Leviticus 26:1-17
Luke 4:16–21; 1 Corinthians 7:21–24; Galatians 6:7–10
I am Adonai your God.
“‘Keep my Shabbats, and revere my sanctuary; I am Adonai.
A Prophetic Warning....
When I started this "Journey of Awareness",as I call it,I was studying in the teachings of Paul to the Corinthians.Paul althrough his writings taught from the Old Testament point of view,simply because the "New Covenant" was in the process of being written and Paul,little did he know, was going to be a big part of the "New Covenant" or the "New Testament" as we know it today.But,As I came to the scripture found in 2 Corinthians 6:16,Paul used (again) the Old Testament scripture for his teachings and reads like this.... What agreement can there be between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God — as God said,
“I will house myself in them, . . .
and I will walk among you.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
As I read this passage from Leviticus 26:12,I thought,What an awsome God,that,even at that time told his people,that He would not only come and live inside them,but that he would also "walk among them" and declaring to them that He will be there God,and they will be "His people".Remembering that this was a time of infantency for the people of Israel,but still in amazement,in my mind,that God inter-mingled with and was making Himself heard and understood by mere man and here we find it in the third book Moses.Living in this day and age,It's so hard to sometimes hear the voice of God with all the may-lay and influences going on around us.We've never needed to here from God more than we do now and by looking at the way God got the people of Israel's attention,we can mabey understand why we don't hear very well in this day and time.But just by clearing our hearts and minds and by listening to this message,We will hear the voice of God saying exactly what He expects of us as His children......
First,lets look at the way God got there attention....Leviticus 26:3-5
God says;"I've given you a list of Laws that you must keep",First and Foremost..
by observing these Laws,He says "I will Provide" and goes on telling them about all, that He will provide,but only if they "OBEY" these commandments.He also adds this and says "By doing this,You will live securely".
How many of us trust God enough to give everything about this world and our lives to him and let Him provide for you?As this world shows me everyday the countless numbers of crime happening right under our noses and in our own neighborhoods and streets,Who can honestly say they wouldn't like to have that kind of security in there lives not only for youself,but your wife and kids and your whole house,protecting every aspect of our lives?As I see it,Living in a world thats becoming more out of control everyday and knowing that I can't control anything of the world around me but myself,I have to make a dececion for some sort of stability and a solid ground for me and my family because,lets face it,where is this kind of foundation seen in this world?
Secondly...God says;"I will give you "PEACE",even in your sleep!With that kind of peace He says you'll be unafaid of "Anyone".Now thats my kind of rest! I hate going to sleep,worrying about anything but He basicly says that the nothing will harm you as long as we are trusting and obeying Him,even while we sleep!And if you pursue your enemies,that,you will catch them and they will fall before your sword meaning God is our sword when we're under His security and authority.And the last part of this scripture describes how as more of us that are in obedience to Him,there is strength in numbers because God does alot with a little.
Thirdly....God says;"If you will honor me,I will "come close to you" and deal with you on a personal basis even so to show you how He will make you "Productive" in every aspect of your life.Then God reminds them of what He's done for them and He has set them free from anything that tried to bind them and has deliverd them from the very people that tried doing so and now they can walk in the way He designed them to walk from the begining..upright!
So,Now up to this point,we've seen Gods mercy and grace being bestowed upon a people that will one day become a Great Nation of there own not that God didn't allow it but made it apart of His devine intervention to humanity to say..All you have to do is this...And did the people of Israel do it? Well,Now we come to the part thats going to get our attention and this is the part were we see Gods wrath if we are not in obedience with the Laws God has given not only to Israel but to all humanity as well.As I read the other side of this covenant,I want us to listen but also reflect on the very things thats going on in the world today and lets listen for the voice of God....What is He saying to this day and age?.......Read Leviticus 26:14-45
I found this so sobering and comparing it to what I see going on in this day and age that it shakes me to my core for this very country that we live in,founded in and on, Godly principles and ran and ruled only by Gods sheer mercy and grace that he has given his blessing to us as to be called a country at all,then,why are we in the shape we're in now?
