Bible prophecy is being fulfilled at a rapid pace today right before our eyes, are you noticing it? Not only is sin more open and in your face, which Jesus said would be like Sodom just before He comes, but the United States of America is dividing in many different ways, and one has to wonder where it’s all headed. Well I’ll tell you where it’s all headed, and it pains me to say so, but it’s headed for the demise of a once great nation, because we are truly a nation in decline. America is being transformed from a beast with lamb like horns to a beast that speaks as a dragon through its legislative halls, its department of justice, and even through its various law enforcement agencies. You can read all about that in Revelation 13:11 and onward, but I’d just like to read verse 11.

John writes, “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth (that’s an important point. The one before it came up out of (what?) the sea); and he (the one that came up out of the earth) had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.” Is not this a good description of what is happening in America today? God knew exactly what He was talking about as the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle John to write these words over 2000 years ago.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, the book of Revelation is highly symbolic, and we have to allow the Bible to interpret itself, otherwise we can come up with more than one answer, and more than likely it’ll be the wrong one, which causes confusion, and 1 Corinthians 14:33 says God is not the author of confusion. In other words, it doesn’t come from Him, but from mankind, and confusion is the problem with Babylon; it’s a sick spiritual condition that’s caused by mixing truth and error together. So, we must allow history and God Himself, in His word, to tell us the meaning of the various symbols the apostle John saw in holy vision.

When you read of beasts and horns in the Bible, it says they represent nations and political powers, according to the book of Daniel chapters 2, 7 and 8, especially Daniel 7:17. And by the way, the books of Daniel and Revelation are companion books, one is a prophecy and the other a revelation. Take the time to read these various chapters and you’ll see that this is true.

The beast, or nation that came up out of the sea before the one that came up out of the earth in Revelation 13 is the fourth kingdom mentioned in Daniel 2, which was Rome, first Pagan Rome and then Papal Rome, and after that comes another world power called the United States of America, and I’ll explain this further in a minute, which ends up acting like the first beast that came up out of the sea, by persecuting those who are determined to keep God’s commandments. You mean the United States is mentioned in the Bible Brother Jones? Yes! Why should that be surprising? It’s not by name of course, but by linking history and the Bible together and comparing that with what we see happening today.

Think about it, what nation was coming into prominence when the papacy was coming to the end of its power in 1798 when Napoleon’s General took the pope captive? The only nation that was coming into power about the same time papal Rome was coming to its end, which is only temporary, because Revelation 13 verses 3 and 12 tells us that the deadly wound the papacy received in 1798 will be healed. But what nation was it that was coming into power about the same time papal Rome was coming to its end? Does the date 1776 ring a bell? It should, because that’s when the Declaration of Independence was ratified and the United States officially became a nation on July 4th, and shortly thereafter our Constitution was drafted in 1789. So, unmistakably the United States is the second nation, or the second beast power that came up out of the earth, or an area where no other governing nation had yet existed.

Think about how the United States started out. Revelation 17:15 says waters, or the sea, represents peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues, or various languages. That’s the way Rome started out after conquering Greece, but is that the way America started out? No! It came up out of the earth, or the opposite of the nations before it, which came out of the water, or within a populated area.

According to Daniel 2, Babylon was the first world Empire, then came Medio-Persia, then Greece, then Rome, and this is historically factual. The next world power is not mentioned by Daniel, but it is mentioned in Revelation 13, which again is the United States with its two lamb like horns representing Republicanism and Protestantism, because those are the two principles the United States was founded upon, but today it’s no longer known by the majority as, “to the republic for which it stands”, but is thought of more as a Democracy where the majority rules, regardless of the law, rather than by the rule of law, as a republic functions.

I watched a short YouTube video recently about liberals and conservatives self-segregating all across America, and if we’re paying attention we can see it happening. It’s happening geographically and even digitally. Conservatives are leaving one social media platform like Twitter and YouTube and going over to another one that more closely follows their views of free speech and where they won’t get cancelled, or deplatformed because they said something that someone else doesn’t agree with. And liberals are going to places they agree with. We also see it happening geographically with republicans physically moving to red states and Democrats moving to blue states, which are becoming more red and more blue as the country grows more and more polarized.

