The Freedom of Grace

Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect in the flesh?”

The book of Galatians was written to a church that was being misled. Paul started this church himself. He taught them the Gospel, brought them into the faith, and raised up leadership in their congregation. These were people who understood salvation by grace through faith – they were genuinely born-again.

But after Paul left, new teachers (false teachers) came in that began to teach different doctrines – things that sounded good and even made sense. They declared that Paul's gospel of grace was a good start – but now that the Galatians were a part of God's covenant people, they had to conform to the law. In other words, they were being taught, “God did save you by grace, through faith. But now that you're saved, He expects you to get to work and keep His laws.” This makes sense, right? Shouldn't someone obey God's commands after they've been saved?

These Galatian brothers and sisters truly did have a heart for God. So when they heard that they needed to do more, they dug in and tried their hardest to make God happy. Unfortunately, there were disastrous consequences to their attempted obedience. Let's read Galatians 5, verses 19-21:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Remember who Paul was talking to? This wasn't a wild group of sinners – it was a church that was doing their best, trying to obey God's commands! But no matter how hard they tried, these works of the flesh became more and more common. The false teachers used these manifestations of the flesh to prove their point: "See what you're doing? There needs to be some law and order here! Here's the rules - follow them!"

And right here is where we see truth that has plagued mankind since Eden: The more you try to obey, the more disobedience creeps in. Paul explains this paradox further in Romans 7 – a well-known passage to anyone who has struggled with sin.

Romans 7:15-21 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I want to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I don't want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for the want is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I want to do, I do not do; but the evil I don't want to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I don't want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Can anyone relate to this struggle? How often have you been trapped in a sin – knowing that's it's wrong, hating it with every ounce of your spirit, and yet constantly going back to it? Does it ever seem like the harder you try to keep away from sin, the quicker you fall right back into it? If so, then I have amazing news for you – God never intended to leave you in this struggle!

You see, what the false teachers were telling the Galatian church – and what many believers are misled to think today – is that God saved them by grace, forgave their sin, and then said “Go try again. Good luck!” Too many Christians believe that Grace is about forgiveness and being let off the hook when you sin. It's like they believe that God knows that you're only human and there's no way for you to really be free from sin - so He gives grace to cover you when you inevitably mess up. But that is not what grace is about!

Colossians 2:6 tells us “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him...” Friend, how did you receive Jesus? It was by grace, through faith! So how are you supposed to walk in Him? By grace through faith! You weren't meant to be saved by grace, and then perfected by trying to do what's right. You see, God's grace isn't only the forgiveness of sins – it's the freedom from sin! Let me show you what I mean:

Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

Do you see? When you have faith in the grace of God, it will empower you to serve Him in an acceptable way! Grace isn't about what you can get away with - grace is the power to do what you can't do on your own! This is living by faith. This is walking in the spirit! And when you walk in the spirit (that is, when you put your faith in the grace of God, knowing that grace will empower you to do what's right), you WILL NOT fulfill the lusts of the flesh!

Galatians 5:16 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

There is a way out of the sin that you're trapped in. There is a way to live a righteous life like you've always wanted. And that way isn't by trying to do what's right. When you try to obey God, you'll fail - we've proven that time and time again. No matter how hard you work at keeping God's commands, the result will always be the works of the flesh. But when you place your faith in God's empowering, glorious, amazing grace – it will break every trace of sin's power off of your life!

Between Wickedness And Godliness

1 Chronicles 3:17-18 " The sons of Jeconiah who was taken prisoner by the Babylonians, were Shealtiel, Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah."

Matthew 1:12 NLT "After the Babylonian exile: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel."



We don't really know much about Shealtiel. He is mentioned eleven times in the Bible - but there are precious few details about his life. What we know about him only comes from two geneologies; 1 Chronicles 3 and Matthew 1. In fact, there are only three facts about Shealtiel that we can glean from scriptures:
One: He was the son of Jeconiah.
Two: He was born in Babylon.
Three: He was the father of Zerubbabel.

That's it. His whole life; what he did, who he married, how he served God...none of that is known to us! If it weren't for the family lists in scripture, we wouldn't have even known that Shealtiel ever existed! How depressing for him, right? However, when we take a deep look at Shealtiel's surroundings, we can see more clearly what kind of man he must have been.

First, let's look at Shealtiel's father, Jeconiah:

Jeconiah was the son of King Jehoiakim and grandson of King Josiah. Although Josiah was a righteous man, Jehoiakim was anything but. While denying the very God that made King Josiah powerful, Jehoiakim also rebelled against the most powerful empire in the world - Babylon. This was an extremely foolish move!

