America Under Judgment

Why is there such an increase in trouble for America? Could it be that our sins are beginning to catch up with us? Centuries ago Mose warned Israel that if they served God they would be blessed of all nations but if they disobeyed God, terrifying judgment would come.

Deuteronomy 28:65-66 Moses warned,

“Among this nation, you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your food, but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart, failing eyes, and pinning of soul. Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be afraid night and day and you will have no assurance of your life.”

Moses warned that the enemies of Israel would conquer her if she disobeyed God. We know the history of Israel. We know that Israel did disobey God and they suffered one judgment after another.

Today America is following the same dangerous path. We worship gods of secularism and materialism. God is displeased, and His anger is kindled. If ever a nation has enjoyed prosperity and the blessing of God, it is America, but instead of giving thanks to God, we have offered our reverence and worship to created things.

Paul wrote in Romans 1:20-21,

“For the inadvisable things of Him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made. Even His everlasting power and divinity may be without excuse. Because knowing God they didn’t glorify Him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.”

Could this be the difficulty with some of our leaders today? Has all the planning of the last few years by some of America’s most brilliant intellect begun to end in futility?

Paul said in Romans 1:22, 26

They boast of their wisdom, but they have made fools of themselves” – Romans 1:22

Then comes judgment:

“For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions” – Romans 1:26

In other words, the Bible says there will come a day when a nation sins so much against God that He will give them up, and will allow them to go on for a time in pleasure worldliness, idolatry, wickedness, and immorality.

Hebrews 11:25 warns,

“Choosing rather ill-treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy pleasures of sin for a time.”

In other words pleasure will be short lived and that judgment will follow.

Paul wrote,

“Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness m covetousness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, slanderers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, with understanding, covenant breakers without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful” – Romans 1 28-31

Paul said that the kindness and patience of God are meant to lead us to repentance. However, we have spurned God’s mercy and kindness to America and have gone deeper into sin.

Paul continues that for those who are governed by selfish ambition, who refuse obedience to the truth and take wrong for their guide, there will be the fury of retribution.

From the beginning of the Bible to the end, God warns that any nation that departs from Him is going to suffer judgment. America has been given more spiritual and moral light than any nation in the history of the world. We have billions of Bibles at our disposal, there are hundreds of thousands of churches. Yet in spite of all this, we continue to be crime-ridden, divorce-prone and the most immoral nation on earth. America is the sex traffic leader in the world. Pornography fills our newsstands and social media, and we spew this filth all over the world,

How long will God withhold His protection over us? Unless we as a nation repent and turn to God, America will get worse and it will be such as no nation has ever endured,

Ezekiel 21:7 says,

“It shall be, when they ask you, Why do you sigh? That you shall say, because of the news, for it comes! Every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes, and it shall be done, says the Lord God.”

God is speaking to our nation in a thousand ways urging us to repent of our sins and turn to Him before it’s too late. The Prophet Jeremiah said,

“O’ Lord, don’t your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return” – Jeremiah 5:3

So there is nothing left but judgment.

I pray that God will give American candidates for office who are God-fearing, God-loving men and women. One of the deep-rooted troubles of the nation today is that so many of our leaders who control national affairs either do not know God or deliberately deny His existence.

In Pursuit Of Happiness

I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent a lot of my life chasing things, believing I’ll be happier once I reach some distant goal. The weekend will be here, and Christmas is coming, vacation time will be here in a few weeks. I’ll get that job, or earn a promotion then I’ll be happy.

And yet, once I reached those goals I’ve been chasing after, I kept discovering that those things didn’t satisfy me, and began chasing again. The more I tried to be happy the more it eluded me.

What if being happy is like trying to pull yourself out of a tight space? What if trying harder only dooms us to failure? What is the pursuit of happiness will never actually make us happy?

In America, we are accustomed to believing that “the pursuit of happiness” is a good thing. According to Thomas Jefferson, it’s one of the inalienable rights endowed by our Creator, and the Declaration of Independence guarantees that we’ll be allowed to keep pursuing happiness as long as we live. Our traditions and our society are built on the assumption that the path to flourishing as human beings is found by trying to flourish.

