“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.”  (Ezekiel 14:13)

“I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful .  Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.  When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness.  Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into covenant with you and you became Mine,” says the Lord God.  “Then I washed you in water; yes I thoroughly washed off your blood and I anointed you with oil.  I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk.    I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck.  And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head…You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil…Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the the Lord God.  “But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.“  (Ezekiel 16:7-15)

     Our land has sinned.  We have taken the extraordinary gifts that God gave to America at her inception and we have called them our own without reference to the One who owns it all.  We have accepted His gifts, but are in the process of rejecting the Giver.  Because of this, we are in imminent danger of losing the gifts.  Don’t believe this?  Look around you, brothers and sisters.  The economy of the nation is failing; jobs are becoming scarcer, food prices are rising, and people are becoming poorer.  In response, many have taken to blaming “corporate greed” or government programs  for the failures of the nation.  And while these may certainly play a role in the present havoc, they are neither of them the root cause for the distress that ails our country.  We have become a spiritually and morally bankrupt people in a land that has sinned against the Father.  God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel and informed us exactly how He would discipline those who turned to idolatry.  As I have mentioned before, man was created to be a worshiping being.  We will either worship God, as we were meant to do, or we will find something else to worship:  idols, money, technology, self-rule–even our own beauty, intelligence and strength.  Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, wrote that the time would come when people would “not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.”  The time has come.

     Last week an online article was published that explained that one of the candidates for the Republican nomination was being taken to task by the Republican establishment because he was still hung up on values issues, while most are agreeing that only the economy and jobs issues are relevant to the coming elections.  My dear friends, I can only tell you what I am certain is true:  that the economy will not improve nor will the nation ever regain its place of economic and political leadership in the world unless we repent of our sins as a nation and hand it back to God.

     In the last couple of years, we have nearly stopped debating the abortion issue, regularized homosexuality, disassociated ourselves from our strong partisanship of the nation of Israel (still the chosen people of God) and banished the name of the Lord from nearly all public venues in a misguided determination to not offend those who do not call themselves by His name.  We are, as a people, displeasing to the Lord.  We who call ourselves conservative Christians have a choice to make.  We can fall in with the conservatives who are determined to oust the present administration at any cost, or we can look into our hearts and ask ourselves how the Lord would have us make changes.  If we replace those in power with others who are not willing to seek the Lord’s will for our nation; if we replace them with those who think money is more important than His commandments, then our “change” will be of no more worth than the last one.  Don’t misunderstand–I am much in favor of a strong economy, less government intervention, and a return to our Constitutional roots.  I am appalled by the present administration’s  handling of our economy and by the sickening lack of respect with which it has dealt with Israel (our best and strongest ally in the Middle East) and her Prime Minister.  I am shocked by the administration’s disdainful disregard of our Christian heritage.  My belief, however, is that it really does matter in what spirit we approach the nation’s ills.  If we focus only on the economic crisis in which we find ourselves, then we are not going to make a difference.  If we raise up holy hands to the glory of God, if we get down on our knees to ask for forgiveness for the sins committed in this land and make a real effort to give God the oversight of the nation once more, then we may become a viable and prosperous people once more.

     We have sinned against God by persistent unfaithfulness, and God is lifting His hand of protection and blessing from us, just as He told Ezekiel He would.  His warnings have manifested themselves as manifold natural disasters, a bad economy and a growing mistrust of the U.S.  It may not be too late.  Pray, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ.  Pray for our hearts to be open to those things God wants of us and that we will be the people He always meant us to be.  Pray that we may spread the wonderful gospel of our Lord Jesus openly and proudly, with love in our hearts for those who are lost.  Pray for His forgiveness of our land, which has sinned. Pray that He will lead this land back into communion with Him. Pray that He will raise up leaders that know Him and are willing to fight the battles that must come in order to serve Him.  And pray that we will all have the strength and the wisdom to make His will our will.

Maranatha!

“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”  (2 Cor. 4:3-4)

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…”  (2 Cor. 4:8-9)

“The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God shall stand forever.”  (Isaiah 40:8)

My dear brothers and sisters, people are perishing for lack of the gospel.  Some are perishing because the god of this world has blinded them to the glory of the great Lord Jehovah, and made them believe that He has been replaced by technology and scientific paradigms.  Some are perishing because their hearts are evil and they have actively made the decision to live in the presence of darkness and hell.  And some, my friends, are perishing because we Christians have failed them.  We have failed to take the gospel to those who are unsaved, and we have failed to tell the truth concerning God’s commandments and the ultimate destination of those who do not turn to the Lord Jesus for salvation.  We have failed to show His love to those who are living in less fortunate circumstances than we may be, and we have failed to lift up His name in praise and thanksgiving in the public square.

Please understand, God’s word is unchanging.  That was what Isaiah meant when he said “the word of the Lord stands forever.”   What He wants us to be and what He wants for us to do has never changed.  His laws have never changed.  What He loved before He loves now; what He hated before He hates still.   He loves good and abominates evil.  We have gotten so used to believing that good and evil are relative terms that we no longer seem to fully comprehend either the difference between the two or God’s true aversion to evil.  He made it quite clear throughout all of scripture that evil will never be allowed to invade heaven.  It cannot be allowed into His presence, and those  persons who are not His belong automatically to the evil one.  Jesus said that any person who was not with Him was against Him (Luke 11:23).  This is in direct contradiction of what is being preached today:  that all paths lead to God and that (as our President told a Muslim contingent at a Ramadan dinner) we are all children of a loving God, regardless of to whom we pray .  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; and NO ONE comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6)

Throughout time, God has shown His displeasure with His people by lifting His hand of protection from the nations that disregard His authority.  The United States had been especially blessed over the last 200 years because the cause of Christ had been made paramount in the nation.  Now, severe weather patterns are devastating the country; flooding has ruined crops in the mid-west, heat has annihilated crops in the south, tornadoes have wiped out several towns and hurricanes have ruined a major southern city and several smaller rural areas, and a huge amount of people are asking why!  Is it our deodorant’s fluorocarbons or global warming due to our refusal to revere Mother Earth properly?  And why did our economy fall?  Was it because “the Rich” sucked the nation dry, or because the politicians spent too much on social programs?  While a lot of factors entered into the economic equation, very few people  look at the real truth–that God is lifting His hand of mercy from us because we as a nation have sinned against Him.

