The United States Doomed to Fail and Collapse!

He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. --- Psalm 66:7

Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, and on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name. --- Psalm 79:6

The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God. --- Psalm 9:17

It is still a given that the majority of United States citizens believe certain myths about our republic:

1. Some believe the U. S. to be the most powerful nation in the world.

2. Some believe and insist that the U. S. is the most wealthy nation in the world.

3. There are those who believe that the U. S. is the "leader" among the 195 nations of the world.

4. And there are those, of course, who mistakenly believe that the U. S. is a "Christian" nation!

Why the change from what used to be great power, wealth, a prominent leadership role in the world, and a prestigious identity with the Christian faith?

The answer is rather simple -- we no longer are under the blessing of Almighty God as in times long since past.

Consider three critical issues as to why this deplorable condition exists:

1. The first issue is financial in nature and the fact that the U. S. is deeply and hopelessly in debt. Perhaps one way of illustrating this tragedy is to imagine a quicksand bog -- we are as a person who has become trapped in it, and the struggle begins -- one foot is raised in the attempt to find something solid upon which to stand, but the other foot and leg sink even deeper. All the while there is the steady sinking into the mire happening and no hope of rescue! And the more intense the struggle to break free, the deeper into the quicksand the victim descends! Our present "bog" which is enlarging every second is over 14 trillion dollars. The nation of China owns about 1 trillion of that alone.

Recently a flurry of activity took place in the nation's capitol over the budget. Republicans wanted to originally cut spending by 100 billion -- then that was reduced considerably and a final "compromise" worked out in which now the figure of cuts is about 38 billion. That sure will go a long way in eliminating over 14 TRILLION dollars of debt, will it not?

The president and the U. S. Congress are intent on spending money we do not have and will not exercise restraint and common sense in handling revenue income. The Scriptures reveal that a nation intent on obeying God will be blessed with prosperity and will be a lender to nations and NOT a borrower! (See verification in Deuteronomy 28 where finances are mentioned, but there are other issues in the chapter where it is like looking into the mirror and there we see the United States).

2. Second, an issue that is moral in nature. The president pushed for and, with support from enough members of the Congress, was able to get legislation that removed the ban on sodomites serving openly in the U. S. military. While the sodomite/lesbian agenda has been making great strides forward with growing acceptance across our nation, God's view of this type of sexual activity has not changed at all. God labels such activity as an abomination -- not merely as sin, but as something that is as sin intensified many times over! It is totally repugnant in the sight of God and thoroughly condemned. The ultimate consequences are seen in the ashes of Sodom and Gomorrah! (Note references to these in 2 Peter 2:6 & Jude 1:7).

3. Third, an issue that is also moral in nature. The president and supporters in Congress are aggressive in the support of the destruction of unborn children, under the deadly idea that it is a "constitutional right" to do so -- the average rate of destruction is about 25,000 a week throughout the year!

The president's record as a legislator is clear -- he opposed efforts to try to place some restrictons on aborting unborn children and obviously he would do likewise in any future attempt to further restrict abortions in any way whatsover!

Even worse is the fact that there are church leaders who shoose not to address the rampant "shedding of innocent blood" in this republic. God, of course, has made extremely clear His view of human life and His holy purpose for the same.

Once one has given serious thought to God's view of human life, there is but one conclusion to which one can arrive. To intentionally interfere with God's plan and purpose for a human life is to invite His judgmental wrath at some point in the future. With nearly 53 million unborn victims tallied so far in the United States' unique version of "Holocaust", the question is not whether God's judgment will come upon our republic, but rather how soon will it happen?

Will radical and necessary changes be made very soon so that once again the nation will be blessed by God with success and have a hopeful and secure future? There is absolutely no indication that our leaders (political and church) are willing to engage in a transforming life experience known as repentance! And if the leaders refuse to repent, then the citizens most likely will follow the example which guarantees failure and collapse!

Other issues are further detailed in comments titled, "Driving the Final Nails!"

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, and the people whom He has chosen as His own inheritance. The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His habitation He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. --- Psalm 33:12-19

Will God Be Issuing An Apology in the Near Future?

