Cedric Fisher: "earnestly contending for the faith."

Do We Really Need to be Prepared for the Last Days?

It is evident that antichrists and false prophets, teachers, and apostles will dominate Christianity and despots will dominate the nations by the time the Man of Sin arrives. When a sufficient number of professing Christians and secular people believe evil is good, and good is evil, they will elect ungodly individuals to the highest offices in the religious and secular divisions. Ever wonder how close we are in our nation to that happening? How close is Christianity to being dominated by heretics and other diabolical individuals? How close are the democratic nations from committing that error? It appears that we are already inundated with bad leadership and fighting a losing battle to even curb the infiltration. The rise of diabolical people to principal leadership in the world could result in a global government and cashless global economy. These key events and subsequent events, such as worldwide oppressive antichristian laws and a one-world religion, would put a great strain on the Remnant of God’s people. And I am not referring to the Tribulation Period.

Although many individuals believe all the inhumane events will come immediately after the Tribulation period begins, there are no verses in the Scriptures that declare that. Yes, there will be brutal persecution during the Tribulation, but it has already begun in many nations. Additionally, it is not logical to believe that all will be well one day and the next day the world will be plunged into satanic darkness. There will necessarily be a number of tumultuous transitional precursory years becoming increasingly harsher as the Tribulation Period arrives. I believe that we are in that transitional season evidenced by widespread godlessness and inhumane persecution of Christians in other nations.

We do not have any solid information as to when or how long a one-world government and cashless economy, or even a one-world church may exist before the advent of the Tribulation. Furthermore, we do not know how many one-world leaders might rule before Antichrist ascends to power and begins his ruthless reign. The United Nations is one worldwide crisis away from becoming a one-world government. The Roman Catholic Church, ecumenical movement in Protestantism, The World Council of Churches, World Parliament of Religions, and the invasion of Christianity by New Age doctrine and practices, make it very possible for a one-world church to quickly form.

In my opinion, God is allowing the faith of true Christians to be severely tested to prepare them to endure. It is representative of God’s mercy. Why would God allow us to enter such a period unprepared and incapable of surviving it? He knows what we need spiritually and mercifully allows a series of increasingly difficult trials to equip us. The testing will stimulate His people to the greatest exercise of faith providing optimum strength and perseverance. Could that potential to endure be the “oil” that they need to keep their lamps burning to the end?

Because in our nation Christians have been accustomed to peace and prosperity, as a result we are soft and not spiritually strong. We also have the sense of elitism, i.e., that we are immune to the type of persecution occurring in other nations. It is essential for God to prepare us to endure that season of unprecedented hardships. Christ warns of the need to prepare for the last days or suffer the consequences (Luke 12:42-48). Sadly, numerous professing Christians are refusing to endure those preparatory trials. They have become spiritually satisfied, apathetic, complacent, distracted, religious elitists. Thus, they compromise and focus on the temporal realm to procure whatever it takes to maintain their comfort zones.

It has led to escapism, i.e., the belief that American Christians will escape persecution although the rest of Christianity may suffer. Instead of being alarmed by the encroaching wickedness, they are excited the more ominous it becomes because they believe they are leaving the world for heaven. They will not do anything to prepare or to even oppose the evil advance. Warn them that they may suffer and they turn away in disgust. In near-complete apathy about the need to prepare, they insist that God will provide smooth sailing and then catch them away before they have to suffer. Perhaps they are right, but they should consider that true Christians have not historically been spared persecution. Further, they should recognize that the majority of Christians are undergoing persecution at this very moment around the world. Are those precious Believers as worth of escape as we are? Additionally, they should realize that significant eschatological Scriptures indicate that great and nearly inescapable deception and apostasy will occur before the Antichrist appears (Matthew 24:4 & 24; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Timothy 3:1-9). For that to occur it is very probable that the majority of professing Christians will have ceased to be salt, light, and no longer clothed in God’s armor standing steadfast in the faith exposing and resisting Satan’s subterfuges (Matthew 5:13 & 16; Philippians 2:14; Ephesians 6:10-18; Ephesians 5:11-13; 1 Peter 5:5-9).

The majority of professing Christians in this nation do not, or refuses to, realize the danger. The warnings have no effect to alert them to what should be obvious indicators that the Endtime has arrived. Too many preachers have excited them with the promise of escaping persecution. Therefore, their fruit has degraded to compromised and distorted Christianity with just enough truth to convince them that they are not in danger. Consequently, they are spiritually anemic, blind, and deaf with apathy, enamored with the world system. God has sent watchmen to warn them but those warnings are mostly ignored.