We are commanded by God to be a holy and righteous nation, and to share the gospel.  We are commanded by an ungodly government to not annoy others who might be offended by hearing the name of God in public.  We are commanded to keep the laws of God but we are encouraged by television, advertising, political activism and even by some people of God to be greedy, blasphemous, covetous and even to allow the killing of our unborn children.  We are commanded to love His chosen people the Jews in the nation in which He has regathered them as He had promised a couple of thousand years ago He would do, but now we support Israel’s enemies financially while trying to bring peace to the middle east by trying to force Israel into giving up more of her God-given territory than she already has.  God said clearly He would bless those that bless Israel, and curse those who curse her.   Much of our nation’s prosperity has been predicated on the aid we have been to Israel and on the part we played in her rebirth.  Are we now to become another cursed nation because we are allowing those who want the annihilation of Israel to gain in strength and power?

A group of mid-western pastors recently signed a statement that homosexuality is no longer to be considered a sin.  New York recently became the most populous state to allow homosexual marriages.  A move is being made in California to require the teaching of the contributions of homosexuals in the public schools.  A new television ad features well-known actors and actresses bemoaning the fact that homosexuals are the subjects of prejudice and suffer from depression not because they are gay, but because they are not accepted.  While we should never treat others unkindly for any reason, the truth is that most of that depression is due to the fact that gays are living lifestyles that are strictly forbidden by God.  We can sign all the statements in the world denying this; we can ordain homosexual pastors and lesbian bishops all we want, but we cannot change the word of God concerning homosexuality: a practice that He refers to as an abomination.

We are commanded to care for the poor, the needy, the hopeless and the down-trodden.  I cannot tell you how many e-mails I have received over the past year suggesting that we allow the homeless to starve since they’re in the trouble they are in due to their own negligence, that we should not allow foodstamps to women on welfare for too long or without testing them for drugs regardless of whether or not their children would go hungry without help, etc.  I have said before that I do not believe that it is the government’s place to force its citizens to work and pay for those who will not;  however, God commands us to care for widows and orphans, to take care of needy children, and to show our neighbors the right way to live.  I realize that there are welfare recipients who are third generation recipients and yes, that is annoying.  However, if we do not show these people a better way to live, then we cannot blame them for making the poor decisions they tend to make.  If we do not teach them God’s laws for purity, for work, for righteous living, how can we blame them for not following the way of the cross?  Do you not believe, brothers and sisters, that God will not judge us for how we relate to those around us in need?

God commands us to forgive our enemies, yet we revel in hatred as long as it is something or someone it is politically correct to hate.  Every time a youthful gang member is arrested on an assault charge, the internet posts are full of people suggesting the best thing to do is kill them quickly.  They suggest ten-year-olds who kill be thrown away like garbage.  While I by no means think violent people should be allowed to continue their crimes, I know that God has a better plan for these people.  As  a Christian, I know that His love can redeem those we consider irredeemable, and that we must make the effort to share both the knowledge of His grace and the knowledge that they will spend an eternity in hell if they do not accept the salvation of Jesus with those who we consider to be damned.  We give money to missionaries who go spread the gospel overseas, but we don’t want to share that gospel ourselves in our own jails and prisons and hospitals or with our next door neighbor.

There is good news in all of this, dear ones.  2 Corinthians 4:8 and 9 says we are hard-pressed but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.  This is because we know that the word of the Lord stands forever.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God loves us all so much that He sent His only Son to die for our redemption, so that we need not pay the eternal price for our sins.  God is judging America and the world, and His judgment is both harsh and righteous.  It is time to stand up for Him and His word.  It is time to share the gospel as we never have before. Time is running out and people, including some that we know and love, will perish for lack of knowledge of the gospel of Christ.  We must not fail them.

If you have not accepted the Lord as your savior, it’s not too late—–yet.   Read the scriptures, and see all the wonderful things that the Lord has in store for those who love Him.  Read also the fate of those who ultimately will reject His offer of love and an eternity in His presence.  Heaven is real; so is hell.  Make the choice while you can.

Maranatha!

And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.  But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed! ’  Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’  For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”  (Luke 23:28-31)

     I read an interesting post the other day by a man who announced that God is passe; that He and His word belonged only to a time in which people who had no knowledge of science needed a way to explain the unexplainable.  This man was not alone in voicing this opinion.  Even many who call themselves Christians today do not believe the Scriptures to be the inerrant and unchangeable word of God.  For many centuries, these opinions belonged mostly to those who prided themselves on their “intellectualism”; now they are commonplace to the yawning point.  Often in the centuries following Christ’s death and resurrection, while the wood was still green, even those who didn’t turn their hearts over to Him acknowledged that the precepts given to us by the Father in the Old Testament and by Jesus in the New Testament were necessary for decent living.  Now we are in a time in which it has been determined that we are in charge of our own destinies; that believing in God is a private indulgence and believing in His word a foolishness that must not be inflicted on others.  Putting forth the precepts given us by God as the righteous way to live is now considered to be hate speech, and those who would suggest following His commandments are branded as intolerant “haters”.      Brothers and sisters, the wood is now so dry that a simple spark could ignite a conflagration. 

     When the wood of our souls grows dry,  Jesus’ name–which is the Name  above all names and who is the Lord of creation and of all the universe, may be blasphemed while the names of the false, demonic gods must be protected from ridicule.  While we pray for the spiritual eyes of the Muslim, Hindu, and other pagan worshippers to be opened to the love of their true Savior, we face charges of bigotry and hatred.  The Name of our precious Lord becomes a joke and a profanity on our television programs, our books, our movies, and even in our own homes.  The wood is very dry.

     When the wood is dry, human life becomes of little importance.  Husbands and lovers kill their women; women kill their children; abortion becomes a common occurance;  Children harm each other and themselves because they have been taught that they themselves, rather than God, are the center of the universe.  Terrorist activities escalate as the desire to triumph over the people of the One, true and most holy God grows most desperate. 

     When the wood is dry, evil becomes good, and good evil.  Homosexuality abounds as this lifestyle, condemned by God, is romanticized and regularized by a people who cannot believe in a God who will not allow sexual deviance amongst His people.  All sexual immorality flourishes since there is little belief in heaven or hell.  Whatever one is inclined to do must be good; only calling evil by its name is truly evil. 