When Jeconiah was only eight years old, Jehoiakim made him an "associate king". He co-ruled the nation of Judah at his father's side for ten years. No doubt, during this time, Jeconiah learned the wicked ways and practices of his father and even began to follow them. 2 Chronicles 36:9 has this testimony about Jeconiah, "He did evil in the sight of the LORD." After Babylon-supported raiders killed Jehoiakim, Jeconiah became king of Judah at the age of eighteen. He never turned from his wicked ways or repented. After three short months as king, Jeconiah was captured and taken to Babylon as a prisoner.

While he was in Babylon, his uncle Zedekiah was instated as king by the Babylonian emperor. Most Jews still regarded Jeconiah as king though, and erroneously believed that God would bring him back to the throne. This led Jeremiah to announce by the Holy Spirit that none of Jeconiah's descendants would ever sit on David's throne. Jeconiah destroyed the destiny of his children by his own wickedness. Still, it wasn't all bad for him. After several years of captivity, the next Babylonian emperor had pity on this one-time king. He let Jonah out of prison and gave him a life in Babylon. It was during this time that Shealtiel was born.

Now let's look at Shealtiel's son, Zerubbabel:

We don't know much about Zerubbabel's early life. His name is actually Assyrian, not Hebrew. It means "the one conceived in Babylon." Zerubbabel never knew anything but life in captivity. He never experienced any other culture other than that of Babylon and then Persia. But somehow, this was the man that Cyrus picked to lead the first wave of returning exiles. Zerubbabel led over 40,000 Jewish people back to Jerusalem to repopulate and rebuild.

In Jerusalem, Zerubbabel was instated as governor by Cyrus and he laid the foundation of the new temple. This was a man that feared God and worked closely with Joshua the high priest. God responded to Zerubbabel's trust in Him and declared through Haggai, "On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, I will take you Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, my servant, and wear you like a signet ring; for it is you whom I have chosen."

God rejected Jeconiah and his descendants as kings because of his wickedness. But when Zerubbabel embraced Him, God worked around His own curse and brought a blessing on this family once again. Now the question is, who taught Zerubbabel to fear God? It certainly wasn't a common thing in his culture. Babylon and Persia were both god-less, immoral, and idolatrous empires. So where did this man who was "conceived in Babylon" learn about the ways of God?

 From his father.

 This is where Shealtiel comes in. He saw the wickedness of his father. He knew the stories of what God did to Judah because of the evil that his people were practicing. And he knew the prophecies of repentance and restoration for the Jewish people. So Shealtiel bridged the gap between a wicked generation and a restored generation. He was a member of a repentant generation.

Daniel was a member of that same generation. He was only a child when he was ripped out of Jerusalem. He was forced to grow up in a pagan and ungodly culture. But listen to his prayer in Daniel 8:4-11:

      "Lord, you are a great and wonderful God. You keep the covenant you made with all those who love you and obey your commands. You show them your love. We have sinned and done what is wrong. We have been evil. We have refused to obey you. We have turned away from your commands and laws. We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets. They spoke in your name to our kings and princes. They also brought your message to all of our people in the land.

      “Lord, you always do what is right. But we are covered with shame today. We are the people of Judah and Jerusalem. All of us are Israelites, no matter where we live. We are now living in many countries. You scattered us among the nations because we weren’t faithful to you. Lord, we and our kings and princes and people are covered with shame. We have sinned against you.

     “You are the Lord our God. You show us your tender love. You forgive us. But we have turned against you. You are the Lord our God. But we haven’t obeyed you. We haven’t kept the laws you gave us through your servants the prophets. All of the people of Israel have broken your law and turned away from it. They have refused to obey you."

It was a wicked generation that brought sorrow to Israel. Shealtiel's generation was raised in that sorrow and became repentant, seeking God's forgiveness for the sins that their fathers had committed. They knew that they were to be exiled for seventy years - per God's decree. So Shealtiel knew that he wouldn't see Jerusalem or the promised restoration of God's people. So what did he do? He prepared his son.

Now we can see a few powerful truths from the life of Shealtiel.

First, we can see the divine order of things. No one can move straight from wickedness to restoration. The proper order is to move through repentance. God will not restore if you won't repent. Whine about grace all you want to...but grace does not cover an immoral lifestyle! This was the message that John preached, the message that Jesus preached - this is the gospel of the Kingdom - "Repent for the Kindom of Heaven is at hand!"

