A Tragic Parallel
“These
things happened to them [Israel] as examples and were written down as
warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Cor
10:11, NIV).
God's Holy Word paints a picture, one that is very sad indeed,
All about a chosen nation whose fate every Christian should heed.
This nation that was chosen by God, known as ancient Israel,
Repeatedly rebelled, thereby leaving behind a tragic tale.
Instead of being the light that God intended ancient Israel be,
That light of truth soon began to fade due to it’s apostasy.
And as a consequence, this lighthouse became parted from it’s Rock,
For the source of it’s light, it chose to deny, even kill and mock.
Yes, God raised up a people whom He showered with His truth and love,
And whom He blessed and protected, and governed wisely from above.
A people that He bore long with, appealed to, and frequently warned,
Yet, very foolishly so, this nation God’s final warning scorned.
And rightfully, He disowned them, and the Christian Church was thus born,
But the Christian Church also, has and is, giving God cause to mourn.
“How’s this so,” you ask? Well, it’s quite simple. I’ll tell you how and why:
It’s paralleling Israel, hence God’s End-time warning cry.
You see, just like ancient Israel, it has very badly strayed too,
Wedding what's Holy with pagan, accepting things that aren’t true.
And much that God has laid out, along with His Ten Commandments too,
It has swapped for man-made things, and swallowed a humanistic view.
Thus, it’s now a false prophet, given that much error it conveys,
For it’s picking holes in Scripture, and has adopted worldly ways.
And therefore, it’s now a poor witness, a light that’s growing more dim,
Salt without saltiness, that’s filling God’s cup of wrath to the brim.
So many Christians, and wrongly so, marry a non-believer,
Or they delight in those playgrounds belonging to the Deceiver.
Many Christians seldom read God's Word, and rarely attend church too,
And many mistake falsehood for something that they just think is true.
So many Christians have itchy ears that seek leaders who will please,
And many don’t want chastisement, but rather, whatever will ease.
And there're those who rely on leaders, hence why some are led astray,
For leaders can stray as well, even deliberately betray.
All many want today is a type of worship that pleases them,
A worship that’s self-focused — which God will, and clearly does, condemn.
Rather than the solid Word of God, they want to be entertained,
Hence why ‘golden calves’ abound, and why much worship is hollow and stained.
"Babylon" is what God calls all this, hence His End-time warning call:
“Come out of her, My people!” for Babylon is going to fall.
Yes, He's pleading with those Christians who Israel are paralleling,
Singularly and corporately, thus prophecy fulfilling.
Yes, the Christian Church has dreadfully and tragically gone astray,
Thus betraying it’s very Head who is watching such with dismay.
And hence why there's that scarlet woman portrayed in Revelation,
Which the Scriptures say is guilty of committing fornication.
But as in ancient Israel, there’re still some who're faithful, I must say,
And who seek to witness truly, uphold God’s Word, and Him obey.
Yes, they may be small in number, but such has always been the way,
For history has shown that often the majority go astray.
By Lance Landall
Note: Reading the poem first, minus the texts,
would be best. Then one can return to the texts.
Could Such Be So?
Imagine there’s a devil (and supernatural force),
And that this devil has evil mates — like himself, of course.
That he’s ranting and raving, firing off instructions too,
As he has chaos in mind, like all evil beings do.
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes” (Eph 6:11, NIV).
Okay, here we go:
“Ever since this world began — well, pretty much anyway,
Folk have fallen into one of two camps, or with either play.
Now, this really bugs me, comrades, for at the end of the day,
I only want folk in MY camp, and on MY side, okay?”
“
‘No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other...’ ”
(Matt 6:24, ESV).
“
‘I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were
either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor
hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth’ ”
(Rev 3:15,16). Note also Ezek 9:4,6.
“I’m tired of this controversy that just keeps going on,
This battle between good and evil -- thus, I WANT GOOD GONE!
So, rid the world of it, comrades — I hate it, understand?
I want nothing but trouble and heartache throughout each land.”
“For
our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this
present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
places [Satan and the angels who rebelled with him and were cast out of
heaven as a consequence]” (Eph 6:12).
