Beautiful on the Outside but Inside are Full of Dead Men’s Bones

Though it may be an unusual connection for you, the title immediately reminded me of the pirates that roamed the Caribbean, Atlantic, and other oceans of the world. Since I am from the Caribbean, I studied some about the pirates in centuries gone by.
Arrrrr!
No, this is not a history about pirates, though a small sample is included to reveal an eye-opening truth.
What is known as the Golden Age of Piracy from the 1650s to the 1730s were the days of famous pirates like Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, Stede Bonnet, Samuel Bellamy, Calico Jack Rackham, Bartholomew Roberts, Edward England, and others. There were also some feared women pirates such as Mary Reade and Anne Bonny. [1]
One woman pirate that lived just before the Golden Age deserves special mention. The Irish Gráinne Ni Mháille, anglicized as Grace O’Malley, was the legendary “Queen of Pirates.” She was resourceful, fearless, and a vengeful warrior! She was classically trained (spoke Latin fluently) and was of outstanding intelligence. Her maritime and leadership skills were second to none. Hundreds of men followed her into battle and respected her command. Yet, she was obviously, very womanly or feminine. She got pregnant by her husband and gave birth to one of her sons in the middle of a battle! She wrapped the newborn in a cloth and went topside on her ship with the baby in her arms to rally her crew for battle. Grace was one tough cookie! O’Malley’s crew of pirates won that battle though the odds were against them!
Some pirates of the Golden Age like Samuel Bellamy were known for their generosity. He gained the nickname “Prince of Pirates” and thought of himself as a seafaring Robin Hood. His crew called themselves Robin Hood’s men.
Other pirates were known for their extreme cruelty, such as was the case with Edward “Ned” Low. Ned Low violently tortured prisoners he captured on the boats he raided, plundered, and burned. After repeatedly brutalizing his prisoners in his twisted sense of enjoyment, he would murder them mercilessly.
Pirates were often vile and heathenistic, but contrary to all ideas of pirates and their activities, many pirate ships had a code of “ethics” written into a contract that crew were required to sign before coming onboard. It varied some from ship to ship, but the main points had to do with division of spoils and not stealing from your shipmates.
In one contract it was stated that if a pirate forced a woman to have sex without her consent (rape), the perpetrator would be put to death or be marooned on a deserted island. On another vessel there was a death penalty for bringing a female passenger on board.
The skull and cross bones flag came to be called the Jolly Roger during that “Golden” period. It was a flag designed to strike fear in all those that saw it. The black flag announced that the vessel bearing the flag were pirates and that they intended to raid a targeted ship. Sometimes there were variations of the figures of the black flag, and at other times it was just a plain black flag without any symbols. The flag announced to the ship to be raided that if they surrendered immediately, they would not be killed and would be given quarter. The black flag meant “surrender your vessel or die!” It was meant to strike fear in all who saw the flag and get them to surrender their vessel immediately without any bloodshed. If a ship decided to fight the pirates, the black flag would be lowered and a red flag would be raised indicating that no one on the targeted ship would escape death! [2]
On June 21, 1720, the pirate captain Bartholomew Roberts sailed into Trepassey harbor in Newfoundland. His black flag was flying brazenly as he entered the port. There were fighting vessels in the large bay that day, having about forty cannons of various sizes between them. If they had combined their forces, they could easily have defeated Roberts’ ship. Whatever you may think of the pirate Roberts, he had some guts and spine. As the Greeks would say it, and I don’t know why I chose Greek instead of Spanish here, Bartholomew Roberts had “thrásos” (θράσος)! By definition and his action, he had audacity, effrontery, nerve, and even recklessness! What he did was extremely ballsy, but it worked.
When the crews of the armed boats saw the black flag, they freaked out, all the blood drained out of their faces, and they surrendered immediately! The pirate Roberts took control of all 172 fishing and merchant ships at anchor in the bay without a fight because the crews feared the black flag! He then burned 22 of the vessels and commandeered a brigantine [3] from Bristol before departing.
Now it is time to state an inconvenient and unsettling truth, but it is the naked truth. It was the reason for writing about piracy.
A black flag was raised in February/March of 2020 for Covid-19 by government authorities. Churches all over the planet surrendered like those vessels in Trepassey Bay without a fight because they feared the specter of a plague (really a flu bug), though it is 99.9% survivable for most people on the planet. Why not do what has been done for centuries with great success? Let the sick stay home until they recover, but the rest of the world can go about it's business!! 
People were so afraid of the specter of death presented by evil government actors, wicked politicians, totalitarian social media, and the perverted mainstream media that they readily obeyed human governments and disobeyed God’s Word. Churches surrendered without a fight on a global scale! From the smallest to the most prominent churches and ministries, they all fell for the black flag event. There were only rare exceptions.
Many Churches and ministers became cowardly kowtowing to the world and their “piracy” demands even though it was only “one ship” against a huge armada! Had we joined forces, we could have easily defeated our enemy! That armada, the church of the living God, supposedly armed with the armor of God and the authority of the Name of Jesus, caved like a bunch of sissies with no strength, no power, and no spine! They just opened wide their legs and they were castrated!
