"WE MUST EXPECT THAT MYSTERY BABYLON WILL BE A CLEVER DECEPTION OF EVIL DISGUISED AS GOOD."
Pastor Randy Shupe
INTRODUCING PASTOR SHUPE'S LATEST BOOK ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN POLITICS, COMMERCE, AND RELIGION:
"Often, people in great dismay of world events taking place in the realms of politics, commerce, or religion exclaim, "What in the world is going on?" Perhaps the old famous rock and roll song of Jerry Lee Lewis can give us a pungent answer, for there is indeed "A Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On!"
It is the conviction of this teacher that politics, commerce, and even religion (for the most part), comprise what Jesus refers to as "things which are made" (man-made kingdoms) that He is systematically shaking to the core as He promised to do:
"...'YET ONCE MORE I SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO HEAVEN.' NOW THIS, 'ONCE MORE,' INDICATES THE REMOVAL OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEING SHAKEN, AS OF THINGS THAT ARE MADE, THAT THE THINGS WHICH CANNOT BE SHAKEN MAY REMAIN. THEREFORE, SINCE WE ARE RECEIVING A KINGDOM THAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN, LET US HAVE GRACE, BY WHICH WE MAY SERVE GOD ACCEPTABLY WITH REVERENCE AND GODLY FEAR. FOR OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE." Hebrews 12:26-29
The sovereign principle stated above reveals that it is God Himself who is the source behind the present shaking of all such man-made kingdoms with the intent of "...the removal of those things that are being shaken." Consider this sober warning of Jesus to all mankind:
"FOR NOTHING IS SECRET THAT WILL NOT BE REVEALED,
NOR ANYTHING HIDDEN THAT WILL NOT BE KNOWN AND COME TO LIGHT."
Luke 8:17
"AND THERE IS NO CREATURE HIDDEN FROM HIS SIGHT, BUT ALL THINGS ARE NAKED AND OPEN TO THE EYES OF HIM TO WHOM WE MUST GIVE ACCOUNT."
Heb. 4:13
"THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE IN EVERY PLACE,
KEEPING WATCH ON THE EVIL AND THE GOOD."
Prov. 15:3
Therefore the exposure of the Bernard Madoff's, Ken Lay's, Jeffrey Skilling's, and the Enron's of the corrupt world of commerce are the result of God's sovereign whistle-blowing on those evil things done in secret. The events surrounding the Bill Clinton's, the Tom Delay's, the Mark Foley's, the Elliot Spizer's and the Rod Blagojevich's are the result of God exposing the corrupt nature of much of what flies under the banner of politics.
Likewise, the exposure of a multitude of homosexual Catholic priests, and even of Protestant minister Ted Haggard as a secret homosexual, are the work of the sovereign God who brings the hidden things to light which are taking place within the confines of professing religions that claim the name of Christ. Even cultic Mormonism with its secret practices of polygamy has been brought to light with the arrest and conviction of sect leader, Warren Jeffs.
Some of man's hidden secrets will not be brought to light until The Judgment Seat of Christ (the future judgment for Christians), and some secret things will be revealed at The Great White Throne Judgment (the future judgment for non-Christians), but in this present evil age, God, at times, sovereignly interferes in the secret doings of man, both of believers and non-believers alike, and suddenly brings them to light in front of the whole world. Perhaps God does this from time to time just to let the world as well as His own people know that He sovereignly sits on the throne of the whole universe and does as He pleases:
"WHY SHOULD THE GENTILES SAY, 'WHERE NOW IS THEIR GOD?'
BUT OUR GOD IS IN HEAVEN;
HE DOES WHATEVER HE PLEASES."
Psalm 115:2-3
When man, God's creation, whether believer or unbeliever, places his/her trust in the corrupt man-made kingdoms of politics, commerce or religion, they stand on dangerous and unstable ground, a foundation of their own making. Jesus identified such as foundations built on sand:
"NOW EVERYONE WHO HEARS THESE SAYINGS OF MINE,
AND DOES NOT DO THEM,
WILL BE LIKE A FOOLISH MAN WHO BUILT HIS HOUSE
ON THE SAND; AND THE RAIN DESCENDED, THE FLOODS CAME,
AND THE WINDS BLEW AND BEAT ON THAT HOUSE; AND IT FELL.
AND GREAT WAS ITS FALL."
Matt. 7:26-27
Politics, commerce and religion are houses built on sands of ideology that are often in conflict with the sayings of Jesus. The Religious Right will not be found to be right religion if one will merely compare its beliefs to the sayings of Jesus found in the Word of God. The erroneous mixture of the principles of the Constitution of the United States with Christianity is causing many a saint to build his house on political sinking sand! There are no political solutions to spiritual problems! In fact,the Church has no biblical mandate whatsoever to stop abortion, pornography or homosexuality in the world! Rather we are instructed in God's Word that pure an undefiled religion seeks to "keep oneself unspotted from the world" - not to remove the spots of the world ( Jam. 1:27).
