In our day millions of Christians have succumbed to a counterfeit of faith known as presumption, and because it resembles the real thing very closely, it has become increasingly difficult for people to tell the difference. Presumption, in the spiritual sense is that attitude, and erroneous conclusion that God’s goodness will save or deliver us from the results of wrong choices and actions. It is also manifested in a disposition to make little, or no effort in achieving God’s will. Humanity is often tempted on these two main strains of presumption, and it’s very sad that in the overwhelming majority of cases, satan has been successful.
Presumption leads a person to sin deliberately, believing that they will always be forgiven. It also leads persons to take unnecessary risks, thereby putting themselves deliberately in harm’s way when not warranted, and then expecting God to deliver if trouble comes along. Presumption also leads many people to make no effort in working for their daily bread, expecting The Lord to provide miraculously, without any input from the human agent.
Faith on the other hand trusts whole-heartedly in the promises, stipulations, and prerequisites of the Bible, making maximum effort in the fulfillment of God’s promises, trusting Him to take up the slack, and giving Him the glory, and the credit for what has been accomplished. Faith without any works is dead, and therefore any doctrine that savors of the phrase “just believe and it will happen” is a form of presumption. Let’s read:
James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
[The Desire Of Ages. pp. 126] Faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan's counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God's promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin.
It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures. Often when Satan has failed of exciting distrust, he succeeds in leading us to presumption. If he can cause us to place ourselves unnecessarily in the way of temptation, he knows that the victory is his. God will preserve all who walk in the path of obedience; but to depart from it is to venture on Satan's ground. There we are sure to fall.
The Savior has bidden us, “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Mark 14:38. Meditation and prayer would keep us from rushing unbidden into the way of danger, and thus we should be saved from many a defeat.
This past week we were warned by the national weather service on several occasions to make the necessary preparations for the approach of a deadly hurricane. Some people took the warning seriously, whilst others deliberately chose to put themselves in harm’s way, just for the fun of surfing. When God uses human agencies to warn us of things to come, He expects us to use our available knowledge, and intelligence in a preemptive manner, so as to avoid as far as possible, any adverse or life-threatening circumstances.
With the Christian, everything that is done or which is accomplished in life is always achieved through the cooperation of the human and the Divine, for it is God who works within us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Thus, as a general rule of thumb, any prospective achievement which allows the human agent to sit back on his or her lees, while God does all the work, is a form of presumption, and should be resolutely resisted and avoided.
To deliberately go surfing when a dangerous storm is brewing nearby is not faith, but presumption, and in such cases, God usually does not hear, or answer the prayers of those who are thus exercised. When sufficient warning had been given to pharaoh about the coming seven years of drought, those who took the Lord seriously made ample preparation, and all those who didn’t placed themselves in very difficult circumstances.
Again, when the warning was given to pharaoh, and his servants about the hailstorm that was to occur the next day, all who heeded the warning took the necessary steps in protecting life and property, whilst those who did not suffered heavy fatalities, and temporal loss. And God worked no miracle to prevent the natural result of a wrong choice. It is a sin of presumption not to make any preparations in the face of dire warnings from God. Let’s read:
Exodus 9:18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
19 Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
20 He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses.
21 And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.
22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.
23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.
Genesis 41:22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good.
23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. 24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28 What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.
30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of
Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
Whenever the national weather service issues us its warnings about coming hurricanes or tornadoes, it always gives us at least three very important pieces of information which are very critical to the survival of those who ought to listen:
[1] Where the storm, or the tornado is headed.
[2] The intensity and potential damage that can be done.
[3] What needs to be done in order to avoid catastrophic human loss, as well as property damage. Let’s read:
Gov. Rick Scott issued an urgent plea to people living in low-lying areas to leave as soon as possible. He also had a warning for thrill seekers looking to take advantage of the increasingly rough seas. It is important to stay away from the coast, which could see swells upward of 10 feet, he said. Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday issued a dire warning to residents living in evacuation zones to leave immediately or risk death because of an impending hurricane set to make landfall in the state.
Hurricane Matthew is bearing down on the state, and forecasters have predicted forceful winds and a storm surge of 5 to 9 feet starting early Friday. The storm is expected to hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane. "If you're watching and you're in an evacuation area, get out," Scott said. "Don't take a chance. Time is running out.
This is clearly going to either have a direct hit or come right along our coast and we're going to have hurricane-force winds. There are no excuses. You need to leave. Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate." Scott stressed that it could be a matter of life and death. "Are you willing to take a chance to risk your life? Are you willing to take a gamble?" he said. "That's what you're doing. If you're reluctant to evacuate, just think of all the people the storm has already killed. You and your family could be among these numbers if you don't take this seriously."
There is no reason for anyone to be on the beach, Scott said. "Do not surf, do not be on the beach," Scott said. He told residents to be prepared for power outages, saying that it is a matter of when it happens, not if. "You will lose power. Millions of Floridians are going to lose power," Scott said. "Just remember, this storm can change at a moment's notice."
There is another, far more deadly spiritual storm now approaching, and although the dire warnings, with the same three critical pieces of information have already been given, many are still “Surfing” as it were. The Bible tells us that the second coming of Christ is brewing in the not too distant future, and like the national weather service, God has given us ample time to prepare preemptively, so as to minimize the catastrophic loss of life that has been predicted. Like our own Governor, Rick Scott, the words of solemn entreaty have been echoed by the prophets, but millions of folks are still wandering in darkness incognizant of the imminent danger facing our world.