For instance, I live in Washington state, which is a blue liberal state except for the east side where I live, which is just a stone’s throw from Idaho, which is a conservative state, and if I could, and I’ve been thinking about it, I’d rather live in Idaho, because I don’t want my tax dollars going toward projects like abortion, even at nine months. And by the way, when you read the Old Testament, over and over again you find where the heathen nations practiced child sacrifice on their pagan altars, and that’s not a whole lot different from the practice of abortion when you think about it. America is more concerned today about trying to save the spotted owl and the polar bears than they are about saving children, and that says volumes about a nation, doesn’t it?

Also, I don’t want my tax dollars being used for transgender surgery, and laws that support other immoral practices. And so, because of things like this, Americans are segregating according to their politics and moral values at a rapid pace today, which is helping fuel the greatest divide between the States in modern history, and reminds me of the segregation between the north and south during Civil War times. But it’s not between black and white this time, but between globalists and nationalists.

We’re also seeing battles between the Federal government and local state governments like what happened during the covid lockdowns where some conservative states remained open while more liberal states had mask mandates and wouldn’t allow schools and churches to remain open and where many businesses went out of business because people had to stay home rather than patronizing those businesses. Where churches weren’t allowed to meet while unmasked rioters were allowed to burn down cities with no consequences. And we see also that some states have sanctuary cities for all the illegal immigrants coming in, while others states are doing their best to keep their borders closed to keep from being overrun with illegal drugs and human trafficking, and they’re sending busloads of illegals to those sanctuary cities for them to deal with. It’s like, “you want illegals coming in, here, you take care of them!” It’s a mess what’s going on, but again, it’s all leading somewhere, isn’t it?

Now, even though there have always been liberals and conservatives, there was a time in this country, and it wasn’t that long ago, when the majority shared many of the same values, like times when most Americans knew the difference between a man and a woman, and when there were separate bathrooms for the two sexes, and when there were separate sports for men and women, and when most Americans believed marriage was between one man and one woman. And besides that, we have companies today that will fire their employees if they don’t comply with company policies about using the proper pronouns to identify whatever a person thinks they are that day.

Recently I heard that the state of Michigan passed a bill, HB4474, that criminalizes a person for identifying a man as a man or a woman as a woman when the person they’re identifying as such doesn’t like it or feels threatened by the one who doesn’t go along with who they believe they are. In the Michigan state government’s mind it’s hate speech, and according to this new law, offenders can become guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to 5 years, or by a fine of up to $10,000, and I wouldn’t blame you a bit if you live there and want to move out of Michigan to a state that doesn’t have such laws. And that’s exactly the kind of thing that’s happening today. And friends, if these kind of things are happening now, it’s not a far stretch to believe that religious persecution is soon to begin over when and how one worships the Lord.

I share these things with you this morning to help us understand that we are living in the last days, and that America, the second beast of Revelation 13 with lamb like horns, is now speaking as a dragon, and the land of the free and the home of the brave is becoming totally unrecognizable to what it used to be just a few short years ago. In fact, America is fast becoming a police state that will soon begin persecuting those who are determined to follow what the Bible teaches, just like what that first beast, the papacy did when they burned Protestant heretics at the stake. And of course, it’s that old serpent called the devil and Satan who is behind all the chaos and insanity we see all around us today. And so friends, this is not just the year 2023, we are now living in what chapters 8, 11, and 12 of Daniel calls “the time of the end”, and after that, what comes next? The end of time, and there’s a character preparation that must take place in our lives before the end of time arrives.

As you study the history of world empires you’ll find that most lasted about ten generations or so, or about 200-250 years. Some, like the Roman Empire, lasted much longer than that, but it reached its peak of power and influence and advancement about 200 years after it started, and it was up and down ever afterward about every 200 years or so throughout a 1000 year period, but finally went into a steady downward decline from which it has never fully recovered, and it was the same with the Ottoman Empire, up and down about every 200 years or so. And so, there seems to be a natural lifespan for world Empires. They rise, have their day in the sun, and then they fade away, or else have a major transformation of some kind before it continues on for a while longer only to fail again as a world power.

So, nations go through certain stages. They become a dominating force, and then go on to conquer different other nations. Then they sort of reach a boundary, or a territory they’ve conquered and become a wealthy nation where people begin to settle down and indulge in selfish pleasure seeking, having more time for things like higher education, so called, which produces endless philosophical public debate and further polarizes the nation involved. And besides this, there’s plenty of time for things like sports, and concerts, and festivals, and frivolity, and sensual pleasures, and luxurious living compared to the rest of the world, while the military, like its people, becomes distracted with infighting that no longer has the bravery and daring of previous generations that had a sense of honor and civic duty, which all leads to further social decline, and people begin to polarize into their own tribal groups, or with people that think and believe like they do. It’s just a natural thing people do when society begins to break down this way, and can we deny that this is happening right here in the good old US of A? I don’t know how we can.

