“God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her . . .”
Really?
Does anyone remember when our Federal, State or City leaders indicated their need or desire to seek God’s guidance to steer this nation through the troubled landscape threatening to destroy us?
What will you do in the next three-hundred-sixty-seven hours?
On 9/11, millions fled into churches in the midst of fear, flames, and the fusillade of blood, crying to God for help and healing. But as soon as the fires were extinguished and the blood washed away they said, “Okay, God. We survived. See ya.” And they ran the other way. Again.
Enemies of our Constitution have encouraged and twisted a dichotomy that runs along ethnic, economic, and educational lines in this country. Pitting Americans against each other. America was founded on Judeo/Christian values, one nation, under God. God warns, “a nation divided against itself cannot stand.” We are a nation deeply divided.
“Wait a minute, DiAne. Lose the drama,” some might say. “We’ve always had our differences, but America is the greatest nation on the face of the earth. You’re watching too many of those hotheaded, loud-mouthed newscasters. We’ll get this figured out and everything’s going to be okay.”
Am I seeing boogers-in-the-baseboards? I don’t think so.
I heard a joke the other day that’s too close to truth to be funny. A TV reporter went into a bar and asked a long-tall Texan to state what he thought were two major problems in America. The cowboy replied, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” The reporter slapped him on the back and said, “That’s right, sir.” Too many Americans find themselves standing with the cowboy. Not knowing nor caring enough to educate themselves about the principles of each candidate running for public office, so they can vote responsibly.
The Book of Ezekiel amplifies the similarities between the nation of Judah in 592 B.C. and the United States of America in 2012. And they are frightening.
For hundreds of years God warned His people to obey His Statutes and Ordinances, but they wouldn’t listen. They were stubborn and rebellious, just like us. Rather than heeding the prophets who warned of disaster if the people continued to rebel, these folks said, “We’re His people and Jerusalem is His city. His temple is here. God wouldn’t destroy us.”
In effect they said, I’m okay, you’re okay. If it feels good do it. But God says, “Woe, to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20 NAS).
In 605 B.C. God sent the nation of His own choosing to capture and carry 10,000 of Judah’s finest into captivity. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon would launch three attacks against Judah which would end with killings, razing and burning the temple and the City of Jerusalem in 585 B.C.
In 591 B.C., God gave Ezekiel a list of the choices the Jewish people made that brought His judgment.
Idol worship
Baby killing
Profaning the Sabbath
Sexual sin and perversion
Priests doing violence to His law
No difference between holy and profane
Did not teach difference between unclean and the clean
God was profaned among the priests
False prophets said things God did not say
Treating father and mother lightly
The alien, fatherless and widow oppressed, wronged
Taking bribes to shed blood
Taking interests and profits
Injured neighbors for gain
Forgot and profaned God
Do any of these listed abominations and offenses against God occur in America today?
God asked those Jews a question. “Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong in the days that I will deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken and will act…their way I have brought upon their heads, declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 22 NAS).
Scripture tells us, “God is the same, yesterday and today, yes and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) Are we better than those folks in Jerusalem over two thousand years ago? Will a righteous God judge them and wink at us?
God gave a command to the early church “to occupy until Jesus comes.” This command still applies today. What does occupy mean? What does it look like?
Instead of occupying, we have clustered ourselves within the walls of the church and shut the doors, hoping to keep the pervasive evil from slithering into our midst. But it has. Why? Because we haven’t occupied the land. We haven’t stood firm, upholding the Statutes and Ordinances of the Word of God. We have compromised, unwilling to come apart and be separate—a holy people of God’s own choosing.
There are three-hundred-sixty-seven hours left before Tuesday, November 6th. What will you do with those hours? Pray? Educate yourself according to the Word of God and take a stand? Or will you remain hidden behind the doors of the local church, hoping to survive, just singing louder?
“I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30 NAS).
MOVING THE ANCIENT BOUNDARIES 