     When the wood is dry, even those who call themselves children of God can be indifferent to the suffering of others. They can embrace the evil surrounding them and promote it while they walk in darkness, supposedly in the name of Christ.  They can drink of the cup of demons as they claim the Blood of Jesus.  They can make idols of money, status and authority while giving lip-service to the goodness of God.

     When the wood is dry, we can watch God’s warning signs come upon us in the form of natural disasters, economic crises, social devastation; and call them scientific anomalies.  We can hear the word of God and dismiss it as a fairy tale while we can believe in the science fantasy world of Star Trek. 

     When the wood is dry, we can watch with indifference as our Christian and Jewish brothers and sisters are threatened, slaughtered, ridiculed and enslaved around the world while we preach the need to embrace all paths to God.   We pray to Him in secret and openly declare that He has no authority in our nations.  Yes, the wood is very dry indeed.

     Many of us who love Him have been in crisis over the last few years: physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Often we feel as though we are barely keeping our heads above water, trying to survive in a world that is rapidly turning its collective back on the One whom we love the most.  Take heart, my friends!  God is not asleep;  He has not left us, nor has He taken His Holy Spirit from us.  All of these signs of spiritual dry wood are part of the birth pangs that we must go through before His coming again.  If you are not yet sure if you are a believer, please take the time right this minute to hand over your life to our Lord Jesus.  There is little time left in which to make the decision, and as the wood grows dryer still, hearts will begin to close up even more and harden against the most high God.  Repent of your sins and call upon His name; receive His forgiveness and everlasting life.  If you are a believer who is in distress, know that you are not alone.  Your Savior has promised to stay with you through the storm and deliver you safely at the other end.  There are many of us sharing your pain and your frustration.  No matter what happens in the near future, do not be afraid to speak the name of the Lord openly and with praise and love.  There are still those who need to hear about the truth of His love for us and the redemptive plan He made for our salvation–who knows?  Your words may be the last witness someone you know needs to hear before the Holy Spirit can lead him to Christ!  It’s time to be looking heavenward.  The wood is dry, but the word of God is fresh and unchangeable–and He said that when we see these things coming to pass, we should look up, for our redemption draws near!

Maranatha!

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.  And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”  So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”    (Job 1:6-7)

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”  (John 15:18)

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, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.  But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.    (2 Timothy 3:1-4; 3:12-13)

     We are becoming truly adept at ignoring those truths which we choose not to acknowledge.  While we speak readily of the world economic crises and of regime changes in the Middle East and argue incessantly over whether or not the government should fund National Public Radio, we pay little attention to the growing persecution of Christians and Jews around the world–after all, what does that have to do with those of us here in the free, civilized and technologically advanced west?  My friends, the perilous times Paul warned us of have arrived, and from now on nothing will happen in the world that will not have an effect on our lives.  Back in November of 2008, I posted a word I’d had from the Lord signifying that the final years of choosing sides had begun.  We have since seen the results of those choices world-wide.  The United States is still straddling the fence, but it is a precarious position we will not be able to maintain. 

     The United States became a world power quickly after her birth because she had been blessed by the Almighty God to be a shining light to the nations, pointing people always towards Christ.  Like Israel, our foundation was based on the knowledge that God is our country’s ultimate authority and that He rules over all the kings (or premiers or presidents) of the earth by right.  While as a democratic republic we understood from the earliest days the need for people to have the freedom to worship or dissent without fear of retaliation, we also knew that the principles of freedom granted in our Constitution would never promote justice or prosperity without the accompanying obedience to the word of God.  This is no longer the case.  While we are being told that our freedom of religion is an inviolate right, Christianity itself is being eclipsed by a new and dangerous gospel of the tolerance of evil. 

     In just the first few months of 2011, many changes have been taking place that have a direct and devastating effect on the safety of Christians and Jews around the world.  In Egypt, whose Mubaric-run government the Obama administration helped to topple, the Coptic (Egyptian Christian) communities believe that the upcoming elections will pave the way for Islamist groups to rise in power and lead to further persecutions.  Already several of their monasteries have been attacked and many of their monks and other Christian workers have been wounded and/or arrested.   In Pakistan, still considered an ally, the Minister for Minority Affairs, Shabaz Bhatti, was gunned down in the backseat of his car. Bhatti was the only Christian in the Pakistani cabinet and had been critical of the blasphemy laws which imposes the death penalty for those who leave Islam for another religion.  Christian-owned fields and shops have been seized by landlords with the aid of local officials, and Christian symbols have been desecated.  The blasphemy laws do not help those who are not Islamic.  Pakistani Christians are in great danger, but, says Keith Davies in his article  “Christian Persecution: a Choice Between Shame and War?”  posted on BigPeace.com, although the US State Department is fully cognizant of their plight, they will allow no Pakistani Christians visas to enter the US; a state of affairs he likens to the refusal during WWII to allow entry to Jews escaping the death camps of Nazi Europe.  Attacks on Christians or arrests of Christians have been carried out also in Indonesia, Malaysia, Tunisia, Takjikistan, the Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Turkey, the Gaza strip and Iraq.   Nearly every Islamic state is cruely enforcing their blasphemy laws.  Satan is going to and fro on the earth, and walking back and forth on it.

     So what about us here in the west?  The gospel of the toleration of evil is alive and well. In our government, in our media, in our schools and even in many mainstream denominations, a social gospel has replaced the Gospel of Christ.  This gospel proclaims that God does not judge our actions; He just loves us.  It proclaims that there is no hell (except maybe for serial killers, pedophiles and those who do not approve of all life-styles).   It proclaims that there may be many different roads to God and that we cannot offend anyone by sharing the Gospel of Christ.  It proclaims that we must not open people’s eyes to the truth that the Lord our God is the true God or that Jesus is the only Savior and Messiah.  It proclaims that the false god Allah or the demon gods of India or the ancestor-worship of Japan are all just in the eyes of God.  It proclaims that non-believers must be protected from the disgust they may feel at the mention of the name of God or His commandments.  It proclaims that Christians must not call sin by its proper name.   It proclaims the true freedom found in the presence of our all-holy God to be old-fashioned and mythical shackles that bind us into narrow-minded intolerance.  Yes, Satan is going to and fro upon the earth and walking back and forth on it.