Welcome to a castrated future UNLESS there is heart felt repentance! God can do a miracle give men back your "manhood" ONLY IF they repent!
MANY churches violated Hebrews 10:25. The majority of churches in the Western world caved in disobedience to God's Word without so much as a whimper of protest! 
Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching. (AMP)
Many things led to a worldwide disobedience (rebellion) against the Word of God in the churches. It was the beginning of a great revolt and rebellion, the great falling away, the apostasy of the church against God. (1 Timothy 4:1-5, Matthew 24:12-14)
Here is the truth about what churches did beginning in March/April of 2020.
Churches stopped having altar calls, ministering via the laying on of hands (Mark 16:18), anointing with oil (James 5:14-16), evangelism (Mark 16:15), having communion or the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:25-30), and numerous other things taught in the Scripture that churches are supposed to do. Not only did they stop doing those Scriptural things, but they shut down for months.
The churches quit following this order from the apostle Paul about reading the Scripture in public gatherings, and about preaching and teaching:
Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. (1 Timothy 4:13 NIV)
You do understand that the word “public” means a public gathering, an in-person, face-to-face gathering? A “gathering” via Zoom or some other electronic means does not qualify. The internet is not a substitute for face-to-face ministry.
A huge number of churches were not obeying Scripture anyway because they had a form of godliness but denied the power of God. (2 Timothy 3:5) They didn’t cast out demons, heal the sick, or minister to people to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the manifestation of speaking in other tongues. (Mark 16:17, 18; Acts 19:1-6) They were not preaching the Scripture (2Timothy 3:16-4:2), but only mouthed off little mousey sermonettes that confirmed their deadness. With the so-called pandemic, it became painfully and abundantly clear who were the living churches, and who were the dying or dead churches.
Many churches were filled with dead men’s bones before the plan-demic. Yep, it was planned by Satan and his henchmen to be a pandemic, but the hand of God turned it into a “nothing burger” with another purpose!
The surrendering of the church to local and state authorities confirmed the true dying state of most churches around the world. The churches looked so prosperous with their beautiful buildings and properties, so blessed, and so hugely successful in many parts of the world. So many were on national TV and were all over social media. Yes, so whitewashed, and beautiful on the outside. They seemed to be reaching the masses via social media outlets and on Television platforms, but truly, they confirmed they were dying or dead!
You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. (Revelation 3:1 NIV)
Most churches were like the church at Sardis. They had a reputation of being alive and successful, but they were DEAD!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything impure. (Matthew 23:27 AMP)
That is where the title of this message came from. Churches were beautiful on the outside when they caved to government mandates and restrictions shutting down Church operations for many months, BUT they were whitewashed sepulchers full of dead men’s bones! The plan-demic meant for evil by the governments of the world to gain tyrannical control over their citizens, God has repurposed it to clearly show the fact that most churches are not ready for the coming of the Lord! Most Churches are dying or dead!
The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:1-3 NKJV)
Churches were like this valley of dry bones. Can these bones ever be alive? Can they come back to life? The wages of sin is death. Disobedience to the Word of God brought sin and death. God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:23) The only way to make the dead alive is through repentance and putting faith and trust in the Blood or sacrifice of Jesus that cleanses us of all sin and unrighteousness. There is NO other way for any believer! There is no other way for ministers, pastors, and for churches!
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:7-10 NKJV)
Many have never confessed their sin of bowing to the world and rebelling against the Word of God. Many surrendered like cowards and will perish UNLESS they repent.
The Word of God is speaking to us. Jesus is the Word! (John 1:1-3, 14) The Word of God says the following:
But unless you repent, you too will all perish! (Luke 13:3, 5 NIV)
In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus commanded 5 of the 7 churches to repent for what they were doing, what they did, or whatever evil they allowed at their churches. Remember that it was Jesus, the Head of the Church universal, THE Word of God, that said all these things and commanded the churches to repent of their wrongdoing, their disobedience to the Scripture!
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Revelation 2:4, 5
Study what this church at Ephesus did at first in Acts 19:1-20. There, you will find the first love from which they had fallen away. People converted to the Lord Jesus, were baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit, and spoke with other tongues. They had mighty healing services and saw demons cast out. Books (handwritten scrolls) on witchcraft were burned! They had a powerful example in the apostle Paul! They preached and taught the Scripture, and the Word grew mightily among them. They were to continue to do everything Paul showed them by example. (See also Acts 20:17-35). In Acts 19 were recorded the mighty things they had forsaken and from which they had fallen away. Jesus wanted them to repent and get busy doing what at first, they loved doing for God!   
Obviously, the church at Ephesus had fallen away from being a witness with supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was calling them back through repentance. If they did not repent, then He was going to remove the lampstand. Any light and anointing that was left, whatever they had received that was producing results, was going to be removed!