“And you can start with SEX — yes, I thought you’d smile knowingly,
Such has been the downfall of many a society.
Confuse sex with love, and get males hooked on pornography;
That’ll raise crime, break marriages, wreck many a family.”
“Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. Now the works of the flesh
are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness [unbridled lust]” (Gal 5:16,19).
“Neither yield your members [the organs and faculties of the body] as instruments
of unrighteousness unto sin…” (Rom 6:13, KJV).
“Yes, I want males and females jumping in and out of bed,
With multiple partners, and sexual diseases will spread.
See their sexual behaviour gets more and more depraved,
And ensure that lust sees women as well as men enslaved.”
“Do
you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do
not be deceived! Fornicators [sex before marriage], idolaters,
adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy,
drunkards, revilers, robbers— none of these will inherit the kingdom of
God” (1 Cor 6:9,10).
“Have females seen as just objects of sexual desire,
Via subtly suggestive or strongly provocative attire.
That way they will randomly stir, and lewd fantasies spur,
And then not the moral, but immoral, males will prefer.”
“A
gracious woman gets honor, but she who hates virtue [moral excellence,
sexual purity] is covered with shame [a Christian woman should dress
and act in a modest way sufficiently covering the body to avoid
embarrassment or temptation]” (Prov 11:16). Note also 1 Tim 2:9,10.
“ ...but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block
in a brother’s way” (Rom 14:13, NASB).
“Convince folk that same-sex sexual acts are acceptable,
Not objectionable, abominable, unnatural.
That such are an enlightened and progressive evolution,
That won’t harm the family or marital institution.”
“For
this reason God gave them up [allowed them to reap what they sowed] to
degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for
unnatural [anal], and in the same way also the men, giving up natural
intercourse with woman, were consumed with passion for one another. Men
committed shameless acts with men [homosexuality, sodomy] and received
in their own persons the due penalty for their error [sexually
transmitted diseases, ill health or death]” (Rom 1:26,27).
“Help prostitution grow larger, and even more degrade,
More meaning: Further prostitutes and customers who’ve paid.
Yes, see that both sexes debase themselves via such a trade,
And the consequences of such, help the public to evade.”
“Likewise,
Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which, in the same
manner as they, indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural
lust [sodomy], serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of
eternal fire. Yet in the same way these dreamers also defile the flesh,
reject authority, and slander the glorious ones” (Jude 7,8).
“Next, what folk watch and read, fill with violence, plenty too,
And midst it all, throw in sex again, a real nasty brew.
Place such in front of children too, via those adds on TV,
Or via computer games, books, magazines, or some movie.”
“Finally,
beloved, whatever is true [all that is morally and spiritually sound],
whatever is honorable [worthy of respect], whatever is just, whatever
is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable [those things
that harmonize with Christian ideals], if there is any excellence
[moral excellence] and if there is anything worthy of praise, think
about these things [let them play an active part in your life]” (Phil
4:8).
“And to aid all this, saturate society with drugs,
Foster a macho mentality that produces thugs.
Assaults of every nature, pimps, and drug lords will increase,
And corruption in high places, attacks on the police.”
“
‘Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of
the Son of Man [the state of the world at the time of Christ’s
appearing]…’ ” (Luke 17:26) ——— “The Lord saw that the wickedness of
humankind was great in the earth [pre–Flood], and that every
inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with
violence [hence the worldwide flood that God sent ]” (Gen 6:5,11).
“Oh, by the way, do all you can to discourage discipline,
And a needed smack on a child’s bottom is where I’d begin,
Yes, get it outlawed, and give discipline a dirty name,
And wrongdoing on anything but individuals blame.”
“The rod and reproof give wisdom; but a child left to himself bringeth
his mother to shame” (Prov 29:15, KJV).
“Send innocent folk to jail, and there, don’t rehabilitate,
And the death penalty, which takes innocent lives, reinstate.
By that I mean, where it’s not already in the hands of men,
Who as is so human, get things wrong time and time again.”
“Thou shalt not kill” (Ex 20:13, KJV).