     We are not arrested or abused for being Christians here in the west—yet.  But the rights of Christians to speak out against evil are rapidly diminishing. 

     An article appeared on the Net last week about a judge that was attacked by the ACLU for requiring defendants to read a book written by a Christian author.  I’m not sure how I feel about that–I don’t think I’m in favor of it, but I was stunned by the comments from readers that followed the article.  The venom displayed was beyond anything I had read following articles about murderers or child abusers (and some of those were pretty bad!).  Many of the comments expressed the hope that Christians would really suffer once the crack-down on them comes as come it will; some called for the rounding up of all Christians.  As I mentioned before, the choices have been made.  Already it is to invite media attack and governmental intervention to speak out against abortion or homosexuality.  Antisemitism and anti-Christian feelings run high at our schools and universities, both in the name of promoting tolerance.  What is happening to Christians in the Middle East and some African nations can happen here, and will, if we refuse to open our eyes to what our country is doing and make an effort to stop it. 

     The good news is that certain things cannot change.  God is still the ultimate authority for what happens here just as He always was and always will be.  If we walk in His love and lead lives of righteousness, we will be His for all eternity!  Paul’s prophecy for the last days is coming to pass before our eyes, but that doesn’t mean we should cease our activities on God’s behalf.  Our country could still be but lightly touched by the judgments to come if we see that good and godly politicians are elected to office; if we turn as a nation with repentent hearts to the Father who made of us a great country.  Whether we will actually do so, I very much doubt, but I continue to pray for the heart and soul of the United States and for our ally/sister Israel.   

     Take heart, my dear brothers and sisters!  Jesus told us that we would be blessed in being hated for His name (Luke 6:22); and that if the world hates us, it hated Him first.   In Matthew 24 He gave us the hint of what would be happening in the world at the time of His return.  We can see the appointed time coming all around us.  Paul’s letters also chronicle things that would be in motion at the time of Christ’s return, and those too are already in place.   I think if we listen closely, we can hear Him packing His bags and putting one foot out the door!  Yes, Satan is going to and fro on the earth and walking up and down on it—–and so is the Holy Spirit of God!

It’s not too late, dear ones!  If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, do it now!  Be born again; washed clean of your sins in the precious Blood of the Lamb of God, sent to redeem us and reconcile us to our Father in heaven.   If you wish to be born again but have questions about how to do so, please feel free to e-mail me and I’ll get to you as quickly as possible!

Maranatha!

     Both Hizbollah and Hamas qualify as terrorist organizations:  their main purpose for existance at this point in time is to see to the destruction of the Jewish nation of Israel.  All of their energy and finances go not to the people of their own houses and tribes but to the eventual triumph over Israel.  However, I feel the need to point out that not all who consider themselves to be Palestinians or who are Muslim Arabs living in Israel dislike or are unable to live in harmony with the Jews. 

     One recent poll of Arabs living in Israel showed that a clear majority of them would prefer to stay under Israeli sovereignty .  As they are allowed seats and a voice in the government they are under no hardship and enjoy a much higher standard of living than they might under other rule.  A Messianic Jewish acquaintance of mine, living now in Israel, talks of the kindness of her Muslim/Arab doctor and her affection for the young Arab woman who works for her.  These  stories are not, I suspect, the exception but the rule. 

     God puts within all people a place that knows Him and is capable of responding to His love.  This place within is increasingly being denied or ignored by a growing number of people. Nevertheless, few people are so immersed in evil that they are incapable of ever hearing the voice of the Lord in their hearts.  It is for these people that we must be in prayer.  Think of all the worshippers of false gods who mean well but have no knowledge of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus!  So many misled and heeding the seductive message of the evil one!  Please be in prayer for all of those who deal with the nation of Israel:  that those who are willing to live in peace with her will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and be saved, and that those who plot for her demise will have a change or heart and spirit and turn from their evil ways and glorify our Father in heaven.  Pray for the safety of Israel as she endures the turmoil of these last days, and for the eyes of the wife of Jehovah to be opened to see their true Messiah.

Maranatha!

‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ “  (Genesis 12:1-3)

“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations….I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.  And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.  Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Gen. 17:4,6-8)

Scripture tells us that the Word of God is unchanging and unchangeable.  If we are to believe, as I do, in the absolute authority and inerrancy of the Bible , then we have to be looking very carefully today at what goes on in the nation of Israel.  Israel (also called in Scripture Zion and the Promised Land) was given to the chosen people of God originally through Abraham with whom God established a covenant that He called everlasting.  The first thing we have to understand in this context is that Christians did not replace the Jewish nation in the esteem of God.  We as Christians are indeed the Bride of Christ.  The Jews always have been and always will be the wife of Jehovah.  God gave them a “bill of divorcement” and scattered them amongst the nations of the world as punishment for their unbelief and for their sins against Him. This period of time between the days in which God dispersed His people and the regathering of the nation of Israel is known as the Diaspora.

Old Testament prophets made it clear that God had not given up on His chosen people.  Angry though He may have been at the unbelief and the sin of His people Israel, God promised from the beginning that His people would be regathered as a nation, and that His everlasting covenant would never be broken.

“He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”  (Isaiah 11:12)

“Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’  Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the the ends of the earth–everyone who is called by My name…”  (Isaiah 43:5-7)

“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.  For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he.  Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the Lord…their souls shall be like a well-watered garden and they shall sorrow no more at all.”  (Jeremiah 31:10-12)

“Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: ‘surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them…’” (Ezekiel 37:23)

Christ, in the New Testament, spoke of the regathering of Israel as one definitive sign of the end of the age:

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree (the fig tree and the olive tree were  symbols of Israel throughout the Bible): When its branch has already tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it (His return) is near–at the door!” (Matthew 24:32,33)

Clearly, the fig tree blooming was a picture of Israel once again becoming a nation.  Remember that in Jesus’ time the Romans controlled Judea, despite the fact that there was once again a Jewish population in Israel.

