English – Chinese
Hi everyone!
I recall a dream I had perhaps a couple of years ago or more (I dare not take it as anything other than from the Lord), in which I was instructed to submit to the authorities when they come tyrannizing. Yes, it will be that way. It will seem so very unfair, even diabolical.
The William Raymonds, Mike Adamses, and Alex Joneses won’t like it one bit. Their reaction and stance is to fight back, to resist this great move of “injustice.” They will perish by the sword, all those who resist.
Notice that the above mentioned people, and many like them, call for justice, law, and order; yes, they call for many good and moral things, but they’re missing repentance from sin and faith in God. And that’s the problem. Raymond, Adams, Jones, and many others want to have their cake and eat it, too. They can’t have it both ways.
All that’s falling on our nations now is because of sin and unbelief, iniquity and violence everywhere. We’ve thrown God out, even in His own Name (adding sin to sin), and now He’s done with our iniquity, presumption, stubbornness, arrogance, self-importance, and rebellion. He’s finished winking. The freedoms we’ve enjoyed as nations, particularly in the West and maybe most particularly in North America, are history.
Here’s what I see, and I say this with a sense of urgency: I see a distinct parallel or likeness between our situation and that of when Babylon came against Israel and Jeremiah was calling on the people to submit to Nebuchadnezzar when he came with his great army. If the powers that be come to take everything away from us, including our lives, we must not resist. We must recognize that Jesus Christ our Lord and the Kingdom of God reign supreme. God is in full control. His judgment is now here, and He is using “His servant Nebuchadnezzar” to judge our nations.
Nobody, high or low, rich or poor, deserving judgment will escape, and nobody with faith and fidelity toward God and deserving justice will be denied. God is just and merciful to those who look to and love Him.
“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25)
Those who resist won’t be able to withstand the judgment. The rod will only come down all the harder, with no escape from it. God has put it in the hearts of the powers of this world to bring this great correction. If we resist, Jeremiah declared, we’ll die, but if we submit, our lives will be spared. Naturally, Jeremiah was known as a traitor to his country and to God for his stance and God’s message by him to Judah.
Why Harvest Haven, then, and why our “door to the world” and all the work and money we’ve put into it, if it’s all just going down, you may ask? Here’s another wonderful parallel between our situation and Judah’s when Babylon came to overcome the Jews and destroy their nation, even their glorious Temple. You’ll recall that Jeremiah was instructed to buy a piece of land. This instruction to him during the coming takeover by foreigners was a token of God’s promise that the Jews would return and live in their land again. I believe the same. God has given us Harvest Haven and the building for a plan He has for us and others in the near future (read Jeremiah 32).
For a time, it may look the opposite, like all is lost. If the authorities come and take away whatever we have, even our children and lives (not saying they will – I don’t know the specifics), we must recognize that every detail is being worked under perfect supervision from Heaven. We are not to fear or be angry or hateful for these things.
Yes, on the surface these actions and events will seem perfectly unfair, unjust – tyrannical indeed. Those we encounter doing this work “against” us may even appear cynical and proud of their power over us, but we mustn’t resist. We must let it happen and give thanks to God, Whose judgment is just. Remember, whatever we get, it will only be because we need or deserve it, or both.
Let them take us away in chains, without notice, rights of appeal, or anything else. Submit, submit, submit, and treat them as angels of God doing their jobs, for so it is; they are messengers of judgment, not wielding the sword in vain. God will give us mercy if we believe and obey. He will move the hearts and turn them as He will. He is the Father of all spirits. Know that, remember it, and live. Forget, and it won’t go well for you.
Judgment is here because of sin. Yes, people want their organic food, the right to drink raw milk, and to have alternative health care, free access to natural foods and supplements, fluoride-free water, freedom of choice, and so forth. They demand all their rights, as though those rights are coming to them. While these things are all good, they forget their responsibilities toward God and neighbor.
As you’ve seen times without number in our work both at Harvest Haven and The Path of Truth, the vast majority of people aren’t listening; not only do they refuse, they condemn and revile us. They all know much better. We’ve been preaching against sin and urging faith and fidelity toward God for years, and people just aren’t listening. What else shall God do, but bring the fires and the rod to open their ears?
I know that if we walk in repentance and humility, in faith and obedience toward God, it will be well for us in the end, notwithstanding the turmoil and suffering, the rejection of those around us, and the great injustices we see happening, be it with people like the Raw Milk movement, Michael Schmidt, environmentalists, and so many others out there apparently trying to do good and right things.
Likely we will experience hardships ourselves, feeling we don’t deserve what is happening, but remember how Daniel, a righteous man, and his companions, were also taken into captivity, cruelly ripped away from their nation, homes, and families, and sent off in chains and bare feet to Babylon. Yet God kept them and brought them great honor because their faith was ultimately in Him, without compromise. Remember Daniel when these things come. Obey and believe God; do right to all, always.
We’ve seen the great needs of every kind with many. And we’ve seen how the Lord opens and closes doors for all those we encounter. Meeting needs is not our business. Our business is to walk away from (forsake) closed doors and toward (yield to) open doors, even as did Noah in his day of great judgment. We need to know and respect whom the Lord determines to give to, and not who has needs. Self-righteous, foolish do-gooders help people indiscriminately, but God knows the hearts, to give to every man according to the fruit of his doings, according to the reins of his heart.
We haven’t been able to tell by outward appearance who is who. Logically, it just doesn’t make sense. Until we pick up their spirits and see their hearts, we can’t tell, but as some of you have experienced with customers, for example, you see to whom it’s given and to whom it isn’t, despite their needs, troubles, and social statuses.
In all these things, may you not turn against or away from the Lord and deny Him. Those who deny Him before men, those will He deny before the Father and the angels. Remember God is in full control, and if we are with Him, He is with us; and if He is with us, who can be against us?
Victor Hafichuk
– August 20, 2014