If we consider the fact that God looks upon our nation like he does to Israel, then is it possible that the blessings and judgments God places on Israel could also apply to America?
I know that I'm not the only one in this room that doesn't see things getting worst in America. Why crime is up, why things seem to be falling apart,why the weather seems to be changing,time seems to speeding up this day and time?
I believe the answers to these questions and more are found in God’s inspired Word.
The Old Testament is not a book for those that lived long ago, but is still relevant in every word to all of us today.
God told the nation of Israel that if they did not obey is law, love him and serve him that he would pass judgment upon them. I believe that this also holds true for America.
We founded our country on the precepts of God and God holds us accountable for our actions.
So,If we fail to adhere to His word then judgment will come.
It will be up to all of us as a Nation whether or not we want make the determining choice,We can learn from the past or we can continue to make the same mistakes those in the past made.
The decision is ours.We can make a difference and we can change the course,we as a nation,are traveling on.We can simply do it through Scripture,Prayer,and most importantly,walking in faith and trusting in what God has to say to us as a Nation but we have to "be wanting and listening" to hear and exept God's truths about certain issues dealing with his children about sin and disobediance!One of the major issues today is the doctrin being taught this day and time.
As one reads news articles from around the Christian community, it is hard not to notice that many churches and denominations seem to stepping away from "controversial" biblical teachings in favor of a world view version of the bible. This means that tough topics such as homosexuality, abortion, adultery, and going to hell for not acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Savior, are not being discussed, let alone preached about in churches. Moral relativism and congregational entertainment seem to be all the rage. So are we in the period prophesied in the Bible as the "great falling away" of the church; the age of the church apostasy?
We are warned in 1 Timothy 4:1-2:
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron."
And in 2 Timothy 4:1-4:
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Paul is saying that people will move away from a strict teaching of the gospel and begin to substitute other ideas in place of the guidelines and directions God gave to us through Jesus Christ, the apostles and the Word (Bible). These "false teachers" will teach doctrines that are easy to hear and don't cause the congregation to become uncomfortable with their own sin and failure to do God's will. Moral Relativism will become commonplace and in order to maintain their revenue, preachers will teach a "feel good" approach to the scripture, where such things as divorce, adultery, homosexuality, gossip, unwillingness to forgive, strife, jealousy, anger, disputes, and factions are never discussed. Sermons might as well be a seminar of Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits for Highly Effective People" (1) with religious words and phrases added for Christian palatability. No longer do many fellowships ask "what are you willing to do for God" but instead clue in on a feel good "look what God can do for you" message. They reduce the Creator of the Universe, to a short order cook at the window of a drive through. They have a "Hello this God, may I take your order, please?" mentality.
In the last ten years, I have seen this move away from basic Christian doctrine. Pastors now have to entertain and amuse people. Music directors have all but removed traditional Christian music from the service and replaced it with what I have heard called 7-11 music (the same seven words sung eleven times). Sermons capitalize on two or three verses instead entire passages. In a nutshell, the dumbing down of society has walked through the door of the church.
This "dumbing down" philosophy and desire not to offend anyone leaves a church fellowship open to the very things Paul warns us about in first and second Timothy, "for the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear". The desire to accumulate enough revenue for the latest sound system and theatre lighting for the stage, bigger and better buildings, and a new bus with the church logo on it, will skew all but the most determined pastors into "softening up" their messages of salvation. They will avoid the social issues such as homosexuality, adultery, divorce, and other vices that might "hurt someone's feelings" like the plague.
Some denominations take this even further by redefining marriage as being between "two people" instead of between "a man and a woman". They actively support homosexuality, contrary to true Biblical teaching, even appointing them as pastors and bishops.
The Bible and its Truths have truly become minimized to the modern, enlightened church's search for something more "appealing". Something to keep the collection plate dollars rolling in. Something to keep from making people "feel bad". Something "nicer" then that old fashioned message of sin, salvation and hell.
People are not stupid though. Where Satan closes their eyes to the message of hope from Jesus, he opens their eyes to the duplicity of the churches. The people realize that instead of being something different from what they see in the world, churches use the same methods one might use to sell any number of items in a store. "c'mon in, have a cappuccino and a cafe latte while you sit our multimillion dollar "theatre", I mean sanctuary, and watch our pastor spin out those words of peace. Everybody grin now".
