As we gather to celebrate yet another birthday of this once grand and glorious confederacy - let us take a moment, bow our knee and as did Daniel, pray that Almighty God forgive the sins of this nation:
"O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with all who love Him and obey His commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from Your commands and laws. We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings,[presidents] our princes, [senators and congressmen] and our fathers, and to all the people of the land...
.....We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay..."Daniel 9
"One method of assault may be to effect in the forms of the Constitution alterations... and thus to undermine what cannot be directly overthrown.... The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism....
"And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion [i.e. Christianity]. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
"...a passionate attachment of one Nation for another produces a variety of evils. ...it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens... facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country without odium, sometimes even with popularity..."
The above is a portion of George Washington's Farewell Address, 1796, but it somehow seems appropriate, perhaps even more today than it was then.
"But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward." Jeremiah 7:24
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
John MacArthur speaking to roughly a 3,000-strong Christian audience in Palm Springs, California said:
"Materialism, drunkard pleasure seeking, arrogant conceit, defiant sinfulness, moral perversion, and corrupt leadership… Do we not see these in America?”
Identifying Israel’s six sins leading to six curses on that nation from Isaiah 5, MacArthur said those misdeeds were not isolated to Israel, “I look at America too.
Americans have rejected the Word, the law of the LORD, and the Holy One Himself. When a society does not want to hear from God, but wants to be its own authority, where every man does that which is right in his own eyes, feeling that he is the ultimate authority, believing himself to be the ultimate source of truth then that society should expect God' judgment to come.
We have corrupt leaders who have prostituted their position and justified wicked people for a bribe, taking away the rights of the innocent they have become politicians and leaders who can be bought and sold for a price."'
The church appears to be no different than the world. Our churches are filled with those who are idling in intellectual neutral. Christians whose hearts and minds are being destroyed through false teachings and lack of knowledge and discernment. The depth of so many church-goers' theology goes no further than a collection of Biblical sounding, pop-Christian slogans and catch-phrases or televangelists spewing false hope without a Biblical base. Their theology is summed up in ~ "Let go and let God!', Do your best and God will do the rest', You need to expect to meet God when you...' and What Would Jesus Do?'... "
We are not a covenant people as is Israel, but we are a privileged people. Although America does not have a “divine promise as a unique nation called of God, we as a nation and a people have been given the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our nation was born out of a desire to be faithful and obedient to that living and abiding Word of God." But, we as a nation have become unfaithful, disobedient, living worldly lifestyles and the desire for holiness [to be separate from sinners] is not to be found.
We are a nation in crisis.
"My son, if you receive my Words, and treasure My commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understand: yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasure; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of G-D. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding..." Proverbs 2:1-6
"Materialism, drunkard pleasure seeking, arrogant conceit, defiant sinfulness, moral perversion, and corrupt leadership… Do we not see these in America?”
Identifying Israel’s six sins leading to six curses on that nation from Isaiah 5, MacArthur said those misdeeds were not isolated to Israel, “I look at America too.
Americans have rejected the Word, the law of the LORD, and the Holy One Himself. When a society does not want to hear from God, but wants to be its own authority, where every man does that which is right in his own eyes, feeling that he is the ultimate authority, believing himself to be the ultimate source of truth then that society should expect God' judgment to come.
We have corrupt leaders who have prostituted their position and justified wicked people for a bribe, taking away the rights of the innocent they have become politicians and leaders who can be bought and sold for a price."'
The church appears to be no different than the world. Our churches are filled with those who are idling in intellectual neutral. Christians whose hearts and minds are being destroyed through false teachings and lack of knowledge and discernment. The depth of so many church-goers' theology goes no further than a collection of Biblical sounding, pop-Christian slogans and catch-phrases or televangelists spewing false hope without a Biblical base. Their theology is summed up in ~ "Let go and let God!', Do your best and God will do the rest', You need to expect to meet God when you...' and What Would Jesus Do?'... "
We are not a covenant people as is Israel, but we are a privileged people. Although America does not have a “divine promise as a unique nation called of God, we as a nation and a people have been given the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our nation was born out of a desire to be faithful and obedient to that living and abiding Word of God." But, we as a nation have become unfaithful, disobedient, living worldly lifestyles and the desire for holiness [to be separate from sinners] is not to be found.
We are a nation in crisis.
