And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (II Thessalonians 2:11,12)

The issue with God is not our doctrinal stance but our behavior—our thoughts, words, and deeds. God is concerned with what kind of person we are. No amount of "accepting Christ" and no amount of "successful ministry" can possibly make up for a sinful life—a life where there is no repentance.

The purpose of God always has been and always will be to bring forth sons who practice justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. The religion of Judaism neglected these virtues and strained over the tithing of herbs. The religion of Christianity is neglecting these virtues and stressing an unscriptural "grace."

The false teachings of grace and the pre-tribulation "rapture" have lured the churches into a false sense of security. The Christian people will not escape. God's wrath is ready to fall on all unrighteousness and on all who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Only His love and mercy are holding back the sword from falling. But the sword soon shall fall because Christians are not repenting!

In several instances the Jews of Europe were warned of the coming destruction. The prophet and scholar Jabotinsky over a period of several years went from town to town warning the Jews that destruction was at hand. Sometimes Christian people offered hiding places. The Jews who took heed were saved. Those who believed their families should stay together in their familiar homes, decided to wait. They were destroyed.

Remember Lot's wife!

Now the Gentile holocaust is at the doors. The Spirit of the Lord is warning us to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Yet many are teaching we should wait for an unscriptural "rapture." Those who delay, playing silly church games, are facing affliction, torture, and death on a scale without precedent in world history. The Gentile holocaust will be more severe than that of the Jews.

Jude reminds us of God's punishment on the disobedient angels and of the eternal fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah.

Then Jude speaks of the flesh-defiling, filthy dreamers who are in our assemblies and who call themselves believers. They reject authority. They have "accepted" Jesus as Savior but they have no intention of receiving Him as Lord. They will not obey the Lord or anyone else.

They speak evil of angelic majesties. They are proud, haughty, presumptuous, ready to do whatever they desire. They are in our churches. Soon the fire of God's judgment will remove them from the churches.

They are "brute beasts," Peter and Jude declare. They live and behave in their soul and their fleshly appetites rather that in the Spirit of God. They corrupt themselves with the flesh. They eat, sleep, play, work, and reproduce and believe that this is eternal life. They do not know of the true saint's life of prayer and consecration.

To be continued.