Cedric Fisher: "earnestly contending for the faith."

Month: July 2014

The Price of Liberty

On this day America celebrates her liberty. To many people, it’s just another occasion to get high and carouse at the various festivities, bars and nightclubs. Of all freedoms our nation has secured the greatest one in my opinion is freedom of religion. It is a great thing socially, but has serious complications spiritually. Although I am grateful for that liberty, since there is no law forbidding any religion in this nation, it means that each individual must take the responsibility to guard against deception.

The fact is, there can only be one true religion. The rest must necessarily be false. A perfect God would not authorize many different religions to know and obey Him. He gave us His word whereby we might know what is true and what is false. What became known as Christianity is the only religion that is in agreement with His word. However, at the present even Christianity has become riddled with heresy to the extent that many churches and even entire denominations cannot truthfully be called Christian. Those factions pose a grave danger to anyone that does not know God’s word and that does not pray.

I am convinced that we have entered the final period when all remaining Bible prophecy will be fulfilled. We are witnessing the formation of a one-world government and a one-world religion. Cancerous hedonism and antichrist spirits are rising in the world system with incredible deception and apostasy inundating Christianity. Multitudes of people have failed to accept the responsibility of self-preservation that comes with liberty. As a result they are deeply deceived and many professing Christians have become apostate.

Therefore, as I celebrate Independence Day with my family, I cannot help but think about the millions of individuals in this nation that have lost their liberty and do not yet realize it. They accepted bondage offered under the guise of liberty. I also think about the millions Christians in other nations that are imprisoned or that live each day in full knowledge that it could be their last day of freedom or life. However, they lost and are losing their social liberty and lives because they would not give up their liberty in God. They pay the ultimate price for what professing Christians in this democratic nation give away without a thought or care.

A man that I had a great deal of respect for once said, “Only the free can set people free.” I read with great sadness that he had begun promoting paganism disguised as new revelation and is a leader in promoting ecumenism with Roman Catholicism. It was another blunt reminder that the responsibility for our spiritual liberty is ours. God provides us the means, but as free moral agents we must do more than merely confess that we believe. Lip service does little to deter the pressing contamination of sin, deception, and bondage. There must be a heart-based commitment that is nurtured by God’s word and prayer. Surprisingly, a large number of professing Christians do not believe this truth. They believe that once a confession of faith in Christ is made, there is nothing they can do to lose salvation. That is like disbanding our military and trusting in our Declaration of Independence.

I do not intend to debate anyone about the security of their salvation. Each person will ultimately face the consequences of his or her choices and beliefs. I will only say that any doctrine that permits one to be less than fully surrendered to God does not harmonize with the Scriptures. Doctrines that give us liberty to sin at will and insist that God must protect us from the eternal consequences are what have diminished love and respect for him. Further, they have allowed people to indulge in and even support apostasy with no fear of eternal consequences. Liberty came at a price; the blood of a perfect Lamb, Christ Jesus.

Finally, Over 3 ½ decades ago I entered a covenant with the Almighty God that promised me liberty and freedom from sin. Some eternal day in the future I will enter the celestial city and into God’s righteous kingdom. There will be no more sorrow, pain, sickness or death. Evil cannot enter. Slick liars and other charlatans will not gain entrance. I intend to do whatever is necessary to insure that I am not cheated out of that privilege. It means that I have to know God’s word, pray, never deny Christ Jesus, and be willing to stand up for and defend the truth. I must fight the good fight of faith for my liberty whatever the costs just as our military fought and are still fighting to keep our nation free from foreign dominance. That is the responsibility that comes with liberty. If we want to remain free, we must know the enemy and his tactics, and be willing to protect our liberty. We must count the cost and be willing to pay the price. If not, Satan will offer us a liberty that is in fact bondage. Individuals that do not wish the confinement of true Christianity will accept his offer. If we lose our spiritual liberty in such a manner, all other liberty is worthless.

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”  (1 Peter 1:13-19)

 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your bodyand in your spirit, which are God’s.”  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

The Next Great Awakening?

At the present there are a number of popular professing Christians and a number of heretics announcing the coming of another Great Awakening. It is a thing to be desired and hoped for. And I am not saying that all the ones that are hoping for another Great Awakening are heretics.  But what if we truly are in the last days? Will there be another Great Awakening when millions of professing Christians are flocking to line up behind the diabolical pied pipers of darkness.

Check out The Third Great Awakening by false prophetess Patricia King.  She does an interview with a man by the name of James Goll. Goll explains the difference between an awakening and a revival. What a load of nonsense. There is no difference between a revival and an awakening. We should not receive information from someone that declares he needs a keyboard playing to stir up his “prophetic anointing”.