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly….--- 2 Peter 2:4-6

It was Billy Graham who may have coined the expression, but if he did not, then he certainly stressed it quite a few years ago in his evangelistic ministry. That expression went something like this:

"If God allows us (the United States) to get away with our many sins, then He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!"

Never has there been a time in the history of our republic in which this question needs to be more seriously considered than right now. For years, ever since that statement was originally uttered, the descent into a moral, ethical and spiritual cesspool has been rapid and massive. It has involved millions of U. S. citizens of all ages throughout the entire nation.

The “spiritual floodgates” really broke open starting in the ‘60’s although there were numerous problems in the decades prior to that time. But in the ‘60’s the nation experienced what was known as the “sexual revolution” plus an official Supreme Court decision which basically banned God from the public school systems with Bible reading and prayer no longer permitted. A high school student in my youth group told of someone placing a sign on his school’s bulletin board which read, “In case of atomic attack the ban against prayer in this school will be temporarily suspended!” For some reason, the sign was quickly removed by a member of the school’s administration.

But that was by no means the end – about 10 years later, in January of 1973 the Supreme Court handed down another disasterous decision which said that it was a constitutional right for a female to have her unborn child mutilated and murdered if she so chose! Now, the words “mutilated” and “murdered” do not appear in the wordy decision, but if you will look at photos of the victims of the United States’ version of Holocaust, that would be the only conclusion you can come to – that is, if you are truly honest and willing to face reality! Harry Blackmun, Supreme Court justice and United Methodist layman, wrote the infamous decision. He was highly eulogized in United Methodist circles when he died. Wherever Harry is today there is one thing for sure – if you were able to engage in conversation with him, he would tell you that his views of human life and children before birth have drastically changed since he crossed the great divide into eternity – he now sees it God’s way!

As the God-rejecting snowball rolled down hill during the ‘60’s, the 70’s and through the turn of the century, it kept getting larger and larger. By no wildest stretch of human imagination can we now say that we are better off and are living on a higher moral plane than we were before those two monumental Supreme Court decisions took place.

Our massive shedding of innocent blood, idolatry, sexual immorality, violence, selfishness and greed continue to increase unabated. Our utter defiance of the standards which Almighty God has put in place for a culture to experience sanity, serenity, stability, security, sovereignty, and ongoing survival has come to the place where even a citizen of ancient Sodom would blush if he or she would walk the streets of one of our cities!

So, as you ponder the question about God’s possible apology to the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, what is the answer with which you come forth?

Somehow with all the searching of the Scriptures for over a half century, I see absolutely no indication that God will issue such an apology – in fact, the evidence is overwhelming that He will deal with this nation as He did with those ancient cities of long ago that demonstrated an attitude in which they gave God an obscene gesture. The prevailing mindset, including that of their leaders, was that they could live any way they wanted and not have to reap the harvest for their abominations later on down the road. We are clearly demonstrating that same spirit and traveling down that same path.

"Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.” --- Jesus speaking in Luke 17:28, 29

"The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, 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.” --- God speaking in Jeremiah 18:7-10
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Penn State University Continues to Build on a Foundation of Notoriety!

.....The ceremony will be held March 29 at the HUB-Robeson Center. State College Mayor Bill Welch, who said he supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and its allies (LGBTA), will preside over the event. It is the first event of LGBTA's Pride Week. "I'd have no problem performing same-sex marriages, but it's not legal," Welch said.... --- from a Penn State campus news organization reporting on a scheduled commitment ceremony to be held for homosexual and lesbian couples on March 29, 2008

Penn State University continues to add to its list of accomplishments for top entry in the Notoriety Hall of Fame! In the central Pennsylvania region the news diet as it pertains to Penn State University is a steady stream of stuff that makes a cesspool smell like a rose!

Here are the kinds of things we are told as they unfold at the school which has a well known coach named Joe Paterno and a football team which has some members who have done more than their share in tarnishing the image of the school:

• Penn State football team players involved in brawls with various charges brought against them for such conduct
  
• sexual assaults
  
• underage drinking and arrests on that basis
  
• assaults, which often are connected to use of beverage alcohol -- seems the alcohol flows practically unrestricted around the university!
  

