As I watch the political picture unfold in America I try so hard to keep my heart and words in check by the Holy Spirit, but I often fail miserably. I do love America after all I gave over 24 years of dedicated, honorable service to her in the U.S. Navy and would do it again if needed, but there must be a separation in my heart and thoughts if I am going to follow the LORD in what He wants for my life. It is hard for Karen also because she too served her country in the U.S. Navy. We both come from military families; service and love for country runs deep and is a part of our make-up and who we are. Now this is true, but it is also true if we place things of the earth (love of family, country, self, etc.) ahead of God and His word (in the end) we will suffer great loss along the way He has for us to go and will never finish what He has for us to do in this life. I will be honest inwardly I struggle in this area in letting go of this world and as the elections draw closer the more I struggle and I see this struggle play out in America. Oh how America has drifted from God! Oh how America has drifted from God’s word! Everything that plagues America is the direct result of her disobedience to God and His word and unless America confesses as a nation (from the President to the common man on main- street) of her waywardness and repents (goes in the opposite direction) of their ungodly life-styles America will be lost. Oh America God is not mocked, yes He is loving and longsuffering, but there is a time when God says enough is enough. “I will cut you down as a sickle threshes the wheat field and throw you into my fire of righteousness and your will be utterly consumed. Repent from your waywardness before it is too late. Yea I come quickly with My sickle in My hand to strike you down, repent before it is too late, turn before it is too late. Yea I come to smite you and to remove your candle stick from the face of the earth,” thus says the LORD. God tells us to have no other gods before Him and our lives are filled with gods that satisfy our fleshly, earthly desires. We go a whoring after pleasure and ease, building bigger barns (churches, ministries, and denominations) and statues to each other while turning our backs on the one true and living God. God tells us to defend the little ones, but we slaughter the unborn by the millions each year and we think God is not angry? Why do we think God turns His head to His word and truth to protect us? Oh my friend He does not. God’s wrath has been kindled against us since the early 70s when we told God we do not want Him in our lives, we want the right to choose over life or death and not him. America’s schools and universities no longer teach education, but have become bastions of ungodly liberalism that shake their fist at God and dare Him to show up. How can we expect anything less when in the 60’s we kicked God and His precious word out of our schools and told Him we need Him no more. Ungodly perversion covers our land: in the written media, on TV and movie screens, on the internet, and in every life-style. The Godly institution of marriage has been striped and voted out by our President and his government while endorsing: lesbianism, sodomites, and every type of ungodly (unspeakable and thinkable) relationship known to man. Our government dithers while religions from around the world desire to put to death America, her people, and our way of life. Businesses in America cheat the customer at best. America’s banking institutions lie and hoard money taking advantage of the little people. Many of our governmental law enforcement agencies are on the take and show no common sense and justice. Sadly our society has dissolved and we think God is not angry with us? America has drifted so far from the Godly principle and standards that once made this country great, but now our greatness is found only in her military might and we even see this dwindle as we watch the U.S. dollar slip away from the place God first established in America. And yet every Sunday we Christians gather together to sing two fast ones and a slow one, pass the plate, hear a good sermon (not a message from God), and blast out to lunch trying to beat the other religions and denominations to the cafeteria. Who are we fooling? The Church has Christian TV star preachers, pastors, and teachers that make millions of dollars and reign over huge empires. We have churches that fill 25,000 plus, yet America is drifting further and further away. Who are we trying to fool? God? Each other? I think not. America is following the pattern and way of Israel in the days of Samuel. The people looked around and saw everyone else had a king for a leader (a Prophet from God was not good enough) so they wanted one. My friend our wants will get us into great trouble. Please be careful with your wants. If God gives you an opportunity to pick something you want take heed and chose Godly. I tell my Christian friends who vote if you vote you better vote what the Bible supports.
In 1 Samuel we find the story of King Saul. Like many Christians he started out correct, but ended by taking his own life. “And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. 3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 7And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.” (1 Samuel 8:1-8) These eight verses truly reflect the moral decay of a nation. Samuel was old (no problem there) and his sons did not walk in his ways. The grass always looks greener on the other side, but when you get your head stuck in the fence you quickly acquire a taste again for the grass in the field God has put you in to flourish. Here like today in America they rejected God and His ways and later we will see God rejects them. Remember, God is to us what we are to Him. Notice when they rejected God they also rejected God’s man and the teaching God’s man shares. Oh do we see this in America today. So Samuel being obedient (the major key of our Christians walk with God), “And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. 11And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. 12And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. 13And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 16And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. 17He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 18And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. 19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;” (1 Samuel 8:10-19) Here in these verses God is sharing what their lives will be under their decision. God always lets us make choices, but with our choices comes consequences, yes I know that is a dirty word, but I also know the word of God. “And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day." Here the LORD turned His back on them. You say Pastor Dave God would not do that, well . . . the word of God says so and I believe it. Still in all of this, “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;” Just like today in America with all of the crime, murder, death, and destruction America (as a nation) still chooses not to obey the voice of God. After all the Supreme Court has passed laws that directly contradict God’s laws, laws that allow man to stick their fist in God’s face and shake it in open rebellion as the people here did. Things got so bad with King Saul God said, “Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, 11It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.” (1 Samuel 15:10-11) Oh to God we would have some sleepless nights in prayer (me too) for our country, but if we spend 10 minutes a day asking for things from God or trying to get God to jump through the hoop for us we think we have done God a major favor. Just think the people knew well in advance what kind of King Saul was going to be. But in the end God had enough of King Saul. And all along the way of Saul’s troubled life his open disobedience to God caused greater and greater troubles for the people. The outcome of our actions and words usually impacts greater in the lives of others than our own. Finally, “Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.” (1 Samuel 31:4) Saul’s armourbearer was smarter than Saul. He knew even though Saul was over in great disobedience he was still God’s anointed and to touch his life would be a great mistake, greater than disobeying the king. Saul started out on the right track, but in the end took his own life and destroyed the nation. Saul’s sad story rings so true today in the lives of many leaders and people.
When will America learn the Bible is words from God almighty and it is always true. When will America learn, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34) The open rebellion of America to God and His words is ever before Him and man. Unless America’s leaders humble themselves, confess of their need for a holy God, and repent of their ungodly ways America is through, I am convinced her best days are behind her. President Obama, our leader, is running for reelection and I will prophesy he will be reelected as President of the United States unless America humbles herself, confesses of her need for a holy God, and repent of her ungodly ways. Now I wish no harm to come to President Obama or anyone in his administration I want salvation to come to them and America, but like Saul President Obama is anointed by God and has been raised up by God as a vessel of dishonor to punish America for her waywardness from God and His words. Righteousness exalts a nation! You cannot be a righteous leader and endorse unrighteousness, we are known by the fruit of our lives and lips. Take heed America: “I will cut you down as a sickle threshes the wheat field and throw you into my fire of righteousness and your will be utterly consumed. Repent from your waywardness before it is too late. Yea I come quickly with My sickle in My hand to strike you down, repent before it is too late, turn before it is too late. Yea I come to smite you and to remove your candle stick from the face of the earth,” thus says the LORD. Written by David Stahl
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