Make no mistake here:  replacement theology (the belief that the Hebraic covenants have been supplanted by Christ’s covenant with the Church) is neither Scriptural nor acceptable to the Lord.  While we obviously cannot always agree with or approve of everything that the governing body (the Knesset) of Israel does, God has made it clear that He will judge nations according to their dealings with the land of Israel.  It is true that the majority of Jews in Israel and the rest of the world are still rejecting the notion that Jesus is the Messiah for whom they have waited throughout the centuries, although Messianic Jews (Jewish believers) are growing in number.  Paul tells us in the eleventh chapter of Romans that “blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”  Earlier in the same chapter he puts forward the notion that it was because of the failings of the Jews to recognize the true Messiah that salvation was able to come to the Gentile nations; that the Gentile Christians were “grafted in” to the olive tree (those people chosen by God) by adoption but that in the end times all of Israel would be saved as they are grafted back into the family.

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.  And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heve it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.”  (Zechariah 12:2,3)

Well, Jerusalem (and Israel itself) has become the stumbling-block to the nations that was predicted hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.   For centuries after the last diaspora, the Jews of the world settled in different nations –often with a remnant present in the Holy Land given to them by God.  Most were driven off the land that was given to Abraham by God thousands of years before by invading empires.  For several hundred years, the land that belonged to God’s chosen people remained barren wasteland, called by the Romans “Palestine” (or, Land of the Philistines) as part of an effort to wipe out the Jewish people and erase any connection with their homeland.  Though this fact is obscured by the falsehoods popularly circulated via the politically-correct media, there has never been an independent country or state of Palestine, nor has any entity been under “Palestinian rule.”  Most Arabs who call themselves Palestinians were calling themselves Jordanians until the time of the Six Day War (at that time, only Jews were referred to as Palestinians), although Syria had considered Palestine a part of southern Syria.  After Israel’s capture of the West Bank in 1967, certain of the Arab leadership (led by terrorist Yasser Arafat) realized that if they took the name of Palestinians now that the Jews were being referred to as Israelis, they could convert the perception of the Arab-Israeli conflict from a war of annihilation against the Jewish population to the struggle of a dispossessed indigenous people against the wicked invaders who took land to which they had no real claim.  And did this ever take the trick!  The fact that Israel had existed thousands of years before Islam was forgotten as the world began to condemn Israel for insisting on keeping its land as a Jewish state–a nation the size of which is slightly smaller than the American state of New Jersey.  The United Nations has many times imposed sanctions on Israel for their supposed “crimes against the Palestinians”, yet has passed no sanctions on the Palestinians for their continued onslaught of terrorism in Israel.

In a misguided effort to achieve peace with the surrounding Arab-Islamic nations, Israel gave up the area of land known as the Gaza Strip, withdrawing all of Israel’s soldiers and residents, in 2005.  Since that time, southern Israel has had the grief of watching the prosperous, thriving community they left (including some incredibly prosperous green houses left intact for the use of the Palestinians) revert into  a poverty-stricken and desolate area as the only goal of the Palestinians is to annihilate the nation of Israel.   Now the demand is stronger for a “two-state” solution in Israel, despite the fact that the Palestinian Arabs have no intention of ever living in peace with the Jews.  Our own government, complicit in the urging of Israel to cede the Gaza Strip in 2005, is actively trying to force Israel into accepting an open-bordered alliance with the people most set on Israel’s destruction.  Understand, brothers-and-sisters-in-Christ:  God will not hesitate to judge and punish those nations that work against the best interests of His chosen people.  He will continue to protect and guide Israel, but He will not continue to keep a hand of blessing on those nations, including our own, that try to drive Israel into dividing Jerusalem or giving up more of the land that God has given to His people.  Much of the past prosperity in the United States has been due to the friendship that has traditionally been in place between the Gentiles and the Jews of the US; America’s support for the the 1948 rebirth of the nation of Israel was a major reason for her position as a world leader in the twentieth century.  However, the balance is shifting in the United States as there is a growing desire to appease the Islamic nations who consider Israel to be the “little Satan” and the US as the “Big Satan.”  As the administration leans ever closer to diplomatic negotiations with the terrorist nation of Iran and giving more aid and comfort to the Palestinians, Israel is becoming wary of American involvement in her affairs.  As we have now demanded that Israel stop building on her own territory (an injunction they are hardly likely to take seriously), the assurance that the American bond with Israel will not cease is beginning to sound empty and hollow.  Just as the worst hurricane season to ever devastate the US came upon us immediately after our urging of Israel to give up more of its God-given land, we can expect retribution if we refuse to look at the Middle-East situation from the point of view of what God would have us do.

When the time is right, when the “fullness of the Gentiles has come in,” God will remove the blinders from the eyes of His chosen people, and He will once more take His place as the Husband of the Jewish people.  We, the Bride of Christ, are instructed to love His people, support His nation, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem:  knowing of course, that peace will come to Jerusalem only when Jesus’ feet will touch the Mount of Olives and He is acknowledged as  King of Kings and Lord of Lords on the earth!

We have no excuse.  We know God’s mind where His people Israel are concerned.  We know that God’s love is infinite and His word is eternal.  We know that although certain covenants instituted by God were conditional (for example, from 1Samuel 12:14,15:  IF you will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, THEN both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God.  However, IF you do not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, THEN the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers” ), the covenants that He made with Abraham and his descendants and with David, the “man after God’s own heart” were everlasting covenants.  In a seeming contradiction (but isn’t if you stop to think about the meaning of absolute honor and absolute truth), the only thing that really isn’t possible for God is to go against His own word.  We’ve seen this in God’s merciful regathering of Israel after 3000 years of exile (give or take a few hundred years!).  All of those Old Testament prophecies about Israel being reborn came to fruition in May of 1948–when only a miracle could have birthed this nation wandering for centuries among the entire earth.  The sons of Ishmael (Abraham’s son by his wife’s handmaiden) have been determined since the earliest times to eradicate the Jews of the world, yet have been unable to do so.  Though these people (now the Arab/Islamic nations) are as great in number as God had said they would be, they have still been unable to do away with the people chosen by God to be called after His name.  The Roman Empire, the most powerful empire  in history was unable to exterminate the Jews, although they lead  pograms against the Jews and thousands were killed.  Even in the days of the Holocaust, when six million Jews were murdered by a regime that set itself up in opposition to God, God saw to it that a remnant of His people survived so that the covenants He made would be kept and His people able to reestablish the homeland He set aside specifically for them.  What an awesome God!! He is always loving, always merciful and always true to His word!