Now comes the latest blunder of blunders -- a "commitment" ceremony to be held on campus for couples who practice sodomy or lesbianism! One news release indicated there will be 3 male couples and 3 female couples. State College Mayor Bill Welch will conduct the ceremony for them at the HUB-Robeson Center. The mayor has been quoted as saying that he supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and its allies (LGBTA).

A couple of the males involved in the ceremony spoke of receiving strong support from the community and throughout the campus. They are both doctoral students at Penn State. One said, "We just want to show the public that we're just like any other committed couple who loves each other."

There will be a protest gathering at the same time as the ceremony is taking place. It has been organized by Gary Dull, pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Altoona.

Already a large number of petitions have been submitted in protest of the commitment ceremony. But Mayor Welch has indicated his intention to go ahead with the ceremony in spite of the protesting that is taking place.

This is but one of many unfolding events across the entire nation indicating the progress which has been made by those supporting the sodomite/lesbian agenda. With a lot of highly intelligent people, lots of financial support, effective strategic planning, masterful waging of psychological "warfare" and successful infiltration of the educational system and mass media these people are much nearer their goal of forced acceptance of their "way of life."

Those of us who still choose to believe that God's boundary lines for acceptable sexual intimacy is limited to a male and female within the covenant of marriage are finding our ranks diminishing. Perhaps in part due to an unwillingness by some to live with the negative labels of "homophobic," "mean-spirited," "unloving," "unchristian," etc. For those supporting the sodomite/lesbian agenda, this aspect of the psychological warfare is proving to be quite effective!

It is also very possible that some have capitulated and gone along with the strategy of "dialog" -- we sit down and discuss how we can agree to disagree, thus creating a "loving" environment and a "positive" attitude -- which translates into "live and let live!"

A few would agree -- probably very few -- that we are witnessing the predictions of Jesus being fulfilled before our very eyes -- He said that the human race would regress to the point that it would be like a rerun of the days in which Noah lived before the judgment of the flood and the days of Lot when he lived in a city by the name of Sodom!

And you know what? I'm not going to cite the book, chapter and verse numbers on that -- if you want to verify it, it's in the Bible SOMEWHERE! You know, that Book which gathers dust by the inch in many, many homes across this republic!

As for Penn State, will it qualify for an entry in Guinness World Records for doing more to gain notoriety than any other university has ever done?

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!......... And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. --- Isaiah 5:20; Romans 1:28-32

"Families" without Men -- a Real Heaven on Earth or Is It?

And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." --- Luke 16:15

It's just another step along the way toward disaster, the dimension of which is totally indescribable.

For quite some time our culture has been plagued with individuals and groups who want to deify women in every way possible, degrade and diminish men in every way possible, and issue proclamations from time to time that single parent "families" are just as fulfilling if not more so than the traditional family headed up by a dad and a mom -- especially if the head of that "family" is a female in pursuit of a highly successful career!

This whole debacle got a potent shot in the arm recently with the release of a top selling book with an eye catching title -- "Knock Yourself Up: A Tell-All Guide to Becoming a Single Mom." Now that's an expression some of us older fellows remember using when we were teenagers and the hormones were raging like crazy -- it was a very vulgar way to refer to a female who had become pregnant!

Author of the book is one named Louise Sloan who will make a fat bundle of bucks from this offering and become a heroine at the same time. She relates her experience of inseminating herself in her parents' home as she had moved into the fourth decade of her life and was not married.

She exhibits a spirit that is increasing in popularity -- that is, that men are not good for much of anything except in the case of extracting a little wriggling thing that is 50 per cent involved in the making of a baby!

The way some of these females are expressing themselves they would welcome the situation in which men would be by-passed completely when it comes to population expansion! Sorry, girls -- there has only been one Person born of a virgin and it won't happen again, ever!

Have you noticed how increasingly popular it is to advocate something, be involved in some activity, publish a book or have a talk show (radio or TV) that is against everything which God our Creator represents by way of high standards of personal morality, ethics and spirituality as based on His eternal, unchanging and clearly revealed truth?