Secondly, I can see a profound truth in my own life. I grew up in a generation that has been alienated from God. Our fathers sowed the seed, and now we're reaping the horrible harvest. Violence. Laziness. Perversion. Immorality. Despair. My generation seems to have no hope, and we're still only digging ourselves deeper. We've been born into captivity.

As much as I try to shield them from it...my own kids have been born into this culture too. Like Zerubbabel, they have been "conceived in Babylon." But I have learned my part from Shealtiel; I have two major responsibilities:

1 - I must push into a changed lifestyle. If you're a believer that happens to be in the Millennial generation, listen to me. We cannot afford to be passive in our Christian walk! We can't afford to lose track of where our Bibles are, go days without seeking God's face, or allow ourselves to be disconnected from our spiritual leaders. We must repent of the wickedness that infiltrated our father's generation and now runs rampant in our own. We must change!

2 - I must prepare my kids for role. My kids are going to see God's glory! My kids are going to operate in the kingdom of God, not this world's system! My kids are going to lay, once again, the right foundation in the church! They're not going to "play church"! They're not going to treat God's house like a social gathering or country club! My kids are going to lead the way back to the Kingdom of God!

The Judgement Of America - Part 2

Fear.
Disease.
Labor without benefits.
Enemy activity on our own soil.
Hatred from our own rulers.
Cowardly behavior

After seeing God's first six warnings, it's clear that this country has begun to see the consequences of our disobedience. From here, it only gets worse!
Christians, we need to repent of our sin and turn back to our first love! This nation will rise or fall based on the spiritual lives of believers. Many Christians claim to love this country, but they fail to realize that their half-hearted commitment to God is largely to blame for the spiritual climate throughout America. God holds us responsible for the fate of our nation – it's time to wake up!

2 Chronicles 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will “forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Leviticus 26

18 ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

If we don't learn, if we continue to disregard the warnings that God has given us, it only gets worse. When we look at the next six consequences for disobedience, the correlation to modern events only gets more clear.

19 I will break the pride of your power;

While we were once the most competitive economy in the world, our present financial crisis has pulled us down to fifth in the list – and still falling. It is interesting that another Christian nation that is in a backslidden state, Great Britain, is also free-falling in this economic crumble. Topping the list of competitive economies are nations like Singapore, Finland, and Sweden!
While it's true that we haven't always been liked by other nations, we were respected. Our military was powerful, our resolve was firm and we were the envy of the world. Now we're being overtaken by nations that were never in our league!
Remember when we had an illegal immigration problem? Latin Americans were pouring into this country for a better life. Now the trend is slowing down rapidly. Fewer and fewer people are seeing a better life in this country than they have in theirs. If this trend continues in that direction, we'll soon have an emigration problem!
Once, an educated public was our pride and joy. We were the home of inventions, the source of scientific breakthroughs, and the leader in technology. Now, out of 34 nations studied, American schools rank 14th in reading, 17th in science, and 25th in math!
Our pride and influence in the world is waning – teetering dangerously close to the edge.

I will make your heavens like iron...

A serious lack of rain.
Thirteen of America's states have been in an official drought since 2010. Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina were already in a severely dry condition when 2012 rolled in. In 2012 this drought has spread to 80% of the continental United States.

...and your earth like bronze.

A severely hardened and unforgiving soil that refuses to provide what is planted in it.
In 1936, the United States senate declared: “The alarming fact is that food – fruits and vegetables and grains – now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contains enough of certain needed nutrients, are starving us no matter how much we eat of them.”
That was then. Now things are even worse. Since 1962, the amounts of nutrients and minerals in our fruits and vegetables has dropped 50%! We are literally being provided with only half the vitamins and minerals that we had in our food fifty years ago. Call it over-farming and under-rotation if you want – the simple fact is that the earth isn't yielding the nutrition that we need anymore.
To combat this, we've voraciously consumed vitamin pills and nutritional supplements. Food industries have begun to fortify their products to make up for the general lack of nutritional value in our raw resources. Examples of this include:
Iodizing salt to avoid iodine deficiency
Adding folic acid to flour
Adding niacin to our bread
Adding vitamin D to milk, butter and margarine – even to vegetable oil!
And many, many others...
I believe that this is an effect of a “earth of bronze.”

20 And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.

Our current lack of rain is on track to be the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history. More disastrous than hurricane Katrina, more costly than any earthquake, and more serious than any tornado that has ever hit our country.
Crops across the nation have failed or been drastically stunted. Farmers everywhere have thrown up their hands, having worked all year for a nonexistent return. By the middle of August, 1,700 counties across 36 states were declared federal disaster zones because of the lack of rain and failed crops.
Sadly, unless things change and the rain comes, our winter seeds for next year's crops won't even germinate.

