September - October 2003

Word of Prophecy

NEWSLETTER

Hard Times Are On The Horizon

By Bro. Ray Pringle, Sr.

The archaic guidelines that have their origin in the word of God are no longer tolerable to the unbelievers that crowd today's churches. They have suddenly realized that they, after all, are the majority. These old Bible guidelines are a threat to their ideal of absolute permissiveness _ "love is God, our kind of love _ holiness must go!"

In the United States and Western-cultured nations, a militantly hostile paganism, absorbed in a form of religion, has arisen, viciously intent upon the elimination of the people who insist that God rules this whole universe, punishes all sin, reveals Himself in the Bible, and only through the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, is there Redemption from Sin and Hell.

Rebellion against authority, permissiveness in behaviour, rejection of Biblically established patterns of morals and ethics, and a despising of that which gets specific and dogmatic about God are the most dominating signs of the age in which we live.

SELF-DESTRUCTION!

We are destroying ourselves! We have rebelled against our God and His inexorable laws! God's laws, when ignored or arrogantly broken, like the mighty tides of the sea, sweep men and nations into the great judgments of God. This is a moral universe, established by God under His moral laws, and whatsoever a person or nation sows, they will also reap. "They [we] have sown the wind, and they [we] shall reap the whirlwind." Hosea 8:7; Galatians 6:7-8. God has warned: "Be sure your sin will find you out." Numbers 32:23.

Let me warn you: If you are a churchgoer or follower of Jesus Christ for what you can get out of it, or because it is a pleasant way of life, may I suggest that you get off the bandwagon now while the getting is good. The road ahead for a real saint of God is going to be a rough one.

GOD'S WARNING TO THE U.S. & WESTERN NATIONS

God's umbrella of divine protection which we have enjoyed for over three centuries, will soon be withdrawn as God's prophets have warned in graphic detail:

1) "I hearkened and heard, but they spake not

aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle … lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them? …Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they [God's professing people] fall among them [unbelievers] that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the Lord. I will surely consume them, saith the Lord: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them." Jeremiah 8:6-13.

2) "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them." Jeremiah 18:9-10.

3) "But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the Lord." Jeremiah 12:17.

4) "By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away." Hosea 4:2-3. God is going to take away our luxuries and goodies!

WHO IS TO BLAME?

Again the Prophet Jeremiah lays this indictment at the pulpit _ Why did Israel die internally, and was led into captivity and painful banishment from God's favor? Answer: "For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests [preachers], that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her." Lamentations 4:13. Further the prophet lamented, "Our fathers have sinned, and are not [they're dead]; and we have borne their iniquities [we are reaping what our rebellious preachers and parents sowed]." Lamentations 5:7. The blood of the just (saints) will be shed here in our beloved land that rebellious Americans have defiled. We have lost our favored status with God, and we're destroying ourselves!

WE'RE POLLUTED

God's Word declares sin and rebellion will separate an individual, or men and nations from God. A person or nation is either godly or ungodly _ and God will not walk with a rebellious or sinful person _ neither will He bless and be the God of a nation that is polluted in excessive wickedness, to wit:

1) "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:2.

2) "Thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness … thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed." Jeremiah 3:2-3.

3) "How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" Jeremiah 5:7-9.

4) "This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth." Jeremiah 7:28.

GODLESS SOCIETY

What conditions caused God's prophet to cry out, "Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail [real Christians possessing integrity] from among the children of men?" Psalms 12:1.

The answer: A godless generation had arisen. But why? The answer is:

1) The people were double-hearted, that is, they were liars and deceitful workers. Verse 2.

2) The people arrogantly asserted, "Who is Lord over us?" verse 4. They were not answerable to God or His Word _ they declared foolishly!

3) The wicked walked on every side, that is, encompassed God's people, because wicked men were exalted and honored. Verse 8. These are the prevalent social and religious conditions in America right now _ and we are an ungodly and unrighteous society in the midst of a massive pretense of self-righteousness, which is hypocrisy.

A GRAPH OF OUR DECADENCE

God has prophetically and graphically shown to us the spiritual profile of all nations, in detail: "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity.. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity ... Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity [rebellion]; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not … Judgment is far from us; neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night … we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God … for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yeah, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey [he that lives holy will be persecuted] … And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor." Isaiah 59:2-16.

