The Day of the Lord and the Wicked

This is from The Missing Cross to Purity:

Selections from the Works of Francis Howgill (1618-1669)

SECTION III

What the Day of the Lord is,
and what it will be to the Wicked [the unpurified].

Though the day of the Lord is pure light and brightness, and mixes not with night, which is of a contrary nature; yet it is a day of blackness and gloominess, and a notable terrible day unto the wicked, who hate its appearance, and hate the light, who are children of falsehood, and of deceit; whose deeds are evil. It shows or manifests them and their deeds; as it is written in Job 24:17: “the morning is unto them as the shadow of death.” The appearance of the Lord frightens them; and they would run from it as a thief that digs through a wall and breaks open a house in the night while deep sleep is upon men; such an evil man is afraid when the day appears that discovers his actions. The day of the Lord will steal upon those who live without restraint upon earth; whose hearts are set to seek after wickedness, as for hidden treasure; and it will come upon them as a thief. They, being children of the night, and bringing forth fruits of darkness, will have their portion in utter darkness. Thus shall the ungodly perish, and have their portion with hypocrites. Think of this all you railers, and revilers of the Light and the appearance of God, and repent. For as with the wild ass that snuffs up the wind at her pleasure, and those who seek her will not weary themselves with her, yet the time comes when she will be found and taken; the same will be with all the ungodly, though they may run as a wild ass, and traverse their way as a swift dromedary, yet the day will come, when they will be overtaken in the midst of their security; and they shall not escape.

And though the children, teachers, and believers of this world, who profess the Scriptures, have prayed for the day of the Lord, yet when it comes, it will be as a burning and devouring fire, and they will fall as stubble before it; for whatever is reprovable is manifested by the day in which God appears; and it shall appear, even to the wicked and to the ungodly. So all you hirelings who preach for hire, and you people who love to have it so, you shall not be hidden; and all opposers of the Truth shall be found out, and shall be convicted of their hard speeches, and ungodly deeds. What makes your deeds manifest is the day, and it will convince you; for even the wicked shall see His appearance, although to condemnation, shame, and, contempt.     

"They shall look on Him whom they have pierced." For even in the wicked God has a witness which is pure, which checks often, though they regard it not, because the god of this world has blinded their eyes; but when Christ, the Light shall appear, He will make that to see in the wicked, which the god of this world has blinded; and they shall behold Him in dread; and His pure appearance shall make them horribly afraid. Although they would not see, they will be made to see; and they will be made to hear what they would not hear, when God sounds his trumpet, to give warning to all, that the dead, both small and great may arise, “some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”*

[*Some to shame and everlasting contempt is not everyone else who did not awaken to everlasting life. The Lord says a perpetual shame and everlasting approach applies to the false prophets, Jer 23:30-40, which would include the preachers of Christianity not called by the Lord, not taught by the Lord, not perfected by the Lord, not authorized by the Lord, not sent by the Lord, not speaking with words heard from the Lord immediately before speaking, and not doing only what the Lord shows them to do. Everyone who fails to learn how to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, will meet His fury, (but not forever and accompanied by His compassion).]

--Hall Worthington

The Day of the Lord - Section II 

The Day of the Lord - Section V 

Exposure of Politicians - May 20, 2022

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II Corinthians 2:15-16:  "For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life."

Secrets Revealed

This is from the blog A Word in Season:

“For nothing is secret,
that shall not be made manifest;
neither anything hid,
that shall not be known and come abroad”
Luke 8:17

The Day of Revelation is upon us. The secrets of people’s lives will no longer be hid within the inner sanctum of their hearts. All things will come to light in this day. “For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest”.

Ezekiel beheld the idols and wickedness of the Elders of Israel of his day…

“And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not…”
Ezekiel 8:11-12

It was in a time of great judgment of God’s people that the wickedness and secrets were revealed. The sin was dark and deep within the hearts of these men of prominence. Not only was the sin revealed but named by the Revelation of God. It is not a day to hide our sin but to forsake all things which would contaminate our hearts in the sight of Him. Paul declares…

“In the day when God shall judge
the secrets of men by Jesus Christ
according to my gospel”
Romans 2:16

We live in a time when the illumination of the Holy Spirit is lacking because of the apathy and neglect of the people of God. In the early Church Paul, speaking to the church at Corinth, testified of those in whom the Spirit of Prophecy was active.

“But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you”
1 Corinthians 14:24-25

How far we have fallen even from the standard of the Church at Corinth which Paul called carnal.