21 ‘Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.

Can you see how God pleads with us? Can you see how many chances He gives to repent and turn from sin? At what point will a nation wise up and realize that these things that are happening aren't normal or coincidence?

22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number;

In other words, internal violence spreading through the nation. Animals would be robbing children, destroying property, and taking lives like never before. 

I believe this is happening more now than ever before! Two major beasts robbing our children are pedophilia and human trafficking.

Listen to these startling statistics from America's children:
1 out of every 7 sexual assault has a victim less than 6 years old
58% of violent sex offenders in prison had victims less than 12 years old
There are 400,000 registered sex offenders in the united states – and between 80-100 thousand of them are missing
The typical sex offender begins his deviant lifestyle at 15 and molests an average of 117 children – most of which never report the incident
These next two statistics are mind-boggling:
Only 10% of sex offenders receive a lifetime sentence – the average sentence for a child molester is 11 years.
Once they get out of prison, 50% of sex offenders are arrested again for similar crimes.

Pedophiles are devouring our children!

In the U.S. between 100,000 and 300,000 children are recruited for some sort of sex trafficking. The average age of entry for a prostitute is 12 years old! Besides asking what kind of person would sell a 12-year-old child for sex – we need to ask what kind of people are buying them! Why is child prostitution such a massive money maker?

We're being robbed...

But this animal behavior is also destroying the things that belong to us. Violent robberies and thefts seem to be everywhere. Just like literal animals were consuming their livestock, animalistic people are devouring what doesn't belong to them.


Violence is everywhere. There are over 10,000 murders every year. In 2012 alone there have been 11 mass shootings, with 137 victims - 43 of them fatal. People are terrified to leave their homes for fear of another mass shooting.

and your highways shall be desolate.

Did you know that 33% of major roads in America are in disrepair? Did you know that one-quarter of our 600,000 bridges need major repairs? Did you know that states across the country are turning their ashphalt roads into gravel so they can maintain them cheaper? In Michigan alone, 38 counties have replaced many of their paved roads with gravel. South Dakota is another example – having replaced over 100 miles of paved highway with gravel.
Bankrupt cities and states simply don't have the money for road repairs and maintenance.

23 ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

If America refuses to listen to these domestic issues – the next step for us is collapse. From verse 25-39, we see military overthrow, social chaos, and the complete loss of national identity. I pray that the consequences we're facing now wakes us up before that!

What's the answer? It's the same as it's always been – repentance!
Staying in Leviticus 26, let's move back to verses 3-12
“If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,
then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing;
you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid;
I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.
You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.
Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight;
your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.
For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.
You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the new.
I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.
I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.”

The answer for drought isn't a cap on “greenhouse gases”
The answer for pedophilia isn't more 11-year prison sentences
The answer for our failing schools isn’t more money
The answer to our enormous tax burden isn’t a different political party
The only permanent solution for our nation's society is to turn back to the God of our fathers!

The Judgement Of America - Part 1

Leviticus 26:14-39

¹⁴But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, ¹⁵ and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant…

Doesn’t this describe America?

We haven’t obeyed Him. Our society barely observes any of God’s commandments, let alone all of them. Our culture reeks of drunkenness, pornography, perverted speech, dishonor toward parents and violence toward everyone. We’ve supported laziness and punished honest work. We’ve abandoned marriage – only insisting on it in the case of homosexuality. In its place, our young people are trying to live the married life while still outside of the covenant of marriage.

Our culture despises God’s statutes and ridicules the precious Book that contains them. Open your ears and listen to the way the Bible is being talked about in this nation. It’s the butt of every joke, the laughing stock of our “higher education”, and even the embarrassment of many churches!

That’s right, even in churches we’ve broken our covenant and haven’t performed all of God’s commands. Our preachers have used God’s love and grace to excuse perverse and immoral lifestyles. American Christians have grown shallow in their commitment and cold in their love.

This is not a good place for any nation to be!

¹⁶ I also will do this to you:

God isn’t playing games anymore. We should’ve done our research before we told Him that we didn’t want Him in our country!

What follows is more than just a prophetic message to the nation of Israel – it's a wake up call for this country. As you read this warning, notice how current it is! Christians, repent and pray for your country!

I will even appoint terror over you…

The very first part of God's judgment on a backslidden nation is fear.