As long as God's people in this country pursue what they believe to be inalienable constitutional rights to Life, Liberty and Happiness along with the unregenerate citizens of America, Christianity will remain an earth-bound religion built on sinking sand principles.
"We the People" is not how the Bible begins (or continues). The Bible holds God as the center figure - not man, His creation! It is not the beloved American philosophy of "its all about me" that permeates God's Word. Rather we find from Genesis to Revelation that the theme of God's Word is all about God and how in every facet of life we are to glorify Him.
Neither will you find the Word of God promoting the philosophy of "God and Country", the process of embracing patriotism to an earthly kingdom and its goals and objectives as being the will of God. Jesus has not changed His mind since stating "My Kingdom is not of this world" (Jn. 18:36). Patriotism is a religion in itself, and is in essence a subtle substitute for Christianity having its own set of hymns, martyrs and shrines of worship such as found in the memorials of Washington D.C.
The political frenzy in American Christianity reached its pinnacle with James Dobson's un-biblical, frustrated declaration in 2004 to Christians that it is an accountable sin against God not to vote, followed by his equally frustrated proclaimation in 2008 that he might not vote at all due to the selection of non-Christian candidates.
George W. Bush proclaimed to be a "Christian President", what did he accomplish? Did he advance the principles of the Kingdom of God here in America? Why did abortion still reign under his presidency? The answer is because America is not an expression of the Kingdom of God at all, and neither is the President the ruler over the Kingdom of God. Rather he rules an earthly kingdom comprised of many religions as well as atheists. Someone complained to me recently about the actions of President Obama. I told this person, "The last time I looked, he was the President of the United States of America and not the president of the Kingdom of God."
Are we totally oblivious to the fact that the Book of Acts depicts that early Christianity's greatest growth was accomplished while under the wicked, oppressive rule of Caesar Nero of Rome? Triumphant Christianity is not dependent upon who rules the government, but rather who rules the heart of God's people.
Christianity is also obsessed with the military-based freedom philosophy bent on making the rest of the world to be a free democratic society like America. Do we Christians have a God-given commission to take democracy to the ends of the earth? No, we do not. Rather, God gave us the gospel of the Kingdom of God to take to the ends of the earth - not the gospel of democracy. Perhaps you can set the captives of Iraq physically free with the battle cry of democracy, but you will leave them in spiritual bondage to a false religion and still destined for an eternity in hell! You too can live in the midst of a free democratic society and still be destined for that same hell along with the Iraqi people! Physical freedom is the foundational philosophy of this country. God's philosophy centers upon spiritual freedom. Think about this: much of the Body of Christ in the world does not have physical freedom.
We must become a people able to discern what are the true and false foundations of Christianity. Solid foundations are essential as God intends to shake all other things that are not part of His unshakable Kingdom. True Christianity in America has become muddied with the mixture of heavenly and earthly foundations, with principles taken from the Word mingled with those taken from a corrupt world. Colossians 2:8 warns us:
"BEWARE LEST ANYONE CHEAT YOU
THROUGH PHILOSOPHY AND EMPTY DECEIT,
ACCORDING TO THE TRADITION OF MEN,
ACCORDING TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD,
AND NOT ACCORDING TO CHRIST"
Col. 2:8
"IF THE [TRUE] FOUNDATIONS ARE DESTROYED,
WHAT CAN THE RIGHTEOUS DO?"
Psalm 11:3
The Kingdom of God has three foundations which cannot be shaken. They are "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14:17). America has three foundations as well. They are "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." You cannot mix the two, nor can you serve both (Mat.5:24). God tells which is acceptable to God:
"FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT FOOD AND DRINK,
BUT RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE AND JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.
FOR HE WHO SERVES CHRIST IN THESE THINGS IS
ACCEPTABLE TO GOD AND APPROVED BY MEN."
Rom. 14:17-18
In light of what is rapidly taking place in the realm of politics, commerce and religion, I am strongly recommending my latest book to you, "Babylon the Great." It is an update to my previous book, "Is America Mystery Babylon the Great", written in 1991. Much has happened in our world since the writing of my previous book.
This new book will introduce you to the prophetic depiction of the last world (Roman) empire that will encompass the whole world prior to the return of Jesus Christ to establish His Kingdom on earth, in Jerusalem, for the last 1,000 years of human existance on earth prior to the making of "a new heavens and a new earth" (Rev. 21:1).
We live in exciting times, but dangerous ones. Only the prophetic Word of God is a true "light shining ino a dark place" (2 Pet. 1:19).
It is my conviction that Mystery ("hidden truth") Babylon will be a clever deception of evil disguised as good. It will come forth in a trinity of deception, namely, "politics, commerce and religion." This new book will show you the Roman empire that Daniel was shown that will be in existance right up to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. You can order this book either in printed form or in an electronic version for you computer. Both are listed under the "Book" section of our website.
Pastor Randy Shupe
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