The church didn’t repent, and their lampstand was removed. Ephesus was destroyed in 262 A.D. by the Goths, and the city lay in ruins for at least 130 years. The church at Ephesus that started in the anointing of the Holy Spirit was finished because they never did repent.
The church at Pergamum were told to repent for idolatry and sexually immoral behavior or the Lord was going to fight against them with the sword of His mouth! (Revelation 2:16)
Pergamon was almost destroyed by an earthquake in 262 A.D. and shortly after that it was sacked by the Goths. It never recovered, and today, like Ephesus, it lies in ruins.
Hmmm…
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. (Revelation 2:20-23 NIV)  
Time is given for repentance, but if they are unwilling to repent, then the unrepentant will be cast into a bed of suffering. Their ONLY escape is repentance. Again, remember that this is the Lord Jesus speaking to a disobedient and rebellious segment of His church. If they don’t repent, He will repay each evildoer according to their deeds, and not their good intentions!
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Revelation 3:1-3 NIV)
The segment of the church at the town of Sardis had the reputation of being a living church, but they were dead even though everybody thought they were successful. They had a good reputation in the world, but they were DEAD! They were not ready to meet the Lord. They were commanded to repent and wake up! Did they do it? Maybe some did, but Sardis lies in ruins today.
Again, hmmm…
Finally, the church at Laodicea, the lukewarm church, was commanded to repent in Revelation 3:19. Evidently the church never repented of being lukewarm and eventually disappeared from history. The city was destroyed in the 14th century and the church along with it, but the church was a useless religious relic in the city long before the destruction of that city. Laodicea is a "nice" archaeological park today. Only the ruins remain.
Wow, and “hmmm” again!
Could we be seeing the writing on the wall unless churches come to repentance for their disobedience to God's Word? Are you seeing where churches are spiritually around the globe, and why they need to repent? It is an ominous warning from the Head of the Church, I know, but let the truth sink in.
You say, “Oh, but many churches have opened back up. Isn’t that good enough?” They opened back up, but did they repent of their rebellion, unbelief, and disobedience to the Scripture? Did they open back up acting like nothing happened? Will everything be OK for them? Is it ever OK for the unbeliever, rebellious, and the disobedient in the Bible? 
The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:20, 21 NIV)
“Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed [is better] than the fat of rams. “For rebellion is as [serious as] the sin of divination (fortune-telling), and disobedience is as [serious as] false religion and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel 15:22, 23 AMP)
He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:7, 8 NKJV)
We already can see how cowardly the churches were in all that Covid mess. What about unbelieving? We can see how most churches rebelled against the Scripture. Unbelief or unbelieving is rebellion just like faith is obedience to the Word! The following portion of Scripture proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God. But continually encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “Today” [and there is an opportunity], so that none of you will be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [its cleverness, delusive glamour, and sophistication]. For we [believers] have become partakers of Christ [sharing in all that the Messiah has for us], if only we hold firm our newborn confidence [which originally led us to Him] until the end, while it is said, “Today [while there is still opportunity] if you hear His voice, Do not harden your heart, as when they provoked Me [in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah].” For who were they who heard and yet provoked Him [with rebellious acts]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies were scattered in the desert? And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]? So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest—the promised land] because of unbelief and an unwillingness to trust in God. (Hebrews 3:12-19 Amplified Bible)
Any takeaways? Yes, there are several. A Christian can yield to having an unbelieving heart. An unbelieving heart is wicked, and it turns away from the living God. That is an apostasy or falling away from the faith. Don’t harden your heart by settling into rebellion because of the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is a deception. You are a partaker of Christ only IF you hold fast to your confidence or faith firmly to the end. That means that the partaker of Christ obeys God’s Word willingly! It also means that you are a partaker of Jesus only IF you stand firm till the end. That means that Christians can lose their participation in Christ through sin and rebellion. (See 2 Corinthians; Hebrews 5:9, 3:6; Colossians 1:22, 23; Matthew 24:12, 13.) God is provoked and gets angry at rebellious acts when they are persisted upon. Does God get angry at sin? Not according to some erroneous theology that claims that God no longer is angry at sin.
God is a just judge; He is angry throughout the day. If a person does not repent, God will wield his sword. He has prepared to shoot his bow. He has prepared deadly weapons to use against him; He gets ready to shoot flaming arrows. (Psalms 7:11-13 NET)
You get it all the time, “Yes, but that was in the Old Testament. In the New Testament we only have mercy and love for sinners.” Sorry, but mercy and love are ONLY for those sinners that repent. The humble get the grace! The proud get resisted! Just in case you still don't understand that, read the book of Revelation and get a better picture of God’s wrath or anger at unrighteousness. He hates it!
Read Paul’s own teaching on the subject. The following verse destroys the pantywaist and sissified teaching that “it is all love in the New Testament”.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness. (Romans 1:18 NET- See also Ephesians 5:6 and Colossians 3:6.)
Check this one out.