My friends, pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Maranatha!

A Special Note:  For those of you who, like me, love Israel and the Jewish people, an organization exists that is writing a new prophecy Bible aimed solely at showing Jews how Yeshua fits the Old Testament prophecies of Messiah.  These people are Messianic Jews and are dedicating their lives to the spread of the Gospel message to their fellow Israelis.  This is truly a righteous cause and worthy of your prayers and (if at all possible) your financial support!  You can visit them on the Net at www.messianicbible.com/

“If that nation, against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.   And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.”  (Jeremiah 18:8-10)

     The prophetic books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all contain words of warning to the nations of the world concerning their actions and places in the end times scenario.  The “burdens” upon the nations are strongly worded condemnations of a world given over to selfishness, vanity and Godlessness.  They chronicle in meticulous detail the projected ends of those nations that ultimately refuse to acknowledge the Lord of Hosts.    Some major nations are not mentioned at all by name, including the relatively youthful United States.    It has been suggested by some that America is represented in Isaiah 18 : it is possible, of course; or it is just as possible that the US will play little to no part in the end times drama as it unfolds.  How horrifically it will be affected by the tribulation hour will probably depend on the decisions being made in this nation now and in the next couple of years to come.   

     America was founded on Christian principles, despite all the tap-dancing being done around the issue trying to dispute it.  Although not all of the founders were active Christians, they all recognized the public good that would ensue from laws based on the laws of Scripture.  It is popular now to suggest that the United States was never a Christan nation nor was it meant to be, yet as we begin to follow in the footsteps of what has been called “post-Christian Europe” we can see that never before has this nation been in such need of divine guidance and in so much need of  a return to the God who had so blessed us.  The question is:  Is it too late to turn back?  God has said that He will heal the land of His people who “humble themselves, and pray and seek My face.”  For some years now, Christians of all nations have begun to understand that they need to be represented in their various governments and that they would have to aggressively pursue justice in order to keep discrimination against the Lord’s people from becoming the norm.   As a matter of fact, we have become so intent on political justice, that we have neglected to set God at the forefront of our quest for a nation pleasing to Him.  Here in the States we have the National Day of Prayer–one day out of 365 when Christians are asked to join together in prayer for our nation.  While I am not against neither this day nor the intent behind it, I am skeptical of how efficatious our prayers are when we join together only once a year.  This is Christian tokenism.  What Scripture has shown to be effective prayer is the frequent gathering together of those who love the Lord and seek His purposes for their lives and communities.  We need to be on our knees on a regular basis, knowing that others will be doing the same, all praying for the healing of our land–which means, ultimately, that hearts will be turned back to the God of all creation; the Father of all.  Although this particular prayer must never cease, I do believe that the time has come that God may no longer answer “yes.”    As a nation, (or even as a world) we do not seem to be willing to do the things we need to do in order to please God and continue in His blessings.  We should be staunchly supporting the nation of Israel–given to the Jewish people by God Himself–instead of suggesting that in the interests of a non-existant peace they give away more of their land to a Muslim people who wish nothing more than the destruction of the Holy Land, the death of all Jews and the eradication of our western way of life.  (Our support of Israel is vital; so much so that I will address that at a later date in a separate post.)  We should be beseeching the Lord of Hosts on a daily basis to renew and regenerate the hearts and spirits of those in governmental offices who make the decisions concerning our domestic and foreign policies–and we should be begging for forgiveness for allowing our nation to be turned over to those who do not honor the One who gives us strength.  We should be insisting that God be given His rightful place in our lives and accorded His deserved glory.

     God loves us!  This is the rock of my life; the delight of my heart and the anchor of my soul.  Though the future may bring some frightening things, He will keep us safely through the coming storms.  He has not promised that we will be at ease through all that takes place during this time of “birth pangs”, but he has promised us His peace.  This is, as always, the Good News that overshadows every dark cloud on the horizon!  God loves us and He stands, as He always does, ready to forgive our sins and welcome us into His kingdom!  This is what we must be on our knees asking God for–to help us use this dark time in our history to bring honor to Him and souls into His eternal kingdom.

     I find that I can no longer pray for the prosperity of my country.  We have so far declined from the commandments and obligations that God set upon us that I know His merciful hand will be lifted further and further off of us.  Our President has declared that we are not a Christian nation.  We have become increasingly tolerant of the evils of abortion, violence, homosexuality and other perversions.  We have not done our duty as Christians in spreading the Gospel as we should–Islam is the most rapidly growing religion in the world–because we fear to be considered intolerant or even “hateful” because we know in every fiber of our being that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God of Father.  I can and will, however, pray fervently and daily that the Holy Spirit of God will touch hearts in this nation and turn them back to Him; that there will be a spiritual healing that will keep those who would follow in the Lord’s way safe through the coming pre-tribulation rumblings; and that when He returns for those of us who love Him, He will find us in the fields–faithful in sowing seeds of the kingdom–and that the harvest will be bountiful!

Maranatha!

“(Jesus said) If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you…these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent me.”  (John 15:18-19, 21)

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer….you will have tribulation ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you a crown of life.”  (Rev. 2:10)

     The last two decades have been  turbulent ones for many in the Christian community.  There have been more scandals in the mainline churches than you can shake a stick at –financial sleights-of-hand, sexual deviancy and predatoriness.  There has been an increase in churches that refuse to preach the true gospel of Christ because they fear being “irrelevant” or “politically incorrect” more than they fear offending God.  There are churches claiming to be Christian that have become famous by preaching a message of hatred and demonically-inspired anger.  My heart has recently been broken by hearing our President here in the States declaring publically to the world at large that we are not a Christian nation.  A horrendous wave of antisemitism and anti-Christian sentiment has been sweeping the globe, resulting in unprecedented violence that goes unreported by the mainstream media and is shrugged off by the general public.  Attacks by the anti-Christian forces in Hollywood,  on the internet and even in our government on those who preach righteousness have emboldened those who’s hearts are entrenched in the bitter hold of evil to become agressive in their anger and triumphant in their pursuit of that which God has condemned.  So, brothers-and-sisters-in-Christ, how are we to respond to the world?  Do we become as agressive as they in retaliation?  Do we ignore the tide coming against us?  Jesus told us to bring forth good fruit–how can we bring forth good fruit when we are in the midst of such decay?