While the primary reaction to the watchmen is to ignore them, numerous individuals have stated something to the effect that they are “sick and tired” of all the watchmen’s negativism. Indeed they are “sick and tired,” but the “sickness” is from leaking spiritual energy due to loving the world system and the “tiredness” is the result of a continuous diet of spiritual pabulum. Some are sick and weak because of feasting near continuously via TV on the substance of heretics and the world system. The mercy of God sends the watchmen but they complain about the wake-up call from God.

Complicating their deliverance are numerous false love merchants who peck and caw at the watchmen and their anointed warnings. They demand that the watchmen tone down their warnings with false love, which is actually a form of satanic hatred. I have witnessed the allure of false love attract and placate numerous professing Christians. They have been wooed under false shepherds whose homilies consist of everything from psychobabble to New Age heresy stuffed with much televangelist heterodoxy. In my opinion, the false love merchants are equivalent to and likely possessed by the same spirits of the false prophets that plagued and deceived Israel (Ezekiel 13).

Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord God. – Ezekiel 13:8

“If a man should walk in a false spirit and speak a lie, saying, ‘I will prophesy to you of wine and drink,’ Even he would be the prattler of this people.” – Micah 2:11

The most dangerous environment compromised and weak professing Christians could be in is the last day’s climate of heresy, deception, apostasy, false love, peace, and security. They may be psychologically comfortable but that is the way deception begins. God’s convicting word and the Holy Spirit disturbs worldly ordered minds. Likewise, the warnings of His watchmen pierce and disturb minds that are sedated by false peace, security, and love.

I warn individuals who circumvent that holy disturbance by disparaging the watchmen and criticizing or marginalizing their warnings. They are in grave danger of eternal damnation. Sending souls to their destruction by shielding them from the only hope of deliverance is an especially egregious sin.

“For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13)

God’s love compels Him to provoke the revival of even the barely glowing embers of dying faith. The great majority of professing Christians have such a weak glow of dying faith that they do not realize any remaining benefits of faith. Desire for “faith” that allows them to remain earthly, sensual, and devilish makes them susceptible to the alluring call of heretics and hirelings. Thus, they are attracted to church meetings that provide emotional stimulation that the carnal mind is comfortable with. The deception is that stimulation feels to them like spirituality, but it is no different than what one might experience at a sports event.

People do not depart those church meetings with faith that can face persecution. They remain barely capable of enduring a weekly portion of life’s common woes.

Nominal Christianity does absolutely nothing for the welfare of souls. In fact, the practice of barren church meetings is a facilitator of deception. When sensationalism and subsequent excitement mimics the stirring of the Holy Spirit, individuals believe they are okay. If they were genuinely longing for God’s presence, and their hearts were genuinely stirred, a different emotion would likely be their reaction. They might be praying and crying out for revival fire as one dying from hunger and thirst cries out for food and water. Instead, they crave and seek the comfortable but poisonous words of hirelings and heretics. Only the watchmen can possibly break through that cloud of deception.

Consequently, all over Christendom in America, there are great parties echoing from the regions of the deceived, deluded, and damned. It is well past time for the ones who can still hear the watchmen’s call to awaken. The night is coming when no one can work. Slumbering in the shadows hand in hand with other deceived ones is not a safe place to endure the descending great evil storm. The whitewashed walls of false Christianity will come down in a fury of God’s judgment (Ezekiel 13). The false workers of iniquity that impersonate servants of God will manifest as cohorts of Antichrist. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken (Hebrews 12:27-28). Does anyone wish to enter that period trusting in what makes them comfortable and happy but instead poisons their souls with sickness and spiritual anemia?

I wonder what percentage of professing Christians realizes how close we are to the breaking forth of that great darkness. Individuals have publicly declared they enjoy killing an unborn baby.1 When will people in America declare they would love to witness or personally kill Christian? Imagine that the same premise for killing nearly 60 million babies (they were inconvenient) is employed to brutal persecute and murder Christians in our nation. If anyone believes that is impossible they should read the story of the Jewish Holocaust.