"My son, if you receive my Words, and treasure My commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understand: yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasure; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of G-D. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding..." Proverbs 2:1-6
Thursday, June 23, 2011
In view of all that is happening in our nation and around the world, I found this to be a message for such a time as this:
THE LORD’S MERCIES
by David Wilkerson
In ancient Israel, the ark of the covenant represented the mercy of the LORD, a powerful truth that came to be embodied in Christ. We are to receive His mercy, trust in the saving blood of His mercy, and be saved eternally. So, you can ridicule the law, you can mock holiness, you can tear down everything that speaks of God. But when you mock or ridicule God’s mercy, judgment
comes—and swiftly. If you trample on His blood of mercy, you face His awful wrath.
That’s exactly what happened to the Philistines when they stole the ark. Deadly destruction came down on them until they had to admit, “This isn’t
just chance or happenstance. God’s hand is clearly against us.”
Consider what happened when the ark was taken into the heathen temple of Dagon, to mock and challenge Israel’s God. In the middle of the night, the mercy seat on the ark became a rod of judgment. The next day, the idol Dagon was found fallen on its face before the ark, its head and hands cut off. 1 Samuel 5:2-5
Beloved, this is where America should be today. We should have been judged long ago. I say to all who mock and challenge the mercy of God: Go ahead, try all you want to bring Christ’s church under the power of secularism or agnosticism. But if you mock the mercy of Christ, God will cast all your power and authority to the ground.
Jeremiah says, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassion' fail not.” Lamentations 3:22
Yet when men make a mockery of that great mercy which is Christ, judgment is sure. It is only the mercy of the LORD that delays judgment. And right now America is benefiting from that mercy. Incredibly, our country is in a race with the rest of the world to remove God and Christ from society. Yet the LORD will not be mocked; His mercies endure forever.
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
We are not to despair over the present condition in America. We grieve over the awful corruption, mockery and sin, but we have hope because -
GOD IS IN CONTROL.!.
THE LORD’S MERCIES
by David Wilkerson
In ancient Israel, the ark of the covenant represented the mercy of the LORD, a powerful truth that came to be embodied in Christ. We are to receive His mercy, trust in the saving blood of His mercy, and be saved eternally. So, you can ridicule the law, you can mock holiness, you can tear down everything that speaks of God. But when you mock or ridicule God’s mercy, judgment
comes—and swiftly. If you trample on His blood of mercy, you face His awful wrath.
That’s exactly what happened to the Philistines when they stole the ark. Deadly destruction came down on them until they had to admit, “This isn’t
just chance or happenstance. God’s hand is clearly against us.”
Consider what happened when the ark was taken into the heathen temple of Dagon, to mock and challenge Israel’s God. In the middle of the night, the mercy seat on the ark became a rod of judgment. The next day, the idol Dagon was found fallen on its face before the ark, its head and hands cut off. 1 Samuel 5:2-5
Beloved, this is where America should be today. We should have been judged long ago. I say to all who mock and challenge the mercy of God: Go ahead, try all you want to bring Christ’s church under the power of secularism or agnosticism. But if you mock the mercy of Christ, God will cast all your power and authority to the ground.
Jeremiah says, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassion' fail not.” Lamentations 3:22
Yet when men make a mockery of that great mercy which is Christ, judgment is sure. It is only the mercy of the LORD that delays judgment. And right now America is benefiting from that mercy. Incredibly, our country is in a race with the rest of the world to remove God and Christ from society. Yet the LORD will not be mocked; His mercies endure forever.
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
We are not to despair over the present condition in America. We grieve over the awful corruption, mockery and sin, but we have hope because -
GOD IS IN CONTROL.!.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
"For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, and every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."—Romans 3:3-4
"We began our coverage of this final round just about three hours ago and when we did it was our intent to begin the coverage of this U.S. Open Championship with a feature that captured the patriotism of our national championship being held in our nation’s capital for the third time. Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance that was in that feature was edited out. It was not done to upset anyone and we’d like to apologize to those of you who were offended by it.”
Offended - No. Shocked - No. Surprised - No.
Saddened - Yes. That we as a nation could, with such ease, "edit out" our God is a tragedy of monumental proportions. Coincidence?
Barack Hussein Obama speaking in response to a U.N. resolution on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity said:
“This marks a significant milestone in the long struggle for equality, and the beginning of a universal recognition that LGBT persons are endowed with the same inalienable rights, [clearly an allusion to the language of the Declaration of Independence] and entitled to the same protections -- as all human beings.”
This statement was the third time this year that the president has used the “inalienable rights” language and omitted the word “Creator.”