And right now, it seems like fear is everywhere.
“Don’t fly in a plane because it might be blown up.”
“Don’t go see a movie because you might be shot”
“Don’t walk alone at night time.”
“Don’t walk alone during the day.”
“Don’t leave your house door unlocked – whether you’re away or at home.”

We’re facing fear like never before!
“What if a meteorite smashes into earth?”
“What if a super-volcano erupts in Yellowstone Park?”
“What if California sinks into the ocean?”
“What if tornadoes and hurricanes demolish our cities?”
“What if I lose my job tomorrow?”
“What if we lose our house this month?”
“What if the wrong person gets elected this year?”

Why are gun sales are at a record high? Why is freeze-dried food flying off the shelves? Why does our government have websites to prepare people for disasters and enemy attacks? It’s because of fear!

Fear is the first stage of punishment for a disobedient nation – and we’ve been steeped in it for a long time now. Worry and stress (really, fear in disguise) are two of the leading causes for medical conditions and mental disorders.

Luke 21:26 describes this gripping fear that strangles the disobedient: “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming…”

…wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart.

God warns His backslidden nation of diseases being poured out if they refuse to repent.

AIDs, swine flu, bird flu, bat flu are just a few of the many disease scares we've had in this country.

Other diseases that we thought were under control, such as measles, malaria, and tuberculosis have recently been making a comeback. What's going on?

Why do kids have to immunized to twenty-one diseases before they turn six years old? Why is America spending 75 billion dollars a year to care for cancer patients? Why are flu shots being given out like candy every year?

I propose that we're seeing the beginning of what God has been warning us about all along. As Romans 1:27 says it this way, they are “receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”

I'm not saying that people catch a disease because of their sin...I'm saying that we as a nation have opened the door for disease to run wild in this nation. God is Yahweh Rapha – the LORD our Healer – so what would you expect to see in a nation that turns their back on Him?

And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

Let me ask you, how much of your salary or wages are actually paid to you? Now, how much of what you worked for is being taken from you and given to others? This is the modern-day equivalent of what God is saying here. In other words, you're going to work but not see the benefit from it.

The average working American pays about 12% of their pay in income taxes. This means that for 30 work days out of every year, you're donating your paycheck to the federal government.

But the income tax isn't the only tax we pay! You also pay your property taxes, state income tax, state sales tax, social security tax and even a service tax in restaurants! This isn't including the “hidden taxes” that we pay when businesses and corporations wrap their own tax burdens in their prices.

Adding all of these taxes up, Americans will have to work an astounding 107 days to pay! If you started on January 1^st – you would have to work until April 17^th and hand over every single paycheck! (although we have it good right now – once Obamacare's taxes are enforced, that date moves back even further, to May 14^th!)

Where are all these tax dollars going?
1 – Washington. This was the only city in the country that wasn't hit by the current recession. Why? Because this is where the wealth of the nation is going! It is an incredible fact that nearly one in ten D.C. residents are lawyers (in the rest of the country it's closer to 1 out of 300)! Per capita, Washington D.C. is the wealthiest city in the United States. Do you really think that the high tax rates and wealth of Washington are coincedence?

2 – Handouts and freebies. In 2011, almost 46 million Americans received food stamps – AKA SNAP benefits. This is a staggering number – one out of five adults! Modern statistics show that between 30 and 50 million Americans are receiving welfare benefits.

Can you see this judgement in effect? You work, you spend your time and energy, but someone else is eating the benefits. This is the result of a nation that turns away from God.

¹⁷ I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies.

Thankfully, we haven't been defeated by our enemies yet...but we've lost a lot of ground! We've become the scorn and ridicule of many third-world dictators and oppressive governments. Nations that should be shaking in fear have been shaking their fists at us instead.

Terrorists are free to come and go through our borders as they please. Drug cartels have actually seized control of many towns and counties on the southern border – terrorizing US citizens on U.S. soil!

Islamic fundamentalists have been steadily progressing in influence and authority. Entire towns are subjecting their own laws to Islamic Sharia law.

I pray we wake up before the total realization of this judgement – I do not want to see this great nation defeated by its enemies. I pray that repentance and revival will sweep through this land before things get even worse!

Those who hate you shall reign over you...

In the past, we would have to go overseas to listen to leaders who hate our nation and oppose what we stand for. Today, we only have to tune into some of our Godless politicians to hear this type of rhetoric.

Here are just a few examples from the highest office in the nation – the office held by President Obama:

"Whatever we once were, we're no longer a Christian nation."

"As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Islam."

"The United States is still working through some of our own darker periods in our history."

"My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect."