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15 NKJV)
Yes, He still gets angry at sin. He is not the heavenly Teddy Bear of hugs and kisses that many make Him out to be. He is God. He is above all, the Sovereign One! He is Father, not sugar daddy, but the Ruler and Creator! He is THE King! And yes, God gets ticked when people refuse to repent! Yes, He is merciful and will give His people time to repent. How much time is in the Lord's hands, but His patience with sin is not eternal. 
I stated it above, but here is the Scripture reference.
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble! (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)
The proud get nothing! Grace comes ONLY to the humble.
Mark it down.
Those that do not humble themselves and repent now, will fall again through the deceitfulness of sin, and shut their doors the next time the government decides to close them down. It will happen again. Bad and evil governments will attempt to shut everything down again and again. 
Not only that, watch ministers and churches that have not repented publicly of their rebellion to the Word of God. Watch how they flounder and flip-flop. They profoundly compromised their integrity to the Lord. They went so far into disobedience that they obeyed men rather than God, and they will do it again UNLESS they repent.
Most churches are in full-blown preparation to take the mark of the Beast!
He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:16-18 NKJV)
Do you understand that right now QR codes and vaccine passports are required to buy, sell, or trade in Europe? Do you understand that this is already starting to spread to the U.S.? Have you heard of the Excelsior pass in the state of New York that limits where the unvaccinated you can congregate, exercise, or eat?
Churches that capitulated and submitted to closing their doors and followed the unscriptural, ungodly Covid mess have passed with flying colors the antichrist test for future branding! They are ready to receive the antichrist’s deception and mark UNLESS they repent and do it quickly so they are not in the category where “God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie”! Many have already fallen for a strong delusion and believe a lie! Read it in 2 Thessalonians 2:11. It refers to the coming antichrist or the beast with his lying signs and wonders used to deceive the world. (See the context in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.)
Don’t leave it for tomorrow! Wake up and repent!
NOTES:
[1] A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson. It is a primary source of information on the golden age of pirates. It is easy to find online and download. It is full of interesting stories, biographies, exploits, and facts about the life and death of those famous pirates.
[2] I got interested in pirate history while living on St. Thomas some 23 years ago. I owned a retail store that carried a few “pirate” related souvenirs. Tourists wanted to take back home a Jolly Roger (skull and cross bones) flag, bandana, key chain, mug, or something like it.
[3] The brigantine was a very maneuverable and fast sailing vessel that was perfectly suited for the needs of piracy.

The Revolt Against God

History is sprinkled with revolts against kings, nations, and governments that were considered oppressive. When studied, it looks like everybody and their mother revolted about something down through the millennia. Some of the revolts were small and localized, others were larger. Some encompassed a nation (or nations) struggling for freedom from a larger and stronger oppressor. The list of historical revolts of one kind or another number into the hundreds.
I am not a fan of Wikipedia because they are generally biased on all things conservative but look under the list of revolts. It is a colossal list of revolts from all quarters of the globe. The list refers to humans revolting against other humans for numerous reasons. The revolts are of this realm or of the natural world.
The greatest revolts and rebellions in history are not referred to by Wikipedia because they have been spiritual and not based on natural concerns, ideology, or politics.
I am writing about the massive revolts against God’s Word that permeate spiritual history. I am referring to the revolt against the Father’s moral authority and order in the universe.
The first great revolt or rebellion happened in Heaven. Lucifer tried to usurp God’s throne. Big mistake! That insurrection was joined by a third of the angelic host that supported Lucifer’s short-lived attempt to dethrone God and set up a new kingdom. Huge mistake! It was an uprising doomed to failure from its inception. No one can dethrone God the Father! (See Isaiah 14:12-17, Ezekiel 28:12-19, and Revelation 12:7-9.) [i]
We know about Adam and Eve’s rebellion and how that affected the planet, and everybody born in it. (Genesis 3) That treason and revolt against God’s commandments required the redemption paid for by Jesus through His death and resurrection.
There was the rebellion against God that led to the worldwide flood in the time of Noah. Wickedness, corruption, and violence filled the earth to the place that it needed a total  washing and cleansing. (Genesis 6) Since God covenanted never to destroy the inhabitants of the earth via a worldwide flood, He now has other plans.
The earth is now getting nearer to the time of the melting of the elements and a new heaven and new earth. Don’t worry about a little temperature change here and there because the earth will melt like a snowball in hell, and God will make a new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells! All evil will forever be eradicated!
But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men….But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:7, 10-13 NKJV)
Jesus said the condition of the earth right before He returns will be as it was in the days of Noah.
When the Son of Man appears, things will be just as they were when Noah lived. (Matthew 24:37 CEV)
 Just as it was when Noah lived [in the days of Noah; Genesis 6--9], so it will be when the Son of Man comes again [ in the days of the Son of Man]. (Luke 17:26 EXB)
What was it like in the days of Noah?
The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5 AMP)
That means that when Jesus returns that people without God will be extremely wicked (depraved), full of violence, and every inclination of the thoughts of their minds will be only evil all the time. That sounds almost identical to what is supported by the Demonrat political platform: Antifa, BLM, abortion and the sale of murdered baby parts, CRT, open borders, LGBTQ, and the rest of their evil and perverted mess! Unfortunately, most of Hollywood, and many other government leaders and judges also support this demonic agenda.