A perfect explanation for these crazy things that have been happening and continue to get crazier as time passes is seen in statements by the prophet Isaiah:

The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. --- Isaiah 24:4,5

God's design for a family involves the following: marriage between one man and one woman and children born to the married couple with clearly defined responsibilities resting upon each member of that family. Isaiah 24 is being fulfilled before our very eyes due to a majority of persons choosing to intentionally reject the "blueprint" God has revealed concerning what is required for not only a healthy family but a healthy culture as well!

BUT for the faithful minority, there is some very good news -- this stuff is going to be permanently terminated by the personal intervention of Jesus Christ at some point in the future. Since many of the "movers and shakers" in our culture at the present time are insistent on turning our republic into a 21st Century version of Sodom and Gomorrah, the time may well be much closer than any of us might realize!

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. --- Galatians 6:7,8

Are You One of the Few?

They are the remaining few as winter begins to approach. This year they managed to hang on a bit longer than usual. I am referring to what some of us call lightning bugs -- you know, that flying insect that has a flashing light at its rear end! In summer they have put on quite a display in the field across the road from our place as twilight fades into the darkness of night.

My day starts between 4:30 and 4:45 AM -- before retirement I got up at 4 AM each day -- now that I'm getting old I sleep in a little while! I do about an hour of devotions -- Bible reading guide I follow takes me through the Bible one time, a second time through the New Testament, plus roaming about in the Old Testament prophets in one year's time. There is a prayer time which continues as I leave about 6 AM for my 2 mile walk. In October it is dark in south central PA at 6 AM when we are on DST.

It was on those morning walks during our milder than usual October that I spotted some of them by the side of the road -- the firebugs, that is -- not many -- but they definitely attracted attention with their glowing light. They weren't flashing -- it was more of a steady glow in the grass by the edge of the road. I never failed to look at one as I passed by and that prodded me to remember some things.

First, Jesus said the human race would regress to the conditions which prevailed at the time of Noah before the flood -- wickedness and evil reigned as king and queen! He also said it would be like Sodom when Lot lived there for a time. See Luke 17:24-30.

Second, He said we are to be as lights in this world where evil is dominant and humans who are enslaved by it make up the vast majority of the population which is over 6 billion on this planet at the present time!

Third, as human history approaches its climax those few who display the truth, light, and love of Jesus Christ will be the targets of increased hostility and violence -- and why is this? Note a clear explanation in John 3:19-21:

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

So to any reading this -- as the world finds itself immersed in intense spiritual darkness, are you one of the few still shining brightly and revealing clearly that forgiveness, salvation, peace, and hope are found only in Jesus Christ Who is Savior and Lord?

Don't forget -- you may be the only light in someone's darkness!

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." --- Matthew 5:14-16

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." --- Matthew 7:13,14

Yes, Virginia, in Such a World As This, Negatives Are Very Necessary!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." Jesus speaking in Matthew 23:23-28

"Always be positive -- be an upbeat person -- have a perpetual smile on your face -- do as the song of long ago exhorts, 'Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative...!'"

Many are the voices that broadcast the "positive" message in our culture. Books by the ton have been mass produced on the subject. Not a few church leaders and pastors make no secret of the fact that being "positive" on a 24/7 basis is the only way to go.

Is there a place for negatives in today's world? As I mentioned one time in communicating with a TV news anchor person who told me I was too negative -- I said to him, "Negatives are necessary in our world -- try starting your car sometime without a negative post on your battery!"

An honest search and evaluation of the holy Scriptures will reveal quite a bit of "negative" material!

God is portrayed as a God Who can either be very positive or very negative depending on the response we humans make to His call to repent of our sins and receive His forgiveness, which for 2,000 years has been graciously offered through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Let's honestly face it for once -- God was pretty negative when He wiped out the world with a flood a long time ago with only 8 people surviving -- and He was quite negative when He destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, was He not?

If you dare, read slowly and ponder long on the messages of the Old Testament prophets -- a lot of very negative stuff is found in their statements.