Please realize that a sufficient degree and callousness for brutality currently exists in the radical socialists who daily foam out their rage in our country. The brutality and rage is barely restrained by a thin membrane of the civilized sense of decency. Furthermore, Islam has proven to be an incubator for such brutality. Only our nation’s current leadership holds back such brutal terrorism. The portentous reality is that we are only as secure as the next federal election results. With the daily rage and demands for everything from transgenderism to abolishment of the Second Amendment, we are witnessing more than a coalition of extreme political and cultural activists. We are also witnessing evidence of weakness in the ineffectiveness of individuals that should be opposing and subduing the wickedness. There was little opposition to Hitler before he ruptured the sense of decency to coldly murder millions of God’s people.

I firmly believe that if a catching away of God’s people were to occur today, a relatively small number would vanish from the earth. The warnings to wake up and the time to prepare are rapidly approaching the point of irrelevance. When that deadline is reached, one could get on his or her knees and beg a loved one to heed and turn, but to no avail. If their ears refuse to hear and their eyes refuse to see, at some point in the last days the individual will become irrevocable unresponsive (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

“If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” (Like 16:31).

Christ rose from the dead. His words are easily available and His spokespersons are clear and faithfully warning people. But deceived and unresponsive individuals will not heed the watchmen. However, the watchmen will continue warn until the midnight cry is heard. Then it will be too late to respond. Afterward, one of the saddest and bitterest cries will be heard across the earth and then in the corridors of hell throughout eternity—“Too late! Too late! Too late!”

Wake up now while there is still time!

  1. I Love Abortion; Shocking Confessions about Abortions

11 Comments

  1. Aaron Easton

    Thanks for a great article–wondering, Is the mid-trib rapture being defended here?
    Thx Aaron

    2488 Sanchez Dr

    • C.H. Fisher

      No Aaron, I am not presenting or defending any timing for the rapture. No matter what one’s rapture timing is, he or she needs to understand that attempting to coast to the finish line might not end well. We are told numerous times to prepare and to endure. We had better prepare to endure a difficult period leading up to the beginning of the Tribulation.
      Thanks.

  2. ken hall

    I agree with your estimate of the few who will be “caught up” if it -the rapture of the saints. happened tomorrow. With every day that goes by, more people are getting deceived by fraudulent ministries and the ” spiritual gurus” they freely want to follow. Folks do not want the truth of Scripture, and do not know that their precarious state of being will lead them into perdition. As you noted, They are “smack dab and right in the middle” of the deception of 2 Thess. 2:8-10. They have believed the lie of the devil and will perish in hell with him, except the repent (almost an unheard of word in most assemblies today).

    Maybe a few will do that if we keep writing and warning with steadfastness and speaking the Biblical truth about their “soul disaster” that is gathering steam with the advent of the little horn who is also called the antichrist.

    Truly, I do not believe the current administration in Washington will endure the term that we are now in. We need to be prepared with, “oil in our lamps” to keep warning folks, unexhaustedly contending for the faith that was ONCE delivered unto the saints. As you say, we (Bible believing, faithful, true Christians) may be martyred for speaking up against this prince of the power of the air. My wife Barb and me quote Eph. 6: 10 -18 to the Lord each day and ask Jesus for the armor of God, that He so graciously provides for those who know their need for it and ask for it.. I will stop now and recommend to your readers that they get real in preparing for that day that is soon coming “when no man or woman can work”. I say along with you Cedric, “WAKE UP” before the door closes!!
    ps…Here is another passage of Scripture that we say to the Lord every day, telling Jesus that we want to be in that number when the saints (faithful, saved ones) go marching in. Luke 21:33-36 reads in the King James “(33) Heaven and earth shall pass away but My (Jesus) Word will not pass away. (34) Take heed unto yourselves (us Christians) lest at any time your heart be overcharged with surfeiting (partying), and drunkenness, and the cares of this life so that day (the Day of Christ , the catching away) comes upon you (Christian) unawares. (35) for as a snare (trap) shall it come on (all) those who dwell on the face of the whole earth (36) WATCH ye (Christian) therefore that you may be “accounted worthy” to ESCAPE ALL these things that SHALL come to pass ,( the great tribulation), and to STAND before the Son of Man.” That was Jesus speaking, telling us to be ready when He comes to get us!!!

    • C.H. Fisher

      Yes, we are told repeatedly to “watch” and prepare. If all we had to do was coast to the finish, why not replax and enjoy the ride? However, if in this nation Christians are going to join the rest of the world under persecution before the Tribulation begins, we had better take heed and prepare. I am deeply concerned about so many professing Christians that are in total apathy. I do not even know if many of them can be awakened at this point.

