T R U T H - S E E K I N G

If there is one addiction motivating the work of Lindsay House Publishing, it is THE TRUTH!

Ever since early childhood, through adolescence and adulthood - we have loved TRUTH and hated falsehood in all its forms. It seems that the writer was wired this way from the time that Father God planned her life as His child.

Although this writer is humanly imperfect, TRUTH is my passion, and it has defined my character and relationships in profound ways.

When wanting to explore and understand the JEALOUSY of God, I began a search of the Scriptures. Then beginning to formulate this piece, I found a most remarkable description in a novel and will share this with you here to help us understand our loving, and JEALOUS Father God. 

The following conversation revolves around the deceptions that hell has planted into people's minds related to the time preceding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

The book, A RIFT IN TIME, was written (prophetically - in the opinion of this editor) by Michael Phillips. The publisher was Tyndale, and the copyright, 1997.

Rocky McCondy, a widower, investigator by profession, and young in the faith, questions the pastoral couple in New Hampshire, USA. Rocky is calling by phone from his present headquarters in the English countryside, south of London.

Here it is:

"You were telling me about the ages, or epochs, that have come and gone in the world's history," he began.

"Right."

"Okay," Rocky went on, "if we are approaching another of the change points you spoke of, or even if the year 2000 signifies it, I want to know what to expect. What is the new era that is coming next?"

"Many will disagree with me," replied Mark. "Most believers are expecting something altogether different. But I expect it to be an era of deception."

Rocky took in his pastor's words thoughtfully. "What about God's reign?" he said after a moment. "I thought the Tribulation was going to usher in the Lord's victory on the earth."

"These aspects of the eternal timetable will come," replied Mark. "There will be an era of God's rest."

"But not yet?"

"In my view, that is correct--that era yet lies in the future."

"But I've heard people talk about the six thousand years now drawing to a close. The coming Millennium I thought was going to be God's thousand-year reign."

"All that will happen, as I said" replied Mark. "But those who think we are approaching the season of God's rest misread the signs. It is the fifth era that is now drawing to a close, not the sixth. The sixth epoch is about to dawn, not the seventh. And you know what the number 6 symbolizes?"

"What?" said Rocky.

"Imperfection, division, opposition to God . . . deception."

"Hmm . . ."

"We are about to embark upon the sixth era, or day, in history--an era of deception, not the millennial reign of Jesus, at least in my opinion. Then later in the future, after Satan is exposed and the deception is undone . . . then will the seventh era dawn."

"That makes sense."

"Then will the number 6 yield to the number 7. Then will come the Millennium of rest."

"So that's still thousands of years away?"

"I don't say the era of deception will last a thousand or two thousand years. It may. It may only last a hundred. Actual duration means very little. It is the eras in God's timetable that are significant."

"How long do you think it will last?" asked Rocky.

"Only as long as God's people remain deceived. Hopefully, that will not be a long time. When they rise up against the deception, then will the enemy no longer have power over them."

"God's people?" repeated Rocky. "I think I'm confused."

"It is those expecting to be wondrously transported out of this time and into the period of God's rest who are likely to be those most susceptible to the deception of all. Because they do not see it coming, they are the least protected against it."

"Are you saying it's not the world that will be deceived during the sixth era?"

"The world is already deceived," replied Laurene. "Of course the world is included in the deception, but the world has never recognized truth. There's nothing new about that."

"The greatest deception, and what will distinguish this era, will be that which falls upon those who consider themselves God's people," added Mark.

"All Christians?" asked Rocky, still trying to get a grip on this new twist to his perception of the end times.

"No, a remnant will discern the times and will rightly read the prophecies so as to know what is happening. But only a small number. Most misread the prophecies altogether. Those few, like Noah and his family, will be those who will enter the ark of God's protection and, if I may continue the metaphor, sail across the waters into the future, bridging the rift from the one era to the next."

Mark paused and reached for his Bible.

"There is a passage in 2 Timothy 3," he said as he flipped through the pages, "in which I believe Paul is speaking exactly about this sixth era that will lead to the end times. Listen to his words: 'There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous . . . having a form of godliness but denying its power.' Do you see, Rocky? He is talking about Christians, not the world. He went on: 'They are the kind who worm their way into homes . . . who are loaded with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth'."

"I've never thought about those kinds of warnings as applying within the church."

"I believe," Mark replied, "That many Christians will become so deceived about truth and falsehood that they will actually take on a cultlike behavior, even in the midst of a very righteous-sounding pietism. But it is just such individuals Paul is warning about. He says the attack will come specifically on families. And the most venomous and slanderous attacks will come against the families of those who most vigorously stand for the principles of God's Word and seek to obey them."

"And right after that passage, Paul tells Timothy what are the characteristics of the godliness that will combat the deception. A remnant of obedient men and women God will entrust with his truths," added Laurene. "They will proclaim, not raptures or tribulations, but obedience and sacrifice and Christlikeness."

"Thus will these of the remnant, by their lives and their obedience, expose the lie of the deception, though not until those of the deception have done all they can to destroy them and their families. This obedient remnant will reveal the number 6 for what it is, not mistake it for 7. These will be those who shall pave the way for the coming of Christ in power," Mark said.

"This remnant you speak of--who are they?" asked Rocky.

"They will come from all segments of Christ's body--evangelicals, charismatics, Catholics, Baptists, Episcopalians, Seventh-Day Adventists, Presbyterians, liberals, fundamentalists."

"And the deceived?" asked Rocky.

"They will likewise be well represented from all these same segments, and sadly, in far greater numbers. More will remain oblivious to the change that has come than will be taken onward into the new era."

"But some will be taken forward into it?"

"Every rift needs its families of Noahs to bring truth into the new era. Especially will it be true in this case, to shine the light of truth into the darkness of the deception so that eventually the church can rediscover its true Head."