OUR WRETCHEDNESS

"I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming ... therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the Lord … We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!" Jeremiah 8:6-7, 12 & 15.

NO NATION CAN ENDURE THE DEADLY PAINS NOR SURVIVE THE DESTRUCTION OF ITS NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF HOME, CHURCH, AND SCHOOL FOR LONG AMID A BREAKDOWN IN DISCIPLINE, AUTHORITY, AND A WILLINGNESS TO WORK.

OUR PROBLEM IS MORAL, NOT POLITICAL

Men can change the world about us, but are powerless to change themselves. In the first chapter of Romans, God reveals why He has given up on great civilizations and their perverted societies of the past: (1) They dishonor their own bodies between themselves _ verse 24; (2) They changed the truth of God into a lie _ verse 25; (3) Sexual perversion abounded, sodomites, men with men and women with women _ verses 26 & 27; (4) They did not want God to interfere in their pursuit of perverted pleasure _ verse 28. Lust demons by the millions are likewise influencing our society into a pagan exploitation of sex. Millions of Americans scoff at sexual purity, and marriage is mocked. Our homes are collapsing _ discipline is rapidly disappearing and degenerating into an animalistic lack of self-control. Racial strife that simmers beneath an avalanche of Civil Rights laws will soon erupt into bitter fury upon this loveless and hopelessly ill society. This nation is full of bums, felons, scalawags, arsonists, murderers, rapists, rebels and savages of every race, color, and breed. Our homes and school system do not teach the fear of God, discipline, patriotism, nor responsibility. Our nation, or any other nation cannot endure such a deadly assault by this ungodly horde of rebellious ones. Humanism and atheism are totally corrupting our manners and morals. I Corinthians 15:33.

AMERICA'S GOD IS NOT THE GOD OF THE BIBLE _ IT IS PLEASURE! FELLOW AMERICANS _ WE ARE DESTROYING OURSELVES! WE HAVE SOWN THE SINS OF OUR OWN DESTRUCTION BY DIVINE JUDGMENTS!

THE OBITUARY OF A GREAT NATION THAT DESTROYED

ITSELF!

America is an enigma to the whole world as our enemies and friends alike behold the dissipation of our energies and virtues in a lifestyle that is more like animals than of men created in the image of God. These are witnesses to a tragic drama _ watching as we destroy ourselves from inner decay, amid rising violence and crime. An entire book of our Holy Bible was written of a once godly nation that died from inner decay and violence _ the obituary of Israel written in the Lamentations of Jeremiah, Israel's weeping prophet, to wit:

"How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies [this is happening to the USA]… the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed … Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness [this is America's spiritual plight]: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter." Lamentations 1:1-9.

What were the underlying causes of this judgment from the Lord upon Israel [or upon your nation]? In the words of the prophet is the answer found: "Thy prophets [preachers] have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity [rebellion against God's Word], to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment." Lamentation 2:14. This sounds just like today's religious folly _ "do something religious, but don't live a holy, sanctified life in the fear of God" _ but unfortunately for millions, God won't accept anything less than holiness and godliness.

Another prophet of God had warned Israel of their rebellion: "Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction." Micah 2:10.

AMERICA IS A POLLUTED SOCIETY FILLED WITH SPIRITUAL DECAY, MORAL FILTH, VIOLENCE, AND SODOMITES.

WE ARE POLLUTED!

God's prophet cried out, "How canst thou say, I am not polluted? … thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withholden." Jeremiah 2:23; 3:2-3.

ABORTION: THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT

"Innocent blood shed" _ "Violence is in their hands" _ "Truth falleth in the street, none pleadeth for the truth" _ "We know our sins" _ "We're departed away from our God" (Isaiah 59:7-15): all these accusations come from the pointing finger of God to your country. Innocent blood of unborn babies, abortions that our governments pay for, is defiling this land, and the blood of over a million innocent victims each year cry out for God's judgments. This inhuman massacre of innocents by cutthroat doctors, perverted legislators, and sadistic women demands terrible retribution to our nation by a Holy God that is outraged by these abominations.

WE CANNOT SAVE

OURSELVES!

This generation is heading into a Gathering Storm of God's judgments _ Famine, Pestilence, and Terrorism! God's rebuke to Israel is applicable to this entire rebellious generation: "According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me … O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities?" Hosea 13:6-10.