When God devised the great plan of salvation by grace; when He gave His own Son to die as the Substitute for guilty men; when He proclaimed that whosoever believed in Jesus Christ should have everlasting life; you would have thought that everybody would have been glad to hear such good news, and that they would all have hastened to believe it. Christ is so suitable to the sinner. Why does not the sinner accept Him? The way of salvation is so simple, so suitable to guilty men, it is altogether so glorious, so grand, that if we knew and understood the depravity of the human heart, we should expect that every sinner would at once believe the gospel, and receive it gladly. [edited from sermon by C.H. Spurgeon]
But, sadly, some have not believed!
"We began our coverage of this final round just about three hours ago and when we did it was our intent to begin the coverage of this U.S. Open Championship with a feature that captured the patriotism of our national championship being held in our nation’s capital for the third time. Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance that was in that feature was edited out. It was not done to upset anyone and we’d like to apologize to those of you who were offended by it.”
Offended - No. Shocked - No. Surprised - No.
Saddened - Yes. That we as a nation could, with such ease, "edit out" our God is a tragedy of monumental proportions. Coincidence?
Barack Hussein Obama speaking in response to a U.N. resolution on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity said:
“This marks a significant milestone in the long struggle for equality, and the beginning of a universal recognition that LGBT persons are endowed with the same inalienable rights, [clearly an allusion to the language of the Declaration of Independence] and entitled to the same protections -- as all human beings.”
This statement was the third time this year that the president has used the “inalienable rights” language and omitted the word “Creator.”
When God devised the great plan of salvation by grace; when He gave His own Son to die as the Substitute for guilty men; when He proclaimed that whosoever believed in Jesus Christ should have everlasting life; you would have thought that everybody would have been glad to hear such good news, and that they would all have hastened to believe it. Christ is so suitable to the sinner. Why does not the sinner accept Him? The way of salvation is so simple, so suitable to guilty men, it is altogether so glorious, so grand, that if we knew and understood the depravity of the human heart, we should expect that every sinner would at once believe the gospel, and receive it gladly. [edited from sermon by C.H. Spurgeon]
But, sadly, some have not believed!
Monday, June 20, 2011
"Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God." Revelation 3:2
WAKE US UP LORD, WAKE US UP
should be the heart cry of every born-again, blood washed follower of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and our King. As we in America see the church sliding even further into the muck and the mire; homosexual clergy, "Christian entertainers", "muslim Christians," the acceleration of spiritual blindness and spiritual deception, the judgment-less Love Wins mythology of the Emerging Church icon Rob Bell, the growing acceptance of the Word Faith heresy of smiling Joel Osteen...
It’s one thing to say you belong to God, but it’s quite another to have the life to back it up. You don’t think the Pharisees had good works; of course they did, but they loved the approval of men, just as Rick Warren, Rob Bell, Joel Osteen and Pope Benedict XVI seem to today.
I exhort you, don’t be fooled by deluded deceivers any longer because this is what the Lord says to those who are:
"But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it." Revelation 2:14-17 [ken silva, apprising ministries]
WAKE US UP LORD, WAKE US UP, AND STRENGTHEN WHAT REMAINS.
WAKE US UP LORD, WAKE US UP
should be the heart cry of every born-again, blood washed follower of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and our King. As we in America see the church sliding even further into the muck and the mire; homosexual clergy, "Christian entertainers", "muslim Christians," the acceleration of spiritual blindness and spiritual deception, the judgment-less Love Wins mythology of the Emerging Church icon Rob Bell, the growing acceptance of the Word Faith heresy of smiling Joel Osteen...
It’s one thing to say you belong to God, but it’s quite another to have the life to back it up. You don’t think the Pharisees had good works; of course they did, but they loved the approval of men, just as Rick Warren, Rob Bell, Joel Osteen and Pope Benedict XVI seem to today.
I exhort you, don’t be fooled by deluded deceivers any longer because this is what the Lord says to those who are:
"But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it." Revelation 2:14-17 [ken silva, apprising ministries]
WAKE US UP LORD, WAKE US UP, AND STRENGTHEN WHAT REMAINS.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. Ezekiel 33:6
I read the following and was saddened by the apparent attitude of the christian author:
"I know, some of you nasty, negative discerning types will continue to warn us that Beth Moore lacks understanding of basic hermeneutical principles; that she often twists Scripture to fit into her own propositions. Or you might remind us that she often claims direct revelation from God.