But why did they so often talk a "negative" talk? The answer is really quite simple -- they lived in times of ethical, moral, and spiritual corruption. God called them to denounce the wickedness of their generations and to declare the need to repent and turn to God. Much more often than not the response was a negative -- "We will continue in our sin, and if God doesn't like it, that's tough -- we like things just the way they are with no changes being made in the way we now live!"

The best summary of the pattern is seen in 2 Chronicles 36 -- God's compassion (a very positive thing) -- His urgent appeal -- rejection of the appeal by the citizens and their religious and political leaders -- finally the crossing over the line -- and then judgment by God, which proved to be a very "negative" experience of the first magnitude!

More tragic than that historical event is the fact that the very same pattern is being repeated in a republic known as the United States of America!

Strangely, there are church leaders who, in their great emphasis on being "positive," attempt to point to Jesus as the One Who was very "positive" -- you know, all love and compassion all the time. Have you looked at Matthew 23 lately? And note especially that His remarks were directed toward the religious "elite" of the day.

Jesus also referred to King Herod as a "fox" -- a label which was not intended to be complimentary! Are political leaders deserving of such a negative term?

So long as our nation and the world of which it is a small part continue in their present courses of direction there will be a critical need for "negatives."

That's the way it is, Virginia, whether you like it or not!

"Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." --- Isaiah 58:1

God Doing Bad Things? Surely Not!

"Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. and lack of bread in all your places; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD. I also withheld rain from you, when there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, and where it did not rain the part withered. So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, but they were not satisfied; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD. "I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, your vineyards, your fig trees, and your olive trees, The locust devoured them; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD. "I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt; your young men I killed with a sword, along with your captive horses; I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD. "I overthrew some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; yet you have not returned to Me," says the LORD. "Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" --- Amos 4:6-12

“God is a God of love – He would never do anything bad and He certainly would never send anyone to Hell – how could He be a God of love and do bad things that would bring pain and suffering into the lives of people?”

And so the reasoning goes on in broken record fashion. From theologians, seminary professors, influential church leaders and pastors all the way into church pews occupied by the laity, increased numbers are buying into a multifaceted heresy which boils down to one simple statement – “God would never do anything that would bring pain and suffering of any kind to humans because He is a God of unconditional love!”

This perverted view takes place due to:

• the acceptance of the apostate position that the Bible is simply a human production of writings which are contradictory and subject to a wide variety of interpretations.
  
  
• the idea that past cultures were victimized by superstitious practices and ideas about deities and these are reflected at times in the Scriptures. You know, the God of the Old Testament is a raging maniac who is mad all the time at somebody!
  
  
• the fact that there has not been a serious effort to examine the total revelation given to us in order to more fully identify the God Who brought a mighty universe into existence by mere spoken command. God is revealed to be a God of love and compassion which the human mind cannot begin to comprehend. However, He is also a God of chastising actions and ultimately a God of wrath and judgment if His chastising actions do not bring a people to full repentance and reconciliation with Him!
  

In this age of the Gospel it means personal and corporate repentance of all sin, the receiving of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and ongoing commitment to serve Him as Lord over all the affairs and relationships of life, personally and corporately!

Our republic is going through a lot of calamities of many kinds – military operations in confusion, financial uncertainty with a national debt in excess of 8 trillion dollars, environmental and weather instability, many diseases out of control, and social unrest of unprecedented proportions, to mention just a few.
Review carefully the conditions for blessing and warning of what will happen for persistent disobedience to God in Deuteronomy 28. Also notice the pattern which leads to God doing some very “bad things” as outlined in 2 Chronicles 36:11-21.

It's rather obvious that God has been speaking and calling for some time, but there has been no real desire to turn from our rebellion as a nation and seek His mercy and forgiveness, has there? How long do you think it will be before He drops the "other shoe?"

And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. --- 2 Chronicles 36:15-17

Pressured to Give Up -- But Don't!

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." --- Matthew 24:12

For nearly half a century I have been in the work which God called me to do. There are three major things over that period of time concerning which I have never had any doubts whatsoever ----

• That Jesus Christ extended love and mercy to me which I cannot fathom nor did I deserve and saved me from a sinful and destructive way of life.
  