Most of these heretics have not studied the history of Christian revival. Of course, the Third Great Awakening has already occurred somewhere around 1859. However, a number of the ones predicting another awakening appear to believe that there were only two Great Awakenings. Apparently, Patricia King is among that number. False prophet Rick Joyner must also be included in two-awakenings group since he also has prophesied a third Great Awakening. The Emergent heretics and other false ministers are also predicting or calling for another Great Awakening.

Where is any of this prophesied in God’s word regarding the endtimes? Of course, it is not there. How can there be a great awakening and a great apostasy at the same time? There is a remnant of God’s people. However, the fact that they have not apostatized is evidence that they do not need an awakening or a revival.

Here is what I believe is occurring. I believe that in the endtimes there will be fewer signs and wonders occurring in the churches. The reason for this is the fact that people have left their first love. They are in fact in love with the world system and all its offerings. John declared that if one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 John 2:15). The vacuum created by the lack of power being manifested in Christian assemblies has been filled by heretics producing false signs and wonders. Indeed, God’s word declares that the lawless one is coming with all power, signs, lying wonders, and all unrighteous deception. Consider the passage in context.

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)

The “lawless one”, the “son of perdition”, and the “man of sin” are one and the same, who is the Antichrist. His coming is according to the working of Satan. In other words, there must be a significant working of Satan before he can be manifested. That “working” is manifested as all power, signs, lying wonders, and unrighteous deception in the apostates and most likely the adherents of the religions that they united with. It doesn’t sound like a true revival or great awakening, but a false revival or great awakening. It is occurring because of unrighteous deception among the ones who did not receive the love of the truth. In fact, how could there be a great revival or great awakening occurring at the same time a massive false revival or great awakening was occurring? Historically, the great revivals or awakenings put an end to the encroachment of wickedness and turned the people’ hearts back to God.

In my opinion, a large number of professing Christians became lukewarm because of their obsession and indulgence in the world system. A significant number of pastors desperate to revive them begin inviting people who advertized signs and wonders, and of course a pandering message along the lines of the hyper-faith doctrine. However, it is a fact that revival does not necessarily come by signs and wonders. Instead, the signs follow those who believe (Mark 16:17). This means that signs and wonders follow revival, not vice versa. Therefore, when there are signs and wonders, but people are lukewarm and/or seeped with heresy and deception, it cannot be a revival but a working of Satan.

True revival begins with deep conviction of sin that leads to repentance. Revival is bringing back to life that which is weak, near dead, or dead. But the present generations of professing Christians do not want revival. They do not want the pain and discomfort conviction brings and they certainly do not want to repent. Repentance means they must give up the things that are causing their spiritual decrepitude. They are unwilling to cease gorging on sports, dramas, sitcoms, and all else that has captured their hearts. It is inconvenient to them to pray, study God’s word, and do ministry. They desire a quick fix for their lack of spirituality.

Therefore, Satan’s emissaries have inundated the Christian religion with the very things that most professing Christians want. Does anyone believe that Satan could sell his wares to people that want Christ more than anyone or anything else? He is sending out his lying spirits that are working through willing subjects to produce what appears as the works of the Holy Spirit. This working begins with all power. Christ declared that all power had been given to Him, so this endtimes phenomenon of power working in otherwise apathetic and heresy-ridden people is a lie. The signs and wonders manifested in the fraudulent revival are also a lie. However, professing Christians filled with all unrighteous deception will flock by the thousands and tens of thousands to fill churches, conference halls, and stadiums, to revel in the pungent outpouring of spiritual wickedness.

When we see the leaders of mega churches, denominations, and Christian organizations, supporting ecumenism with Mormonism, Islam, Roman Catholicism, etc, we are seeing the formation of a one world religion. When we hear of mega churches, denominations, Christian organizations, etc, flagrantly practicing and promoting Contemplative Spirituality and New Age mysticism, we are witnessing the means by which innumerable professing Christians are being demonized and are apostatizing. When we see great multitudes of professing Christians racing to and fro seeking the next great outpouring of signs and wonders, we are witnessing the spiritual harlotry that will bring the lawless one, the man of sin, the son of perdition, the Antichrist, into power.

Make no mistake about it. The world system and the religious realm are converging just a short distance down the prophetic road. Every true Christian can expect to be attacked by the spirit of deception using as its bait something that looks very similar to a work of God. False apostles and deceitful workers transform themselves into apostles of Christ, and Satan’s ministers transform themselves into ministers of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). True Christians need to quit looking for signs and wonders and begin focusing on Christ. We need to become so acquainted with Him that we know when the false workers of Satan arrive. There is little time to prepare one’s spirit in this regard. His sheep hear His voice. They will follow Him and no other. When the herd says, “Look, God is moving over there, come with us and see,” we must refuse to go with them. God may speak in a still, small voice, and He may move in still, small places in the times of the greatest cacophony of demonic voices. He moved with Elijah by the brook Cherith during a great apostasy of Israel. My point is, if we cannot find Him in our hearts with all His power and joy, there is no need to seek Him elsewhere.

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