This morning, as I look out at the dreary gray skies that are obscuring the sun while the Northern Hemisphere prepares to settle down for a “long winter’s nap”, I am reminded that our world really is pretty dark right now. This morning, when I logged onto my favorite forum, I saw a prayer request from a dear, dear sister in Christ. Her brother-in-law committed suicide leaving behind his wife and 5 children. My heart was heavy. This immediately brought to mind an article posted yesterday in “USA Today”:
Suicide rate up 33% in less than 20 years, yet funding lags behind other top killers
“More than 47,000 Americans killed themselves in 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday, contributing to an overall decline in U.S. life expectancy. Since 1999, the suicide rate has climbed 33 percent.”
USA TODAY
The article lists the possible causes, isolation, alcohol and substance abuse, smartphone use, fascination with violence, etc. Suicide has become the 10th leading cause of death and has risen so drastically that it now affects our average life expectancy. Although it’s a good thing that the article is drawing attention to the problem, they are simply nipping around the edges and not going to the root. All problems have a root, something basic to the core. We can nip around the edges of a problem, and addressing those “edges” may even work as a bandaide, but if we don’t address the root, the core of the problem, it will never really get better, and will likely continue to spiral downward.
We are human beings created in the image of God. We are designed to NEED a relationship with our Creator, Elohim, and with each other. We are designed to be in community with Jesus Christ, and each other. It’s no coincidence that we see a direct correlation between suicide rates going up and faith in Jesus Christ going down. This is not a coincidence. The news will talk all day long about the increase in suicide rates, but they will NOT mention the ROOT PROBLEM. FAITH has been declining while suicides have been increasing, and these opposing forces ARE interrelated.
New studies show that 50% of Millenials do not believe in God at all. A study from 2017 shows that only 14% of Millennial’s believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, the rest claim that it’s just “another book”. In-fact the same study shows that the current Millennial generation is actually more HOSTILE to the Holy Book than any previous generation.
And we also have this…
According to a study by Market Watch, more than half of young adults in the U.S. believe astrology and horoscopes are actually scientific. Even more, the occult, tarot-card reading, and witchcraft services market grew 2% between 2011 and 2016. The industry analysis firm IBIS World says these services rake in about $2 billion annually.
Melissa Jayne, owner of Brooklyn-based “metaphysical boutique” Catland, told Market Watch said she’s seen an increased demand for her occult services.
“Whether it be spell-casting, tarot, astrology, meditation and trance, or herbalism, these traditions offer tangible ways for people to enact change in their lives,” she said. “For a generation that grew up in a world of big industry, environmental destruction, large and oppressive governments, and toxic social structures, all of which seem too big to change, this can be incredibly attractive.”
Similarly Danielle Ayoka, founder of the spiritual subscription service Mystic Lipstick, says she’s also seen a boom in customers.
“When I started my journey in 2010, I was the weirdo,” she said. “Now it is becoming more and more normalized, and I believe it is because more people are looking to heal. Millennials are much more open-minded.”
http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2017/october/millennials-replacing-religion-with-witchcraft
So this is what we’re dealing with… Normalized satan worship. People can call this whatever they like “new age”, “witchcraft”, “wiccan”, “being open minded”…. but it all boils down to one thing…satan worship. They’re telling people it’s a healthy way to take control of your life, that it’s for people “looking to heal”…. but it’s NOT! It is the wide road that will lead to DESTRUCTION!!!
See if this resonates with your spirit.
This society has a big, huge problem. We were created to NEED our Creator, but we continue to fill this hole in our spirits with all the wrong things…drugs, alcoholism, witchcraft. And the devil is laughing as more and more people, especially the younger generations, either overdose, or kill themselves physically, or spiritually. If I could say just one thing, just one single thing it’s this…our CREATOR is REAL! The devil is also real. Yes, there is power in the occult, but it’s dangerous and it will lead to nothing good. It will lead to spiritual death. Besides, the true POWER is in JESUS CHRIST, in HIS HOLY SPIRIT, and belief in JESUS will lead to LIFE! Far too many of us Christians are “playing Church”. It’s time to get REAL!!!
