WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! Do the hearts of this nation resemble those of Israel? Have we reached a place where we have forgotten the LORD, our God? We have removed His name from our classrooms and even vie to have it removed from the pledge to our nation. We have removed His righteous decrees from our public places. We have torn them out of our courthouses and the places where they were once prominently displayed. We say, “We built this nation with our own hands. We do not need the blessing of God. We do not need His protection. Look at our military might. Look at our great government. In these things we find hope!” Do you not know that nations rise only to fall sometime later? Do you not remember that there has been great might before us? Do you not recall that although we are a blessed nation, we are not the first nation to know such things? Even in our blessings we lust for more. We continue to scoff at the LORD our God as we place our hopes in men. Men fail. God does not fail. Men go back on their word. God does not go back on His word. Men act out of selfish motives. God acts out of His holiness. Our hopes in men will surely leave us flat. While we argue as to the roots of our nation and say, “We are not a Christian nation. We were founded for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Do we not remember who has given us life? Do we not remember the Liberator? Do we not remember the One who has satisfied the desires of our hearts? We must turn back! God is rich in compassion. He is slow to anger. He honors a broken and contrite heart. Yet He humbles the proud. Will we continue to dig in our heels? Will we continue to struggle against Him even as He wishes to bless us? My heart is grieved. I have watched with my own eyes the turning of a great nation. I have witnessed its fall from greatness. You may say, “When did we fall from greatness? Look at us. We have food in our cupboards and in our refrigerators. We have SUVs in our driveways. We have money in our bank accounts. Surely we are great!” The LORD gave a warning to the nation of Israel before they inherited the Promised Land. He knew their hearts even as the words were spoken. He knew that what He was describing would come to pass. No, we are not the nation of Israel, but throughout history no nation has resembled her more than we do. We have been given much. We have been blessed in numerous ways and yet we have forgotten. We have forgotten the Giver of blessings. We have forgotten the One who paved the way for this mighty nation. Take heed of these words. Remember them. Share them. They are a warning to this nation as well. Deuteronomy 8: (10-13, 17-18, 19) When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees… Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God… You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…” If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. It’s not too late but the shadows of this day are long. It’s not too late but the night is before us. It’s not too late but tomorrow it may be. Remember the LORD your God. Remember Him. Cry out to Him. Ask Him to search your heart. Do not rebel against Him. Come before Him in brokenness. Come before Him in surrender. As stated, He is rich with compassion and slow to anger. HE LOVES YOU. He loves you so much that He sent His Son, Christ Jesus, to come and die for you. You could never be enough. You could never “earn” your way into His eternal blessing. So He has made the way. He alone says that we can call upon His name and be saved. Remember that while men fail He does not fail. Remember that He is true to His word. Surrender today. Surrender your heart, and in fact all of you, to Jesus. Die to self and live in Him. These are not the kind of words I am drawn to speak but then I am not always given such a choice. I love to speak of God’s grace. I love to speak about how Jesus lives in and through the hearts of His people. I love to speak of our identity in Christ. If you are in Christ all of these things apply to you. To you I ask, “Pray for this nation. Pray for our leaders whether you agree with them or not. Pray for the hearts of people to be humbled. Pray that this large ship will be steered by a small rudder… the blessings of a multitude as they praise God and surrender to His will.” There is no song for today. However, I do have a story for you. Does it remind you of anyone? I beg of you, SHARE THESE WORDS. youtube/watch?v=MFGy2ogtNNQ
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 15:33:11 +0000