Satan, You Can’t Have My Country
(God’s Great Wake-Up Call, Part 2)
(Introduction)
Good morning/evening, everyone!
Today, I want to talk to you about our God, our country, and what prophecies say about the future of the world we live in.
The river of prophecy is filled with rapids, obstacles, eddies, and undercurrents. How can the Believer navigate them prayerfully and successfully? It often has more to do with milestones we see along the way than in the details of how something foretold comes to fruition. Events tend to swirl in the currents as prophecy moves towards fulfillment. Sometimes it seems to move ahead briskly, other times coming to an abrupt halt. It flows backwards for a time as its energy builds, or even disappears from sight only to reemerge further downstream.
This often makes finding where we are in prophecy confusing if you look merely at the currents. It is often difficult to determine what progress has been made downstream unless it is gauged in relation to the bank.
God gives us mile markers along the way to alert us to what is coming next. Thus if we look at where we have come from, it can be easier to see how to handle the rapids and undertows in the river of prophecy. By understanding the flow of the last few centuries, and seeing how those events relate to the pattern of events occurring today, we begin to clearly see what Bible prophecy holds for America.
America today is regarded as a world leader, and the keys to her future are not buried in some biblical code, but in understanding the will of God as He prepares for the final battle that will usher in the millennial reign of Christ.
Many look at prophecy and think that because certain things are ordained to come to pass, it gives us reason to sit back and wait. I disagree. As in the days of Noah, many continue to eat and drink, marry and be given in marriage, and yet disaster—or deliverance—is at the door. Which one will be allowed to enter is clearly up to you and me.
While many may think the fulfillment of biblical prophecy is a sovereign act of God, the scriptures themselves indicate something quite different. When God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He asked the rhetorical question, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” (Genesis 18:17) God felt He should take no action of judgment without granting His friend Abraham the right to intercede on behalf of the two evil cities.
As Daniel was reading in the Book of Jeremiah, he came across a scripture that said, “After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.” (Jeremiah 29:10) Daniel did some quick calculations—over seventy years had already passed and Israel was still in captivity under Babylon! So he began to pray God’s promise back to Him. Thus the heart of Babylonian King Cyrus was softened and Nehemiah was given permission to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.
As Jesus said: “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:14-15 NIV)
As Jesus’ friends, we should know what He is planning concerning events for our nation. We should be involved in prayer. As it was with Daniel, God needs someone to agree with Him, pray His promises into reality, and carry out His plan on Earth.
God has shown us what He is about to do! So today as we explore God’s Word, open your heart to what He is saying to you about how He wants to wake this country up and what He is saying to you about how He wants you to carry out His plan on Earth!
God’s Wake Up Calls for America
Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 24:32-44.
“‘Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.’”
“‘Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.’” Matthew 24:32-44
In the Parable of the Fig Tree, Jesus told his disciples that when we begin to see the events He foretold earlier in that chapter, they would be indications of the end of this age—just as new leaves on the fig tree would indicate that summer was coming—and that the generation that saw these things would also see end-time prophecy fulfilled.
Look for a moment at what Jesus said would mark the final age and His return:
• Many apostates would come in His name. (Matthew 24:5, 11)
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV)
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32, NKJV)
• There would be wars and rumors of wars. (Matthew 24:6-7)
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27, NKJV)
• There will be famines, epidemic diseases, and earthquakes. (Matthew 24:7)
Safety and salvation come from God alone: “Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. (Genesis 7:1) The in an act of protection and redemption, God shut the door behind Noah and his family. (Verse 16)
• Persecution shall increase. (Matthew 24:8-10)
“Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.” (Psalm 91:9-12, NKJV)
• Sin shall flourish and Christian loves will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12)
“But you, dear friends, must build up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. Stay always within the boundaries where God’s love can reach and bless you.” (Jude 1:20-21a, LB)
While there are other signs of the end-times foretold in the Bible, these are sufficient for us to realize that the season of which Jesus spoke is upon us. While we don’t know the exact day or hour, the leaves of the fig tree definitely have sprouted and are flourishing. It is time that we understood the significance of today’s events and our nation’s precarious position between the two sons of Abraham, so that we know what to do in the days to come.
Since the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70, the single most significant event of prophecy has been the reunification of the nation of Israel on May 14, 1948. This places us on the doorstep of one of the first of three events: 1) the Rapture, 2) the seven-year peace treaty between the Antichrist and the nation of Israel that marks the beginning of the Tribulation, and 3) the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.