Yes, admittedly, some of her teachings are very similar to the heresies promoted by the Word of Faith crowd. And she tends to interject and employ a lot of pop-psychology, self-esteem stuff that is reminiscent of Robert Schuller. And you might object that she espouses the unbiblical model of spiritual warfare promoted by some “deliverance” ministries or that she teaches the kind of unbiblical, generational bondage that is promoted by Bill Gothard."
The article continues:
"But I say, SO WHAT? Why would any church want to remove her books, videos, and Bible studies from their library shelves? After all, it’s good for people to have sufficient information from all philosophies so that we can make informed decisions about what we believe to be truth. Beth Moore’s material isn’t nearly as heretical as other stuff on the shelves like “The Prayer of Jabez,” or “The Purpose Driven Life,” or the old classic, “God Calling.” And frankly, her teaching is no more problematic than most of the Sunday morning drivel we get from thousands of purpose pastors and seeker soothers each week."
So a little "heretical" is acceptable. No longer do we need cling to the truth of scripture - just be tolerant and accepting of other philosophies, bring the Koran into your church services, welcome orthodox rabbis and Muslim clerics to speak in your church, repent for your homophobic attitudes, SO WHAT.!.
Tolerance and acceptability of other religions and philosophies are destroying the body of Christ - our attitude must not and never can be - SO WHAT.
But, as a watchman on the wall, one who hopefully stands for The Truth of His Word, we must speak out -
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14
We are His children, called by His Name, if it does not matter to us, to whom does it matter.?.
I read the following and was saddened by the apparent attitude of the christian author:
"I know, some of you nasty, negative discerning types will continue to warn us that Beth Moore lacks understanding of basic hermeneutical principles; that she often twists Scripture to fit into her own propositions. Or you might remind us that she often claims direct revelation from God.
Yes, admittedly, some of her teachings are very similar to the heresies promoted by the Word of Faith crowd. And she tends to interject and employ a lot of pop-psychology, self-esteem stuff that is reminiscent of Robert Schuller. And you might object that she espouses the unbiblical model of spiritual warfare promoted by some “deliverance” ministries or that she teaches the kind of unbiblical, generational bondage that is promoted by Bill Gothard."
The article continues:
"But I say, SO WHAT? Why would any church want to remove her books, videos, and Bible studies from their library shelves? After all, it’s good for people to have sufficient information from all philosophies so that we can make informed decisions about what we believe to be truth. Beth Moore’s material isn’t nearly as heretical as other stuff on the shelves like “The Prayer of Jabez,” or “The Purpose Driven Life,” or the old classic, “God Calling.” And frankly, her teaching is no more problematic than most of the Sunday morning drivel we get from thousands of purpose pastors and seeker soothers each week."
So a little "heretical" is acceptable. No longer do we need cling to the truth of scripture - just be tolerant and accepting of other philosophies, bring the Koran into your church services, welcome orthodox rabbis and Muslim clerics to speak in your church, repent for your homophobic attitudes, SO WHAT.!.
Tolerance and acceptability of other religions and philosophies are destroying the body of Christ - our attitude must not and never can be - SO WHAT.
But, as a watchman on the wall, one who hopefully stands for The Truth of His Word, we must speak out -
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14
We are His children, called by His Name, if it does not matter to us, to whom does it matter.?.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
"Sanctify them through Thy Truth: Thy Word is Truth." John 17:17
We spend more time in the world than we do in The Word. We are worldly wise but have no godly wisdom. We are separated from God through lack of knowledge and many are deceived, distressed, disillusioned and defeated.
No man has truly repented or seeks to change until his sin wounds him as it wounds the heart of God, until the wound runs deep enough to break the pride, arrogance and self-assurance that prevails in the sinful heart of each of us. We must be changed by The Living Word coming alive in our hearts. We must - read it, write it, pray it, live it, study it, and pass it on.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing The Word of Truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
IF you do not know The Truth, you will believe the lie. IF you do not know The Truth, you will believe anything.
We spend more time in the world than we do in The Word. We are worldly wise but have no godly wisdom. We are separated from God through lack of knowledge and many are deceived, distressed, disillusioned and defeated.
No man has truly repented or seeks to change until his sin wounds him as it wounds the heart of God, until the wound runs deep enough to break the pride, arrogance and self-assurance that prevails in the sinful heart of each of us. We must be changed by The Living Word coming alive in our hearts. We must - read it, write it, pray it, live it, study it, and pass it on.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing The Word of Truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
IF you do not know The Truth, you will believe the lie. IF you do not know The Truth, you will believe anything.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