Sound far-fetched? You may not believe just how true these words are. They are my words, but they represent actual churches I've seen with my own eyes. Mainstream, supposedly "down to earth" churches. Fallen-away churches?
Maybe not yet, but certainly headed in the right direction.
Time to get back to basics.
The Word of God clearly teaches that in the very Last Days, one of the main SIGNS of the TIMES to look for will be the great FALLING AWAY of those who profess to be Christians. Jesus clearly teaches that in the very Last Days, the lost will become more and more blinded from hearing Biblical truth, because many who claim to be God’s anointed will NOT be preaching the whole truth! Jesus clearly teaches that He will come back one day. However, it will only happen when many within the mainline church stop looking for Him to come (1 Tim 6:3-15, 2 Tim 4:1-8, Rev Ch’s 2-3). Could we be living in that time? “Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the APOSTASY comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come]” (2 Thess 2 :3 Amp, Amos 8:11-12). It appears that many who have eliminated the last days’ message of the soon coming of our Lord from their Sunday sermons have been devastated.
When you push God out of the picture, devastation increases. Jesus said in Luke 21:10-11, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. “There WILL BE great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” Are the worldwide sicknesses and diseases getting better or worse? What about violence and terrorism? Should we be standing up behind the pulpit preaching health, wealth and prosperity? Or should we be preaching fire and brimstone, turn or burn, get right or get left behind (Luke 21:34-36, 1Thess 1:9-10, Rev 3:10-11)?
What is the main purpose of this ALERT? Jesus commands all who claim to be Christians to come out from among the world and to face up to BIBLICAL reality. Unfortunately, there are way too many that claim to be born-again, yet they are being more conformed to the pattern of this world. What does the Word of God say? “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live Holy and Godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with His promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of RIGHTEOUSNESS”(2 Peter 3:10-13).
Current reports show that some of the fundamental Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious groups are getting together to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, which is a major sign of the times. Who is the temple being prepared for? The Middle East countries, one at a time, are rising up against their current leaders and they are getting ready to roll out the red carpet for their long-awaited Messiah, who is about to enter onto the scene.
Remember friends, the true church is supposed to be RESTRAINING the anti-Christ from coming forth. Soon Jesus will take the true restrainer out of the way when He comes (2 Thess 2:1-12). Those who are playing church will be left behind to meet the anti-Christ, face to face (Matt 25:1-13, Rev Ch’s 2-3). The good news is that God will deliver those who have remained faithful in these very Last Days. “They tell how you TURNED to God from idols, to SERVE the living and true God, and to WAIT for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead–Jesus who RESCUES us from the coming wrath (1Thess 1:9-12, Luke 21:34-36, Heb 9:28, 2 Pet 2:1-10, 3:1-12, Rev 3:10-11).
It is the FEAR of the Lord that generates the urgency which will sustain our Christian life, here on earth, while we are eagerly waiting for our Lord to come. “The FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction”(Prov 1:7). “The FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom” (Prov 9:10). “For God has not given me a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2Tim 1:7).
1Corinthians 7:20-24
Each person should remain in the condition he was in when he was called.
Were you a slave when you were called? Well, don’t let it bother you; although if you can gain your freedom, take advantage of the opportunity. For a person who was a slave when he was called is the Lord’s freedman; likewise, someone who was a free man when he was called is a slave of the Messiah. You were bought at a price, so do not become slaves of other human beings. Brothers, let each one remain with God in the condition in which he was called.
Galations 6:7-10
Don’t delude yourselves: no one makes a fool of God! A person reaps what he sows. Those who keep sowing in the field of their old nature, in order to meet its demands, will eventually reap ruin; but those who keep sowing in the field of the Spirit will reap from the Spirit everlasting life. So let us not grow weary of doing what is good; for if we don’t give up, we will in due time reap the harvest. Therefore, as the opportunity arises, let us do what is good to everyone, and especially to the family of those who are trustingly faithful.