"While the United States has done much to promote peace and prosperity in the hemisphere, we have at times been disengaged, and at times we sought to dictate our terms."

"It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

"Too often, the United States has not pursued and sustained engagement with our neighbors. We have been too easily distracted by other priorities, and have failed to see that our own progress is tied directly to progress throughout the Americas."

In the delicate language of politics, these are very strong words. We now have a man ruling over us who doesn't particularly care for us! But President Obama isn't alone!

Rev. Jeremiah Wright proclaimed from his pulpit “God d—n America!” Professor Ward Churchill proclaimed from his podium “Get the United States out of the Americas...and out of mind!” Both men could barely finish their sentences due to the overwhelming noise of standing ovations. Something has gone drastically wrong.

Our leaders, from the government to the pulpit, hate this country, and its people. We do indeed have our haters ruling over us.

 

and you shall flee when no one pursues you.

Cowardice.

Frivolous lawsuits and pushy activists have brought us to the place where we bend over backwards to avoid offending people. We're so afraid that someone will get offended by us that we opposes ourselves and restrict our own freedoms of religion and speech.

We're afraid that a prayer in a graduation will offend someone, so we cut it from the program.
We're afraid that a Christian t-shirt will upset someone, so we make kids turn them inside-out.
We're afraid that the name of Jesus will make someone uncomfortable, so we cut it out of the speech.
And we do all of this based on assumptions! We're so afraid of offending anyone, that we're fleeing when no one is chasing us!

After seeing God's first six warning, it's clear that this country has begun to see the consequences of our disobedience. From here, it only gets worse!

Christians, we need to repent of our sin and turn back to our first love! This nation will rise or fall based on the spiritual lives of believers. Many Christians claim to love this country, but they fail to realize that their half-hearted commitment to God is largely to blame for the spiritual climate throughout America. God holds us responsible for the fate of our nation – it's time to wake up!

2 Chronicles 7:14 “...if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Isn't Homosexuality An Abomination?

Leviticus 18:22 NKJV “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.”

Leviticus 18:22 NLT “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.”

No matter what side you’re on, everyone who’s been involved in the debate over homosexuality knows this verse. The world uses this verse to illustrate how backwards and intolerant the church is toward an oppressed minority. While many inside the church use this verse to lump certain people together into condemnation. Still others in the church say that this verse shows how outdated some parts of the Bible are. All of these arguments are completely wrong, and every one of them miss a major point - this verse condemns the act of homosexuality, but not those who practice it!

The reason this debate has become so heated is because we’ve used one particular sin to define a person. We call them them ‘homosexuals’ - as if what they do is who they are. But I’m telling you, there is a difference between a person’s behavior and their identity! Sure it’s a sin, sure God hates it, but that’s why Jesus came! He came to pay the penalty that our sin deserves - to bring forgiveness to the sinner! If we’re ever going to reach the world for Jesus, we need to learn how to separate what a sinner does from what their worth.

Which one of these sins do you think is worse?
Homosexuality
Pride
Lying
Murder
Gossip
If you’re like most Christians, even if you wouldn’t say it, homosexuality would be at the top of your list. After all, pride isn’t a ‘real sin.’ Lying and Gossip are wrong every time except when we do it. And murder can be repented of and then you’ll have a powerful testimony! (I’m describing our attitudes toward these sins, not the truth!) But homosexuality? It’s permanent! It’s a black mark on your eternal record! God calls it an abomination!

Would it surprise you that each of these sins are called an abomination to God? It’s right here in Proverbs 6:16-19: “These six things the Lord hates; yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” There you have it, seven sins that are as detestable to God as homosexuality!

What’s my point here? Well, do you believe that lying is unforgivable? Do you believe that a liar can never change? Do you think that slander and discord is so deep-rooted into a gossip’s character that they can never change? Of course not! If we don’t look at these other abominations that way, then why do we condemn sinners who are caught in homosexuality to a worse fate?

This whole debate of accepting or condemning homosexuals completely misses the point! One side claims that homosexuals are born this way, so they should just be accepted. The other side says that homosexuals are an abomination and cuts them off. But the point is this: no behavior makes a person less valuable to God! Of course it’s sin, what would you expect from a sinner? But, in God’s eyes, one sinner isn’t better or worse than another! And the beauty of it all is that God wants to separate us from our sin!

We know that God doesn’t see sinners as unchangeable. God is in the business of separating people from their sin! Aren’t you glad that God didn’t condemn you for what you were doing? When we were sinners, when we were trapped by our behavior, Jesus still saw our worth! He died to sever sin’s hold on us. Don’t you think that wonderful freedom should be offered to everyone? Or are there some sins that are just too ‘gross’ to be redeemed from?