"What does all this have to do with the papers I showed you back at your house?" asked Rocky.

"The allies of the demonic conspiracy are the chief earthly perpetrators of the deception. Those who ally themselves with this cause have been given great power in the world, even great spiritual power to deceive. We're all well familiar by now with the term new age. That's exactly what is coming--a new era, the 'new age'--which is actually not new at all!--which will be sold to the world--which the church will also embrace--as an era of peace and enlightenment. But it is a bill of false goods."

"What could I possibly have to do with it?"

"I think it is possible you have stumbled into the middle of this hornet's nest at the very highest levels of the conspiratorial and satanic hierarchy," replied Mark.

"As Mark said, many Christians will be swallowed up in the deception as well," added Laurene. "They have no idea. That is what makes it a deception.

Even now they don't see what is happening. This has exactly been the plan of the enemy's forces for centuries."

"For millennia," added Mark. "It began in Babylon."

"Yes," Laurene went on, "to lull the world to sleep, even as the enemy gains control, to subtly dictate how people think, how they perceive truth."

A lengthy silence followed.

"That's why evolution is such a foundation stone for the deception strategy," resumed Mark, after a pause. "Under the guise of science and truth, God is carefully squeezed out of the matrix of the world's considerations."

"Why, then, am I in danger?" asked Rocky. "Why is Adam Livingstone in danger?"

"I suspect because you threaten to expose the deception. Lights are being shined in places where the Great Lie of humanism gains its strength. Your friend Livingstone is stirring up waters the conspiracy wants left murky."

"I don't see how--he's just another archaeologist."

"The central role of evolution in the enemy's ploy explains why your great-grandfather was drawn so specifically into it. And now Adam Livingstone, and you along with him. Their research and now the ark's discovery threaten to bring down that humanistic world around their ears."

"So evolution is at the foundation of the battle?"

"No--truth is. Evolution is merely one of the key tools the enemy has chosen to use to undermine truth. Very few realize how greatly their entire perspective is colored by the evolutionary theory and by the humanism that lies at the root of it."

"Evolution, in a sense," said the pastor's wife, "gave the world permission to disbelieve."

"I'm not sure I see what you mean," said Rocky.

"It took God out of the creative equation," answered Mark. "As soon as that happened, people no longer felt an obligation to be accountable to a higher power in the universe, and a slide of disbelief resulted. Truth then became fuzzy in other aspects of life. Evolution triggered an ethical domino effect against faith. And on the other side of it, as soon as an individual acknowledges that God is real, he or she becomes accountable to the Ten Commandments and to the words of Jesus. Suddenly ethics and morality matter again."

Rocky quietly took in Pastor Mark's words.

"The loss of absolutes, the loss of the relevance and significance of personal decisions and accountability--these are results that affect Christians along with the rest of the world. Gradually, without our even seeing the shift, lies and falsehoods come to be called truth. Even Christians who don't believe in evolution per se have allowed the nonabsolutist mind-set to engulf them."

"Christians don't see the approaching rift of deception," added Laurene, "because it creeps upon them so subtly. They do not see the accommodation and compromise gradually engulfing our world, and their own values and standards and attitudes along with--"

She stopped abruptly. "Mark," she now said in an urgent voice, "I have the strong feeling that we need to pray."

"Then let's pray."

The three joined their hearts over the miles in a threefold cord of prayer.

"In your name, Lord," prayed Mark, "we bind the power of the enemy over your servant Rocky McCondy and over all those with whom he is associated right now, especially Adam Livingstone. Go before them both and guide their every step. Protect them, Lord, and accomplish your purposes through them."

The pastor's wife now prayed.

"Dear Lord, we know that your preparation of seeing a remnant people will not be in the visible ways those who would profit from your Word proclaim. Such explanations will not seek your heart, but they seek only sensational signs and wonders. They are the dill, mint and cumin of prophetic utterance, the mere outsides of pots and cups and vases. They represent the words the Lord has given his prophets to say, not what those sacred words mean. Lord, we ask that those who interpret events by shallow lights of interpretation will discern the deep import of what you, Lord, would say to your church.

"Otherwise, they will miss the rift in time because they know not its true meaning. Lord, give signs to those who see with discerning hearts. Help us to be vigilant, to be wary, to be watchful. Help us heed the times, for many of the Lord's people will be deceived. We know what your Word says that lies will be called truth, sons will be stolen from fathers, daughters will be stolen from mothers, and authority will be despised. We know that your Word says that the hearts of the saints will break on the altars of those days that are coming. Thieves of the truth will be those who call themselves the Lord's people but who do not know the Lord's heart. They have not made the Lord's ways their ways. Dear Lord, allow a season to come for the healing of rifts. If it be your will, Lord, allow the day of your return to draw near. We feel this in our hearts, O Lord. To those who know your ways, Lord, give us a wonder. Allow unseen growth to sprout from long-hidden roots . . . verily, from the root of life."

As she spoke, tingles went up Rocky's spine.

"Lord, I do not think the sign will be as many of us might imagine," she went on. "I fear that few will recognize it. But dear Lord, accomplish what is your purpose. Let it be like a sign as a baby born in a manger. The Pharisees gazed about for a sword-wielding warrior-king. They did not recognize the birth of their divine Babe. We know that your salvation came quietly, and we will quietly look for the sign of your coming again."

The room fell silent. There was nothing more for any of the three to say except, 

"Be it unto me, Lord, according to your will."

We want to thank Michael Phillips and Tyndale Publishing

on behalf of the Lord's remnant around the world.

May we see clearly and understand as You lead us, LORD.

["But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, 

He will guide you into all the truth; 

for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, 

He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.

All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that 

He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you."

John:16:13-15]