     First, we have to remember that Jesus laid down some rules that come into play in these situations.  Read Luke 6: 27-31 carefully:

“But I say to you who hear; Love your enemies, do good to those who curse you and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  From him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”

     Ouch!  Have I not been hearing a great deal lately about how simple-minded and intolerant Christians are?  Is there actually anybody who believes that to obey this commandment Jesus gave us is easy?  It is probably one of the most difficult concepts in Christianity to adhere to.  The path to heaven is indeed a narrow one–but consider the reward!  Take courage, beloved!  Jesus has promised us that He will never leave nor forsake us, and He has promised us the crown of life!

     I’ve made no secret of the fact that I believe we are living in the end of days.  The prophetic signs are in place that lead up to the time variously described in the Scriptures as the Day of the Lord, the latter times, the time of Jacob’s trouble or the last days.  Because of the great “falling away” that was predicted in Scripture, and that we can now see all around us, it is vitally important that those of us who know the truth of God’s word are ready to be the final witnesses to His goodness and His mercy.  As we do so, we will no doubt be attacked verbally and emotionally by those who’s ears are stopped to the word of God and who’s hearts are blocked to the things of the spirit.  Many will see people of God only as hypocritical extensions of pedophile priests or closet- homosexual evangelicals, and they will refuse to listen.  These are they of whom Jesus told his disciples that if  they were not received in His name then the disciples were to leave and to shake off the unbeliever’s dust from their feet.  Some will be tolerant in a superior sort of way, and some will be actively vicious.  Even our own families may be resistant to our attempts to introduce them to the Lord of our salvation.  Jesus said that belief in Him would cause the division of houses–that “the father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against the daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law.”   (Luke 13:53)  Yet we must speak out NOW!  The times demand it; the love Christ has for all people demands that we do our best to shed the light of His love into the darkness of the world.  Jesus called us the light and the salt of the earth, but warned that we could hide our light or lose our savor.  More than ever before, we must lift up the exalted name of God, and praise Him amongst the nations!  Yes, by doing so we risk being ridiculed by those whom Satan has led astray, but we will not fall: Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that Jesus’ grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness.  Even if we aren’t always sure what to say or how to approach the unbelief in our world, as long as we speak and act in the love Christ tells us to show all people, the fruit we bear will be good fruit.  If we strike out at the unbelievers in anger and aggression, our fruit will not be good.  Believe me, there’s enough sour fruit in the world today without us adding to it!  Let your fruit be sweet and unblemished so that it may be offered up as an acceptable sacrifice to the living God!

Maranatha!

          I’ve been told several times lately that there will be no judgment because Jesus died for the sins of the world.  This “Universalist” attitude is becoming more and more prevalent among people who take the existance of God for granted, but refuse to study the Scriptures that He gave us in order that we should know, understand and follow His statutes.  Their reasoning seems to be “I wouldn’t like anyone I know to go to Hell. Jesus is love, and He would send no one to Hell.  Therefore, Hell does not exist.”  However, this position does not take into account God’s other attributes:  God is indeed love, but He is also holy, just and a “jealous God who will not give My glory to another.”  When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for  our sins and make Him Lord of our lives, Jesus “steps” into us so that when God looks at us as we approach Him He sees the perfect and holy face of His beloved Son, rather than the unrighteous men and women in bondage to sin that we were before being set free by the precious blood of Christ.  John wrote that “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie”.  Walking with the Lord requires us to walk in the way of righteousness and the light so that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us {continually} from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) 

     Beloved brothers and sisters, several months ago, in an earlier post (see  “The Mark of the Heart and the Year of Reckoning”), I addressed some words of warning I received from God dealing with what we were about to encounter in the world.  Surely we can see the judgment of God now falling upon the nation and the world as we continue on a path of demanding His benefits without acknowledging the Creator and giving Him thanks.  We have sinned in pride; accepting His gifts as our own accomplishments.  We have allowed the sins of pride, blasphemy, abortion, sexual promiscuity,  perversion, and greed to take root in our hearts and our lives throughout the world; we have promoted our self-serving agendas above the holy law of the most high God.  Judgment is beginning to flow down upon us as the Lord is lifting His hand of mercy from us.

     I have been reluctant to ask anyone reading The Watchman the following question because I have hesitated to say what might be considered trite or even a bit heavy-handed, but as we enter these last days in which we encounter the “birthpangs” of the Father’s wrath against our rebellion and unbelief, I can no longer put it off.  Are you saved?  If you were to die tonight, or if Jesus were to return, do you know where you would go next?

     I know (BELIEVE ME, I know) how strong the temptation is for those who have not completely submitted their hearts to the Lord to say, “I’d go to heaven.  I’m a good person.”  Well, Scripture tells us “But we are ALL like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags…”  (Isaiah 64:6, emphasis mine.)   Ecclesiastes 7:20 says “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.”  Do you see the truth, beloved ones?  None are righteous by virtue of their own efforts–not me, not you, not Billy Graham or Mother Teresa.  We have ALL “sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  That is a death sentence.  If you say you are not a sinner, you are either lying or you are in a very spiritually dangerous state of denial.  Hell is a real place, created originally for Satan and his fallen angels, and those who willfully refuse to accept God’s authority and love will go there after death (see “There Will  Be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth”, Oct. 2008). 

     As I wrote once before, the Lord impressed upon me that there was going to be some big disaster coming that would shake the foundations of our nation.  I assumed, when the economic crisis hit, that the disaster had arrived.  Later though, when I was in prayer for the nation, the Lord assured me that although the economic situation around the world was a natural consequence of not giving the glory for our successes to Whom glory was due, the worst was yet to come and was not merely economic in nature.  This week, this word has been confirmed for me by several others to whom the Lord has given words or visions regarding the coming judgments, including Pastor Dave Wilkerson who was given a vision of devastation here in the United States shortly to come.  God is finished gently asking us to return to Him.  Most people’s choice as to in whom or in what they will place their faith has already been made.  If you are reading this, you are most likely already a believer or you have not quite made up your mind.  To those of you who are unsure of your beliefs and your destiny, decide now.    Soon, there will be no option  to sit on the fence.  You must choose to follow God, or you must choose to follow Satan. Yes to God, or no to God.  You cannot just vote “present.”  It is too late for that.  Beloved brothers and sisters, if you are not sure of your ultimate destination; if you are unsure about whether or not you are living in the will of God, choose Christ. 

