Pepperpot,

             I totally agree with the conclusion that you drew:

                          http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2013/pepperpot51.htm

When I had read that same article, I had come to an identical conclusion.

Major trouble coming, the dike is starting to crumble, and soon the flood will burst through into all aspects of life
That man seems like an extremely antagonistic choice for the position.
Some is making a statement by choosing him.
Someone has thrown down the gauntlet.

When it comes, persecution may quickly spiral to violence or worse.

I had said the same to someone else, who replied as follows

“I hate to think that.  Our country going down that road so fast.  Running
from God into the arms of Satan himself.

I still can't get away from asking a question.   In Revelation 17: 6-7 we
read, ‘... and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7  And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell
thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which
hath the seven heads and ten horns.’

John actually marveled and wondered when he saw her - why?  I do not think
it was because of her beauty or appearance, but rather because he did not
expect to see what he saw!  In 21st century language, it "blew him away!"
I think he saw a woman that had served God or at least gave lip service to
Him suddenly change into this hideous beast.  How can such a thing happen?
Good question.”

To which I responded:

What had been the bride, had become a whore, and was persecuting those who remained as the bride.

I know that individuals don't lose their standing with the Lord, their salvation is secure in the Lord.

Individual Christians can mess up their state with the Lord, i.e. the fellowship with him.

Although, assemblies can go completely apostate, to where they no longer have saved people there.

I believe that Jonathan Edwards said that before the Great Awakening, whole churches, including their pastors, were filled with unregenerate people.

 

So like Laodicea, but much worse, the churches were no longer part of the Lord's lovely, betrothed, but had actually fallen to become part of the devil's loose woman.

So also in Rev 17/18, those assemblies had fallen so far, to have gone a whoring from Jesus to Satan,

to collectively sell her birthright to the heavenly New Jerusalem, for a mess of pottage here on earth, in Babylon.

Now instead of a loving Savior, she now has a cruel pimp, that hates her & mistreats her, but keeps her intoxicated with the riches of this world.

Then her pimp calls upon her to turn upon the true bride, to further intoxicate her by the blood of the martyrs that she persecutes to death.

The transformation will then have been complete from bride to whore.

 

It is a tale of two cities, home to two women, who have given themselves to two masters.

However, one Master will wed the one woman, and truly live happily ever after with her in, in the beautiful city of splendor, that he has prepared for her.

 

                          Gino