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I am moving away from my traditional devotionals today with a few questions on our nation and the church.
I was sitting in my room in a hostel in Peru. A pastor friend who was on the trip with me asked if I thought that God had taken His hand off of the United States. What an interesting question. His question stemmed from things like 9/11 and natural disasters, but mostly from the moral decline in the country. We talked into the night about it, and my thoughts turned to Sodom.
Everyone knows the story of Sodom. God destroyed it with fire and brimstone because its sin. The Bible says that the stench of sin has risen to heaven. The perverse nature of life there needed judgment. But what was the sin that made it so bad?
Ezekiel 16:49 tells us that the sin of Sodom was being arrogant, overfed and unconcerned. Sound familiar? It says they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things. Their depravity was the result of their sin, and their depravity a result of God turning them over as described in Romans 1.
Please don't misunderstand. I believe we live in the greatest nation on the planet. We do so much more than most countries, and God has blessed us greatly. But in Luke 12:48 it says that everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. And arrogant, overfed and unconcerned. I feel that can not only describe our country, but sometimes the church as well.
Look at the moral decline in the country. In some areas, a slow fade. A gradual decline of compromise. In other areas, a swift change. Are these symptoms of a turning over? The same goes in the church. Who would have thought the divorce rate in the church would be over 25%.
I think the church needs more than ever to stand strong as righteous before God. As He spared Sodom for as little as ten people, so He will continue to spare our country if the church stays righteous. If my people, who are called by my name.........
Thomas Jefferson, while not exactly noted as a theologian, said, " I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever".
What are some other thoughts out there? Do you think we are arrogant, overfed and unconcerned? If so, how do we change those? Do we see this in the church as well? Thanks for letting me change up things a little today.
Monday, October 27, 2008
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1 comments:
You know, as part of my Bible study this morning, I was supposed to read Deut 8. In the chapter, the children of Israel and their exodus are being discussed, but this part hit a little too close to home: (starting at verse 11)
Beware that you forget not the LORD your God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command you this day: Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses, and dwelled therein; And when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; Then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought you forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers knew not, that he might humble you, and that he might prove you, to do you good at your latter end; And you say in your heart, My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth. But you shall remember the LORD your God: for it is he that gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if you do at all forget the LORD your God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the LORD destroys before your face, so shall you perish; because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God.
I saw your post here and thought it was interesting that you had similar thoughts. Just wanted to share that it concerns me greatly too that God will not put up with a lot of the sinful nature of our county (collectively, certainly not individually) forever. My hope rests in the fact that he did save Lot and his family!
Sorry for the long comment! =)
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