Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
The greatest drought in the history of ancient Israel prevailed in the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. No rain, not even a drop of dew, fell on the parched land for three and a half years; people were dying everywhere in consequence of the national disaster.
Even the king took his trusted "cabinet member" Obadiah with him to search the land for some places where the royal livestock could forage for a little water and grass in order to survive--national security depended on it (1 Kings 18:5).
Likewise, a crisis faces the Lord's church in the last days if there is no "rain" of the Holy Spirit falling upon it worldwide in copious showers of grace. As many Israelites died in Ahab's days of drought, so many in modern Israel suffer; lacking Heaven's true showers of "rain" they fall prey to the clever counterfeits that the Enemy in the great controversy with Christ foists upon them. Youth and teens especially perish spiritually if they are deprived of fresh "bread of life." Every wind of doctrine is blowing. Jesus' words are, "If anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand" (Matt. 24:23-25). Common sense is precious.
Most perilous of these deceptions will be the clever invention of a false and counterfeit holy spirit. The truth makes sense: if Satan can invent a false christ, he can also invent a false holy spirit. In the "time of the end ... knowledge shall increase" (Dan. 12:4). If we can conceive of a progression of deceptions, each generation witnessing a new development like "alpha" panentheism unfolding, imagine the almost overwhelming impact of what its "omega" will be!
In Ahab's day, a true prophet of God named Elijah arose and commanded the king to call a national crisis-convocation at Carmel. The universal deception was unmasked publicly. Every Israelite with an honest heart was undeceived. At last the true Holy Spirit had a voice.
The next item on God's agenda for today is His sending "Elijah" "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." He will lead the honest in the world church into the one true miracle of His much more abounding grace: "turning hearts" in the great Day of Atonement (Mal. 4:5, 6; Dan. 8:14). At last, Christ crucified and risen will be "lifted up" as He said He must be (John 12:32, 33).
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: February 12, 2007.
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