Romans 8 tells us of our lot in the world, as believers, when worldly leaders have control. When men not impacted by the Spirit of God, but by the Spirit of Lucifer, gain power; it is then that the lot of we believers is clearly not what we in this country have been used to. The United States once was governed by godly principles, but this is no longer the case, and persecution looms ever closer in these United States.

If you are an avid student of scripture then you are aware that when evil reigns the people suffer. This is not a foreign concept to believers, although persecution may have been understood by US believers to not be for us personally, still we are not immune. If that has been our thinking it came about because we have not yet experienced it.

This thinking occurred for a reason. Believing Christ has often been shown to result in persecution. It seems to happen in biblical examples of the history of God’s people for good reason. God blesses His given nation and the people become complacent taking those blessings for granted, and over time losing same.

I have for some time, along with others, suggested that we turn from this state and back to walking daily with Christ taking nothing for granted. If the church does not set the example then the nation has no possibility of following, and those of us who do love God and His word must understand what then is coming. Suffering for Christ occurs not when good men rule, but when men and their leaders turn away in their ways from understanding what is good and godly.

What is happening within the leadership in American, is occurring for a reason. This makes this a time for introspection. We can’t continue blaming other segments of the church body for the ills of the land. We each bear some responsibility.

One purpose for which we attend church is so that the Holy Spirit will be able to speak to us in our inner man about things that concern Him — about us. If we attend a church that only tickles our ears and never speaks to what God wants to do within us then we may not want to hear God’s Spirit, when He does speak to us. We then may quench the Spirit even as we are warned.

When is the last time that you felt or accepted the conviction of God in your inner man? Do you always come away from Church feeling good?

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (NASB1995)

A myth in this case is a fiction concerning one’s idea of doctrine or truth. A myth is anything but the truth. We had best take inventory, because even if we are not hearing, God is still speaking.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.