While scholars disagree on the order in which these will happen, it is clear that they will probably all occur within a short period of time--a span of only a few years. If we are reading the signs of the time correctly, they are likely to happen soon, probably within our generation. Jesus said, “When you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! . . . This generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place,” (Matthew 24:33-34 NJKV) It is extremely likely that the current events reported in the Middle East are setting the stage for what will happen in the world during the Tribulation.
Our first wake up call today is this:
Wake Up Call #1: The stage is set for the end times to come in our generation.
Look around! The spirit of Antichrist that has become so active in the last century is, not surprisingly, rabidly anti-Semitic. While the twentieth century was the most horrendous period of Christian persecution in the history of the world, it was also the time of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe and the pogroms designed to rid Russia of Jews.
Today the greatest persecution of Christians occurs in fundamentalist Muslim countries under Shari’a Law (the religious criminal code set forth in the Qur’an), whose news media are also filled with disdain for the Jews. These are the white-hot embers that keep the fires of anti-Semitism and terrorism ablaze.
This “spirit of Antichrist” has been behind the greatest threats to freedom we have seen in the last century: fascism, Nazism, communism, and now Wahhabism—the form of fundamentalist Islam that fuels terrorist rage. If we read trends correctly, it is also the spirit behind much of liberalism’s secular relativism that is now attempting to silence God’s voice in America. Though this spirit has also infected blocs of the church from time to time to turn it toward apostasy (as it seems to be doing today) and anti-Semitism (as it has done often in the past), we should not be confused by this seeming crossover. I
I Thessalonians 2:7, ESV, states clearly, “Only he who now restrains it [total lawlessness] will do so until he is out of the way.” That “one” mentioned in scripture is the body of Christ on earth—the Church. The moment Christ comes for His Church this old world will be in big trouble.
So, what should our response be, in light of this first wake up call? Follow Christ rather today’s moral relativism! The true Church will always follow the Spirit of Christ, exhibiting His true fruit and gifts, not those who have turned toward political correctness rather than allowing the love of God to rule.
Should the U.S. cut her ties with Jerusalem—continuing down the road of moral relativism that seems to have drugged the State Department and liberals in the U.S.—it is easy to foresee how we could surely be a nation on the cusp of destruction.
This brings up our second wake up call:
Wake Up Call #2: God will bless those who bless His people and those who are righteous.
Turn with me to Genesis 12:3. God made this promise to Abraham and his descendants.
In Genesis 12:3, NKJV, we read these sobering words, “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
We, as people who believe God’s Word, should be vigilant to maintain our commitment to Israel because we know that God blesses every nation that is a blessing to the descendants of Abraham. Further, America should choose righteousness, putting God on His rightful throne as the leader of our country!
As the Bible says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,” (Psalm 33:12 NKJV) and “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace.” (Proverbs 14:34 NKJV)
If America is to remain the world power that it is today, God must be our leader and righteousness our crown.
Politics and the course of our nation do not determine what is in our hearts; it is a result of what is there. If God is to truly heal our land, it is not just a question of correct foreign and domestic policy, but an issue of the Church of the United States rejecting relativism and earnestly seeking God and His ways above all else. Our battle is not a conflict between Christian and secular culture, but between good and evil, between the Spirit of Christ and the spirit of Antichrist, between revealing Jesus to our world and being satisfied with complacency and lukewarm spirituality.
So, what should our response be, in light of this second wake up call? Pray! If we call on God to heal our land, America will avoid being swallowed up in the spirit of the world that will put us on the wrong side in the battle of Armageddon.
As we pray, we must also lift up the churches in America – that they would have boldness to declare truth and lead our country forward in obeying the Lord! Whether or not the Rapture takes place tomorrow or not for many years, there are things we can do to assure peace in our time. With the help of God we can accomplish what no other nation on earth could ever hope to do, but we can’t do it without a major course correction. It is time to realign our moral compass. The Church needs to be a purpose-driven body of Believers, determined to preach the truth from the pulpits in America, determined to be salt and light to a dark and hopeless world.
Sadly, too many pastors today have bought into the worldview that the Church is just another social venue. According to author and researcher George Barna:
The research shows that when pastors evaluate the success of their church, they measure attendance, dollars raised, number of staff, number of programs and square footage. All of those are logical measures to explore. The only problem is that Jesus did not die a horrible and unjust death on the cross to fill sanctuaries, generate cash, populate programs, hire religious professionals or build out campuses.
