Remembering God via
Discernment and Discrimination
March 31, 2023
By Dan Li
(Despite its title, this article is not about discriminating against races, etc. Read the article fully, to understand)
Today, I was reading one of the devotions, titled “Presence of Mind” (Mar 31) by Spurgeon, Faith’s Checkbook. It drew me to remembrance of certain things in the Lord:
“March 31
Presence of Mind
Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. (Proverbs 3:25-26)
When God is abroad in judgments, He would not have His people alarmed. He has not come forth to harm but to defend the righteous.
He would have them manifest courage. We who enjoy the presence of God ought to display presence of mind. Since the Lord Himself may suddenly come, we ought not to be surprised at anything sudden. Serenity under the rush and roar of unexpected evils is a precious gift of divine love.
The Lord would have His chosen display discrimination so that they may see that the desolation of the wicked is not a real calamity to the universe. Sin alone is evil; the punishment which follows thereupon is as a preserving salt to keep society from putrefying. We should be far more shocked at the sin which deserves hell than at the hell which comes out of sin.
So, too, should the Lord’s people exhibit great quietness of spirit. Satan and his serpent seed are full of all subtlety; but those who walk with God shall not be taken in their deceitful snares. Go on, believer in Jesus, and let the Lord be thy confidence.”
I love to write about the Lord, hear about the Lord from others who are also in Christ, and bring myself and others to remembrance of Him and things of Him: things that today are quickly being lost to forgetfulness in our present time of the deluge of iniquity and delusion (2 Thess 2).
Strangely, in our age of massive information, the basics of God — above all- knowing Him, having Him living in our heart, and loving Him more than all else — is being lost to the worthless trash, garbage, and filth of this world, the things of the world. People who call themselves “Christians” are doing the opposite of Philippians 3:8-11, and have found great value in this world, like in 2 Timothy 4:10. (See Scripture references at the end of this paper)
Most of the world is able to spend hours on the internet, and yet don’t have the attention-span necessary to read a chapter of Scripture, or listen to a 50 minute sermon anymore, much less spend an hour or more a day in prayer and Bible reading.
Like attention-deficit children, most adults now don’t have the basic self-discipline to seek the Lord with all of the heart- something that God requires of those who seek Him, if they are to find Him:
“And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But if from there you shalt seek the LORD your God, you shalt find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in tribulation, and all these things are come upon you, even in the latter days, if you turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto His voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) He will not forsake you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore unto them. Deut 4:28-30
It is important to stir-up our pure minds by way of remembrance in the Lord, very most especially in our time now! (2 Pet 3:1-11):
1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conduct and godliness,
Most troubling, I find that today many Christian brothers and sisters are willfully unaware of the time we are now in: most don’t know that we are on the brink of the Great Tribulation that proceeds the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matt 24:29-31). The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night (2 Pet 3:10), and many will not be ready. The Bible was written to Christians, not to the world. Many Christians are not watchful and in prayer, and thus, have become blind to the time we now are in. If they were awake, alert, watchful in prayer (not the news), they at first would be seriously disturbed at heart (that’s good), until they got before the Lord in prayer and put Him in His rightful place as first in their life, and would have repented of not keeping the Lord as their first love – then the peace of God would flow in their life, and they would be blind no longer. Willful ignorance is a sin, that if continued in, will result in the loss of the presence of Christ Jesus in their life (Rev 2:5, 3:1-6).
"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith He that has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you had received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you shalt not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shalt not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches." Rev 3:1-6
"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of his place, except you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." Rev 2:4-6
There is one other thing we should call to remembrance, something of which is willfully forgotten in our present time in this present world, which Spurgeon speaks so clearly about in this part of the devotion:
“The Lord would have His chosen display discrimination so that they may see that the desolation of the wicked is not a real calamity to the universe. Sin alone is evil; the punishment which follows thereupon is as a preserving salt to keep society from putrefying. We should be far more shocked at the sin which deserves hell than at the hell which comes out of sin.”
Today, many Christians think the opposite: they think that we should be far more shocked at the hell which comes out of sin, than the sin which deserves hell! Spiritually perverse pastors and teachers are preaching and teaching such stuff!
The true statement, “The Lord would have His chosen display discrimination so that they may see that the desolation of the wicked is not a real calamity to the universe” is ‘anathama’ to these man-worshipping humanism-tainted, spiritually perverse “Christians” and “pastors”!
While our world today is putrefying, false teachers, false preachers, false prophets are everywhere – bringing in damnable heresies (2 Pet 2:1) to drown weak Christians in perdition. Just as in the days of Elijah, or in the days of Jeremiah, there is a ratio of hundreds of these ‘falsies’, to the rare few of the real and genuine men of God. This is itself the most potent sign that we are at the end of time, that there are deceivers everywhere:
“And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."” Matt 24:3-5
Deception is the most prominent feature of the end of time – that we are now in – and sadly, many don’t recognize it.
Today, the Great Whore, Mystery Babylon that most people don’t know who this is even at this last time, has been giving the wine of her iniquity to the nations, and they are becoming maddened and enflamed with it (Rev 17:1-6). But the Day of the Lord is soon coming, and all these wicked people will be utterly destroyed with fire, like it was in the days of Noah, and also like it was in Sodom and Gomorrah!
References:
Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are
with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Phil 3:7-11
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
2Tim 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
Matt 24:29-39
29 "¶ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:"
30 "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
31 "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from
one end of heaven to the other." 32 " Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:"
33 "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."
34 "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."
35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
36 "¶ But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."
37 "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
38 "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,"
39 "And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
2 Pet 1:21-2:3 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Rev 17:1-6
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Rev 17:15-18
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her
flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Rev 18:1-
1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not
of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they
shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious
stones, and pearls!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Rev 19:1-6
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand.
3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
