The People in Darkness
By Dana G Smith, The Watchman
Keywords: America, prophets, day of the Lord, deaf ears, fall

How can a people really know that which is coming? In America the prophets have spoken, but for the most part, we are people dull of hearing. The word that many speak and warn Americans of what is coming has fallen on deaf ears. How can I tell? There is no change in many hearts today. People in America are living as if there is no tomorrow and have relegated the Lord to a brief history lesson in their ecumenical experiences, if at all. If the land, the people, and leaders of America really believed they needed to repent or else, then there would have been sack cloth and ashes, repentance, and seeking the LORD just as Nineveh did when warned of destruction to come.

Moreover, the scriptures remind us of the works and fruits of people, people in darkness, for instance, like Israel, Babylon, Sodom, and even Gomorrah. All of these civilizations stood before the Lord God and in all of these lands, there was judgment which came. We have warnings from scripture on these. Israel faced judgment before the entire world. The nations of men knew what happened to them, just as we have come to understand the fall of Babylon in one swift night. The most infamous of them all is Sodom and Gomorrah, whose plight has been discussed in churches, Sunday school, and theological seminaries since the event happened.

Yet for all of these, the people stood before God on what we call, “the Day of the Lord.” This day prophetically means two things. An imminent day in which city states like Babylon meet the fierce wrath of the Lord God of Hosts, as well as a time when a nation like Israel faces the judgment of dire consequences for rebelling against the Lord and his covenant. In all of these we can add a further “Day of the Lord”, in which the judgment of nations, men, and the world itself faces when the Lord God of Hosts moves out of his temple to judge the world in righteousness and equity.

Isaiah 66:4  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

The scriptures that most churches read today do not bring forth the reality that judgment could happen in their lifetime. The reason it does not do so is that many simply do not believe the words apply to them. Backed by Seminarians, Priests, and other liberal theologians, the truth of a coming judgment is played down and in many cases is overlooked completely and replaced by self help psychology and other new age teachings. There is no doubt that scripture tells us that many will “mock” or “scoff” when we talk of the coming of the LORD.

2 Peter 3:3  ¶Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

For the believer, we look to this event, as it means a time when our redemption will be completed. Yet, today we find unbelief, godlessness, homosexuality, lesbianism, and fornication of all types, new age movements, false Christ’s, new methods of salvation, and the next level of mankind being promoted. Gone from many churches today is the true ‘preaching’ of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the need to repent as commanded by God, the singing of old Time Gospel hymns, especially the songs “of blood, by the blood, the power of the blood, the cross, and the crucifixion.”

We also find the secularization of churches that by now is filled with modernism, witchcraft, familiar spirits, and new age teaching a new era gospel with a new Jesus. This new Jesus says it is okay to be in love with the world, to be rich, to have it all. Suffering is not for today, the offensive gospel is not needed, and the church brings in a contemptible presentation that ‘being holy’ is out of style. For the most part, when disciples today, if you can find them, are taught, the need for holiness is not stressed. Thus, we find a church which is a ‘fairytale church’, and a savior who is a ‘sugar plum Jesus’. In this new age and teaching, there is the ‘form of godliness’, with no power to change. It is not a gospel that brings people into the presence of God, nor does it change people into disciples of the LORD. It is a world friendly, non offensive gospel which brings a corporate world religious entity with a corporate president that they call the Pastor. A false shepherd, a hireling, one in whom the Spirit of God does not live. It is a church, a denomination, a religious experience that creates a pseudo salvation experience and transcends the true gospel with a man made doctrine and dogma. It is anathema and will send people directly to hell. In truth, this type of gospel unites with the one world religious establishment in the last days. Lucifer the light bearer will be the head of this church and one world religion. The true followers of the Lord will be fighting the beast and will find themselves at odds with the world, the religious establishment and the nations.

2 Timothy 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The call today is for those who will hear the Lord. He is calling all his people to “come out of Babylon”. We are to be separate, holy, dedicated, in the Lord, following him with all our heart. We are living in those days which the ‘Salt must be salt’ and the ‘light must be light’. True lights, lighting as the Lord Jesus would do. Walking as he would walk separated from the filth of the world. We must be salt, preserving those who will hear by the gospel of Christ, the word of truth, speaking this truth with the power of the Holy Ghost.

Revelation 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

There is no doubt for many people, including those in churches; the talk of judgment falls on dead ears. These are blind who led by blind leaders cannot see far off. Today, especially in America the talk of destruction and the fall of this nation are seen as foolish by many. I have talked to many over the years as have others who with the same message find people so absorbed in paying bills, marrying, burying, living, buying, selling, going to work, going on vacations, having fun, the idea of judgment is just out of the question. The Lord warned us to “take heed to ourselves.” He knew that men and women would become overcharged, too excited, too absorbed, and too entrenched with their own lives to be bothered with any ‘day of the Lord’ that might come upon them.

Luke 21:34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

America today is supposed to be land of light, but it is darkness. It is growing darker by the hour. It is a land today devoid of real salvation, real truth, and real knowledge of God. It instead has a ‘pseudo God, pseudo salvation, and another Jesus Christ’. It is a land that says good is evil and evil is good. It is a land that gives morality to men, technology, and the new age awareness of all people. It is a land which has no direction, which has cast off the truth of the Lord God, and follows its own heart. It is a land raising a generation of pagan children who are totally lost and awash in a sea of selfishness, pride, greed, godlessness, and immorality. This is a land where the light has gone out and the rule today is written on the streets of America. This rule today is, ‘the only law is that there is no law’. Whatever you feel like doing it is okay. From homosexuality, fornication, inordinate greed, pride, hatred, and much more, the fall of America has in one sense already occurred. The only trouble is, many Americans, churches, and pastors are blinded to it. They are living in the Land of Oz, where the reality is hidden behind the curtain while wizards work their magic of humanistic paganism and religiosity.