We stand as Nineveh did when receiving the message of Jonah—we have the choice of either continuing as we have leaving God behind, or repenting and experiencing revival. We are at a crossroads, but more significantly, we are in the crosshairs of those who hate Christians and all for which the United States stands. To these we must respond both spiritually and naturally, with Christian love and compassion and political wisdom based on clarity of vision and moral integrity. It is a worthy calling far more powerful than the call to martyrdom for jihadist suicide bombers. Yet until we live with greater conviction than they die with, our generation will experience nothing of what God wishes for us.
Had the Church obeyed the Great Commission to be a witness unto Him in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, Islamic fundamentalists such as Hamas would not have been able to corrupt the minds of children with hatred for Jews and Christians. Instead, those children would have been exposed to a Christianity filled with love. The truth is: Palestinian Christians do not blow up Jews. Revival would be spreading across the Middle East, and the tragic events of 9-11 might never have happened.
Did the Church fail this nation, and our Lord? Is the Church guilty in the eyes of God? Is it too late? No, it’s not; but if ever the Church of Jesus Christ plans to repent and follow the Great Commission, rather than continuing to pursue the “Great Omission”, it is now!
I pray that pastors will again preach on the Second Coming of the Lord and on Hell. The fiery protestant preacher, Jonathan Edwards, was the acknowledged leader of the First Great Awakening. He had emerged from both Puritan and Calvinist origins but stressed the spiritual necessity of a personal relationship with Christ. Edwards was described as “solemn, with a distinct and careful enunciation, and a slow cadence.”
Even so, he was known for his authoritative sermons. One of his most well-known was the classic “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” So powerful was the word images created by Edwards that people could be heard crying out during his sermon, “What shall I do to be saved?”
There never was a time in history when God dwelt in a Church with an earthly perspective. It is time to proclaim this message. Why? Because the world has taken over the Church. Abortion, divorce, pornography, drugs, alcohol and even homosexuality are alive and well in today’s Church. Many pastors allow fear of retaliation to keep them from preaching against these matters.
This brings me to our third wake up call for today:
Wake Up Call #3: Ready or not, Jesus is coming back!
Turn with me to Revelation 20:10.
As a minister of the Gospel, God has placed one message on my heart to preach in this hour: Jesus is coming! The Bible says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
The end of the war is already written. Check out the end of the Bible. Revelation 20:10 says, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Not only will Satan be locked up forever and ever, but Jesus will reign forever and ever and His followers will be with Him. Revelation 21:3-4 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”
What is our response, then, to Wake Up Call #3? Worship and declare.
These are not times when we can sit back and passively be too busy to think about it how tragically lost our world is. The days are evil! We are to be actively combating the evil Satan is trying to bring about in our country by forsaking sin, worshipping God, and declaring to one another that Jesus is coming back!
(Conclusion)
Today, as we call our country to wake up, let’s remember three things:
• The stage is set for the end times to come in our generation.
• God will bless those who bless His people and those who are righteous.
• Ready or not, Jesus is coming back!
Today, I declare that Jesus reigns and at the end of time He will still be on His throne. I declare that though America has been lost in darkness, that a new light will dawn here. I declare that our Third Great Awakening is coming, and that God will bring repentance and hear the prayers we pray for our great nation.
And, today, I invite those of you who have not yet placed your faith in Jesus to do so. Jesus lived the perfect, sinless life and died on the cross to pay for our sins. On the third day, He rose from the dead, and the Bible says that now He is in heaven praying for us and preparing a place for us.
The Bible says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
When we ask Jesus to save us, we receive forgiveness for our sins, we receive freedom from wrath, we receive a personal relationship with God our Savior. And, we receive the unshakeable hope that one day we will be with our Lord Jesus.
Pray.
Father,
Your Word says that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. I stand on that promise for America. You also tell me that I dwell in the secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty. Lord, I acknowledge You in all my ways so that you strengthen me for warfare through the power of the Holy Spirit. You have promised never to leave me or forsake me. The Psalmist David said, “For Jehovah is my refuge! I choose the God above all gods to shelter me.” (Psalm 91:9, LB)
George Barna, “Telling the Truth,” http://www.georgebarna.com/2011/10/telling-the-truth-2/; accessed November 2015.
Holly Reed, “Jonathan Edwards,” Boston Collaborative Encyclopedia of Modern Western Theology, 2004, http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/bce/mwt_themes_420_edwards.htm; accessed October 2012.