There were sinners in Jesus’ day that were looked at like this. The religious leaders condemned them because of the things they did. They were rejected, shunned and ridiculed. But whenever Jesus encountered them, He embraced them! The Pharisees were shocked! They asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Do you see it? The Pharisees condemned the person with the behavior. But Jesus separated them! Even though He never accepted or endorsed the sin, He loved the sinner. And it was His love that changed their lives! Zaccheus repented of his sin when Jesus ate dinner in his home. The adulteress changed her life when Jesus defended her from her own actions.

This is my point: being sweet to someone who is involved in immorality doesn’t mean you’re endorsing that immorality. We’re called to show the same love that God showed us. I’m so glad that God loved me in spite of my sin - aren’t you?

Romans 2:4 “The goodness of God leads you to repentance”

Condemned?

2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

Many Christians put too much emphasis on the way things make them feel. If something feels good, if they have “peace” about it - then they think it must be God. The flip side is, if something makes them feel bad, if they’re being challenged to repent and change, they believe that’s legalism and condemnation. They get this idea that they should never feel uncomfortable in church. I challenge you to read what Paul says to the Corinthian church in his first letter. He was very direct and confrontational - demanding that they wake up and deal with the blatant sin in their fellowship. As he wrote and confronted them about their behaviour - he pulled no punches. Twice he wrote, “I speak this to your shame,” as he described some of the things they were doing. “That’s not love, brother!”

Remember, Paul wrote this to Christians!  If the Corinthian church had been full of today’s believers, it would have emptied out when their preacher read, “at your next service, when you’ve all gathered together - turn that immoral man over to Satan!” How would your church respond if a preacher wrote to warn about sin before he showed up? Paul did that in 1 Corinthians 4:21. What do you think would happen in the American church if a pastor began pointing out people in the church that he didn’t want you to hang out with or even eat with? Paul did that too in 1 Corinthians 5:9-11.

Now, I’m not saying that preachers have the right to be cruel or mean-spirited to their people. However, I want you to realize that there are times when a very loving message can sound aggressive. Paul wasn’t being arrogant when he confronted the Corinthians with their sin - he was trying help them! Just because you felt bad when your pastor started dealing with sin, doesn’t mean he’s preaching legalism!

You see, there’s a difference between conviction and condemnation.

A life of condemnation is a life without hope. Condemnation is when we’re demanded to pay the price for our sin. It’s the fearful expectation of judgement. Before salvation, humanity already stands condemned. We, as the church, don’t have to condemn the world, they’re already condemned! John 3:18 declares, “He who believes in Him [Jesus] is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” It’s not that Jesus condemns them, their own unbelief is what brings them into condemnation.

But once we are born-again and following wholeheartedly after Jesus, condemnation should have no place in our lives! Romans 8:1 tells us what a righteous life should look like. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Hallelujah! When we’re serving Jesus, we stand free from condemnation. We are now looking forward to the eternal promises that Jesus gave us! Our sin has been paid in full and washed out of our lives! As long as we follow His lead, we will never have to live under condemnation again!

What people may not understand, is that there will still be times when they feel bad about their behavior. This isn’t condemnation, it’s conviction! Condemnation is worldly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:1). It’s sorrow without hope or and without change. Conviction is godly sorrow - it brings repentance and a change in behavior.

So how can you tell the difference? Condemnation cuts down, conviction builds up.

Condemnation confines people in their sin. Condemning thoughts and messages sound like this:
“You’ll never get better.”
“You’ll always be a screw-up.”
“You’re not worth the next breath you take.”
“God hates you.”
It gives no hope and offers no escape.

Conviction will never start with, “look how bad you are, you’re always messing up!” John 16:10 shows us that conviction starts with our righteousness. Godly conviction says:
“You don’t want to do that, you’re righteous now!”
“You’ve been made better than that behavior!”
“You don’t want the consequences of that!”
“Jesus set you free from that bondage!”
Can you see the difference?

Conviction is a gift of God’s grace! Titus 2:11-12 tells us that grace teaches us to deny ungodliness. This may be a little uncomfortable at first, but it’s an important part of the believer’s life. Sadly, too many christians deny the grace of God when they turn their backs on His conviction. Brothers and sisters, this shouldn’t be!

The next time you get challenged or confronted with something in your life - don’t be angry! You’re not being condemned! This is conviction, my friend! Embrace it and watch the change that takes place in your life!

