Persist and Endure to the End

How persistent are you truly? Now is a time when your patience and persistence will be greatly tested.

I sense a significant growing separation among people; a separation between those of the light and those of the darkness.

God is truth. Those who are diligently seeking God are growing stronger in Him, His ways, and truth or light. Those who aren’t diligently seeking God are growing further away from Him and truth, and into lies or darkness.

In Revelation, it talks about the eventual removal of the lampstands from certain professing followers of God. Revelation 1:20, 2:5 The lampstand holds the light. The light is the spirit of God, a spirit of truth. Revelation 4:5 Once the lampstand is removed, those people will no longer dwell with the spirit of God. Thus, their thoughts, ideas and teachings will fall more and more away from truth and into lies. You don’t want to be in a place where the lampstand has been removed.

In line with this falling away from truth, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says there will be many who pose as messengers of truth. Outwardly they appear like those of truth, but in reality they are creating illusions of truth with mouths of consuming graves. These charlatans come in many forms appealing to a wide variety of souls and their particular desperations. Some will fall for some and not others, but the variety of masqueraders ensures that many will fall.

Why these masqueraders of truth? However influenced by evil or their ego, the issue is pride. People think they inherently know best and don’t really need God’s truth to guide them. In not diligently seeking God, they erroneously believe lies are truth. Having others come alongside gives them a false peace and confidence that their lies are truth. Other people agreeing with us validate our beliefs whether right or wrong.

If we are unknowingly a part of their masquerade, then we will greatly suffer for it, for lies destroy the soul. 2 Peter 3:16 Hosea 7:8-9 The truth is our protector and guide. Without a love for it and diligently seeking it from God Himself, we are lost to the influence of those around us. Truth comes from God. He is the only source. If we haven’t been diligently seeking truth, then we don’t know what is right and what isn’t. Are you getting the idea to diligently seek?

As a result of the spirit of God leaving or the lampstand being removed, those who truly know God will be pulling away as well to follow God. John 10:27 The true followers of God go where He goes, thus the massive separation between those of truth and those of lies among those professing to be of God.

This separation was prophesied long ago, and now is coming into fruition. Ezekiel 34, Matthew 13:30, Revelation 18:4 In God’s great mercy, He has allowed the lampstand to remain and the intermingling among those of Him and those not of Him as He patiently waits for people to turn to Him and away from their self-driven ways. 2 Peter 3:9 As a loving Creator while shining His light upon us, He has allowed us to traverse our self-chosen paths, so that when the depravity of our ways comes upon us, we’ll realize the error and turn to Him. However, many have not turned. Hosea 7:10 The time will come when the window to come to God as we can now will close. For when the lampstand, the light, is taken away it means God’s spirit is taken away. The chance for the truth to penetrate the lies is lost, thus there is no way out of the darkness of deception.

Therefore, those of the darkness will grow deeper into lies, while those of the light will grow deeper into truth. Those of darkness will experience torment as lies destroy, inflict and bound. Revelation 9:18 Being in the dark, they don’t understand what is happening and dismiss it as “just life”. Remember, their lies are their truth. Those of the light will continue to transform into the light. Truth will invade every area of their lives. They will feel the intensity of the lies around them but in their spirits they will experience growing oneness with God in truth and spirit.

Here is where patience and endurance comes into utmost importance. Rev 13:10 This time of separation coincides with a growing spiritual battle as the dark grows darker and the light lighter. It will be difficult spiritually. For those who possess little truth and a weak relationship with God, the truth will be slipping from their fingers. Matthew 25:29 Those sealed, so they can’t fall from truth, will still have their truth challenged and tested. Their souls will be burdened by the growing lies, deception, and damage being manifested around them. Psalm 91:7-8 Now more than ever we need to support others who are striving for truth. We need to follow God’s lead about who and who not to embrace. In this battle, it’s our work to seek and know the truth, and cling to it.

I encourage those growing in truth to not grow weary in doing good. You reap what you sow. If you reap truth, that is what will grow in your life. Don’t give up. Leave the results and expectations of your situations up to God. His ways are not our ways. Keep praying, seeking, and drawing near to God. Never underestimate His faithfulness and mercy.

Truth is your armor. Read the Bible each day, God’s grounding tool of truth. Seek instruction from God. Pour out your heart to Him. Obey Him where you know HE has taught and led you. Keep it simple. If you trust Him, He will let you know what you need to know, when you need to know it. Your part is to abide in truth and seek His counsel. Pray for others.

The times we are in take great patience and endurance, and only those who finish the race are able to gain the prize. Run to gain the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,