminded him that Israel's children study their history from the Bible, and asked how that Book could be 100 percent accurate when it comes to ancient names, places and events and yet 100 percent wrong about the God who its authors claim inspired their writings. Again no answer.

Interviews in the streets for the videos we shot revealed that most Israelis (including even some atheists) do expect the Messiah. Yet they have no biblical understanding of who He might be––or that the prophets said Messiah would be "cut off [killed]" (Isa:53:8
; Dan:9:26
, etc.) and thereafter Jerusalem and the temple destroyed (9:26)! When asked how they would recognize the Messiah, nearly all responded, "He will bring peace." What a setup for Antichrist, of whom it is said, "By peace shall [he] destroy many" (Dan:8:25
)! Sadly, the worst destruction in Israel's history, "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer:30:7
), lies ahead.

Evidence of the conquering Roman presence from Christ's day and from Crusader times is found everywhere. Ancient ruins, neglected and even destroyed when the Arabs were in control, are being expertly restored by the Jews. A Roman presence of another nature continues in Israel to this day: the Catholicized "holy" places, where events in Jesus' life and death allegedly took place. Rome's presence is seen and felt also in the throngs of Catholic pilgrims who come for the indulgences and special favors from God which they've been taught attach to physical places and relics. One has the impression that this land is still theirs. After all, didn't the Crusaders conquer it for Holy Mother Church?

Each holy place is marked (and marred) by the inevitable church constructed upon it. In these shrines, candles (purchase price depending upon size) burn continuously. Robed priests appear periodically at altars to repeat incantations unknown to Christ and the apostles. Reverently the faithful cross themselves and join in ceremonies believed to convey special grace because performed at a sacred site. Israel needs the money the pilgrims bring. Yet one senses an uneasy truce between Jews, who disown their own who believe in Him, and Catholics, who come to see where Jesus was crucified by Jews, forgetting the Vatican's long persecution and slaughter of Jesus' Jewish brethren.

The Christian church, after being granted recognition and freedom by Constantine, soon became the persecutor of all those who did not submit to its doctrines. Like Islam a few centuries later, Christianity was imposed upon the entire populace of Europe under the threat of torture and death. Christ told His disciples that whosoever would be the greatest must be the servant of all. Instead, the popes aspired to be masters of the world. Church and state joined in adulterous partnership to expand the "Holy Roman Empire" by enforcing conversion with the sword.

Persecution of Jews commenced in earnest after the popes, taking advantage of the power vacuum left when the empire fell to the barbarians, began to rule not just as ecclesiastical leaders of the church but as secular kings. Papal armies fought to expand "the Kingdom of God." The Jews' plight––in the name of Jesus the Jew––soon became far more grievous under the alleged Christian church than it had ever been at the hands of pagan rulers. In Vicars of Christ, Jesuit historian Peter de Rosa writes of those early days:

[Catholicism] will become the most persecuting faith the world has ever seen. They will persecute the race from which Peter––and Jesus––sprang...[and] order in Christ's name all those who disagree with them to be tortured, and sometimes crucified over fire. They will make an alliance between throne and altar; they will insist that...the throne (the state) impose the Christian [Roman Catholic] religion on all its subjects.

A major target of conquest became "the Holy Land," which had already been claimed by "Saint" Helena. Constantine was the father of the new Church and Helena was honored as its mother. Even before it was conferred upon Mary, the title "Mother of God" was given to Helena as the Emperor's mother. (Every Roman emperor was worshiped as God.) This "mother of the church" journeyed to the Holy Land to buy relics and to build churches upon alleged sites of key events involving our Lord.

The Roman Catholic Church began to believe it had replaced Israel as God's chosen people. That land, promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, now belonged, for new and holier reasons, to "Christian" Rome, the new Zion. The pagan empire had become the Holy Roman Empire, the "Kingdom of God" on earth. The hope of its revival was the dream of all Europe during the Middle Ages––a goal which will be accomplished at last by Antichrist. The revived Roman Empire over which he will rule, with enthusiastic Vatican support as in the past, will encompass the entire world.

Without rancor we must face the facts concerning the Holy Roman Empire to understand what its revival will mean. Pagans had blamed every disaster upon Christians. Now the Church blamed all on the Jews. Accused of causing the Black Death, Jews were rounded up and hanged, burned and drowned by the thousands in revenge. Although now and then a pope sought to ameliorate their condition, there was no place for "Christ crucifiers" in God's Holy Kingdom. More than 100 anti-Semitic documents were published by the Roman Catholic Church between the sixth and twentieth centuries. Anti-Semitism had become official Church doctrine. To this day, the Vatican has never conceded Israel's right to exist and wants Jerusalem to be, not in Jewish hands, but under international control.

To raise an army for the First Crusade, Pope Urban II promised instant entrance into heaven without purgatory for all who fell in that great cause. The knights and knaves who responded with enthusiasm to that deceitful promise left a trail of plunder, mayhem, and murder on their way to Jerusalem, where they slaughtered all Arabs and Jews. One of their first acts after their triumphal entry into Jerusalem was to herd the Jews into the synagogue and set it ablaze. On their way to the Holy Land, the Crusaders gave the Jews the choice of baptism or death. De Rosa recounts:

In the year 1096 half of the Jews of Worms were slaughtered as the Crusaders passed through the town. The rest fled to the bishop's residence for protection. He agreed to save them, on condition that they asked to be baptized. The Jews retired to consider their decision. When the doors of the audience chamber were opened, all 800 Jews inside were dead. Some were decapitated; fathers had killed their babes before turning their knives on their wives and themselves; a groom had slain his bride. The first century tragedy of Masada was repeated everywhere in Germany and, later, throughout France.