When the laws of God are replaced by the laws of men, the probation of the entire human race will be brought to a swift and permanent close, and when that occurs a deadly, terrible spiritual storm, with ramifications, and consequences in the material world will ensue. Trouble is often found greater in anticipation than in reality, as it was in the case of hurricane Matthew hitting Florida, but this cannot be said of the storm that is now brewing just on the Horizon. To understand the magnitude of what is being spoken of, we will need to observe what the scripture says about it, in several different passages, when describing its impact on the human race. Let’s read:
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Amos 8:3 And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.
Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Revelation 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation”…
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith
of Jesus.
Psalms 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.
Isaiah 30:27 Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
28 And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.
29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.
30 And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
Daniel 2: 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be
destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Some may be wondering, or asking where we are in the stream of time, as it pertains to this cryptic image of Daniel chapter two. Answer: We are living in the toe nails, which means that we are living on the brink of something stupendous, the likes of which the world has never seen. And like governor Rick Scott, the God of heaven has sent his own national weather service to warn the inhabitants of earth of things to come. Thus, we will take just a few excerpts of the warnings and entreaties which were given as hurricane Matthew approached, and we will show the parallel warnings in scripture, so that all who so desire may now find shelter in Christ while the small window of opportunity still remains. Let’s read:
[1] “Leave immediately or risk death because of an impending hurricane”.
Matthew 24:3 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?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them”…
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Revelation 18:2 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.
[2] “Don't take a chance. Time is running out”.
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Matthew 24:32 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.
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 Noe 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.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
[3] “There are no excuses”.
Luke 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuses. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
[4] “It could be a matter of life and death”.
Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
[5] "Are you willing to take a chance to risk your life? Are you willing to take a gamble?" he said. "That's what you're doing. You and your family could be among these numbers if you don't take this seriously."
Ezekiel 14:12 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying,
13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it,
16 they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
We close with a short history of the flood that came upon the antediluvian world, and the lackadaisical, attitude manifested by approximately 7 billion folk. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 98>101]
Mercy had ceased its pleadings for the guilty race. The beasts of the field and the birds of the air had entered the place of refuge. Noah and his household were within the ark, “and the Lord shut him in.” A flash of dazzling light was seen, and a cloud of glory more vivid than the lightning descended from heaven and hovered before the entrance of the ark. The massive door, which it was impossible for those within to close, was slowly swung to its place by unseen hands.
Noah was shut in, and the rejecters of God's mercy were shut out. So when Christ shall cease His intercession for guilty men, before His coming in the clouds of heaven, the door of mercy will be shut. Then divine grace will no longer restrain the wicked, and Satan will have full control of those who have rejected mercy. For seven days after Noah and his family entered the ark, there appeared no sign of the coming storm. It was a time of triumph to the world without. The apparent delay confirmed them in the belief that Noah's message was a delusion, and that the Flood would never come.
But upon the eighth day dark clouds overspread the heavens. There followed the muttering of thunder and the flash of lightning. Soon large drops of rain began to fall. The world had never witnessed anything like this, and the hearts of men were struck with fear. All were secretly inquiring, “Can it be that Noah was in the right, and that the world is doomed to destruction?” Darker and darker grew the heavens, and faster came the falling rain. The beasts were roaming about in the wildest terror, and their discordant cries seemed to moan out their own destiny and the fate of man.
Then “the fountains of the great deep” were “broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” Water appeared to come from the clouds in mighty cataracts. Rivers broke away from their boundaries, and overflowed the valleys. Jets of water burst from the earth with indescribable force, throwing massive rocks hundreds of feet into the air, and these, in falling, buried themselves deep in the ground.
The people first beheld the destruction of the works of their own hands. Their splendid buildings, and the beautiful gardens and groves where they had placed their idols, were destroyed by lightning from heaven, and the ruins were scattered far and wide. The altars on which human sacrifices had been offered were torn down, and the worshipers were
made to tremble at the power of the living God, and to know that it was their corruption and idolatry which had called down their destruction.
As the violence of the storm increased, trees, buildings, rocks, and earth were hurled in every direction. The terror of man and beast was beyond description. Above the roar of the tempest was heard the wailing of a people that had despised the authority of God. Satan himself, who was compelled to remain in the midst of the warring elements, feared for his own existence. Others were frantic with fear, stretching their hands toward the ark and pleading for admittance.
But their entreaties were in vain. Conscience was at last aroused to know that there is a God who ruleth in the heavens. They called upon Him earnestly, but His ear was not open to their cry. In that terrible hour they saw that the transgression of God's law had caused their ruin.
The beasts, exposed to the tempest, rushed toward man, as though expecting help from him. Some of the people bound their children and themselves upon powerful animals, knowing that these were tenacious of life, and would climb to the highest points to escape the rising waters. Some fastened themselves to lofty trees on the summit of hills or mountains; but the trees were uprooted, and with their burden of living beings were hurled into the seething billows. One spot after another that promised safety was abandoned.
As the waters rose higher and higher, the people fled for refuge to the loftiest mountains. Often man and beast would struggle together for a foothold, until both were swept away. From the highest peaks men looked abroad upon a shoreless ocean. The solemn warnings of God's servant no longer seemed a subject for ridicule and scorning. How those doomed sinners longed for the opportunities which they had slighted! How they pleaded for one hour's probation, one more privilege of mercy, one call from the lips of Noah!
But the sweet voice of mercy was no more to be heard by them. Love, no less than justice, demanded that God's judgments should put a check on sin. The avenging waters swept over the last retreat, and the despisers of God perished in the black depths.
He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches, because it is going to “Rain” again.
God bless!