Here’s a primary rule of life on the frontier:  every threat, veiled or not, will be taken seriously and challenged.”
              –Stephen Bly  (Shadow of Legends)

    “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
              –1 Peter 3:12 (NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”  –1 John 5:19 (NKJV)

I keep adding the Key Verse for it is vital for us to know, to realize, and to act upon if we are to survive in this wicked world.  Whether you like it or not, whether you realize it or not–you are a target!  Get that in your minds and etched into your heart.  The enemy would like nothing better than to destroy you spiritually first, then physically and mentally if he cannot get into your spirit.

         “As Christian people, as soon as we come into the Christian life we become part of this mighty conflict between the forces of God and the forces of hell, and we are involved in it whether we like it or not.”
                   –D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

    There is a danger if we do not remain alert and aware of our surroundings.  By surroundings I mean anything that can affect you physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.  True warriors live their training.  However, there is always the temptation to let down.  
    Curiosity killed the cat, so goes the old saying.  Curiosity can also lead to casualties in life.  “Try it, only once will not hurt you,” the enemy whispers.  You wonder what “it” will be like.  Wham!  Out of nowhere, you or someone near you become a casualty and the devil laughs with glee.
    People tend to become complacent.  I have heard many say, “where is the coming of the Lord?”  They have heard this all their lives and then begin to become complacent, they no longer live their training.  They have forgotten to keep oil in their lamps for the day of His appearing.  So often, instead of standing on their convictions they follow the majority.  Woke sounds like the way to go so they become curious and become complacent and then comes sudden destruction.  And the devil laughs with glee.
    One of the biggest dangers that we face is that of compromise.  Just give an inch.  Don’t worry about cleaning your weapons today; don’t worry about reading your Bible today–the Lord will understand.  Come on, what’s wrong with meeting the opposition halfway?  Compromise is dangerous, compromise leads to pessimism.  The person who compromises will look around and come to the conclusion, what’s the use?  The devil smiles, and giggles with glee.
    Then there is the novice.  The new Christian who if not trained properly is a target for sure.  The enemy has several traps for them.  There is the lure of power and success.  There is the enticement of wealth and prestige.  There is the zeal of rushing into battle not heeding the words of veterans nor understanding all the pieces of their equipment and how they are to be used.  They must get busy to save the Church and all they do is wear themselves out, or make foolish mistakes, or do not take notice of their surroundings–they fail to hear the devil laughing at them and they get angry at those veterans who try to dampen their zeal.
    Abide in Him, abide in His teachings, don’t go out half-cocked, but be fully prepared knowing that there is a devil out there ready to wound or kill you.  Read the verses of yesterday and continue on through verse 28.  (1 John 2:18-28)  Don’t be alarmed (even at a pandemic), don’t wither in despair.  If you do these things then you are not reading the Scriptures.  In reality our faith should be strengthened.  Do not be one who falters at the troubles of these end times.
    This is not a study in Spiritual Warfare, however, one must understand and be ready to get into the warfare if one is to survive in this evil world.  I love some of the writings of J. Stuart Holden and will close with two of his quotations.

         “Opposition?  But that is what I am for!  That is what Christ saved me for!  Conflict?  But that is what I enlisted for!  The fact that there is likely to be trouble is the hallmark of the open door!  It assures me as to Whom has opened it!  Of course I will take care, God helping me.  But what am I to take care of?  Of myself or my entrustment?”

         “If I am in Christ’s way, how can I keep out of harm’s way?  They are practically synonymous, just one and the same thing!”

Do not be curious concerning the things of the world, do not become complacent in your life–your training, your first love–do not compromise the truths of the Bible.  

For goodness and truth and rightness are what men live and die for.”
              –J.V. James  (Frye)

    For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.”
              –Acts 20:29 (NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.”  –1 John 5:19 (NLT)

I want to be sure you read 1 John 2:18-23 (NKJV).  There are several important aspects in these verses to help us understand our confused world.

