November 21: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DISOBEDIENCE AND DARKNESS
They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds. Revelation 16:11
The character of these blasphemers in this time of trouble such as never was (Daniel 12:1) is really not new. It is only being revealed. In this, the fifth plague, the specific mention of the first one, their sores, lets us know that the plagues are not spaced out separately as they were in Egypt (Exodus 7:17 – 12:30). They are consecutive, even overlapping, and cumulative.
The back-to-back contrast of the fourth and fifth plagues (intensified, scorching heat of the sun followed by a frightening, supernatural darkness) points to the character-destroying imbalance that is created when people choose to ignore all or part of Scripture rather than seeking the counsel of God in its fullness (see Luke 7:30; John 15:15; Acts 20:27). Church has morphed into a cultural smorgasbord of choosing only that which you like or understand or agree with.
Saving faith (Luke 7:50) is developed by trusting the righteousness of the Creator and Redeemer regardless of human opinion or one’s level of understanding. This righteousness is laid out in His word. It has been said that in getting to truly know God, one is enabled to think His thoughts after Him. And such thoughts are reflected in words and deeds. This is evidence of the miraculous work of sanctification. A young man, a new Christian convert, whose friends derogatorily commented that he had been “brain-washed” replied: “Hmmm, yes. My brain needed a good washing.” Amen! The cleansing tide that follows sincere repentance is refreshing, invigorating, and life-affirming!
The authority of the beast power rests entirely upon counterfeits and deception. There are counterfeit versions of Christ (Matthew 24:24) based on counterfeit interpretations of Scripture (2 Peter 3:16), and even a dramatically altered version of the Ten Commandments (Daniel 7:25). There are false doctrines that deny the reality of death, unwittingly based upon the serpent’s lie (Genesis 3:4). As the world moves toward acceptance of a unified “one-world” power, which will be both a religious and political entity intertwined, the masses are being groomed to accept and agree upon a special day set aside for rest and worship. It will be billed as the hub of an elaborate plan to save the earth. Even now, it is quite easy to see the point of agreement in the midst of the tens of thousands of religions in the world: it is the spurious, counterfeit weekly Sabbath: the first day, Sunday, which has been substituted for the seventh day set aside by the Creator (Genesis 2:1-3). Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Christian Scientologists meet for Sunday worship, along with most Protestants, Messianic Jews, and Catholics (see Revelation 12:9). In today’s world, the true seventh-day Sabbath is by far the most desecrated day of every week.
For all who desire to live eternally with the Savior, it is essential to learn that He places a high value on obedience.* This life is about growing in Him and learning His ways. None of us “knows it all” but to cultivate a genuine trust in Him brings His upward leading, fortified by an attitude that says, like the song, “Wherever He leads, I’ll go.” The reproofs of instruction that come to us are proof that He is for us, not against us! But the one who comes face-to-face with a command from the divine Commander in Chief and rejects it will ultimately find himself on a very different trajectory; a downward one marked by an unteachable spirit and a shriveling faith. Recognize today that blasphemy of God’s Holy Spirit and deliberate disobedience go hand in hand, and do not allow Satan’s tidal wave of rebellion to overtake you.
For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life. Proverbs 6:23
*1 Samuel 15:22; Ecclesiastes 5:1; Matthew 8:27; Acts 5:29,32; 6:7; Romans 6:17; Galatians 5:7-8; Hebrews 5:9; 1 Peter 1:22