I think the way America is today, they are trying anything they can to take these away from us and turn us into a people relying on them so feed us, and our health care all we have to do is give them all our property, out hard earned money, our guns. The most terrifying words to most Americans is “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” The truth is nothing is ever free, it only comes from hard work.

But I also think we need to admit that the pursuit of happiness is a rigged game against us. No amount of possessions will ever make us happy. Happiness had to come from within.

Happiness is hiding in places where we least expect it. It’s hiding in our costly obedience to the King of the universe, even in the midst of our mourning. It’s hiding in the meaning and purpose we discover when we give ourselves to loving God and loving others. We flourish when we are focused on living a life of love and forget to think about our own flourishing. Happiness is found in a life that is not lived only about serving ourselves.

In Psalm 37:4 David says,

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

We were not designed to chase after our own desires. We weren’t designed to pursue happiness. We were to pursue God, to spend our lives loving and serving others and to find along the way we’ve become happy without even trying.

I saw a meme the other day about a man holding 10 umbrellas, and a man with no umbrella standing in the rain. How many times do we see people go without but we are too busy or snobby to bring them a sandwich or a blanket, or give them an extra jacket?

My Favorite Recipe

What’s your favorite recipe?

My favorite thing to do is cook so there are many of them. These days everyone’s budgets to tight I thought I would share a budget-friendly one, but that’s also fast and easy.

French dip sandwiches:

Roast beef sliced – I get them from the deli about 2-3 slices per person

Provolone cheese – I have used Swiss and Cheddar whatever I have on hand.

Hoagie rolls – buttered

Aju’s sauce – 1 pack use package directions

Put roast beef in Aju’s sauce after heating

Put hoagies on a sheet pan add cheese and broil until cheese is melted.

Take out of the oven and put on soaked roast beef. Pour Aju’s sauce into a small container for dipping.

You can serve it with French fries or tater tots or whatever side you want. Or just serve the sandwiches.

Rooted In The Lord

What does it take to be rooted in the Lord? It takes a Firm Foundation. Besides reading His Word every day, there are things we must do to stay rooted and be in fellowship with Him.

  • Bind the Word of God to your mind

Let the Wird rule your thought life and you will have a stable thought life. Bind the Word to your actions. Whatever you do make sure everything someone tells you lines up with the Word Of God.

  • Become rooted into the things of God

Get plugged into God through prayer and communion with Him. Each day place yourself into God’s presence.

  • Walk in alignment with God’s will

The key here is the more out of the will of God you are the more you will not prevail. The more you’ll be overcome. The most in the will of God you are, the more you cannot be overcome and you will overcome and will overcome.

  • Place your faith in the truth

When you place your faith in God -in His truth, it connects you to Him. True faith connects us to God’s salvation and love and it’s how you grow stronger in spirit,

During these chaotic times

  • Remember the Lord

The key to these times, remember. Why! Because the spirit of the age is to make you forget. The spirit of the age to make you forget God, to forget His ways, to forget His Word,

  • Praise the Lord

We are to praise God no matter what we are facing, regardless of the troubles and situations we see. We are to praise God even in a dark world.

  • Do not bow down to the things of this world

The enemy wants you to bow down. It wants you to give honor to everything besides God, You have to be the one who says “I will not. I am not bowing does to these false gods. I am not bowing down to this idol. I am not bowing down to falsehood. I am not bowing down to political correctness. I am not bowing down to the golden calf.”

  • Do not wait for the battle to know what you’re going to do

We all will face battles that require us to make decisions. Instead of determining what to do right then and there, we must prepare how we will stand up against darkness ahead of time.

  • Do not be afraid

God is in control. God is on the throne and He has no intention of getting off the throne.

  • The darkest days produce the most fruit in our lives

It is when we experience great darkness, and with it also comes a bright light.

  • Repent and turn to God

Sometimes we have to go back to the beginning. We have to go back to when it wasn’t so cultural and comfortable, There was a time when radical, revolutionary, and prophetic people were on fire when they didn’t have a lot of worldly power, but there was spiritual power.

The world will only continue to get darker and more intense as we approach the very end. However, when we lean on Jesus, we can prevail because He has overcome the world.

