Don’t you just hate to open your telephone or electric bill with all those pages of fine print? Do you read all the information or do you go to the bottom line—the amount you owe? Who takes the time to scan all the blah-blah-blah? Just pay ’em and get on to the next chore, right?
Well, that’s what hubs has done for the past year with our phone bill. Trusting AT&T to be right, he detached the payment tab at the bottom of the bill, wrote his check, and ba-ta-bing, he was done. At least ’til this past month when there was no payment tab.
We left for a few days’ vacation and while I drove, he attempted to make the phone payment, but couldn’t get past that infuriating auto response system.
Next morning, he pulled out the bill and asked, “How about seeing if you can get through to them.” I took the bill, scanned the small print, and noticed two phone numbers—one mine, the other one—not a clue.
“Do you have a phone I don’t know about?” My tone and words snagged caustic.
He glared at me with that what are you talking about now expression God slips into all men’s gene pool.
After more than an hour of aggravation, the Fraud Department identified it as an IPad number that we allegedly purchased when I bought a new cell phone last year. This fraud agent said I purchased this electronic gadget, I assured her I didn’t, and my original purchase bill confirmed what I said. But her verdict remained firm. No do overs, no refund. We owed the bill because we hadn’t read the fine print. Even though—Now it was too late and the conversation didn’t end well.
Almost four thousand years ago God gave the children of Israel the fine print of His everlasting covenant with them. One group of priests stood on Mount Gerizim and spoke the blessings of the Lord over His people of Israel as they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land—if they obeyed.
But a second group of priests stood on Mount Ebal and recited the curses that were sure to follow if they didn’t obey all the words of the law engraved on stones coated with lime.
Our amazing and merciful God however, gave them opportunity, after opportunity, after opportunity, to straighten up and fly right. But they refused, choosing instead to depend on the priests to give them the bottom line. Trusting the priests were conveying truth.
The priesthood became so corrupt that by 931 B.C. this great nation of God’s people was so divided they split into two nations—The Northern Kingdom, Israel—and the Southern Kingdom, Judah.
The Northern Kingdom had no God fearing kings and by 722 B.C. God sent the nation of Assyria to take them captive into a foreign land where their captors disseminated them among their nation.
The Southern Kingdom had a few God fearing kings, but by 640 B.C. the Word of God had disappeared from the Temple. Their priests were teaching the people with their perverted word. But the eight-year-old son of evil King Manasseh became king after his father’s death. And the boy, King Josiah, loved the Lord God and ripped down the idol worship and ordered the cleansing of the Temple. And the priests found The Word of God buried in the rubble of seeking only the bottom line.
The Southern Kingdom by this time was so divided that God, by the nature of His righteousness and goodness, had to judge them. King Josiah’s son was an evil rascal, and so were his brothers, and the people eagerly continued their cheating, lies, and idolatry while pretending to worship God.
Back in 1400 B.C. God warned them, in Deuteronomy 28:49-53, what would happen and in 605 B.C., because of their forsaking God and trusting empty things they made with their own hands, God sent the nation of Babylon to carry Judah into captivity.
We know from history and the Word neither Israel or Judah bothered with learning and obeying the fine print of God’s Words and the warnings of Deuteronomy became judgments. It was too late and things didn’t end well for Israel or Judah.
Today, September 26, 2016, we still struggle with learning, obeying, and practicing God’s absolute truth and like Ancient Israel, America has forsaken the God of her fathers. We are a deeply divided nation. A nation who serves gods made with our own hands. A nation who, even in the midst of great natural disasters and murderous revolts, stiffens her back, rejects the God of our Fathers, and refuses to return to the truth of the fine print of God’s Word.
In less than two months Americans are facing a clear choice. The choice between a candidate who believes in and supports the murder of unborn babies in the womb of their mothers. A candidate who believes in and supports destroying the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. A candidate who believes in globalism. Socialism. A liar, a cheat, and a candidate who has no record of having done anything to help or support America or its citizens during the course of this career. On what grounds do you trust that candidate with your future? Have you read the fine print of this person’s history? A candidate who will continue leading our nation down the dangerous spiral forsaking the Lord our God.
The other choice? An unproven candidate in the political arena, but isn’t that why he won the primary? A candidate who is not a globalist, nor an abortionist, nor a believer or supporter of same sex marriage. A candidate who we have seen praying and being prayed for, who professes to be a new believer. Is he perfect? By no means. But does God use imperfect people? We all know the answer to that question.
Their differences are distinct. Could God be giving us a deliberate, definitive choice?
No political party or candidate can repair the damage we have allowed to rip our country apart and steal the hearts and minds of our children. I can say with great certainty, according to the Word of God, if His people don’t get very serious, very fast, about seeking, learning, and obeying the fine print of the complete Word of God, and return to the Lord God Almighty, naming and forsaking our sins before Him, it will be too late and things will not end well for America either.
“Shall I not punish these people? declares the Lord. On a nation such as this shall I not avenge Myself? An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so!
But what will you do at the end of it?” (Jeremiah 5:29-31 NAS).
MOVING THE ANCIENT BOUNDARIES 