          Jesus said that “not every one that says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father in heaven.”   A vague acknowledgment that a “divine power” exists somewhere is not enough.  The will of God the Father is made manifest in holy Scriptures:  repent of your sins, submit yourself to Him and to His will, and accept Jesus the Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Jesus paid the penalty of the death we deserve by taking our sins to the cross with Him.  Once we repent and turn to Him, our “old selves” are crucified up on that two-thousand-year-old cross with Him, and the “new selves,” born of the Spirit into eternal life, are all that God will see when He looks upon us!   If you haven’t yet done so, go to God now and ask Him to forgive your sins and make you new. If you’re not quite sure what to say to Him, see my page “You Must Be Born Again” so that you can see how unbelievably simple it is to approach the throne of God for forgiveness.   The desire of my heart is to know that as many people as possible are touched by God in these last days and will spend eternity in heaven, so I will be praying that these words reach the hearts of those who may not have made the decision to love and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.     Maranatha!

Melissa

“Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good.  He that does good is of God: but he that does evil has not seen God.”  III John:11

     When I was in school (donkeys years ago!), I remember when all of a sudden a new philosophy seemed to take hold of those in authority.  In what seemed to be an over-night switch (but, looking back now as an older adult, I know couldn’t have been), we were being informed that “good” and “bad” were relative terms; that “truth” was in the eye of the beholder and was determined by each person’s personal experience; that most issues were not black or white but contained mostly “gray” areas.  It occurs to me that these now time-worn phrases were introduced in order to prepare us for the slow journey to today’s prevailing spirit of tolerance and political correctness, and to prepare us for the new age–a world in which the precepts of God would have little part, and our very Judeo-Christian values would be considered an evil in a good, secular society.  But hear what the prophet Isaiah says to those who will listen:

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight!”

     Dear brothers-and-sisters-in-Christ:  it is time we put away the lies of the world and open our eyes and hearts to God’s word as He gave it to us in Scripture.  It is time to go back to square one in our thinking, if necessary, and incorporate the Word into our hearts anew, driving out all of those compromises we have made with the enemy who is the god of this world.  In order for us to do so, it is necessary for us to understand that God has not changed–we have.  Again quoting Isaiah (39:8):  “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God shall stand forever.”   Through every regime or world power the world has ever known; through every empire and every time of peace or war, God’s word remains constant.  It does not change with the political winds.  It does not change as we move from agrarian society to technological greatness.  It does not change as we seek to glorify concensus among all people, religions and lifestyles.  His word does not change though we reject the One Who gave it to us.

     Is there such a thing as an absolute truth?  Yes!  Jesus called Himself the Way, THE TRUTH and the Life. Since He also said that He and the Father were one, that means that God’s word is truth itself.  Not a book containing cosmic truths, mind you, but The truth.  Jesus didn’t come to nullify the words of the Old Testament; in His own words, He said that He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.  How can we learn what is true if we abandon the study of His instruction book?  The book of Romans tells us to “be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God.”   There it is.  We cannot live lives pleasing to God if we don’t study Scripture because it is the only way that we can know the mind, the will and the heart of God.   Are “good” and “bad” actually relative terms?  Not to God!  God put within all people a fundamental knowledge of what is right and what is wrong, and His word to lead us when we are not certain or when we begin to head down the path of evil.  Do you hear me, beloved?  WE KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG!!! We know it by revelation from God, and we know it because it is clearly laid out in His book. 

     I have several acquaintances who call themselves Christians who do not rely on Scripture at all for their knowledge of God.  They all say basically the same thing:  “I just let God speak to me in my heart and He reveals things to me.”  Well, praying for God to speak to our hearts is a good and desirable thing, and it pleases the heart of God.  He often does speak to us while we are in prayer, or lead us in His ways as we go throughout our days.  However, the Bible lays out for us clearly what God wants from us as people and as nations.  Proverbs 3:5 tells us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding.“  We are predisposed, since the original fall, to error.  We sometimes hear, not God’s voice, but the voice of our own whims and desires.  Sometimes we even hear the voice of demonic deceit masquerading as God’s wisdom.  The only way we can be certain we are hearkening to the voice of God is to check what we hear and believe to be from Him against what Scripture says.  Remember, God’s word is unchanging and unchangeable.  If what we believe contradicts Scripture, it is not Scripture that is in error.

     So, now we have another choice to make.  We are told repeatedly in the New Testament that we are to be in the world, but not of it.  When the world says “Keep quiet about your religion–it’s not fair to others to offend them with it”  we can do so in the name of tolerance out of the fear of not being socially acceptable, or we can say “My Lord says that whoever will confess Him before men shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denies Him before men shall be denied before the angels of God.”  Christians are given the gift of the Holy Spirit in order that they might be faithful witnesses to the lost; that in sharing the love of Christ they will bring more people in His kingdom of light.  We are given the greatest gift for witnessing in the Scriptures themselves–God’s love letter to us.  Instead of fighting in anger against the unbelievers or hiding our beliefs and our faith out of the fear of being called “judgmental” we need to be using His word to gently and lovingly show those not living in His light that truth and goodness and right exist ABSOLUTELY; that God calls upon us to give up the evils that threaten to lead us into hell along with Satan and his minions and exchange it for the new, reborn life He offers that will lead us to an eternity of glory in His presence.

     Time is growing so very, very short, beloved ones!  It is time to speak out now, that God’s word is the only universal truth; that good and bad, right and wrong are not only realities acknowledged by God but are becoming so blurred to our blinded eyes that we cannot see the difference!  Our job is to live in this world, but to have our essential beings in God’s kingdom.  It is time to try to gather up the remnants who have not made a decision to be for or against Christ and His kingdom.  It is time to eschew the friendship of the world, and exchange it for the approval of our Lord.  When He comes, may He find all of us in the fields!

Maranatha!

Melissa