The Love Of God, Family, Country

All three of the above are important but there is an order to them. People tend to put family and country ahead of God. That’s where we can get in trouble. Matthew 6:33 tells us,

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be given to you.”

So, by placing God first everything else falls into the proper order. In order to emphasize God first, we seek to model Christ centered relationships and living throughout the entire organization of the three. Our desire being that seeking God first would permeate every aspect of our lives from what we read and watch, to how we treat friends and acquaintances both in person and on social media, how we we decide who we vote for to who we choose to spend our time with. And includes how we spend our money and what we do with our bodies.

There must be given a for our faith rather than simply being told what to believe. I love God because of His merry and grace shows me that He loves me. I love God because He gave me a second chance at life. I have faith in Him because my life is better with Him than without Him.

The Love of Family

Love of family is second, it is critically important that families partner with God if they are going to be essential to society. My marriage would have failed if I wouldn’t have put God in the middle of it. Healthy families are the best means of providing confidence to reach beyond ourselves to provide love and praise to its members. Godly families are necessary to provide a model of Godly living.

The Love Of Country

Love of country is third. Liberty represents freedom that is expressed in a countries political, economical, social and religious freedom.

America’s founding fathers recognized that God is the source of rights, not the government, and that all citizens have the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. These freedoms must be vigilantly and intentionally preserved by the citizens of this country.

I believe there is a reason and the government is trying to destroy Godly values, in family and country. Satan knows if he destroys these we will fall not only as a country but as a people.

They are working hard to take God out of everything. Destroy the family dynamics, and cause people to hate America for its morals and values.

We must put emphasis on on responsible citizenship and what is entailed in maintaining the freedoms we enjoy in this country.

God, Family Country. When each is valued and ordered correctly, freedom in Christ is more likely to reign and endure.

The Bonus Round

When we become saved and we choose to follow Jesus or bonus round begins.

God is a God of second chances. Sometimes I think the reason God gave me a second chance was because I could learn and share my journey with others through my writing.

Satan will always try to hinder us and handicap us because of our past. He prefers that we never find forgiveness for our sins and hopes to keep our mind mired in guilt and rotten memories.

When you ask God for forgiveness your past is behind you, God remembers it no more, and He wants you to be free of guilt, with a clean slate and a second chance. He is the God of second chances. Let God take the guilt of your past, and put it under His feet to be stomped out completely.

Jesus’s blood set you free and there’s so much he can do with you after that. It’s never too late and nothing is too hard for the Lord.

4 Questions Every Believer Should Ask Themselves Often

The condition of your heart today will determine how you respond to God’s truth today. What is the condition of your heart according to the Book of Luke?

Question 1

What truth am I refusing to believe?

Like the seed thrown in the path in Luke 8:12, there may be some aspect of God’s truth in your life that is being trampled on or snatched up before it can take root. Your reaction to this truth could be hostile or apathetic. You either reject the truth or just ignore it long enough that it can be taken away.

Take an honest look at what truths are being spoken into your life that you are refusing to believe. What are you dragging your feet on? Is there anything you are intentionally avoiding? Any sin in your life that you are justifying?

Question 2

What truth do I no longer believe?

When we neglect to consistently drink from God’s Word, we start to wither away like a seed thrown on the rocks like in Luke 8:13. As a result, we fall when tempted or fail when tested. Jesus calls us to drink from the living water that He offers, when we do, we will never be thirsty (John 4:14).

When promised of Gid did you once cling close to that you now rarely think of? Are you more in love with Jesus this year than last year? Remember that the believer’s life is a journey, not a sprint. We need to frequently preach the gospel to ourselves so that our hearts remain encouraged.

Question 3

What truth is being overshadowed by lies?

If we believe the lies of the enemy and allow sin to grow in our hearts, it will come out the truth and keep us from growing. This is found in Luke 8:14. When we don’t prioritize God’s truth, it will become overshadowed by the pleasures of concerns of the world.

What “thorns” are choking you? It might be a secret sin you don’t want to confess, like an addiction to pornography or substances or sugar. It could be the distraction of entertainment or envy that you need to feed. Regardless of what these thorns are in your life, your response to them should be the same: turn away from them and turn to Jesus. When we focus on God’s goodness and truth, sin and lies start to fade.

