October 13, 2012

“Harbinger”

Scripture:

“This is My warning to My people,” says the LORD Almighty. “Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the LORD! They keep saying to these rebels who despise My Word, ‘Don’t worry! The LORD says you will have peace!’ And to those who stubbornly follow their own evil desires, they say, ‘No harm will come your way!’” (Jeremiah 23:16-17)

Observation:

This warning from thousands of years ago, from our merciful and gracious God to His people Israel, is also a message of warning for His Church and all peoples in America. Much like in Israel’s final days God’s Word is being misrepresented and misinterpreted by many false prophets in our churches, in our schools, through books, television, radio, and now through the internet. The ungodly hope that is found in manmade religion, government intervention, and promised entitlements are leading this great nation down a very dangerous path I call complacent secularism—thinking that everything will be just fine because this is America, and although it’s governing is not always the best, it will always survive.

Application:

This is not so, my friends! For just as Israel turned their backs on God and He allowed them to be destroyed because of their ungodly, detestable sins, so, too, is the Lord’s anger burning against the detestable sins of His American Nation. How can He not be? We are loosing our morality by turning our backs on God and His righteousness to do whatever our sinful natures crave. We have, as a nation, legally sacrificed millions of our unborn children to be thrown away like garbage. We have slowly removed God’s Word from our homes, from our schools, from our governing, and sadly the truth of God’s Word is even being removed from our churches as well. Many people will never really know the truth because their minds are being poisoned with lies and false hope from an evil world engulfed in a darkness that is also consuming this great nation. But those who belong to the LORD God know the Truth and with His Truth comes an enduring peace that comforts our burdened and weary souls until that day when God’s glorious restoration is complete. The future for this country and the world looks rather bleak in the eyes of mankind and even bleaker yet for those who live in darkness without the Hope of Christ. Can God save this country? Of course He can! Will He save this country? His Word tells us not! So what can American Christians do for God, our country, and this dark world? We can live godly lives in our homes, in our schools, in our work place, in our communities, but most importantly in our hearts, for by living as true disciples of Christ the world will see the powerful hand of God graciously at work. And amidst all the bad news that consumes the airways and media, we must not only spread the Good News of redemption and salvation that is found only in Christ Jesus our Lord God, but we must also sound the trumpet of warning (Ezekiel 33:3-6). We must not hide ourselves in the Truth we know. Instead, we must reach out to the lost and misinformed, helping them understand God’s plan and what the future holds for mankind. We cannot afford to hide our faith from the world, my friends, we must let our voices be heard by voting for men and women who walk the walk with God and not just talk the talk for votes. We must return to the Lord our God (Malachi 2:7). We must return to the American Covenant that our founding fathers made with the Lord God and once again become a self-governing Christian people under God.

Prayer:

Help Your people, O God, to let our voices be heard in a world that needs Your Hope. For without Your Truth so many will fall victim to the lies of the Enemy and then perish into Hell unaware of their fate. Amen