“For while one saith, I am of Paul;
and another, I am of Apollos;
are ye not carnal?”
1 Corinthians 3:4

The power and the light of God’s Glory is returning to His Church and in His penetrating gaze the secrets of all will be revealed. This is the time to find grace to come to His light for His coming is nearer now than when we first believed. It is upon the slothful, the unfaithful and those lacking the fear of the Lord that this day will come and all will be revealed. The Light is growing within the hearts of a new prophetic people who have allowed the “spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning” (Isaiah 4:4) to purge away the filth of their own hearts. It is to such that there will be given insight and wisdom to confront the sin in His house.

Ananias and Sapphira

“And Peter answered unto her, tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, how is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things”
Acts 5:8-11

It is a false Gospel that preaches any other truth than that of a God who Judges in truth and righteousness. We must prepare our hearts for His Presence in our midst. Let us seek righteousness and holiness to be found pure in the Day of His visitation.

“Gather together, yes, gather,
O shameless nation,
before the decree takes effect
before the day passes away like chaff
before there comes upon you
the burning anger of the Lord,
before there comes upon you
the day of the anger of the Lord.
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
who do his just commands;
seek righteousness; seek humility;
perhaps you may be hidden
on the day of the anger of the Lord”
Zephaniah 2:1-3

Brian Troxel
http://www.aword.info

The Day of the Lord

This is from the Missing Cross to Purity:

Selections from the Works of Francis Howgill

SECTION V

Where the Day of the Lord Appears,
How it Comes,
and How it is Looked For.

The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display,
Nor will people say, Look! Here ! or, See, there! For behold,
the kingdom of God is within you and among you.Luke 17:20-21 

Those who gaze abroad [looking for a visible, outward appearance] cannot see the Lord’s appearance, or his day. He that does not know where it consists, does not know how to look for it, any more than did the Jews, who were scripture experts and learned men, knew where the Kingdom of God consisted. And the literal believers, whose faith is founded on the letter [Bible/Scriptures], and on what is visible, know no more where the Kingdom of God is to be found. This day of the Lord, which is eternal brightness, appears in the heart; and the dawning and breaking forth of it is to be waited for there; and as it is witnessed, it manifests evil, and brings it to light, and declares against what is contrary to its own nature. Christ, the Covenant of light, the Gift of God, who is sent and anointed of God, to preach and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, proclaims it in the heart; for He comes not to bring peace, but a sword, and his sword is the sword of the Spirit. It is what divides, and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart, and discovers its desperate wickedness. In earthly hearts where He finds no faith, He kindles a fire and executes his vengeance; and his day to those without faith is a day of great perplexity. Their spirits come to be wounded; their hearts become faint, and sorrow fills them, and trouble is known; and in this state He finds all who are unconverted; without faith; without hope; and therefore He takes away peace. Many have talked of the day of the Lord; but when it appears, they will not be able to stand it; but will rather run to anything, [the refuge of continued darkness] than see the Lord of life appear to execute vengeance upon his enemies.

They who have not yet seen this day of the Lords vengeance in themselves, have never seen the day of salvation. The prophet cried out:  "Who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when He appears?" And many have been eye-witnesses of the dreadful day of the Lord, which has appeared in them, wherein all peace has been hidden from their eyes; and all who ever came to see that day of joy and gladness, first knew the terror and the terrible day of the Lord in themselves. Therefore said the apostle: "We, knowing the terror of the Lord, persuade men." Now this day of the Lord comes not with observation, "Lo here, or there;" thus the Pharisees looked that the kingdom of heaven should come, when Christ told them it "as within them." I say, if ever any do behold the bright shining forth of Eternal Life, they must wait in what is of God, through which He will manifest his day and power in them; and as they keep their attention to what manifests evil unto them, and shows them good, they will see how it appears; even as the lightning shines from the east unto the west, so is the coming of the day of the Lord; and the eye which is spiritual sees it. The power and the glory of the Lord, are seen in the day which is pure and spiritual in the heart; and the eye which is pure discovers when it comes, where it comes, and how it comes; while it is hidden from the vultures eye, and is hidden from the eyes which cannot cease from sin.

Now the day of the Lord comes not where the carnal mind might imagine, nor when man wills; neither according to the carnal desire of the carnal heart; neither according to the evil eye that looks out, can it be seen.

And as the day of the Lord is a mystery, the Spirit of the Lord is the only discoverer of it; for none can know the things of God, but by the Spirit of God. The day of the Lord; even his bright shining forth in the heart of man, is one of the glorious things of God, which only the Spirit of God gives the knowledge of to man, and in man. The further men draw from the Light, the darker their hearts become; and their understandings being closed up, they cannot behold the Lord, neither his glory, which is revealed only by God's Holy Spirit; which Spirit is near man, though he sees it not.

Francis Howgill (1618-1669)

The Day of the Lord - Section II

The Day of the Lord and the Wicked