The Bible teaches us that in the last days, people will be drawn away from our Creator and into “doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1). The Bible tells us that there will be an apostasy in the Church (2 Thessalonians 2: 1-5) . Apostasy means “falling away”, abandonment or renunciation. The Church is not a building, it’s not a denomination, it’s the body of BELIEVERS in Yeshua. As prophesied in the Bible, many church organizations are embracing doctrines of demons, and they are crumbling from the inside out. Older people, Christians, wonder why the youth is abandoning the Church? It’s because the Church has, for the most part, abandoned the Truth. If the Church looks like the world, smells like the world, talks like the world, walks like the world, then what’s the point of going to a Church?
But there is still HOPE in Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that this dark world is going to continue to grow darker. I cannot sugar coat this here. People will continue to fall away from the truth, from the Light. This is Biblical prophecy that is coming to fruition as we speak. Even though it’s difficult to imagine this dark world growing darker, it will. As we approach the very end of the age, it’s going to grow unrecognizably dark, when every evil thing will be embraced, and every good thing shunned and cursed (2 Timothy 3:1-7. But Jesus’ LIGHT is bright enough to shine into even the darkest night. In fact, when the darkness gets darker, the light becomes brighter.
There is HOPE in Jesus Christ. Jesus has a plan. Jesus prophesied about this dark world in HIS HOLY BOOK. He told us what would take place at the end of the age, and we’re seeing it! The Bible is not “just a book”. The Bible is the LIVING word of God, it has a pulse, a heartbeat (spiritually speaking)!!! Jesus Christ is the Word of God made FLESH! (John 1:14) God wrote about these modern days literally thousands of years ago, and it’s happening just as He wrote. Yes, the Bible is written by many authors, but ALL of them wrote under the influence of the HOLY SPIRIT, so it’s basically written by God (2 Timothy 3:16)!!!
All of this spiritual darkness will culminate in a Great Deception that was written about 2000 years ago (2nd Thess 2:11). But, Jesus IS the Word of God made flesh, HE is the MENORAH, JESUS IS THE LIGHT! The only way to avoid this deception that is soon coming upon the entire earth is to stay in the light!
The one thing that Mainstream Churches absolutely do NOT want to talk about is the fact that JESUS is coming SOON! I’m not sure why they don’t want to talk about this? Perhaps this isn’t good for business? Thankfully, this earth is not going to stay in this dark condition. This is a painful and yet temporary condition of the world that we now live. But, Jesus is returning, and He is literally going to set up His Kingdom on earth and reign here for 1000 years (Rev. 20: 1-3). This will be a glorious, peaceful time on earth where there will be no more falsehood or lies taught and shoved down our throats causing confusion, chaos, and depression!!! Satan and his demons will be locked up in chains for 1000 years, with NO ACCESS to humanity!!! Hallelujah! (means Praises to YHWH)! We haven’t yet talked much about Jesus’ 2nd coming, but I think about it every day. It gives me hope when I read about the darkness, the suicides, the drug overdoses, the youth succumbing to sorcery and witchcraft, and the falling away from faith in JESUS!
But even while we wait for Jesus, we need to ARMOR UP (Ephesians 6: 10-17)! Christians, get on your spiritual armor because we are in a BATTLE!!! Prayer is a powerful weapon in the Spirit!!! It cuts like a sword through the darkness!!! Those of us who BELIEVE can and should intercede for this lost generation and even generations as deceived people line up like sheep to be slaughtered. The devil doesn’t love anyone. Remember, he seeks humanity’s destruction, and he’s very clever and seductive. He’s having a field day with the youth! But our GOD is Greater, our GOD is stronger, our GOD is the ONLY TRUE GOD, and HIS NAME IS JESUS!!! YESHUA = SALVATION!!!