         18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
         20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
         22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

This is the atmosphere in which we live.  Add to that which we have already studied, especially that of fear, and the world could be a frightful place if not for the fact that we are Christians.  Notice that John states that, “this is the last hour.”  Now that does not mean this moment, but the times in which we are living.  William Barclay writes, “Men have the choice of allying themselves with the old world, which is doomed to dissolution, or of allying themselves with Christ and entering the new world, the very world of God.”  This is done continually–men making choices for the devil or for God.
    The danger is all around us and we need to realize that we live in a danger zone.  It may be terror on the streets, drugs, the virus, hostile environment which is to include the liberal ideology that is contrary to the Word of God.  Christians need to realize that this is a spiritual conflict!  Oh, the devil may use thoughts and sickness, but underlying it all is spiritual warfare.
    John is warning us and telling us how to confront the issues.  We are indeed in the last days, therefore, we must be sure and recognize from whence the fight is coming.  Take a minute and look at the term “Antichrist/antichrist.”  Do not confuse them.  There will be a man of lawlessness, as Paul puts it; a man known as the Antichrist who will arise.  With that being said, there is also those who are “antichrist.”  They are antichrist in their thinking, in their actions, in their beliefs, in their agenda.  They are those who oppose Christ and Truth.
    William Barclay puts it this way, “The simplest way to think of it is that Christ is the incarnation of God and goodness, and Antichrist is the incarnation of the devil and evil.”  Do not be confused by the term “incarnation.”  I do not believe that Antichrist is born supernaturally, but he will be filled with the devil.  He is not “incarnated” in the sense that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary and the seed was planted by the Holy Spirit.
    There is much clamor about a progressive way–progressive democracy, cancel culture, woke are all terms and some of them have worked their way into the Church.  John points out that they are not of Christ, but have separated themselves from the Truth, from the real Church.  Lloyd-Jones says that these, “claimed to delight in the true religion and yet they destroyed it.”  The Church has always been confronted by a seducing power (see Acts 20).  Early the Gnostics came on the seen with their heresies and was face by the Truth of the real Church, of those opposing the ideas that were antichrist.
    One thing you can be sure of is that the Church will stand.  It will not be stained, nor will there be any wrinkle in the robes of white.  Another sure thing is that we realize that the power of iniquity is working, the ideologies of the antichrist are involved in the activities of this world.  Be strong, stay in God’s Word, let the Holy Spirit guide you in these trying and difficult times.  Do not be swayed by the power of the antichrists around you.

I made a mental note right there that, come hell or high water, from then on I would do nothing else until my duties were completed.”
              –Loren D. Estleman (The Hider)

    “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him.”
              –Luke 14:28-29 (NKJV)
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There is a great little humorous poem, recited by Waddie Mitchell, titled “Purt-Near Perkins.  (I think it was written by S. Omar Barker).  The gist of the story is that there’s an old cowboy that’s done purt’near everything.  He purt’near lost his life a few times.  He purt’near starved once, and purt’near froze to death.  He purt’near broke his horses, and once he was purt’near bitten by a rattlesnake.  He purt’near was shot and he purt’near got sick.  Well, you get the picture.
    How many times have you purt’near done something or not to finish.  Some folks purt-near finish college.  Some purt’near are good workers.  Perhaps you were in a wreck and purt’near lost your life.  Maybe you purt’near had a wreck.  Purt’near can be good, depending upon the situation.  I remember students crying and whining because they purt’near turned their papers in on time, but didn’t and paid the consequences.  I remember a time when two cars were racing and they purt’near ran over us–that’s a good time something purt’near didn’t happen.
    Purt’near folk can be an aggravation.  They get their work purt’near finished.  They may have wondrous and grand ideas but they only purt’near finish the job.  They build a house, but they are only purt’near done.  They go to school, and purt’near graduate.  They were purt’near close to getting a promotion at work, but because of their purt’near work someone else received it.
    One thing for sure, as Christians we are completely saved, not just purt’near.  God doesn’t do a purt’near job on us.  Christ didn’t purt’near defeat Satan on the cross, the victory was final, complete.  He is not a purt’near God.  He is One who finished what He has started, in the world, and in your life.  As Paul writes in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (NKJV)  You are not purt’near saved, nor purt’near ready to meet the Lord.  It is done, it is completed for we have the promise of God.
    So don’t live your life in a purt’near way.  Oh, there may be things that are purt’near done.  For example, Annie and I purt’near drove to Alaska one year, but it didn’t come about.  But to live half-hearted, to live in despair and not in expectacy is to live a purt’near life.  Live in the fullness of Christ.  Don’t purt’near trust Him, but trust Him completely for He cares for you.