  3. Christine

    Thank you again for your timely and urgent message for us. Let us not “grow weary in doing good”. It is getting very dark out there in the world. Let us keep speak the truth of God’s Word into the darkness, and I pray He will bring many into the Light of Jesus. All for His glory!

  4. Linda

    I see the signs all around too of how it is getting so dark out there. I live in an area where I see so much hostility and don’t know if it’s just here, but it’s like you can’t make a move without catching someone’s evil eye, whether it is racial, political, spiritual, or just being in traffic or taking up space and oxygen in the universe it seems! The sin that is glorified, the hate that is directed at us as Christians, the evil that is legalized, the list goes on as we all know. They are callous as they proudly parade their sin with contempt for all godly laws. As for wishing the death of Christians, put a check mark on that item too, Cedric. I read already a few years ago on a blog (The Last Hiker) about that satanic heavy metal singer that is linked to Ryan Ries, I forgot his name but it can be googled, making a comment to that effect. And that is the guy that is invited to do worship in many a Calvary Chapel. Yeah, talking about evil infiltration, but that is just one iota of it all. It was an intentional infiltration to deceive the church in every way from the new age to embracing sin, and so forth.

    Ugh, and tell me about it. I have been a voice of warning and of course no one listens. They are all willfully asleep, sedated by deception. They can’t fathom the thought that they would have to suffer persecution for the Lord. I truly sense it that we are on the cusp of that time ‘when no man can work.’ I read the prelude to the Holocaust too and it is almost an exact parallel. And the slumber! But we seem to be in one of the stages right before the last one. When people are fired for speaking out, for having an opinion, for using their freedom of speech, for not going along with the group think. Many fall away in these earlier stages. The final stage is where they see that we will resist all attempts to turn from the Lord and His ways, and they will just zero in for the kill.
    “And I heard the angel of the waters saying, ‘Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.’ ” Revelation 16; 5-6

    But ugh, they always get into this rapture timing thing. Like that is the issue, grasping at straws as if some eschatological timing can comfort and assuage their newfound panic and bursted bubble of comfort. I have my views and they are not pretrib. But, that is besides the point. The point is; are you ready, are you prepared for the coming storm? To stand up for Jesus at ALL cost, including your life? To be steadfast and firm in the faith when bad times hit? Sadly, most are not. And that is the warning: Be prepared! Get ready! It will be too late when the storm arrives. (Hint: It’s not about stockpiling and bunkers.)

    The time is fast approaching when we will stand at that fork in the road:
    choosing between loyalty to Jesus and His Word, or our livelihoods, our houses, our careers, our retirement package, our kids college fund, our friends, our reputation for employment, you name it. And what will most professing Christians choose? Will they cave and go with the lgbt agenda to keep any of these things? Will they cave for abortion, false religion, false unity with sin, any of these agenda items of satan, in order to maintain their well procured kingdoms? Their nest eggs? All while soothing themselves that it’s ‘not that bad after all’? Not being ‘too legalistic’? And a host of other sooth saying whispers from satan? They convince themselves that they can have both, that Jesus will love them anyway, because… after all… that’s ‘who He is.’ They have not read the Bible. “Depart from Me, you who practice iniquity!” does not resonate in their memory banks nor in their spirits. Songs that sing about how ‘you can never run too far from God’s love’ tickle their ears as they down another beer at the bar, eyes glazed over as they swallow another meaningless sports event on tv.
    “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8; 36

    I will present a portrait of a person I know. This person loves the Lord. She wants all He has promised. She wants to see His perfect kingdom established and all suffering to end. It’s not just about her and her little world. She knows that not many saints will live till the rapture and that many will be martyred for the faith before the judgment falls at the end. In fact, she knows she will be among those killed for the faith. There may be terrible days and things ahead. To her, it matters not by which door she exits, but where she is headed. If she is raptured, if she dies peacefully in her sleep at any age, or if she is martyred and how. She knows that on the other side, Jesus awaits, and that is all that matters to her. She knows that we must go through this time before He will return and restore all things and eagerly awaits this time for all of creation, not only herself. She is willing to suffer for all of this if called upon to do so, or to protect the whereabouts of other Christians as well. Because, it’s not about us. It’s not about our little ‘kingdoms’ here on earth. It’s all about Jesus! Do you love Him enough?