Just two weeks ago, and by the way, we are in the midst of a Presidential campaign right now if you hadn’t noticed. Just two weeks ago I heard a speech by one of the republican candidates for President, a very dynamic speaker, who tried to convince his audience that “we are not a nation in decline.” Now, I don’t know what rock he’s been living under lately or what his knowledge of the Bible is, but if he can’t see that we are a nation in decline, he must be living in a fairytale of some kind, because the verdict is already in, and the United States, according to God’s word, is almost done, sad to say.

And one other thing that inevitably happens to nations in decline is that their borders become weak or nonexistent and illegal immigrants begin to flood in to try to get their piece of the pie, not knowing that everything is about to collapse. And when they come in, they don’t want to be known as simply Americans, they want to be known as Mexican Americans, or African Americans, or Jewish Americans, or Italian Americans, or Chinees Americans and so forth, and the unity is gone. It used to be that immigrants to this country were required to learn American history and to speak English and simply be known as Americans, and some even changed their last names to try to hide their national origin and forget where they came from, but not anymore.

Another thing that seems to set in with nations in decline is universal pessimism and a general no work attitude, which only speeds up the decline as the government implements a big welfare system to deal with it, and it all seems to be by design. By the way, the expansion of a welfare state does not help people; it only makes them dependent. If a person wants to continue receiving a welfare check and food stamps and Medicaid and public housing, they must vote for the party that’s behind it. Does that make sense? It’s a dependency trap, which makes people servants of the State! And once that happens to enough people, that kind of government will never be voted out by those who are caught in it. As more and more people get caught in the trap, and usually traps are purposely set, it guarantees that it will continue. But God’s philosophy is much different; it’s for every able bodied person to work. A good work ethic was set up in the beginning when God told Adam and Eve to tend the garden, and it’s too bad that so many people are caught in a system today that’s like a revolving door with no viable exit.

Have you ever wondered why the United States is in decline? which it clearly is. Why do we have open borders? Why do we have a two tear justice system? Lady Justice is supposed to be blind, but that’s not the way it is anymore. If you’re well connected to the right people you can get away with just about anything. Why do we have all this transgender nonsense? Why are educators teaching their students to hate America’s past? Why is racism on the uptick? Why do we have gas and food prices going through the roof? Why have we become so dependent upon China for many of the things we need to survive as a country? Why is our national debt nearly 33 trillion dollars? Why, why, why? It seems like someone is deliberately trying to destroy America, doesn’t it? and I think I’ve figured it out. A few years ago we had a President that openly said that his goal was to “fundamentally transform America”, and the best way to transform something is to tear it completely down and then rebuild it into something else. I can’t think of any other reason why the United States government would allow the things that are going on today, and even encouraging it, and the truth is, someone is controlling things; and that someone is “that old serpent called the devil and Satan.”

So, here’s the bottom line, most nations in decline don’t tend to die primarily from a military attack, but from fierce internal struggles, decay, division, and moral corruption, and that’s what we see going on in America today. Yes, many nations are overcome by another power, but generally speaking, if they are, it’s because the internal struggles have so weakened them and made them an easy target for a more ambitious and disciplined military.

So, as Christians, are we happy to see an America in decline, and the even worse things that are coming? I would say yes and no! In one way no, because a time of trouble is coming the likes of which this world has never seen. And in another way yes, because that means Jesus will be here soon to right every wrong and deliver those who trust in Him. But what we need to understand dear friends, is that when a nation is in decline it’s never pretty, because it means suffering and hardship and death, especially for those who have a Bible educated conscience and refuse to go along with a corrupt government program.

Go with me to Daniel 2:31 and I’ll show you something you may not have thought about before. Most people who have read and studied the Bible will remember what takes place in this chapter. Here we have information about four world Empires. The first was Babylon, with its head of gold, the second Medio-Persia, with its breast and arms of silver, the third was Greece, with its belly and thighs of brass, and the fourth Rome, both pagan and papal, with its legs of iron. And afterward Rome is divided into ten divisions, represented by the ten toes of the image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. Then there’s another kingdom, the kingdom of God, which will be set up and never be destroyed, “but shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” Praise the Lord! That’s what we have to look forward to.