Question 4

What truth is bearing fruit in my life right now?

Even in the most difficult of times, when our hearts are deeply hurting, the Holy Spirit is still working in us. God is shaping us to be more like Jesus despite ourselves. This is why you can be confident that when our hearts are receptive to God’s truth, something will grow. Fruit will be produced in abundance (Like 8:15).

Take a minute to look at where the Spirit may be working in your life. What fruit do you see? If there is no fruit, that would be the reason to examine your faith and consider whether your “soil” has accepted the “seed” of the gospel.

Pray For Change

Based on your answers to these questions, what is the condition of your heart? Are you in a healthy place, or can you think of times when your heart has been more aligned toward God? What changes could you make in your life to better embrace truth and produce fruit?

Regardless of whether times are good or bad, these are questions we should regularly ask ourselves. Examining our hearts and seeing ourselves clearly requires prayer. (Psalm 139:23-24). We need the Holy Spirit to give us the eyes to see. We need God to reveal to us what He wants to change, and we need His power to change it (Philippians 3:13).

Asking these questions may be the heart check the Lord uses to begin changing your heart and equipping you to better serve His kingdom.

A Rhema Word

But he answered, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every wird that proceeds out of the mouth of God” – Matthew 4:4

A Rhema word from God is a word that is personally communicated to a believer you hear in your spirit.

A Rhema word from God will certainly change the course of the circumstances in your life. You cannot hear from God and remain the same. One of the reasons why we sometimes do not get results is because we take actions without hearing from God. It is one thing to have faith, but another when you act in response to hearing a word from God on an issue.

God designed man to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. God’s voice and the word it brings gets rid of fear and confusion. You cannot hear from God and be confused.

Starting your day with a Word from God is why a healthy devotional life is important. It puts you in a spot to hear God before you start your day.

God has given us the complete revelation of Himself in His Son Jesus, which has been parceled and given to us in the Bible. This complete revelation of God is what is called the “Logos.” Behind every scripture in the Bible is the voice of God. This is important to understand. The Holy Spirit makes us hear God’s voice in the scriptures as it applies in specific circumstances. This is the Rhema Word. We can also hear the voice of the Holy Spirit directly and audibly.

The revelation of the written word in your spirit we call “inspiration” is actually the voice of the Spirit speaking into your spirit person to teach or reveal something to you at the moment. Jesus said of the Spirit,

“But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come” – John 16-13

Something happens inside of you when you receive this Rhema eord from the Holy Spirit. It automatically generates faith. Fear quits. “You know that you know, that it is true. It’s not some strange revelation.

Many are not aware of what they have sitting somewhere on their tables or on their shelves called the Bible. It is God’s Word -yes, literally God’s Word. It has Rhema in it for you every day. When you learn to stay with the written Word and allow the Holy Spirit to speak into your spirit person as he teaches you from the scriptures.

When we meditate on the scriptures we position ourselves in such a way that the Spirit can speak through the scriptures and bring the Rhema word to us.

When we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to make God’s Word in the Bible come alive to us. We will begin to understand who God is.

When we learn to sit at the feet of Jesus to hear His Word, He speaks to us in revelation and inspiration and brings a Rhema word and something will happen inside of you.

Heart Check

In Psalm 41 God reminds us if everything is going wrong in our it’s time to check our relationship with Him.

God’s kindness and truth have often been the support and comfort when I have experienced man’s unkindness and treachery. It’s important to check our hearts when things are going well. To see if we are the problem.

Here are a four questions I go over in my head when everything is going wrong:

Four Questions

These are found in Psalm 41:

1. integrity

How do I treat others? – verses 1-4

2. Treachery

How do I treat others? -verses 5-9

3. Mercy

How does God treat me? -verses 10-12

4. Glory

How do I treat God? – verse 13

God can pour out blessings when we keep our hearts right with Him. When things are not going good in our lives it is not time to pull away from God, but to run to Him. Ask Him for forgiveness if we aren’t following Him, and ask for answers if we need them.

H