Let me remind you, America and the Western World, the highways of history are strewn with the debris and ruin of many great nations and empires that forgot God and rebelled against His Word!

BURY OUR HEADS IN THE SAND? NO!

We must not bury our heads in the sand as the proverbial ostrich and feebly hope our distressing troubles and painful ills will go away. Every day, open your eyes and look _ our distresses and confusion increase in intensity _ these will soon erupt into a deafening fury _ into the rising, predicted "Gathering Storm." Sinister forces of evil precipitate global and national crises which are inflicting their deadly pains into government, home, church, school _ into the whole economic and political spectrum!

No society can survive the dissolution of its basic fountainhead of strength _ the national institutions of home and church. Discipline has all but disappeared from both _ and, there are very few remaining voices who speak with authority for fear of arousing the ire of children or church members. We

must turn back to God's book of authority and discipline _ the Holy Bible, or, God's people will suffer the fate of the rebellious. God pleads with His people: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah 1:18-20.

Beloved, let's submit to God's book of authority and regain (or retain) God's favor for ourselves and our families as the approaching "Gathering Storm" of violence, moral corruption, natural disasters, depression, and persecution to God's saints creeps ever closer.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Our own sins and abominations will surely destroy America and the Western Nations unless there is a revival of true repentance beginning with God's own people! To wit:

"If I shut up heaven that there be no rain [and this judgment of God will soon fall upon us], or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people [and God will very soon]; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways [Repent]; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:13-14.

The shadows are lengthening _ spiritual darkness is falling upon us swiftly. What is lurking in the shadows and darkness into which we are entering? As God showed His revelation to His prophet, Noah, before the storm and destruction of the Great Flood (Noah's responsibility was to warn others), our responsibility is to warn this generation of the endtime. May God give you ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to His own people.

A SOURCE OF VICTORY

How can we and our families meet this Satanic and demonic challenge _ to overcome the buffeting and depressions we're encountering in all our efforts to please God and to save our families? Here's the answer: "For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Therefore also NOW, saith the LORD, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil … Blow the trumpet in Zion [wake up the church], sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly [not a hootenanny or sing-in]: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble … the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet [it is time to quit honeymooning and Disney World-ing for real saints]. Let the priest, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them [the heathen is ruling in most churches]: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?" Joel 2:11-17. Hallelujah, what a sight expressed prophetically of the persecuted and harassed church of Jesus Christ in the Gathering Storm _ elders and youth, mothers and fathers, brides and bridegrooms, children and preachers together mourning and weeping, fasting and making intercession unto the Lord for His compassion on the church and nation!

The End

-- 6 --

WHAT IS HUMANISM?

HUMANISM:

Denies the deity of God, the inspiration of the Bible, and the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Denies the existence of the soul, life after death, salvation, heaven, damnation and hell.

Denies the biblical account of creation.

Believes that there are no absolutes _ no right or wrong _ and that moral values are self-determined and situational. Do your own thing "as long as it does not harm anyone else."

Believes in removal of distinctive roles of male and female.

Believes in sexual freedom between consenting individuals regardless of age, including premarital sex, homosexuality, and incest.

Believes in the right to abortion, euthanasia (mercy killing), and suicide.

Believes in equal distribution of America's wealth in order to reduce poverty and bring about equality.

Believes in control of the environment and control and limitation of energy.

Believes in removal of American patriotism, the free enterprise system, disarmament, and creation of a one-world socialistic government.

HUMANISM IS REFERRED TO BY HUMANISTS AS A "FAITH" AND A "RELIGION".

Humanism was declared by the United States Supreme Court to be a religion. Does this religion have effective Sunday Schools? Not exactly. It has effective Monday through Friday schools. That's right. Our public schools. Doesn't the Constitution require separation of church and state? Yes, indeed. However, schools are rapidly changing from traditional education to "change agents" for humanism. Who pays for it? We all do.

Word of Prophecy Newsletter

Published by: Word of Prophecy Fellowship

P O Box 10200, Jacksonville, FL 32247

WWW.WordOfProphecy.org

Editor Bro. Ray Pringle, Jr.

an ordained minister of the

Calvary Chapel Church of God, Inc.

Associate Editor ... June Carpenter

Copyrighted - All rights reserved