Sincere followers of Christ, too, were slain by the hundreds of thousands for attempting to follow the Bible instead of Rome. What these victims suffered from Holy Mother Church is a story sad beyond belief for both persecuted and persecutors. The Inquisitors were caught in a web from which there was no escape, for the papacy did indeed "reign over the kings of the earth." No doubt many of the zealots who carried out papal decrees were sincere. The civil authorities, moreover, feared excommunication should they fail to fulfill the Inquisitors' demands. The facts speak volumes.

Heretics (those who felt bound by conscience to follow God's Word) were committed to the flames because the popes believed that the Bible forbade Christians to shed blood. Victims of the Inquisition exceeded by hundreds of thousands the number of Christians (and Jews) who had been martyred under pagan Roman emperors. Catholic apologists try in vain to absolve their Church of responsibility, arguing that the sentence of death was carried out by civil authorities. Yet this transference to the "secular arm" was required by the Church's canon law, and at the tribunal where heretics were condemned the Inquisitor's throne was higher than that of the magistrate. The prisoner was allowed to know neither the charge against him nor the identity of his accusers. No one was ever acquitted. Torture often made the pitiful victims willing to confess to anything. Will Durant reminds us of Pope Clement V's rebuke of King Edward II's leniency:

We hear that you forbid torture as contrary to the laws of your land. But no state law can override [the Church's] canon law, our law. Therefore I command you at once to submit those men to torture.

The medieval Inquisition had flourished for centuries when, in 1542, Pope Paul III gave it permanent status as the first of Rome's Sacred Congregations, the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Inquisition. Known more recently as the Holy Office, its name was changed in 1967 to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith––quite appropriate, inasmuch as public burnings were known as autos-da-fé, or acts of faith. The Office operates today from the Palace of the Inquisition adjacent to St. Peter's. The Grand Inquisitor is Cardinal Ratzinger, who reports to Pope John Paul II.

Before he became Pope Paul IV in 1555, Inquisitor-General John Peter Carafa had converted a house at his own expense into a fully equipped torture chamber for eliciting confessions from the accused. He denounced any who tolerated heretics and declared, "If my own father were a heretic, I would personally gather the wood to burn him." During his brief pontificate the population of Rome was decimated almost by half, with Jews the main victims. Under Paul IV, marriage between a Christian and a Jew was punishable by death. Hitler claimed only to be carrying out what the popes and Church councils had already decreed.

Paul IV forced Jews to sell their properties, confined them to ghettos, treated them as slaves and reduced them to the status of ragpickers. Pope Gregory XIII declared that the guilt of Jews in rejecting and crucifying Christ "only grows deeper with successive generations, entailing perpetual slavery." Later popes, such as Benedict XIV, Pius VII, Leo XII, Pius VIII, Gregory XVI, Pius IX, et al., continued the persecution of Jews. Pope Pius XII knew very well that the Nazis were systematically exterminating Jews. Yet he never spoke a public word against the Holocaust, because to do so would have condemned his own Church. This silence, historians agree, encouraged Hitler and added to the unspeakable genocide.

Jerusalem has its Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum) to keep ever before the world's conscience the 6 million Jews killed by Hitler. By contrast, there is no memorial to the untold multitudes of both Jews and Christians murdered by Holy Mother Church and now forgotten. De Rosa reminds us that Pope John Paul II "knows the church was responsible for persecuting Jews, for the Inquisition, for slaughtering heretics by the thousands, for reintroducing torture into Europe as part of the judicial process. But he has to be careful [not to apologize]. The doctrines responsible for those terrible things still underpin his position." (Emphasis added) The Vatican has never repented of these crimes against humanity and God. Of these indisputable facts many of today's evangelical leaders seem willingly ignorant.

MYSTERY BABYLON PART II

August 1, 1993

Hunt, Dave

And in the days of these [ten] kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed....

Daniel:2:44

After this I saw...a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible...and it had ten horns....And the ten horns...are ten kings....

Daniel:7:7
,24

And...behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns....

Revelation:12:3

And I...saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns....

Revelation:13:1

I saw a woman sit[ting] upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns....And the ten horns...are ten kings....

Revelation:17:3
, 12

Of all the prophecies in the Bible, Revelation 17 is the most astonishing. It culminates a series of visions of four world empires, the fourth to be revived in the "last days" and ruled by Antichrist through ten subordinate "kings"—a series of visions which began 600 years earlier in Daniel 2 with Nebuchadnezzar's image. The image's "head of gold" was the first world empire, the Babylonian; the "breast and arms of silver" pictured the succeeding Medo-Persian Empire; next was the Grecian represented by "belly and thighs of brass"; and finally the "legs of iron, and feet [with ten toes signifying ten kings] part of iron and part of clay" depicted the fourth world empire arising out of Rome.

Daniel's prophecy (continued in Chapters 7-12) foretold accurate details of coming world empires which we can't enumerate. Apropos of our subject, however, the image's two legs foretold the Roman Empire's division into East and West. And so it happened, first politically; centuries later, religiously. Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy (which in July again gained control of religion in Russia) remain divided to this day. They will, however, be reunited as the core of Antichrist's new world religion.

In a second vision, the four world empires were seen as beasts. The fourth had ten horns, representing, like the ten toes on the image, "ten kings" (Dan:7:24
) yet to arise. The ancient Roman Empire was never ruled by a coalition of ten kings; yet so it must be when "the God of heaven sets up [his] kingdom." Thus the Roman Empire must be revived in that form.