  
• That a few months after transforming my life God called me to a ministry of preaching and teaching His Word.
  
  
• That His inspired Word (the holy Scriptures) is the infallible authority on all matters having to do with the Christian faith and the practicing of that faith in a world ravaged by sin of every possible kind!
  

There were times of trial over the years in which I felt like quitting the United Methodist Church for more “attractive” situations, or just shutting up and saying nothing.

But God never gave His approval to move to the more attractive settings and in regard to quitting or just keeping the mouth shut, He always reminded me of Jeremiah’s experience as noted in Jeremiah 20:

O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the LORD was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not. For I heard many mocking: "Fear on every side!" "Report," they say, "and we will report it!" All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, "Perhaps he can be induced; then we will prevail against him, and we will take our revenge on him." But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome one. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten. But, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, and see the mind and heart, let me see Your vengeance on them; for I have pleaded my cause before You. --- Jeremiah 20:7-12

Here’s how it is – on basis of Jesus’ warnings about the latter times of human history, we know it will be extremely trying times for Christians. Note the following as revealed by Jesus in Matthew 24:

• onslaught of false teaching, which is what He kept emphasizing repeatedly
  
• conflicts and wars constantly
  
• convulsions in the earth’s structure – an increase in frequency of the same
  
• rampant diseases and famines
  
• conditions duplicating those which were prevalent when Noah lived before the judgment of the flood and when Lot and his family lived in Sodom prior to it and Gomorrah being totally destroyed
  
• international hatred for those who identify with and are committed to serving Jesus Christ
  

Perhaps one of the most shocking statements made by Jesus was the fact that due to rampant lawlessness the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12). Equally shocking was a question asked by Jesus when He said, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

The clear implication is that as human history comes down the homestretch prior to Christ’s return, the pressure on Christians to give up or at least compromise their Bible based convictions will greatly intensify! Compromising one's faith is in reality a tragic "give up" experience!

For many, the beginning stage on the path to giving up will be to doubt that the Bible really means what it so plainly says regarding faith, responsibility and accountability to God.

Next, evil is so widespread and so entrenched we conclude that there is nothing we can do – if you can’t beat ‘em, then you might as well join ‘em! Again, compromise seems to be the convenient way to handle this dilemma!

Consequently the devil throws another dance in the street with the Hell-bound demon hoards screaming with joy and delight – another Christian has yielded to the pressure to give up.

Where do you presently stand in all this? Are you still in the war fighting the good fight of faith?

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels....To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." --- Revelation 3:5, 21

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. --- 2 Timothy 4:7,8

July 4th -- Celebrate or Grieve???

O R

Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which has been brought on me, which the LORD has inflicted on me in the day of His fierce anger. --- Lamentations 1:12

It's a day which traditionally is supposed to be given to celebrating our independence when a small number of colonies broke free of domination by the king of England in the latter part of the 18th Century. Out of that conflict a republic was born with a heavy emphasis on freedom -- certain basic privileges such as freedom to assemble, to speak, to publish, and to worship along with other benefits as expressed in a document known as the United States Constitution.

BUT times have drastically changed as our republic observes its 231st birthday. Only a fool would deny that we have become bogged down in a spiritual, moral, and ethical quagmire from which we are unable to free ouselves!

As we ignite our fireworks and engage in our party activities, will we ignore the reality of the fact that we are now demonstrating before the world that we have become a 21st Century version of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah?

Our obcessive shedding of innocent blood, deeply intrenched idolatry, wide open acceptance of sexual immorality in all detestable forms, corruption of our young by teaching and example, and lukewarm religion which refuses to take God's special revelation seriously are taking us to a destiny which our human minds are incapable of comprehending when it comes to God's future response to all these abominations!

So as you watch the displays of fireworks, whether in your back yard or in some public setting, remember 2 things -- first, after the colorful displays have ended, all that is now left are burned out tubes and ashes, and second, do you care enough about the growing corruption of our beloved republic to do some serious confessing and praying?

"Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' when the LORD had not spoken. The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads," says the Lord GOD. --- Ezekiel 22:26-31