A Nation in Crisis
By Nick Bibile
2Ti 3:1 This know
also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
Between (1741-1744)
First there was the
Great Awakening in which began in 1741 as God poured out his spirit upon this
nation during the time of Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefields preaching as
a result towns, cities and states were converted to Christ. People were
awakened by the spirit of God as they realized how they have offended God and
sinned against their Creator, there was true repentance. It was like a great
wave of the spirit that awakened sinners masses were converted to Christ.
I did not come to tickle your ears; no, but
I came to touch your hearts. - George
Whitefield
In 1741, Jonathan Edwards preached one of
the greatest sermons called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. He had to
pause his sermon as he had to pause while the people wept and cried out in
terror upon hearing about God.
Then there was
the second Great Awakening which began in 1791. People traveled as far as 100
miles to hear the Presbyterian
minister James McGready, the power of God fell from heaven and there hundreds
and thousands were saved. But there was a change and the change began with
Charles Finney (1792-1875) who preached from God centered religion to a man
centered religion. But God used Asahel Nettleton
(1783-1844) to show the errors of Finneys
theology. There were as many as 30,000 converts in Nettletons ministry.
Finneys false teaching which centered on man
and pleased the flesh did not die. In 1800s liberal theology came into the
pulpits. Finneys doctrine gave birth to counterfeit Christianity and errors in
Christian theology. Dispensational theology began during this time with John
Darby and Scofield. We see the birth of Mormonism (Began with Joseph Smith
1830) Seventh Day Adventism (Began with Ellen White 1844) and Christian Science
(Began with Mary Baker Eddy in 1879) and Jehovahs Witness (Began with Charles
Taze Russell in 1884).
As a result there came the floodgates of false
doctrines. There was Atheism, Agnosticism, Evolution, Freemasonry, Humanism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, New Age and a new religion is born almost everyday.
Yes, we are going upwards in science and
technology but morally we are sliding fast downward as we are heading towards
destruction.
General Douglas
McArthur said: History fails to record a single precedent in which nations
subject to moral decay have not passed into economic and political decline.
There has neither been a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a
progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster.
Mal 1:6 A son
honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is
mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts
unto you..
Note, father and a
master both have authority. Whenever there is authority there is honor and
reverence. There is no reverence to God in todays society as many do not
believe the authority of God and therefore sadly God has no honor. When you say
God has no authority then it is substituted with mans authority, humanism. The
result is mans opinions and we see the pro-abortion, pro-gay, taking the 10
commandments out of public places, sexual immorality, violence, disobedience
and all in all the decline of a nation.
The nation abandoned God. We have abandoned
the absolute truth of the Bible. When you abandon God and the truth of the
Bible, then man makes the rules. Every man decide what is right and what is
wrong in his own perspective. This is called moral relativism.
Jg 21:25 In those days there was no king in
Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Today we are living
in an unparalleled time in the history of America.
Apostle Paul said
in 2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
The word used in
Greek for perilous is savage, fierce and troublesome. We are living in these
last days as we see the news and whats happening in our neighborhood.
Ec 12:13 Let us
hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man.
But people are
living fearlessly before God and have broken every commandment of God.
Let me give you
some facts.
Violance
Since 1960, there has
been a 560% increase in violent crime. Lawlessness is everywhere. Children are
disobedient to their parents, you hear children killing parents, parents
killing children, husbands and wives killings, parents dumping their new born
into dustbins, these were unheard of.
The U.S. News and
World Report' estimates that more than three million crimes are committed in or
near the 85,000 U.S. public schools. An estimated 270,000 guns go to school
every day. A recent media survey found 98% of newspaper and television
executives to be Anti-Christian.
Homosexuality.
The media or the
world does not called homosexuality but Gay or an alternative lifestyle. But
God said it homosexuality.
1 Corinthians 6
9Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor homosexuals,[1]
nor sodomites, 10nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Abortion.
For almost 2,000
years abortion has been a moral and spiritual issue within the Church. Then the
government comes along and says that it is legal.
A professor in a world-acclaimed medical
school once posed this medical situation -- and ethical problem -- to his
students: "Here's the family history: The father has syphilis. The mother
has TB. They already have had four children. The first is blind. The second had
died. The third is deaf. The fourth has TB. Now the mother is pregnant again,
The parents come to you for advice. They are willing to have an abortion, if
you decide they should. What do you say?"
