Daily WATCH! Volume 3 Issue 13 Thursday, September 25, 2003

THE TIME OF INSANITY

By Randy Loudenslager

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan . . . that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

de·lu·sion
Pronunciation: di-'lü-zh&n, dE-
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin delusion-, delusio, from deludere
Date: 15th century
1 a : the act of deluding : the state of being deluded b : an abnormal mental state characterized by the occurrence of psychotic delusions
2 a : something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated b : a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self

God, in plain English, tells us that in the last days He will send insanity upon the earth. God tells us that the world will delight in wickedness. I say take a look around you. If you have eyes to see and ears to hear what God is saying then you can see that this planet is most certainly insane.

Many of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, are experiencing loneliness right now. A true friend at this time seems more precious than a sip of water in the Sahara desert. Our churches are friendly and yet you are beginning to feel alien even there. Our families are precious and yet they seem, just like so many at church, to be not quite interested in prophetic end-time events. We hear so much speculation and so many prophetic utterances that we are left scratching our heads in confusion. This isn't your experience? Keeping the truth to yourselves? In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:12-13)

Tell me, what do you expect? `No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
(John 15:20) The LORD has commanded us, stand firm! Know what you believe and believe what you know. Do not step to the right or the left, we have a friend in Jesus! He says to us that we are his friends if we obey his commands. You knew that these days were coming. The signs are in your Bible. It is time to stop up your ears from all the voices and seek refuge in the Word of the LORD. I'm lonely too. I am blessed by my family, but there are few friends to be had by a zealot. The day may come when I will have no friends. But one thing I will always have . . . my LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. He promised to be with me to the very end of the age. That's right to the very last day! He promised that if I stand firm to the end, either the end of my life or the end of this age, that I will be saved through the resurrection. I believe him! My loneliness comes from having so few to discuss the truth with, but my God's grace is sufficient for me, and it is sufficient for you to!

Our God is a mighty God! Our God is not negative. To our God the glass is always half full, in fact, it is overflowing! Should our faith be any different? Can one have true faith and see nothing but the disparity of life at the same time? Never! We must press on toward the goal, we must win the race!

Did Jesus know loneliness and rejection? ALL, but the twelve left Jesus because they could not take his teachings.

The world speaks wonderful things about the 'man' Jesus, but the world loves wickedness more than truth. It is utterly insane and it will not believe that Jesus Christ is God! The time of insanity has begun. The time of love grown cold is here. The time for Israel to rebel is very close. The stage is set and the curtain is opening. Strengthen what is left of your faith, the ride has only just begun. Stumble we will, but get back up! To stay down means to become insane and fall away from the faith! Seek refuge in God and he will strengthen you.

Some of you have confided in me that you feel like just going to the most secluded place you can find to escape the ugliness of it all. You are not wrong to feel that way, but don't dwell in those thoughts. You are soldiers and duty calls! Whatever you do, do not let your love grow cold. Love your enemies and expect no kindness back. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
(Ephesians 6:14-18)

This is the time to prepare! The insane will grow more insane and wickedness will flourish. The signs point the way to salvation, but the road is perilous. Cleave onto Jesus Christ and watch Jerusalem and the sky. Tribulation must take place, but rejoice always knowing that our LORD has not forsaken us.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:10-16