    That is a good way to measure where we stand in regards to preparing for the coming storm. Where is our heart, and what is at the center of it? What or who is enthroned there?

    “Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised.”
    Song of Solomon 8; 7

    • C.H. Fisher

      The most deadly decision by the ones that are unprepared is their selective unwillingness to hear, see, or use cognition. Of all that they may do to be in disharmony with God, willful blindness, deafness, and ignorance is the worst. It will ultimately be their path to destruction. One of the most simplest actions is to see, hear, and respond, but it will cost them their comfort zones and all the toys and pleasures therein. They have no eternal perspective and thus cannot make that decision. Their temporal trash is in their minds much more valuable than God’s eternal treasures.

    • ken hall

      As you say, Linda, far too many are into the “timing” of the rapture. Either they are looking to escape “all” trouble OR they are preparing (over) to have to “hole up” and ride out the great tribulation (or at least until the wrath of God begins). Neither of those views is Biblical, in my opinion. One is pollyannish and the other is based on the old “fallout shelter” mentality that relies on themselves (rather than God’s provision of the rescue of the saints) (Luke 21;33-36). Either way spells trouble for those adherents to pre-trib, pre-wrath, mid-trib or post-trib theology(so called). They listen to “hirelings” who themselves have been taught wrongly. I fear that they will be as 2 Peter 2 says in the ending verses, “18 For when they speak great swelling [words] of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20 For if after they (Christians) have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” [2Pe 2:18-22 KJV]

      I am truly saddened by the the state of Christianity(?) in the USA. These Christians (?) have believed the lies of the devil and have apostasied , forgetting that Jesus in the narrow and only way back to the Father (John 14:6)! They have fallen away, as prophesied (Luke 18:8), believing that their unconditional eternal security(so called) will override of their unfaithful, disrespectful, un Godly unbelief , and keep them saved without obedience to the Scriptures (by a vast majority, most do not study and know the Word of God). They have become politically correct, giving credence to allah, krishna, buddha, the new age, and many other gods of this world.

      The Bible warns us over and over again against “leaven”, in even a small amount, and what it will do to the whole measure (our faith in Jesus). A little false doctrine goes a long , long way. To even entertain the notion that those other ways(false, satanic religions) could possibly be a “way” to Heaven is apostacy in the making, I truly believe. Things like “Jesus Calling, the Shack, contemplative prayer etc. are the doors to universilism, and thereby lead folks into the state of mind spoken of above in 2 Peter 2.

      In closing, I want to say this. I believe it is not true Christians’ sins (of the flesh) that disqualifies them for Heaven, it is their “unbelief” that will land them right smack dab in the middle of hell. “(6) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (9( As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” [Gal 1:6-9 KJV]”13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” [2Co 11:13-15 KJV] Paul is speaking against legalism in Galatians, but any false doctrine (gospel) applies, as well. In 2 Cor., he is speaking about those who bring any “other” gospel to the Church.

      Did Solomon end up in Heaven despite following the gods of his wives? Did he run the race with endurance and finish the race of life well?Something to ponder, right? Solomon wrote several books in the Bible, BUT??

  5. Dawn

    Thank you for a wonderful article. It seems so many “ watchmen “ I’ve known have gone to be with the Lord lately. Do you think this is what the Lord meant when He told us there would be a famine of teaching in the land? With no pastors warning Like the New Testament said.

    • C.H. Fisher

      I certainly believe that the lack of teaching and warnings are an issue. However, I fully believe that people are becoming increasingly enamored with the world system as the stress of this period increases. They are searching for relief. Rather than prayer and studying God’s word, they are taking the easy way out. Certainly, there is relief, but it comes at the price of spiritual drainage. It seems impossible to get through to them that they are pursuing a path that leads them away from God. Sadly, they will be unprepared to endure when the reality of what they have been apathetically ignoring arrives with a force they cannot ignore.

  6. DEAN

    In 2nd thess 1:7 paul tells us to wait with them until Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels – which is the trubulation gathering together or rapture… this isnt preached in churches but proves paul isnt in heaven as also taught today about when you die you go to be with Jesus. Paul still waits…. in 2:2-3 he says that those who believe That Day (rapture) comes Before the falling away and the man of sin has been decieved…. aka the pre trib rapture is that decivement…. those who believe in the pre trib are what brings on the falling away when as the virgins or good/faithful servant teach – when the masters delayed…

Leave a Reply to C.H. Fisher Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

© 2024 TruthKeepers

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