2 Corinthians 7:11 “For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire,what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

The Life Of A Believer - Craving

Numbers 11:4-6 “Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. ‘Oh, for some meat!’ they exclaimed. ‘We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!’”

For a believer, the Israelites’ time in the wilderness is symbolic of the spirit’s struggle with the flesh. From their first test of faith at Marah, to their desire to have a god that fit their convenience, they were always their own worst enemies.

In Numbers 11, their ugly side began to show again. It started among the mixture of people they had with them - the Egyptians that were impressed with the way God rescued Israel and followed them out to the wilderness. As they journeyed through the desert, these Egyptians began to crave their favorite foods from Egypt. Apparently this craving became a continuous topic of conversation and eventually the Israelites picked up on it. The miraculous provision that God poured out for them every morning became the object of complaint. They began to long for what they saw as the luxuries of Egypt; meat, fish, and a few vegetables. Ignoring the hardships of slavery, they began to dream of going back!

These complaints and cravings became rampant throughout the camp. Whenever two people talked to each other, this craving eventually wormed its way into the conversation. Whenever they came to see Moses, this was what they always brought up - we want meat to eat!

Finally, Moses got tired of dealing with their whining and moaning. Look at his conversation with God in verses 10-15, “Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and the Lord became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated. And Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”

Whatever complaints these people had, they weren’t valid. They were rescued from a harsh life of slavery and were on their way to a land of their own. Their lives weren’t in danger - it wasn’t as if they were starving. And even though they may have a temporary shortage of meat, they did have meat to eat. They raised their own livestock, so manna wasn’t all they had to eat! Their problem was their own craving.

These people wouldn’t stop craving the things of Egypt, so God gave them over to it. He said in verse 18, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, ‘Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.’ Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?’”

This is exactly what happened! God sent an enormous flock of quail. This flock covered the whole camp and extended for miles on either side of it. God held the birds fluttering about three feet above the ground. All the Israelites had to do was reach out and pull them out of the sky! No one gathered less than 30 pounds of meat - that is a lot of quail!

But this wasn’t a reward for their whining, it was a consequence of it. While they were gorging themselves, unrestrained in their craving, they began to die. Verse 33 says, “but while they were gorging themselves on the meat—while it was still in their mouths—the anger of the Lord blazed against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.” Many people died and were buried there, all because they “yielded to intense craving” (verse 4 NKJV). When they moved on, they named that place Kibroth Hataavah - the graves of lust.

1 Corinthians 10:1-6 “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.”

Everything that happened to the Israelites after the Exodus happened as a spiritual example for us. The things they went through are a picture of what we go through on our spiritual journey. Some of these examples are good to follow, more of them are warnings to avoid. This is one of those warning.

We all had things that we really liked to do while we were in the world. It could be drinking, it could be partying, it could be pornography - it could be anything. Before we received salvation, we were slaves to all kinds of sin. But when we were rescued by Jesus, we were delivered from the power those sins had over us. Now we no longer have to submit to it. However, now we have to diligently remove any trace of our old life from our new one.

Our flesh will still desire, or crave, the things we once did. Sin is so sneaky! It will convince you to remember all the fun you had when you behaved that way - all the while forgetting the bondage you were in and the freedom you longed for! It will pant thoughts like: “Do you remember all the fun you had?” “Don’t you remember how good those tasted?” “You know, before you were saved, you didn’t feel bad about doing that!” If you don’t respond properly, you’ll find this thing worming its way deeper inside.

Eventually, if you don’t stop that craving (that lust), you’ll have the opportunity to go back to it. But just like there were consequences for the Israelites, there will be consequences for gratifying that lust. Stay away from that “meat”!

How should we respond to these ungodly cravings? The same way the Israelites should have - by focusing on what you have, not what you don’t have! These people had their freedom! They had a promise! They were being supernaturally provided for! If they would’ve filled up on what God gave them, they wouldn’t have hungered for what they used to eat. Remember, manna is symbolic of God’s Word - our spiritual food from Heaven. So...you’re answer to these cravings is to keep your nose inside the pages of your Bible.

Cut out those things in your life that are stirring up your lusts (like those Egyptians that were traveling with the Israelites) and replace their thoughts with what God’s word says! Whatever you do, never allow yourself to return to the things that held you in bondage!

Romans 6:16-18 “Don't you know that when you give yourselves to obey someone you become that person's slave? You can be slaves of sin. Then you will die. Or you can be slaves who obey God. Then you will live a godly life. You used to be slaves of sin. But thank God that with your whole heart you obeyed the teachings you were given! You have been set free from sin. You have become slaves to right living.”