The students gave various individual
opinions, and then the professor asked them to break into small groups for
"consultation." All of the groups came back to report that they would
recommend abortion.
The professor said, "You just took the
life of Beethoven!"
Now it is all right. It is all right to pull a
baby three-fourths of the way out of its mother's womb and stick a pair of
scissors in the back of its neck and kill it.
The heartbeat
begins between the eighteenth and twenty fifth day and killing the breathing
infant is murder. According to a recent study, 43 percent of women will have
had an abortion by the time they reach the age of 45. There are approximately
126,000 abortions conducted each day and approximately 46 million abortions conducted
eacy year world wide and approximately 1,370,000 abortions occur annually in
the U.S. We cry out when a thousand soldiers were killed in the Iraq war but
its ok to kill a million babies a year! Its easy to make love and sex then when
you get pregnant dump the baby. This is murder in the sight of God.
Pornography
Internet and video
stores are openly promoting pornography. Nude women and men are exposed with
their sexual behavior many are involved in this secret sin. Immorality is
destructive to your soul. Remember the secret sin of Achan in Joshua chapter
seven.
Terrorism
The terrorists
bombed us and now looking to kill masses of Americans as they seek nuclear and
chemical weapons. We have been living a comfortable life style. People are
spending millions of dollars for amusements and entertainment. They are so
concerned of their health more than the soul and as a result spends a lot of
money for the gym, health products and neglect the word of God. There is no
hunger for the word.
The Bible commands Christians to love
neither the world nor the things that are in the world (1 John 2:15). A
missionary once wrote, I looked for the world, and found it in the
Church. Then I looked for the Church and found it in the world.
If the world is characterized by greed and
violence, pride and prejudice, anger and willfulness, then let the Church be
characterized by giving and grace, humility and holiness, peace and preferring
others better than ourselves. In matchless and marvelous grace God has chosen a
generation of people to be different. The Church exists to be a trophy of
redeeming grace.
1Pe 2:9 But ye are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;
that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light.
Examine your heart
and see if you are willingly indulge an unclean appetite, uncleanness immoral
thoughts, gratifying sensual appetites, greedy for food and worldly materials,
immoral conversations.
Many are calling
themselves Christians and in reality their conduct does not show that they are
Christians. Let me tell you a story.
A man in the Army
of Alexander the Great who was also named Alexander, was accused of cowardly
actions. He was brought before Alexander, who asked what his name was. He
replied softly, "Alexander." "I can't hear you," the ruler
stated. The man again said, a little louder, "Alexander." The process
was repeated one more time, after which Alexander the Great commented,
"Either change your name or change your conduct."
If we say we are
Christians then we are following Christ and living examples of Christs
followers. People will recognize by our behavior that we are different. We as
Christians should be different, love God, obey God and love one another in the
church and love those who are outside the church, yes sinners, we need to love
them yet do not sin with them, they would see you are different and turn to
God.
1Co 13:5 Doth not
behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh
no evil;
Preachers are
preaching false doctrines, making money out of the Bible, living a double
standard hypocritical life style. The church has become rich and powerful while
neglecting the souls that are going to hell, neglect the poor, needy the
fatherless. They do not preach sin, but preach a rosy gospel and tickle the
flesh of many.
So God has
declared, Gal. 6:7, That he will not be mocked;
The Scriptures make
it very clear that many times in the Old Testament God told His people that if
they did not repent of their sins, He would use heathen nations to bring
judgment to Israel and Judah, and this was the chastisement that God brought to
awaken his people. We as a nation were woke up after 911 now we are going back
to our normal sinful behavior but God will bring judgment anytime as Jesus said
in Luke 13:3
Except ye repent,
ye shall all likewise perish.
The true Christian
have comfort in the Lord as he prefers God above all things in heaven or on
earth.
Ps 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
The Psalmist looks at the wealth and the prosperity
of the wicked, he sees how they enjoy in this world, they have no problems, and
no trials and they continue to prosper. He gets jealous at their wonderful life
style in this world. Psalmist himself get tempted, until he went to the house
of God then he understood. He understood how foolish and how ignorant he was as
God has set the ungodly in slippery places any moment they can die and go to
hell to everlasting fire.
Every godly man, true Christian has his heart in heaven; his affections
are set in Heaven his chosen country and inheritance. He is a traveler on this
world. The traveler can content himself to be in a strange land for a while.