“Encourage pro-lifers to endorse the death penalty,
Which of them will make a mockery, it’s hypocrisy.
Get those who have abortions shouting the opposite view,
So they’ll look just as foolish and their thinking as askew.”
“...and His [Christ’s] soul [nature] hates the lover of violence” (Ps 11:5).
“There
are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to
Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to evil, a lying
witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family”
(Prov 6:16-19).
“Encourage people to take extreme risks just for the thrill,
That way both hospitals and coffins they’ll rapidly fill.
Yes, get rid of common sense, and what some call priorities,
So that there will be pain, missing members of families.”
“See that such are called heroes, place them in the Hall of Fame,
That way others will be influenced, try other things, or same.
See that the risks get greater, and crazier, pointless too,
Until everyone thinks that there’s nothing that they can’t do.”
“But understand this, that in the last days...people will be...reckless…” (2 Tim 3:1-5, ESV). See full texts two verses down.
“See that wealth gets flaunted and squandered, and even withheld,
And that poverty becomes entrenched all over the world.
That the large gap between the haves and have-nots increases,
And that more conmen, the public and individual fleeces.”
“Yes, see that suffering and misery grow by the day,
Via calamities, wars, spouse and child abuse, and foul play.
Cause global financial meltdowns, aided by vice and greed,
So that even more so, essential services will bleed.”
“You
must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will
come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful,
unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of
good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but
denying its power. Avoid them!” (2 Tim 3:1-5).
“See that any material that’s contrary to my goal
Gets ridiculed, destroyed, and all dissenters buttonhole.
Yes, prevent my opponents from convincing otherwise,
Via what they call truth, sound admonition, a path more wise.”
“For
the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but
having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to
suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth
and wander away to myths” (2 Tim 4:3,4).
“For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of those who by their unrighteousness suppress the
truth” (Rom 1:18, ESV).
“Lastly, there’re those Christians that I want you to attend to,
And nothing angers me more than the Christians that are true,
That is, faithful to their God both in practice and belief,
For their correct and loving witness always gives me grief.”
“ ‘Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one
who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’ ” (Matt 7:21, ESV).
“Still, we’ll have it easy, comrades, for most are not on track,
And the same Hollywood stars, music and entertainment back.
Despite their God saying no to many things, they’ve rebelled,
And therefore, much of what they should be upholding have farewelled.”
“Do
not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father
is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world – the
desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches –
comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its
desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever”
(1 John 2:15-17).
“However, some of these misguided ones interest me,
For they can further my cause by working from within, you see.
That is, within their religion, for with them being off track,
It’ll aid my agenda, my trap, which they’ll misguidedly back.”
“On
that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your
name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in
your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away
from me, you evildoers’ ” (Matt 7:22,23).
“So, raise up any Christians who are hungry for power,
And sooner or later, persecution will flower.
Have them thinking God’s on their side, and introducing laws,
But have all this look lamb-like up until a dragon roars.”
“
‘…the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering
service to God [think they are doing God’s will]’ ” (John 16:2, ESV).
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death [eternal death]” (Prov 14:12, ESV).
“That’s right, a religious/political power, Church and State,
And that way, I’ll deal to those genuine ones that I hate.
As for anyone else, all will come under my control,
For my aim isn’t just a part of this world, but the WHOLE.”
“And
it [the second beast — the new political/religious power] was allowed
to give breath to the image [copy] of the beast [first persecuting
power] so that the image [copy] of the beast [first beast] could even
speak [through its laws and enactment’s] and cause [force] those who
would not worship the image [copy] of the beast [first beast] to be
killed” (Rev 13:15).
“So, see to it that freedom and liberty go, QUICKLY,
Freedom of expression too, so debate will cease to flow.
This will make it easier for me to get my hands on
ANYTHING that I don’t like, and ANYONE I want gone.”
“Here
is a call for the endurance [faithfulness] of the saints, those who
keep the commandments of God [the Ten Commandments]…” (Rev 14:12, ESV).
“...Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life [eternal life]” (Rev 2:10, ESV).
Could Such Be So? The Bible seems to know.
By Lance Landall