The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power]. (Genesis 6:11 AMP)
Jesus said that it would be like that before His coming back to the earth. The depravity and wickedness we see on the earth today should not be a surprise. The depiction of the world in the days of Noah describes our world today. The days of Noah have begun. There is no question about it.
Biblical prophecy has come to pass right before our eyes. Something happened March/April of 2020 that had never happened before since the inauguration of the church on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. It caused that most of the church on a worldwide scale to bow down in a revolt against God’s Word, commandments, and the example of the apostles and leaders of the church in Acts.
Again, none of the above should surprise us because Jesus prophesied that a great revolt or rebellion would happen, and Paul clearly taught about it.
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 NIV)
Note the following Bible version:
Do not let anyone fool [deceive] you in any way. That day of the Lord [v. 2] will not come until the turning away from God [great rebellion; apostasy; Matt. 24:11–12; 1Tim. 4:1; 2Tim. 3:1–5; 2Pet. 2:3; Jude 18] happens and the Man of Evil [Wickedness; Lawlessness; probably the Antichrist; 1John 2:18; Rev. 13], who is on his way to hell [the son of destruction; John 17:12], appears. (2Thessalonians 2:3 EXB)
That is an unusual version because the connected references in Scripture are injected into the verse. It’s a little distracting when trying to read a verse, but it is also informative and a quick reference to other verses that have a similar theme.
Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians], and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist, the one who is destined to be destroyed]. (2 Thessalonians 2:3 Amplified)
Note the word “rebellion” in verse three. Older translations use the word apostasy, but that is a transliteration and not a definition of the original Greek word apostasia. The word apostasia means a departing from, but more importantly here, it means a rebellion or revolt.
Bible versions CEB, DRA, ESV, GW, GNT, ISV, LEB, TLB, MOUNCE, NOG, NET, NLT, and 10 others besides the three I already gave you, translate the Greek word apostasia as either rebellion or revolt. [ii] That means that 25 translations favor revolt or rebellion. I am using the word revolt because it better defines what I am referring to. The great revolt is a massive departure from the Word of God and a rejection of His moral authority.
Here is one of the versions that translates apostasia as “revolt.”   
Don’t let anyone deceive you about this in any way. That day cannot come unless a revolt takes place first, and the man of sin, the man of destruction, is revealed. (2 Thessalonians 2:3 GNT)
The great revolt has begun (though not finished) on a massive scale! 
Here is a reference to this revolt in the words of Jesus.
And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:10-14 NLT)
That refers to the great rebellion or revolt, and it also signals a great move of God that will shake the earth right before the coming of the Lord! More about the greatest revival this earth has ever seen a little further down in the article.
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV)
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. (1 Timothy 4:1 NKJV)
Many churches showed that they lacked spiritual power in their religious tradition when they closed their door upon the whim of perverted government officials. We are living in the actual fulfillment of these prophetic verses right now. Yet, we see some churches coming back as of 2023-2025, but the revolt has started. If we ever get governments, and even our US government to order a complete shut down, many will cave once again.  
Yes, the church on a worldwide scale was deceived (with a some exceptions) into a revolt against Heaven! Remember how they received the Covid-19 doctrine of demons and shut down their churches in obedience to Satan. Forget all the weak and sissified excuses put forward by some church leaders about closing for the greater good, because of loving your neighbor, and being a community partner. That was all a total deception. The truth is they rebelled against Heaven!
The revolt or great rebellion is not something that is coming, it is something that has already begun on a global scale. I never saw anything like what happened in 2020 and 2021 and neither has anyone else since the beginning or inauguration of the church in Acts 2. No one has ever seen where the most of the church on a worldwide scale shut down operations.[iii] Yet, many pastors and churches acted as if nothing happened and did not address the HUGE deception in every church that shut down. Yes, I know there were some exceptions of churches that refused to close. Pastors and churches tried to sweep it under the rug. 
I used to have a neighbor living above me in an apartment complex that would stomp around almost every morning to get ready to go to work. I wondered if she was a part of the Broadway production “Stomp” and was practicing her part every morning. This woman may have weighed 110 pounds soaking wet, and yet she stomped around as though she were a 12-ton elephant! I could set my watch by her stomping at 5:30 AM every weekday. At first it was bothersome, but I got used to it. No use in talking to management about it because no one would have believed that such a small woman could be so heavy on her feet!
Christians have a stomping behemoth in their churches and yet they refuse to see it! It truly has been a bizarre time in Christianity. Again, I have never witnessed anything like it. Nobody I have asked has lived through anything like this in all their years. I’ve asked people in their 80’s and up and no one has seen it before.
I’ve read books on church history throughout the ages since its inauguration in Acts 2. There is no record of something like this on a global scale. There were city, state, or national persecutions and forced church closures. Churches closing voluntarily in obedience to men on a global scale in a unified revolt against the Word of God, that has NEVER happened before!