But again, before that happens there’s going to be a terrible time of trouble, and it’s coming soon, because these four kingdoms and the ten divisions of Europe are history: it’s already taken place. Now we’re dealing with the last great superpower mentioned in Revelation 13:11-16 that Daniel didn’t mention, which is the United States, and the Bible record is that this country is going to force people to receive the mark of the beast, or the mark of the first beast that rose up out of the sea, which is papal Rome, or the papacy, and in the near future America is going to pass a law that those who don’t comply with her mandates should be killed. That’s what it says in Revelation 13:I5. I wish it wasn’t so, but that’s what the Bible says, and it’s going to come to pass whether we like it or not, and I don’t think we’re going to have to wait a lot longer to see this prophecy fulfilled.

I don’t have time to go into detail, but the mark of the beast is not a literal mark placed upon the forehead, or a chip implant in the right hand as many believe, but something that the papal power claims as the mark of its authority. And what is that mark of authority? It’s the fact that the Catholic church changed the day of worship from the seventh to the first day of the week, and I know some of you listening right now may think that’s just ridiculous, but I want you to notice something. God said, “Remember the seventh day to keep it holy”, but the papacy claims to have changed the fourth commandment to Sunday, the first day of the week, for which there is not one shred of evidence in the Scriptures to back up its claims, which makes Sunday worship a commandment of men. The commandment to remember the seventh day, which was set up at the creation of this world, according to Genesis 2:2, 3, is the only one of the ten that says “remember”, why do you suppose that is? Well, it’s because God knows the end from the beginning, and He knew ahead of time that the papacy would think to change the law that deals with time, as it says in Daniel 7:25, and there’s only one commandment in the law that deals with time, and that’s the seventh day of creation week. Why didn’t God say, “remember not to kill, remember not to steal, and remember not to commit adultery”, and so forth? It’s because these commandments are self-evident to God’s followers, but “remember the Sabbath day”, what’s the reason for that? It’s because dear friends, it’s a test command. In most people’s minds there seems to be no particular reason to keep the seventh day holy, but it’s God who said so. Why do we have to question the Creator about this? What difference does a day make? That’s what I hear people say all the time. But there’s another reason to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”, and that’s because it’s the only one of the ten that tells us who we’re worshipping, THE CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH! But still people ask, “what difference does it make?” And if that’s your question, let me ask you this: what difference does it make if I kill someone? What difference does it make if I steal someone’s car? What difference does it make if I commit adultery? What difference does it make if I lie, or use God’s name as a cuss word, and on and on with the other commandments? Any thinking Christian would say, of course we shouldn’t do those things, it’s sin!” And they would be right! Because according to 1 John 3:4 the transgression of any of the commandments is sin, including the fourth one.

We shouldn’t try to twist the Scriptures to say something other than what it plainly says. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments”, plain and simple! Not because we’re justified, or pardoned by our obedience, but because it’s a question of love and loyalty. Do we love Jesus for dying the death that we deserve? Are we thankful that if we ask we can be forgiven for all our past sins? If so, then let’s just do what He asks us to do out of a heart of love. Is that so difficult?

By the way, obedience may not have anything to do with our justification, but it does have a great deal to do with our sanctification, or living a holy life, and  Hebrews 12:14 says we are to follow after “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Do you want to see the Lord? Then holiness becomes pretty important, doesn’t it? That’s why we need to abide in the only One who is holy. And if we do that every day, we will become righteous, even as He is righteous.” These are not my words, that’s what it says in 1 John 3:7. And notice, verse 2 says when Christ appears, “we shall be (what?) like Him.” Not that we will become like Him, but that we will be like Him when He arrives! When Jesus comes, He’s not going to wave a magic wand over us and make us like Him, but we will have become like Him through the process of sanctification. What was Jesus like? He was without sin, wasn’t He? That means that if we are going to be like Him, we must, through the power of the Holy Spirit, live without sin in sinful flesh just like He did.

Maybe we should read that in Romans 8:3, 4 because I’m not making this up. Notice what it says there, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (or in sinful flesh): that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk (how?) not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

You see, walking after the flesh is to do what the fallen flesh tempts us to do, and walking after the Spirit is to do what the Holy Spirit prompts us to do, and if we have partaken of the divine nature, as 2 Peter 1:4 says we have the privilege of doing, then we can choose not to yield to sin. Unfortunately this is a foreign thought to most Christians today who think they’re going to sin till Jesus comes and still get to go to heaven. But ask yourself the following question: if we can continue in sin and still get to go to heaven, then why was Lucifer and his followers cast out for sinning? Think that through for a minute and I think you will have to agree that sin is a choice for those who choose to walk after the Spirit.

