Godlessness destroys nations. History records the demise of every civilization, no matter how powerful and indestructible it may have appeared. The United States is no exception. Listen to what the Apostle Paul spoke to the men of Athens concerning the "unknown god" that was among their objects of worship:
"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In Him we live and move and have our being', as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are indeed His offspring.' Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead!" - Acts 17:24-31
The "man," of course is Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, God's anointed King, true God in human flesh! We live in what the Bible calls "the day of salvation," (II Corinthians 6:2), the time between the first and second coming of Jesus when Christ has sent out His ambassadors to proclaim the message of "repentance for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus said, "Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand." He said, "Repent, or you shall likewise perish (in your sin)." Jesus did NOT accept people as they were! He gave them His Spirit and performed heart surgery and then they "came as they were" outwardly, with a new heart, a new mind and a new will, and became followers of Jesus, now seeking to obey HIS Word and God's commands out of thanksgiving to God for His amazing grace.
A false gospel has replaced the true Gospel in our nation and around the world and it is leaving people in the depths of their sin and deceiving them by telling them that "God" (whoever or whatever they believe to be "god") loves them and all is well. This "gospel" presents no standard for righteousness before a holy God and no need to repent or confess sin. This "gospel" is like poison water and it is 100% fatal to those who "drink the koolaid!" It leaves out Jesus and it leaves out the cross! Jesus now becomes just another "religious leader" who can be quoted ... albeit from a book that you can't trust because it starts out by saying that God created everything ... a fact those without the Spirit of God must refuse to accept because it makes them accountable to their Creator!!
Every true Christian should be speaking out against this false gospel. Remember what Paul wrote to the Galatians: "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed!" (Galatians 1:6-8).
Some were perverting the Gospel by saying that you could earn salvation by your own works. Today's perversion is even worse, because it declares that God loves everyone, everyone goes to heaven eventually, and you can believe in ANY "god" or even no god at all, and you are still OK. Deception works because those being deceived don't know they are being deceived! So we worry about people dying of physical disease and argue about which lives matter when literally ... yes, literally, billions of people around the world and millions in our own nation face the wrath of Almighty God, the one true God, for eternity! Shame on pastors and other Christian leaders and those who stay in churches where this false gospel is being proclaimed. Interfaith dialogue and the acceptance of all kinds of sin are rampant IN the visible church today! It is a disgrace and a slap in the face of God!! He will not be mocked!
Do you know what would fix our cities and schools? The Gospel! Do you know what could transform our jails and prisons? The Gospel! No, not everyone is going to believe. God knows those who are His and He gives new life to all whom He has given to the Son. How? Through the Gospel. Where the Gospel is proclaimed and believed even by a remnant of people lawlessness decreases, for the power of the LIGHT displayed by obedient Christians bears fruit and influences society. While some pray for "revival," I pray that preachers and teachers would turn back to the Gospel because it is the only message that carries with it the power to bring revival, which begins among God's people. The "lukewarm church" will be vomited out of Jesus' mouth!! It's time to FIRE UP!!!
If you or anyone else is attending a "church" that does not call people to repent and trust in Christ alone what are you doing?? The lawlessness we see around us is because the true Gospel is not being proclaimed in churches and communities around our nation ... the Gospel that confronts people with their sin and offers God's grace and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. Where people are allowed to remain in their sin undisturbed the Gospel is not being proclaimed. I tell people that I preach to myself because I need to hear God's Word every day. Paul wrote to Timothy that, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man (and woman) of God may be complete (mature), equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3:16-17). Did you hear that? The Word of God is profitable not only for teaching but for reproving and rebuking and correction and training in what is right in God's eyes. You and I NEED to know what GOD says in His Word.
If people really wanted to offer the possibility of change for communities and our nation, they would call in Gospel preachers and fill auditoriums and stadiums and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That would mean declaring all other religions to be false and confronting people with the reality of their spiritual condition apart from God's grace in Christ, and that most certainly would offend people. Those who are preaching "social justice" in place of the Gospel in our cities are a huge part of the problem. The true Gospel calls people to be obedient citizens, submitting to rightful laws and willing to face the consequences when they break them. Where is that message from pastors and other Christian leaders? Instead, they justify criminal behavior in order to promote "victimhood" and shout "racism" from the mountaintops in order to actually produce rebellion without control. It is like starting a wildfire, knowing it will spread and having no plan to put it out!!
Our nation needs the Gospel!! Jesus Christ is Lord! It is not up for a vote. One day soon every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that truth ... and for those who have not believed in Him there will be eternal judgment from the God they did not know. So long as I have breath, I will proclaim the one and only true Gospel, the only message that IS "the power of God for salvation to those who believe!" What will YOU do? What ARE you doing? Every believer is called to testify!
We are now in the fourth week of a series of messages entitled, "You Are My Witnesses," here at Lighthouse. Go to our website at lighthouse-ministries.org and listen to God's Word. Find hope for yourself and for others to whom God may be sending YOU!! No one and no thing can deliver you from God's just judgment against sin ... only Jesus ... when you repent and believe. The Spirit of God may even be using these words to call someone today! It is not MY Word that has the power to change human hearts, but GOD's Word. And "how can they hear unless someone tells them?"
"Is there hope for our nation?" some ask. Barring a sudden reversal brought about by the preaching of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ the unequivocal answer is, "NO!" Yet it is our responsibility not only to pray but to proclaim the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God ... because we who believe are witnesses for Jesus Christ and our nation needs the Gospel!
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