Some persecutions were so severe that it led to the beating, imprisonment, and martyrdom of many church leaders and their flocks. Church history is full of stories of small and great persecutions against Christians, Persecution started early in the book of Acts. Sometimes Christians had to flee to get away from the destruction of the wicked against them, but never, no, NEVER, has the entire church shut down operations worldwide!
What could this possibly be other than a GREAT FALLING AWAY, great revolt, or REBELLION? The church rebelled on a massive scale. They rebelled against God's Word and have done so publicly and brazenly. Yes, there were a few exceptions, but when all but a handful of churches in the USA stayed open, something horrific happened! This massive revolt against God is being swept under the rug and ignored as though it will go away on its own. It will not go away without heart-felt repentance! Repentance can and will change it!
The Great Revolt and Rebellion Against God
All that I am going to mention here requires the public ministry of the church. When churches closed they rebelled and revolted against what God has commanded churches to do.
***Most churches closed operations on a global scale in opposition or in rebellion to Hebrews 10:25 and the example in the book of Acts.
Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25 AMPC)
The more you see the day of the coming of the Lord approaching, should all the churches close their doors? NO! The more we should be faithful to assemble! To assemble is not via video chat but in person ministry. There is no such thing as assembling long-distance. It happens ONLY when the saints get together to worship the Lord, teach and preach, and minister as the Spirit leads.
NOWHERE in the entire New Testament are we told to shut down our churches because the government tells us to. Many in the churches foolishly took their stand and said, “Oh, but we closed because we are supposed to be under the authority of the government according to Romans 13! We were obedient to the governing authorities.” We should be subject to the ruling authorities UNTIL the governing authority commands us to disobey the Scripture. That is the dividing line. We follow the laws of the land UNTIL the laws violate the Word, then we must choose obeying the Word of God without exception. God is first! His Word is our supreme authority. Nothing is bigger than God, and nothing is above His Word, not even His Name. (Psalms 138:2)
The early Church would not stop preaching in the Name of Jesus even after severe warnings, threats of imprisonment, or beatings. The “ruling authorities” commanded them to stop, but they would not do it. They would not shut up or shut down! They were following the Highest authority!
"But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After further threats they let them go. (Acts 4:17-20 NIV)
Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail… “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood. Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!... They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. (Acts 5:17-18, 28-29, 40-42 NIV)
Threaten them, command them not to preach and teach, jail them, and beat them with whips, and they go right back out to continue with their ministry! They NEVER stopped! That is what the churches should have done, but they didn’t! They were told to shut down and they disobeyed the Scripture and the example of the apostles in the book of Acts, and they bowed their knee to Covid restrictions and mandates! Repent! Do it now, and then repent publicly because your actions were public when you surrendered to the world and the devil.
***Churches rebelled and revolted against gathering to continually to hear the Word. (See 2 Timothy chapters 3 and 4.)
*Churches rebelled against ministering from their pulpits and having altar calls for people to be saved, ministers stopped going to [reach and teach, and people were not getting baptized in water. It was a revolt against the great commission in Matthew 28:19 and it was a revolt against Mark 16:17,18 on casting out demons, speaking in new tongues, and laying hands on the sick.
We are supposed to heal the sick, and not be afraid of any disease! Churches allowed the devil to stop their healing ministry to the sick, many of them for months! Ministries with “healing rooms” closed their doors! What? Ministers with healing ministries were afraid of a virus with a 99.97 % survivability post infection rate for most humans on the planet, and they donned their masks and practiced everything the wicked ordered them to do! Could you imagine that? You have a healing ministry but closed because of a virus? What kind of cowards does that make these people? Please, I beg you to repent because the Body of Christ shouldn't have to do without you. 
Others in dead or dying churches were not doing the Word anyway with their sissified and corrupted ministries of preaching fluffy cotton-candy messages. They didn’t believe in healing anyway. These must also be confronted with the truth that THEY SINNED, and that they must repent, that is, IF they want mercy and grace from the Lord. If they don’t repent, their fate is already sealed with the enemy. They need to get out of that stinking religious trash and begin to preach the Word without compromise.
***The Church revolted against the Table of the Lord (communion) instituted by Jesus. (1 Corinthians 11:25-30)
***The Church revolted and rebelled against laying hands on people to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and speak with other tongues. (Acts 10:44-46, 8: 19:6)
***The Church rebelled and revolted in its healing ministry and anointing the sick with oil in the name of the Lord. (James 5:14-16)
***The Church revolted against performing weddings ordained by God between a male and a female. (1Corinthians 7:1-4) 
***The church rebelled and revolted against true religion. (James 1:27)
The list could go on.
Instead of the church being a beacon of light on the hill, it became the lamp under the table with all its mask wearing! Let's never forget it, repent, and never allow it again! The shut down churches became like Moses when he came from the glory and presence of God on Sinai, and so much glory was coming from his face that he had to veil it! The world veiled the glory (whatever glory was in it) of the church and masked them up as a mockery to the Word.