God's millennial kingdom will not (as many are teaching) result from a gradual takeover of the world by the church but through a sudden catastrophic intervention by Christ from heaven. He is the stone "cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet...the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold [were] broken to pieces...and the stone...became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth" (2:34-35). Christ's sudden intervention at Armageddon is also presented by Paul: "And then shall that Wicked [Antichrist] be revealed, whom the Lord shall...destroy with the brightness of his coming" (2 Thes:2:8-10
). The same event is found in Zechariah 12-14, Revelation 19 and elsewhere.

The Bible ignores other empires, some of which have been larger than the four above. Why? They won't be revived. For centuries the seat of world power was Egypt. There were great dynasties in China, Genghis Khan's far-ranging Mongolian empire, and vast Mayan and Aztec kingdoms in Central and South America. The Arabs once controlled most of North Africa, the Middle East and much of Europe. These empires will not rise again. The United States has been the dominant industrial and military force for 50 years, but that dominance cannot continue. The prophecies are clear: the Roman Empire will be revived, with Antichrist's seat in Western Europe and the world religion's headquarters in Rome.

In addition to the revived Roman Empire, the ten-horned beast also depicts Satan (the "great red dragon") and a satanically empowered man (Rev:13:4-8
)—the coming world ruler, or Antichrist. Yet it wasn't so much the sight of this terrifying beast that took John's breath away, but the woman who was riding him: "MYSTERY, BABYLON." Babylon is not a country but a city (certainly not the United States). Nor is it the city Saddam is rebuilding in Iraq, for that historic Babylon, in ruins for 2,300 years, obviously does not meet the five criteria. Nor are there two Babylons (a spiritual one and a commercial one) shown in Revelation 17 and 18. They are one and the same.

Babylon was built around the ruins of the Tower of Babel, which, we noted in June, represented the false religion of human effort in opposition to salvation by grace through faith in Christ. It was the satanically inspired attempt to establish man as his own God. Babel's antichrist paganism remained as the unifying factor linking the four successive world empires. And so it must be revived with the Roman Empire.

Like Nimrod at Babel, the Caesars presided over the pagan priesthood and were worshiped as God. All who refused to bow down before the emperor's image in recognition of his deity were slain––a practice which will be reestablished under Antichrist (Rev:13:8
,14-15). Most astonishing of all, "Christianity" must merge with Babel's antichrist paganism to form the new world religion! That insight was a major reason for John's amazement.

That a gorgeously clad woman was holding the reins astride such a terrifying, world-devouring beast was incredible. The woman's identity, however, staggered John far more. Beneath the erotic attire, flashy jewelry and impudent gaze there was a haunting familiarity. It couldn't be! How had Christ's chaste bride become this brazen whore? What alchemy had transformed that small, despised flock of humble followers of the Lamb into this notorious prostitute toasting Satan with the blood of the martyrs in a golden cup! How could the church, hated and persecuted by the world, as Christ had said she would be––how could she have become this Machiavellian despot that reigned over the kings of the earth?

History authenticates John's vision. The blood of the martyrs was the seed of a heavenly minded church without earthly ambition, a church whose members, increased to about 10 percent of the Roman Empire, were oppressed by the world and periodically slaughtered. Then, in AD 313, freedom from persecution came unexpectedly and suddenly under Constantine. Unfortunately, what seemed like a gift from God was a trap laid by Satan. It set the stage for an apostasy that would last more than a millennium––and is now gathering renewed momentum.

When he gave Christianity official status alongside paganism, Constantine, as emperor and "Pontifex Maximus" over the pagan priesthood known as the Pontifical College, became the de facto head of the Christian Church. As such he invented and took the title "Vicar of Christ." Coming from the Latin vicarius, vicar means "in the place of." Its Greek equivalent is anti. Thus the popes' title, "Vicar of Christ," literally means "Antichrist"—the one who pretends to be Christ.

For centuries, Protestant creeds identified the popes as antichrists. That label surely applies to the paganized Christianity over which the popes have presided as Constantine's successors. Succeeding him also as head of Rome's Pontifical College, the popes retain to this day the related pagan title "Pontifex Maximus." Undoubtedly, however, the Antichrist will be the new Constantine—head of the new world order—with the Roman pontiff his right-hand man.

Constantine, the first "Vicar of Christ," did indeed prove to be an antichrist. Not a genuine Christian, he had no concern for doctrine but only for religious unity in his empire. The original ecumenist, he convened the first Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicea, in AD 325, set the agenda and presided over it as Charlemagne would over the Council of Chalon 500 years later during his attempt to revive the Roman Empire. Though all such attempts failed, the popes gave the Empire continuity in religion and wielded supreme secular authority as well. Historian R. W. Southern reminds us,

...there was in Rome a single spiritual and temporal authority [the papacy] exercising powers which in the end exceeded those that had ever lain within the grasp of a Roman Emperor.

To John's utter amazement, he saw that the church Christ had founded would metamorphose into "that city...on seven hills...that rules over the kings of the earth"! Picture, for example, the humbled emperor Henry IV waiting barefoot in the snows at Canossa to make his peace with Pope Gregory VII in 1077! As noted last month, no other city in the world except Vatican City "rules over kings" and meets the other four criteria which identify the woman in Revelation 17. In the July 3, 1992 National Catholic Reporter (NCR) a Catholic priest confesses, "The church...was subverted by the ambitions of such men as [Popes] Gregory VII, Innocent III and Boniface VII [and many others] into a politico-ecclesiastical institution wielding totalitarian power in both sacred and secular fields." Historian Walter James elaborates:

The Papacy controlled the gateway to heaven which all the faithful, including their rulers, hoped earnestly to enter....[I]t gave the Popes a moral authority which has never been wielded since. A Pope like Innocent III held all Europe in his net....