Now notice what it says in Daniel 2:31. You thought I forgot, didn’t you? Daniel is interpreting the King’s dream and right off the bat he says, “Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was (what?) terrible”, or something that makes a person afraid.

The decline and demise of a kingdom or nation, and that’s what Babylon was about to experience, is always terrible for the people of that nation, because people suffer as a result, and the government always tramples upon human rights in the process, that’s what the fiery furnace was all about, and it’s no different when it comes to the things that are coming upon this nation, America, and every other nation for that matter, because what happens in America is going to have global consequences that no other nation will be able to escape. You may have heard the expression, “when America sneezes, the world catches a cold” and that’s true in a spiritual sense. America is going to enforce a man made law that undermines God’s law, and the whole world will follow suit, and just like the three Hebrew worthies that wouldn’t bow down to the golden image that was set up on the plain of Dura, neither will God’s people bow to the image of the beast.

And so, we may be citizens of the United States, or Canada, or some other nation now, but ultimately, as Christians, if we belong to Christ we are citizens of God’s kingdom. We’re just passing through on our earthly sojourn here, and as we have the distinct possibility of being alive when Jesus comes, and if we are, we will experience a terrible and fearful time that no other generation has ever experienced, and we must be prepared in our characters to survive it and to keep from caving in to the tremendous pressure that will be brought to bear upon those who are determined to remain true to God and to His word.

By the way, God’s people are not going to be whisked away to heaven while these last movements take place like Hollywood portrays, but if we are faithful to the end, we will be protected with divine protection like Noah and his family when they were saved in the Ark. Do you think it was a fearful time for Noah and his family as the Ark was tossed upon the billows? I’m sure it wasn’t a pleasant time, and neither will it be a pleasant time for the righteous who are alive to see the seven last plagues poured out upon the wicked, but there’s a promise in Psalm 91 for the faithful that no plague will come near their dwelling, praise the Lord!

It’s becoming more and more obvious today that we have two competing views in the United States, and in the world in general, that won’t tolerate each other, and no nation in history has ever been able to turn back the clock and make things like they used to be after things reach a certain point. No nation, once they’ve reached the point of decline and decadence, has ever been able to recapture what they once had. Do you understand that? That’s where we are today!

Just the other day this thought hit me like a ton of bricks. The slogan “Make America great again” is never going to happen friends. If the right person is elected in the next Presidential race it’s possible that the inevitable might be delayed a little longer, but the book of Revelation and the history of nations tells us plainly that there is no going back to the good old days for America. We are way past the age of innocence. The Bible says the United States is to speak as a dragon, and it’s already started, and Revelation 12:9 says that Satan is the dragon. Now think about that for a minute. What does this mean? It means that the United States government will be controlled by Satanic forces that will trample upon liberty of conscience, and those who follow what the Bible says will be persecuted and even be put to death for their fidelity to Christ. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but it’s true! And no amount of denial can make it go away!

With what’s happening in the United States today, it’s painfully evident that every principle of our constitution is in the process of being  repudiated, even by those who have sworn an oath upon their entrance to places of leadership to defend it. More and more, those in leadership believe the United States Constitution is a flawed document rather than an inspired one, and they are doing their very best to make it of none effect, and they are succeeding, which means that Satan is succeeding, but his success will be short lived, because as we read earlier, God is going to set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, and I’m looking forward to it, how about you?

So, this all means that we are now living at the time of the end, and I would say the end of the time of the end. Prophetically speaking, the time of the end began when? in 1798 when papal Rome fell, and here we are 234 years after the Constitution was ratified in 1789, and 247 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, which means, as nations in decline and moral decay go, the United States has just about used up its allotted time.

And so, from this time forward we are in for a bumpy ride with no organized church to come to your rescue if you still hold membership. But here’s the good news friends, we know how this story ends, don’t we? There is light at the end of the tunnel and there’s no need to be without hope. From what I see, I believe some of us who are alive today are going to live to see Jesus come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory without seeing death, and some of us, no doubt, will have to go to sleep and come up at the resurrection of the just, because the Lord knows who of us will be able to survive what’s coming. And just to be clear, I’m not a time setter or a conspiracy theorist, but neither do I want to be guilty of those who say, “My Lord delayeth His coming.” But regardless, I think we should all be able to agree on one thing, “now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed.”