Do you understand now that a REVOLT or REBELLION has been sustained by most churches on a worldwide scale on many levels? What happened in 2020-2022 during the planned and supposed nothing-burger epidemic was manifestation of rebellion to the Word. Do you realize that many Churches all over the planet were guilty of a revolt and rebellion against Heaven?
Following is what Samuel told Saul when he did not recognize his own disobedience and rebellion to the Word of the Lord.
Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed [is better] than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as [serious as] the sin of divination (fortune-telling), and disobedience is as [serious as] false religion and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you as king. (1 Samuel 15:22-23 AMP)
REBELLION is equivalent to the practice of witchcraft and idolatry. The church worldwide submitted to idolatry and witchcraft when they rebelled globally against the Word of God. Yikes! Every single church that closed submitted to rebellion and a revolt against God’s authority, and as such, pastors, ministers, and churches need to repent by the millions.
Globally, right now, there should be massive repentance, but I don't see it anywhere. Many are acting like it never happened. Do you see massive repentance? Do you see congregations and pastors coming to repentance on social media or on their church websites? Churches started to open after the closures but without any remorse or repentance. Do you think they will have the presence of the Lord without repentance? Do you think there will be any anointing there? Those that rejected the Word of the Lord are rejected by God until they repent.
Why have not churches and pastors repented for rebellion, witchcraft, and idolatry? Why don't they feel the need to repent? Where is the remorse for sin and unrighteousness?
Yet I am glad now, not because you were hurt and made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance [and you turned back to God]; for you felt a grief such as God meant you to feel, so that you might not suffer loss in anything on our account. For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death. For [you can look back and] see what an earnestness and authentic concern this godly sorrow has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves [against charges that you tolerate sin], what indignation [at sin], what fear [of offending God], what longing [for righteousness and justice], what passion [to do what is right], what readiness to punish [those who sin and those who tolerate sin]! At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in the matter. (2 Corinthians 7:9-11 AMP)
What is the condition of a person that refuses to repent or of a person that can’t even see their sin like Saul? Should they expect the presence of the Lord? Will the Lord come to their aid unless they repent? Will the Holy Spirit be among the rebellious that have yielded to idolatry and witchcraft?
Is it the right Biblical perspective to believe the Spirit of the Lord will be among those that resist Him? Are all the non-repentant for their rebellion against the Word of the Lord to expect God's anointing and victory? Are pastors that refuse to repent for their rebellion to believe that they will be OK because of grace? Remember Saul's rebellion!
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV)
For this is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing. (Isaiah 30:15 NKJV)
Many are expecting a great end-time revival. I am too. Great manifestations of God’s glory will come to pass, but will that happen without repentance? Only where there is humility and repentance will grace flow like a river. The prideful and rebellious get NOTHING from God!
Thank God for the gift of repentance! Thank God for His mercy and goodness! He never fails to forgive and cleanse from unrighteousness all those that will humble themselves and repent of their wicked ways and turn back to God!
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9 NASB)
The one who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy. (Proverbs 28:13 NET)
But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble… Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. (James 4:6, 10 NET)
All over the world, there is a deadness among most Christians of all denominations. Even among those that were anointed, until they repent for revolting against Heaven there will be little to no anointing. If they don’t repent of their rebellion, they will perish. That is not my doctrine alone.
I tell you, No; but unless you repent (change your mind for the better and heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), you will all likewise perish and be lost eternally. … I tell you, No; but unless you repent (change your mind for the better and heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), you will all likewise perish and be lost eternally. (Luke 13:3, 5 AMPC)
There is still time to repent, but the time may be ending soon. The reality is, I am not holding my breath expecting all those that bowed their knee to repent. I hope they do, but like the false prophetess Jezebel, the Lord will give the rebellious time to repent, but eventually, that will end. Jesus said that!
I gave her time to repent [to change her inner self and her sinful way of thinking], but she has no desire to repent of her immorality and refuses to do so. Listen carefully, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her [I will bring] into great anguish, unless they repent of her deeds. (Revelation 2:21-22 AMPC)
Lord, do Your eyes not look for honesty? You have struck them, But they did not weaken; You have consumed them, But they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent. (Jeremiah 5:3 NKJV)
I have listened and heard, They have spoken what is not right; No one repented of his wickedness, Saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turned to his own course, Like a horse charging into the battle. (Jeremiah 8:6 NKJV)
If one does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and taken aim. (Psalms 7:12 NKJV)
This is what the Lord God says: “Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.” (Ezekiel 14:6 NKJV)
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32 NKJV)
Never postpone repentance! Never! Postponing repentance is like playing Russian roulette consistently with a .44 magnum revolver! Sooner or later, the one who plays will eat a bullet! It could cost you eternity with God and you wind up in a devil’s hell if you postpone repentance.
The great revolt or rebellion has begun! Don’t be fooled! It’s here now for all to see. It is not the time for “nice” preaching. Too much is at stake. “Nice” will not save or deliver anybody! The church NEEDS voices proclaiming strongly and consistently, “Repent, and get ready to meet the Bridegroom! He is coming!”