If that seven-headed beast with ten horns, the revived Roman Empire, is to appear, then the "woman" must hold the reins once again. While the Roman Catholic Church, since the Reformation, saw its supreme power challenged, it has regained much. The Vatican is a sovereign state like any nation. It exchanges ambassadors with the world's nations and participates in international politics. The NCR boasts, "No other church has such privileged access" to top political gatherings.

John Paul II has emerged as the world's most respected and influential leader. Though papal power is not wielded as overtly as during the Middle Ages, yet the Pope still "rules over the kings of the earth." Presidents Bush and Gorbachev consulted with the Pope at least once a week. President Reagan solicited the Pope's help against communism. Using Poland as a base, agents of the Vatican worked with the CIA to bring down communism and the Berlin Wall. These amazing events, Gorbachev later confessed, could not have occurred without John Paul II.

Ecumenism is essential in creating a "Christianity" which embraces all religions. Psychology plays a major ecumenical role by providing common faith, language and ritual for everyone from atheists, cultists and occultists to Roman Catholics and evangelicals. Today the Reformation is seen as a semantic misunderstanding, its vital issues blurred or ignored. There is a growing cooperation between the National Association of Evangelicals and Roman Catholics, according to Jack White, NAE president. Even leading cult experts whitewash Rome's heresies. Chuck Colson's (like Billy Graham's) embrace of Catholicism and acceptance of the Templeton Prize is one more shocking example of the growing ecumenism among evangelical leaders which is preparing the way for Antichrist. (See "Q&A" for further clarification.) Nor could a more apt pope than John Paul II have arrived upon the scene at this crucial hour.

The centuries-long involvement of Roman Catholicism in pagan/occultic practices has led naturally to its present marriage to the New Age. Rome has made it clear that the disciplining of New Age priest Matthew Fox is for failure to submit to the hierarchy but not for his horrendous heresies ("News Alerts.") Fox continues as a priest with a huge following among Catholics. The involvement in Eastern mysticism of tens of thousands of priests, nuns, and laity is condoned by the Vatican.

We have documented the accelerating secular acceptance of New Age "spirituality" such as Nancy Reagan's obsession with astrology and President Reagan's submission to astrological guidance and his own superstitions. Matters have only gotten worse with the new administration. Bill and Hillary Clinton's and Al Gore's commitment to an amoral, humanistic and New Age agenda is well known. That all three claim to be "Christians" fits the fact that the world religion will be an antichrist "Christianity."

Time magazine recently had a picture of Hillary Clinton with eyes closed, head reverently bowed, as a North American Indian shaman performed a ritual over her. Concluding a recent speech, Hillary declared, "Let us be willing to remold society by redefining what it means to be a human being in the twentieth century, moving into a new millennium." Yes, the Clintons intend to "remold society" and to "redefine what it means to be a human being"!

Part of that remolding involves promoting ungodly lifestyles. The consequences are devastating and worsening. Raw statistics condemn the Clintons' encouragement of homosexuality. The median age of death for married heterosexual men is nearly twice that of homosexuals: 75 compared with 39. Only 1 percent of homosexuals live beyond age 65. The average age of death for married women is 79 compared with 45 for lesbians (Christian News, 1/13/92). Secular studies have demonstrated that living together before marriage increases the likelihood of divorce––exactly the opposite of what those who engage in "safe sex" imagine (The Baptist Challenge, 10/92).

Our world is fast ripening for God's judgment. Consider a simple comparison between the seven leading problems in "Christian" America's schools in the 1940s and the 1990s. Fifty years ago the worst problems faced by teachers and administrators were 1) talking in class, 2) chewing gum, 3) making noise, 4) running in halls, 5) cutting in line, 6) dress code violations, 7) littering. Today they are 1) drug abuse, 2) alcohol abuse, 3) pregnancy, 4) suicide, 5) rape, 6) robbery, 7) assault. How revealing!

Everywhere youth is bombarded not only with evil but with persuasively presented antichrist philosophies. A recent TV series began with Indiana Jones as a boy in India going to the Theosophical Society to meet founder Annie Besant. There he was introduced to Jidhu Krishnamurti, the "chosen world leader"; he then was taken to various Hindu and Buddhist temples. Christianity was degraded and Jesus was put on the level of all other "religious leaders." Behold an even more insidious effort by George Lucas to indoctrinate the West into shamanism than even the Star Wars series of films!

Christians face two dangers: 1) becoming so immunized to apostasy that it seems normal and no longer alarming; 2) becoming discouraged and deciding that there is no use in standing up to such overwhelming evil. Yes, the stage is set for Antichrist. He will take over the world. False "Christianity" will deceive billions. The Bible says so. We will not save the world or even America. But we can rescue countless individuals through prayer, godly example and the proclamation of the gospel. Let us do so! TBC

By Dave Hunt

https://www.thebereancall.org/content/mystery-babylon-part-i

https://www.thebereancall.org/content/mystery-babylon-part-ii

Guest Post: Vanishing Lovingkindnesses and Tender Mercies

The idea that kindness seems to be vanishing in our day and in our country is not a matter of a pessimistic outlook but one of everyday observation. Political differences, as an all-too-obvious example, appear to have reached a new level of ugliness. Kindness hasn’t disappeared altogether, yet neither has it taken society by storm. For many people, an act of kindness is little more than a “nice” occurrence, even though some are aggressively promoting the action. Hence the bumper sticker: “Practice Random Acts of Kindness!” Things like holding the door open for a person or letting an individual with very few items go ahead of us in a checkout line are just a few of the countless number of acts that we can all appreciate.

On the other hand, it’s grievous that many even consider their acts of kindness to be a contributing factor toward getting their “ticket” to heaven. They erroneously believe that their works add up to making them a “mostly good person”—certainly not one deserving of hell!

None of these views relate to what the Bible has in mind regarding kindness—not even one’s accumulated “nice” acts. When I want to get a better idea about the definition of English terms used in Scripture, I’ve found Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary to be very helpful. His love of God’s Word is evident, as he often supplied the KJV scripture verses in which the words are used. In addition, his 1828 Dictionary is easily accessible and can be searched online. He defines “kindness” as an “Act of goodwill; beneficence; any act of benevolence which promotes the happiness or welfare of others. Charity [love], hospitality, attention to the wants of others, etc., are deemed acts of kindness or kindnesses. Acts:28:2
.”

The primary focus of the biblical Christian is understanding what God is communicating to His creatures through His Word. His major objective is to go beyond what the world thinks, and the Scriptures indeed go far beyond the mindset, practices, and capabilities of the world. How far? God’s kindness itself is a significant action on His part that is involved in the salvation of humanity. “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus:3:4-6
; emphasis added). That’s “opening a door for us.” That’s providing a “kindness” that no one but Jesus could—and did—provide. He has “set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it” (Revelation:3:8
). Notice that the verse in Titus:3:4
 connects kindness and the love of God.

Twenty-three times in the psalms we read of “kindness” and “love” as one word. That’s rarely, if ever, found in the world’s “random acts”—and certainly not God’s lovingkindnesses. Here is what’s involved in His lovingkindnesses, as given throughout the psalms: physical salvation for those who put their trust in Him (17:7); tender mercies (25:6); truth (26:3); trust, protection (36:7); continuation, righteousness (36:10); proclamation (40:10); preservation (40:11); night and day (42:8; 92:2); worship (48:9); mercy and forgiveness (51:1); better than life (63:3); goodness (69:16); faithfulness (88:11; 89:33); His promises (89:49); redemption (103:4); understanding (107:43); reviving and refreshing (119:88, 149, 159); praise (138:2); guidance (143:8). These are just some of the attributes found within the character of our loving God, whom we are to know and love with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark:12:30
).

Isaiah declares, “I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses” (Isaiah:63:7
). Yes, that was for Israel, but better yet, it’s made available for all mankind! Yet humanity has a penchant for taking what God has “bestowed” and turning it to self-glorification. The word received by the prophet Jeremiah corrects that self-serving orientation, which completely misses what God’s lovingkindness is all about: “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah:9:23-24
).

God wants us to understand Him and know Him. It’s not about us; it’s about Him. He wants us to delight in what He delights in, and He delights in our extending lovingkindness to others. To that end, He has enabled us by His grace to reflect His attributes. We are to “be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil [person]” (Luke:6:35
). We are to “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering” (Colossians:3:12
). For all of us who claim to follow Jesus Christ, those are not just things we do, but they are who we are to be as Christians. True Christianity is wholly others-directed. Selfless. Is that the way the world sees us? 

I received an article recently that startled me. It was an interview with Richard Dawkins. What surprised me was his observation that Christianity is losing its influence for good in the world, and, as a consequence, creating a vacuum that is giving rise to increasing wickedness. That is a stunning reflection by a man who is arguably the chief of the atheists. He still doesn’t believe in God, but he sees a literal fear of God by those who do believe in Him as a welcome deterrent against evil. He’s concerned that losing that fear will give “people a license to do really bad things,” and what he sees happening throughout society is shaking his confidence in his own belief in humanity’s inherent goodness. He realizes that people need help to do good (http://bit.ly/2R9eiPs). 

But that’s not the main shocker. When a committed atheist can see Christianity failing in its influence while, at the same time, Christendom’s own leaders are mostly heedless of that fact, the church is in serious trouble.

What’s the problem? Much of the church is in the world, and much of the world is in the church. How can the church influence the world for good when it’s emulating it? When they both look and act alike, their differences fade away. Consequently, those things that delight God—particularly our emulation of His lovingkindnesses and our “others” directedness—are slowly but surely vanishing.

Perhaps the clearest example of this is what Martin and Deidre Bobgan refer to as “hidden in plain sight” (See http://bit.ly/30g2UFC). That has to do with counseling and its errors. The Bobgans have written volumes to enlighten the church as to the true biblical way that believers in Jesus are to minister to one another. This case in point displays a classic irony. Biblical counseling should be an altruistic activity in which people help one another by first and foremost restoring their relationship with the Lord, and out of that will follow a reconciliation with one another. In other words, growing in our love for Jesus and being obedient to His instructions is the only true solution to a believer’s problems, whatever they may be. The irony is that the opposite, through counseling (with few exceptions), is taking place throughout Christendom. 

Counseling in the church emulates psychological counseling, which is all about self and is therefore antithetical to the Word of God. “Hold on a minute!” protest those who function in a church as so-called biblical counselors. “We are doing it God’s way!” The Bobgans have read volumes of biblical counseling instructions and watched hours of such videos and have yet to find counselors doing it “God’s way.” Here are only two examples that demonstrate just how destructive such “therapy” is for the body of Christ. 

Everyone who goes to counseling wants to have his or her problems solved, no matter what those problems may be. When that becomes the focus, however, it departs from the biblical solution, which is only found in one’s personal relationship with Jesus. Problems (which never end this side of heaven) for the believer in our Lord must be worked out according to Galatians:2:20
: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” To think that a significant problem of living, especially involving our relationships with others, can be solved by any other means is to invite the disaster of Proverbs:14:12
 and 16:25: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Death here means separation from the truth of God’s Word.

The second very critical error found in church counseling is the “hidden in plain sight” state of affairs. Counselors and counselees are seemingly oblivious to their opposition to God’s Word as they go about their counseling sessions. How opposed are they? Let’s start with what is declared all through the Scriptures regarding how we, as believers, should treat others. The golden rule is basic and covers a great deal: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew:7:12
). That’s fundamental, yet Jesus sets the bar way beyond that. After declaring what was the first of all the commandments, He adds the second: “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark:12:31
). When questioned by the lawyer as to who was his neighbor, Jesus gave the example of what the Samaritan did for the man attacked by robbers and left half-dead, ending with the admonition to “Go, and do likewise” (Luke:10:29-37
). Luke also records, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil [person]” (Luke:6:35
, emphasis added).

The word “kind” in this verse is translated “gentleness” in the passage that lists the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians:5:21-22
). It’s the same Greek term: chrēstos. Similar to fruit, kindness must be cultivated and grown in grace. As noted earlier, a believer’s life in Christ must reflect His lovingkindnesses. “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another” (Romans:12:10
). A host of analogous verses are far too numerous to list here simply because this is what biblical Christianity is all about. Any belief or practice that deviates from those verses is a travesty, meaning a false and utterly destructive representation. Does present-day psychological counseling and psychologically influenced “biblical” counseling qualify as a travesty? Yes, even though its practice clearly perpetuates sin, that fact seems to be hidden in plain sight of the perpetrators.

Typically, as noted above, counselees come to counseling to have their problems solved by a counselor. The counselor believes that he or she must amass details related to the problem to discern what needs to be addressed and fixed. The counselee’s primary focus is upon getting the problem solved. Two critical errors are exposed here. 1) The counselor is displacing the Holy Spirit, who alone knows the heart, mind, depth, and complexity of the sin involved, as well as the truthfulness of the counselee. 2) The process bypasses the counselee’s current relationship (or lack thereof) with the Lord as the only truly effective way to resolve his or her sin issues.

As bad as that is, it leads to a far worse situation. Both counselors and counselees are clearly sinning against the Lord in their counseling process. That is particularly evident when relationships are involved. Take, for example, a married couple that is not getting along. In the counseling process, complaints are brought against one another. These complaints inevitably turn into bad-mouthing each other, which the Bible calls “evil speaking.” The counselor is guilty of prompting such a sinful activity through his problem-solving attempts. Furthermore, all of this is diametrically opposed to God’s lovingkindnesses and tender mercies. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” (Ephesians:4:31
, emphasis added). Tragically, the above describes most attempts at counseling failing marriages. This may also contribute in a major way to the fact that, statistically, the number of divorces among Christians is little different from non-Christians. 

In summary, God’s lovingkindnesses and tender mercies are vanishing—not from God but from His church. That’s because His church is slipping away from Him (Hebrews:2:1
) and leaving its first love, who is Christ himself (Revelation:2:40
). His bride is turning to the world for ways to solve its problems—ways that will only make her conditions worse. Although Richard Dawkins does not know the reasons for Christianity’s failing influence, he recognizes its current state. Counseling that is truly biblical should be what the world sees, and its successes should glorify our Lord and increase Christianity’s influence for good. 

When psychotherapeutic counseling entered the church in the 20th century, it began as a snowball rolling down a mountainside. It quickly reached avalanche proportions, burying the truth of the sufficiency of Scripture in its destructive path. The only change in this century is the incredibly massive remaining snow and debris that seems to be frozen solid. Turning Christianity back to counseling God’s way may not happen, given the increasing apostasy that is and will continue to take place prior to the Lord’s return. Nevertheless, as watchmen of God’s Word, we must heed the words of Isaiah: “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence” (62:6). Our function as watchmen is to warn those individuals who are entrapped by the Christianized psychological delusion. We are to be in a grace-enabled rescue operation, praying that the Lord will help us to reach those who have “ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (Revelation:2:7
,11,17,29;3:6,13,22).

By T. A. McMahon

https://www.thebereancall.org/content/vanishing-lovingkindnesses-and-tender-mercies

Guest Post: Choosing God's Will

During the temptation in the wilderness, Satan offered to give Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world...and the glory of them" (Lk 4:5-6). He was not bluffing. This world really is Satan's to give to whom he will. Jesus did not dispute Satan's boast that this world had been "delivered unto me [by God]; and to whomsoever I will I give it." The conditions upon which Satan offered this world to Christ were clear: "If you bow down and worship me"—which, of course, Jesus refused to do. Beware! For the kingdoms and glories of this world are still the favors Satan bestows in order to entice today's recipients into worshipping him.

Like their Lord, Christ's true followers refuse the kingdoms and glories of this world. This refusal includes the highly touted new world order, which will still be under Satan's control. Christ has promised believers something far better—an eternal and heavenly kingdom procured through His defeat of Satan at the cross. As a result of that victory, "the kingdoms of this world [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ" (Rev:11:15
). Worldly kingdoms will soon pass away, and in their place the kingdom of God will come to earth. Then Christ, together with those who have shared in His rejection and suffering (Acts:14:22
; Rom:8:17
; 2 Tim:2:12
), will reign in glory and ultimate joy forever.

It would be a denial of their Lord for Christians to bask in the popularity and honors which this present world may bestow upon them. That is not to say that a Christian should never be successful in business, science, the academic world, sports, etc. Indeed, Christians should be the very best they can possibly be at whatever they do. But their skill, talent and diligent efforts are expended for God's glory, not for their own. This world has no attraction for believers; they neither love it nor its plaudits. They are not swayed from the course they must run (1 Cor:9:24-27
; 2 Tim:4:7-8
) either by the world's criticism or its compliments. They know that ultimately nothing matters except God's opinion of them.

We are warned, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 Jn:2:15
). Satan is called "the god of this world" (2 Cor:4:4
), and those who love this world are siding with and honoring Satan, whether they realize it or not. Indeed, they are on the road to Satan worship, which will be the worldwide religion during the Great Tribulation (Rev:13:4
).

One obvious evidence that Christianity has been seduced by Satan is the fact that those who are highly honored by the world are, on that basis alone, given instant and special honor in the church. The Christian media fawns over a sports hero, an attractive actress, a wealthy businessman, or a highly placed politician who has supposedly become a Christian. These too-often immature, worldly new believers are paraded and lauded on Christian TV and held up to the church as heroes of the faith and role models for youth—and Christians turn out by the thousands to "ooh" and "aah" at their testimonies. Yet the humble, godly missionary, mature in the faith, who has remained true to Christ through decades of privation, temptation, hardship and danger, and who has won souls in difficult fields of labor, can scarcely draw an audience. Obviously, the average Christian admires worldly success far more than godliness. Something is badly askew!

Jesus told His disciples, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you " (Jn:15:19
). Thus, to Pilate, Jesus declared, "My kingdom is not of this world" (Jn:18:36
). He did not mean that His kingdom is totally detached from this earth, but that it is not of this world system. In fact, it stands in opposition thereto. This present world system (including the new world order), which belongs to Satan, must be destroyed for the kingdom of God to be established.

Christ came to "destroy the works of the devil" (1 Jn:3:8
), which He accomplished upon the cross (Jn:12:31-33
). Such is His purpose in all those who receive Him as Savior and Lord. The works of Satan in and through our lives, and any attachment to this world, must be destroyed so that Christ can reign in us. This goal can only be effected through the work of His cross applied to one's daily life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Only to that extent will the love of God and His will and Christlike character be manifested in the hearts and lives of believers.

The unsaved love the world. In contrast, Christians do not love the world; they love the Father. We are citizens of heaven, "from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Philippians:3:20-21
). Instead of trying to make our mark in this world and to receive its benefits and enjoy its pleasures, we seek to please the Father because we desire a heavenly and eternal reward.

The choice we face is not, as many imagine, between heaven and hell. Rather, the choice is between heaven and this world. Even a fool would exchange hell for heaven; but only the wise will exchange this world for heaven. One cannot have both: "all this and heaven, too." One cannot live both for God and for self. Many who call themselves Christians find it difficult to resist the temptations of this world and to live wholly for Christ.

Why should it be difficult to choose life instead of death, joy instead of sorrow, eternal fulfillment instead of remorse, God's truth and love instead of Satan's lies and destructive lusts? The choice is only difficult for those who are deceived by Satan, and who thus, in believing this liar, doubt and dishonor God. What an insult it is to their heavenly Father for Christians to act as though surrendering to God's will were a great sacrifice—as though exchanging this world for heaven were a bad bargain!

Motivation is a key element. One powerful motivation comes through comparing the length of eternity with one's brief life on this earth. Only a fool would trade the heavenly and eternal for that which is earthly and temporal—and, remember, one cannot have both. "Christians" who habitually live for what they can accumulate and enjoy in this present world, instead of "lay[ing] up treasures in heaven" (Mat:6:19-21
) as Christ commanded, deny with their lives the faith they profess with their lips.

Those who repeatedly, in the daily choices they face, opt for this world instead of for heaven, should not be surprised when God gives them for eternity the choice they have made. How can one complain if he is not taken in the next life to the heaven he consistently rejected in this one? Someone has said there are only two kinds of people in the world: (1) those who say to God, "Not my will, but Thine, be done," and (2) those to whom God says, "Not My will but thine be done." What a tragedy to be chained for eternity to one's own will instead of His—forever imprisoned with self and separated from God!

Christ's declaration to the Father, "Not my will, but thine, be done" (Lk 22:42) put Him on the cross. Likewise, we must deny self in submission to the cross (Mat:16:24
). That submission puts an end to self, and Christ becomes our very life, our all. This is the path of wisdom (Job 28). The wise will "shine...as the stars for ever" (Dan:12:3
) with His light in their hearts—pure vessels eternally radiating His glory. Fools will experience the blackness of darkness forever and ever because they have insisted upon doing their own thing and being their fallen selves. Man's destiny is either eternal joy in the presence of God and His angels and saints, or a lonely and eternal agony, shut up to self.

William Law had the gift of expressing with unusual clarity the choice between heaven and this world. He pointed out that a man would be considered insane who spent his life planning the house, tennis court, swimming pool, retirement condominium, etc. that he expected to build on Mars—yet someone who spent his life equally absorbed in planning, achieving and enjoying such things in this world would be respected as successful and prudent. In fact, said Law, both men are fools. The first is obsessed with a world where he cannot live—while the other is attached to a world where he cannot stay. The degree of their folly differs only by a few short years.

Jim Elliot, one of the young missionaries martyred in Ecuador in 1956, put it succinctly: "He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep in order to gain that which he cannot lose." What a tragedy to barter eternal life for the enjoyments of this brief world. The Bible does not say that sin has no pleasure; it says that the pleasures of sin can only be enjoyed "for a season" (Heb:11:25
)—and a very short season at that, particularly when compared with the endless ages of eternity. A bad bargain indeed!

The phrase "eternal life" refers not only to the quantity of the life God offers but to its quality—a quality of life that God wants us to begin to experience here and now. Jesus said that eternal life was knowing (not knowing about) God and His Son (Jn:17:3
). Paul warned that Christ would one day take vengeance upon those who "know not God" (2 Thes:1:8
). In keeping with the truth of these and similar scriptures, evangelicals profess that they don't practice a religion about God but that they have a personal relationship with God. Unfortunately, this boast has become almost a cliché—one that sounds good in theory but for which there is often little practical evidence in daily life.

Recognizing that eternity is infinitely longer than one's most optimistic life expectancy provides a powerful motivation for living for Him (and thus choosing heaven instead of this world). But to truly know God provides an even more powerful motivation.

Knowing God leads to holiness. He alone becomes one's consuming passion, displacing all other desires and overcoming the power of sin in our lives. His presence within is sufficient to satisfy every longing. For to know God is to love Him—and there is no higher motivation for obedience to His commands than love. In fact, no other motivation is accepted. It is no accident that the first commandment is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deut 6:5).

Obedience to God's laws must spring from love for Him. Otherwise, as 1 Corinthians:13:1-3
 declares, obeying the letter of the law is nothing. We could give all our possessions to the poor and submit to martyrdom at the stake in service for Christ, but if our motive is not love it would all be in vain. So it is that Christ declared, "if a man love me he will keep my words...he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings" (Jn:14:23-24
).

Loving God is the secret of the Christian life. If we truly love Him, then we want to serve and please and glorify Him. We would not want to do anything or even think a thought that would displease or dishonor Him. A genuine love for God—and only that love—produces consistent holiness and godliness in our daily lives. Love is also the great wellspring of joy and peace. It causes us to witness to the lost about us with passion and without shame. For who is ashamed of one's lover? And who does not rather speak well, boldly and continually, of the one he loves!

Where shall we find this love that we must have for God, and without which we cannot please Him? It is not hiding somewhere in our hearts waiting to be discovered. Nor is it a potential that we have which only needs to be developed. We cannot work it up. It cannot be produced by effort. This love is not in us at all. Though it involves our will and emotions, it comes from God alone.

How then is this love produced? Love is the fruit that the Spirit bears in our lives (Gal:5:22
). It is miraculous, like the fruit on a tree—something that only God could produce. Yet we are not like a tree, which has no will or emotions. Obviously, much more is involved when the Spirit bears fruit in the believer's life than is involved in fruit-bearing in nature. His love is the key.

"We love him because he first loved us" (1 John:4:19
) tells us that our love for God comes as a response to His love for us. We know of His love through His Word. Our hearts are stirred as we believe what the Bible tells us of God's love in creating us, giving His Son to die for our sins, patiently bearing our stubborn rejection, pardoning and saving us from the penalty that His holy law demands for our sin, providing heaven at infinite cost. Surely to meditate upon God's love for us must produce, by His Spirit, fervent love for Him.

Much more, however, is involved than reading and memorizing and believing what the Bible says about God and His love. Jesus reproved the Pharisees for searching the Scriptures and at the same time refusing to come to Him, the One of whom the Scriptures testified. What the Bible says about God is there in order to lead us into a personal relationship with Him. We must know not only His Word, but we must know Him personally. There is an intimacy with God that is promised to those who love and thus obey Him, an intimacy that is missing in the lives of many Christians.

To those who love and obey Him, Christ offers an incredibly wonderful promise: "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (Jn:14:21
). This promise to manifest Himself to those who love Him implies a real communication of His presence. This is more than a strong belief that He is with us. It is a spiritual manifestation of His presence.

This intimate fellowship begins at conversion with a real communication from God's Spirit to the believer's spirit. God's Spirit "beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God" (Rom:8:16
). It is not simply putting one's name in John:3:16
 and taking it "by faith." There is a knowing God, a very real knowing that we are His, and an ongoing communion with Him in prayer. This does not involve visualization, journaling or any technique, but an intimacy that He initiates and promises to maintain with those who love and obey Him.

Most people, Christians included, would jump at the chance to become an intimate friend and confidant of some world leader, perhaps an astronaut, Olympic gold medalist, the head of a multinational corporation, or a famous heart surgeon. How many, however, neglect the infinitely more wonderful opportunity to know the God who created the universe, to have continual and intimate fellowship with the One who has all power, all wisdom, all knowledge, and Who loves us immeasurably! As with anyone else, God's companionship must be cultivated. It takes time. And we will only devote the time if we really believe that we can know God and that it is worthwhile.

"He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek [not success, pleasure, health, or wealth in this world, but] him" (Heb:11:6
). God said to Abram, "I [not land or cattle or other possessions that I will bless you with, but I] am thy shield and thine exceeding great reward" (Gen:15:1
). God wants to reward us with Himself. Let us not settle for any lesser rewards, for mere gifts instead of the Giver. Let us diligently pursue this intimate fellowship with God himself that He desires for each of us.

God willing, if our Lord tarries, we will come back again later to this subject of knowing and loving God. In the meantime, let us say with David, "O God...early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee" (Ps:63:1
); and with Paul, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death" (Philippians:3:10
). And may knowing and loving God be our passion, as it was theirs.

By Dave Hunt

https://www.thebereancall.org/content/choosing-gods-will