We have just been through three years of government mandates and shutdowns with Covid 19, and we now know that the United States government has not been honest with us regarding its origin or with vaccine safety and has denied the superiority of natural immunity over vaccination and some of the other less invasive ways to heal from this deadly virus that has taken nearly 7 million lives. And so, I believe God is giving us a short intermission right now to reflect on what the world has just gone through and to see to what lengths those in authority will go to acquire wealth, to remain in power, and to save their own skin now that the truth about these things are beginning to come to light.

So what do we do from this point forward? Well, doing what we can to get out of debt would be a good starter. Securing a place in the country or in a rural area would also be a good idea if you’re still living in the city and you’re capable, both physically and financially of getting out. In light of what we see happening today, as far as possible we should be living in such a way that the government has as little influence over us as possible, and by being as independent as possible.

We’re living during a time when every purchase we make is known in this digital financial world we live in, and it won’t be a hard thing for the government to cut us off if we don’t go along with whatever mandates they may impose that we might not be able to buy nor sell. All it takes is a flip of the switch, so to speak, and we can wake up one morning and not be able to purchase food or any of the other necessities of life.

So, it wouldn’t be a bad idea either to have a little extra food and water for a few months if possible, not to stockpile enough for several years, because we’re not going to be able to save ourselves from the time of trouble that’s coming. Only God will be able to do that, and He will take care of us in the long term, but there may very well be a short disaster or two before that time, and it’s not showing a lack of faith to be prepared for such things. You know, years ago nearly everyone had their own garden and canned their own produce and had root sellers to preserve food through the winter and firewood to heat their homes, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get back to the basics of life in this respect if it’s possible, and I’m preaching to myself here.

As many of you know, Cindy and I live fulltime in an RV, and our RV is set up to be self-contained. If something should happen we have extra food, a tank full of fresh water that will get us by for several weeks if we’re careful, and we’re set up with solar panels and batteries and a generator if the sun doesn’t shine, and if there’s a fire raging nearby like we just had a week ago and we have to evacuate, we can be hooked up and headed down the road in 20-30 minutes. Now, I know this kind of lifestyle isn’t for everybody, and I’m not encouraging you to sell your house and buy an RV, but we all should think seriously about following inspired counsel and being prepared for what is soon to break upon the world as what? an overwhelming surprise.

The apostle Paul said something centuries ago that I believe applies to the situation we find ourselves in today. In Romans 13:11-14, and this is in the context of what we should do in times of possible government abuse, he wrote the following, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is (what?) high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting (or riotous living) and drunkenness, not in chambering (an interesting word meaning not to be in unlawful co-habitation with someone) and wantonness (again, not to be involved with lustful acts of licentiousness), not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh (in other words, don’t make plans ahead of time to do what your sinful flesh wants you to do), to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

Friends, this is the time also for us to lay all we have on the altar of sacrifice and be inquiring of the Lord what we are to do with whatever extra assets we may have, and be willing to follow the dictates of the Holy Spirit when a need arises to help spread the truth for this time. And so, we have our marching orders, and whatever we may have failed to do in the past that we know we should have been doing, we have only a short time now to try and redeem the time.

Notice what it says in Early Writings, pages 56, 57, and I’ll close with this: “Houses and lands will be of no use to the saints in the time of trouble, for they will then have to flee before infuriated mobs, and at that time their possessions cannot be disposed of to advance the cause of present truth. I was shown that it is the will of God that the saints should cut loose from every encumbrance before the time of trouble comes, and make a covenant with God through sacrifice. If they have their property on the altar and earnestly inquire of God for duty, He will teach them when to dispose of these things. Then they will be free in the time of trouble and have no clogs to weigh them down.

“I saw that if any held on to their property and did not inquire of the Lord as to their duty, He would not make duty known, and they would be permitted to keep their property, and in the time of trouble it would come up before them like a mountain to crush them, and they would try to dispose of it, but would not be able. I heard some mourn like this: ‘The cause was languishing, God’s people were starving for the truth, and we made no effort to supply the lack; now our property is useless. Oh, that we had let it go, and laid up treasure in heaven!’ . . . I also saw that God had not required all of His people to dispose of their property at the same time; but if they desired to be taught, He would teach them, in a time of need, when to sell and how much to sell. Some have been required to dispose of their property in times past to sustain the Advent cause, while others have been permitted to keep theirs until a time of need. Then, as the cause needs it, their duty is to sell.”

May God help us to be wide awake and so sensitive to holy influences that the lightest whisper of Jesus will move our souls.

America Divided