Have you ever read the parable of the ten virgins?
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish [thoughtless, silly, and careless], and five were wise [far-sighted, practical, and sensible]. For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delayed, they all began to nod off, and they fell asleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! The bridegroom [is coming]! Go out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order [trimmed the wicks and added oil and lit them]. But the foolish virgins said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No, otherwise there will not be enough for us and for you, too; go instead to the dealers and buy oil for yourselves.’ But while they were going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut and locked. Later the others also came, and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open [the door] for us.’ But He replied, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I do not know you [we have no relationship].’ Therefore, be on the alert [be prepared and ready], for you do not know the day nor the hour [when the Son of Man will come]. (Matthew 25:1-13 AMP)
Five were devoid of oil for their lamps or the anointing that produces light or the fire of the Spirit. They had no oil for their lamps. They were not ready to meet the Lord. The five alert virgins with oil for their lamps were slumbering but got ready and they went into the wedding banquet with the Lord. The door was slammed shut and the five unprepared virgins were left outside with the words, "I never knew you."
No one in the Church will be able to hang on to anybody else’s coattail and go in to meet the Lord when He comes. That is what the 5 unprepared virgins tried. You will not be able to rest on granny’s, uncle’s, mama’s, dad’s, pastor’s, or your church’s supply of oil. You will need your own “oil”! Get it now and do not wait till the last moment because while you are struggling to get right with God and get the anointing, the Master will come, and you will be left out!
Now, here is something startling about that prophetic Word. Could the five unprepared virgins mean that half of the people that call themselves Christians will be left out because they are not going to be ready to meet the Lord when He comes for them? Yes, I believe that is exactly what that means, but then there is the other glorious side to this.
Could the five prepared virgins mean that even though the church looks basically dead right now because it almost universally shut down in a revolt against Heaven, that the Lord is going to work on the Church in one final moment of time before His coming and that half of all Christendom will be ready to go meet Him? Wow! Could that mean that something so glorious and so powerful is going to happen in Christendom before the Lord comes that out of the 2.5 billion professing Christians 1.25 billion will be ready to meet the Bridegroom? Because of what is getting ready to explode on the scene, what kind of numbers could we be talking about including all the new converts? 3 or 4 billion on-fire believers ready to meet the Lord in the air? Wow! It is going to be staggering. Glory to God!
What kind of Church is He going to present to Himself? Is it going to be a decrepit, run down, powerless, gutless, cowering, fearful, capitulating, compromising, unfaithful, and whoring Church? NO!   
So that He might sanctify the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God], so that [in turn] He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy [set apart for God] and blameless. (Ephesians 5:26, 27 AMP)
His real and true Church will be a glorious church without the spot or wrinkle of sin or any such thing when it is presented to Him! Something is getting ready to happen that will shake the Body of Christ to its core. In fact, I believe it will shake the planet with God’s power and deliver such a blow to the enemy’s camp that the kingdom of darkness will never recover. Something so powerful and so amazing is getting ready to happen that it will cause people to turn to God by the millions. Many have prophesied about a move of God that will cover the globe right before the coming of the Lord, and I believe we are starting to see it come to pass right now!
Where?
As an example, when churches all over the planet shut down, I know of two churches in my area that refused to shut down and cave to the false prophets of Covid. For these churches, 2020 was the greatest year in their history, and 2021 was even bigger. Miraculous ministry growth and multiplication has been taking place. Both churches multiplied in size, outreach, income, and most importantly, in souls coming into the kingdom! The anointing increased exponentially in these churches! It has been an amazing testimony that I have had the privilege to watch up close and personal.
If your church closed, NEVER go back unless the pastor repents publicly for rebellion and a revolt against Heaven. Find a church that never closed its doors, and if you are too far away from one that did not surrender to Satan’s lies, ask the Lord if you can start one in your area! The Lord is calling the few and the strong in Him to start churches in their areas that will not compromise the Scripture no matter what happens.
Download a free PDF copy of “A CALL TO RETURN: Restoring the Roots of our Relationship with Jesus” here unless you want to pay for a physical copy or purchase more. Barnes and Noble, Christian Book , Westbow Press have it available. The point of the book was and is to bring to repentance the lukewarm and backslidden in the churches, and to help get the Church ready to be presented to the Lord. I wrote it in 2014 and published it in 2015. 
What can you do to help? You can help get this timely message out by sending this article to everybody you know. Forward the podcast. Send them "A Call To Return." Do your part to get this message out. Be like an evangelist and be fervent about it! 
NOTES:
[i] Some reject this interpretation of these verses but there are many reasons to believe it is right.
[ii] The three-letter abbreviations refer to Bible translations or versions. Find them at http://biblegateway.com.
[iii] Only a handful of churches remained open in North America. These are led by HERO pastors, my kind of heroes! All of them were arrested at one point or another, and even a few pastors were jailed for keeping their churches open.
Now on to today's podcast message: