Did you ever read through the books of Kings and Chronicles in the Bible?  These books tell the story of the nation of Israel after the death of Solomon, the third king of Israel.  The kingdom was divided and while Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, reigned in Jerusalem over two of the twelve tribes of Israel, Jeroboam reigned in Samaria over the remaining ten.  Before the close of the Old Testament era, eighteen additional kings would be enthroned in Jerusalem, and nineteen others in Samaria.  With only a few exceptions, the kings of both realms “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord,” building upon the sinful atrocities of their fathers.

  Though the kings of Israel lived in the distant past, it is truly amazing how often their errors are repeated in this modern era.  As in those days, men seem bent on satisfying the appetites of the flesh and escaping the ever watchful eye of God.  Signs of the times abound: societal obsession with illicit sexual encounters, rampant growth and acceptance of homosexuality, the degradation of the God ordained institution of family, the embrace of moral relativism, the mutilation of the bodies of our youth with “cuttings,” studs and rings, etc.  Evil, as it is defined by God, is indeed on the rise.

  As you know, ideas abound in the quick fix department.  Social reform, political manipulation, educational programs and the like, each finds ready advocates from all walks of life, but none of them seem to be working.  Only God knows what would pull us out of this downward spiral, and restore our nation to greatness, and it is not surprising that He nestled His prescription in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.  It is addressed, not to the spiritually depraved, but to those who would deem themselves the people of God.

  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  (2 Chronicles 7:14).

“And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:23-24).”  This was the birth of the family as it has been known since the beginning of time.

  The family is God’s institution for the proliferation of life on earth.  It is the basic building block of society, the blocks by which nations would be formed.  But now, in these unprecedented years of attack, the enemies of the traditional family believe that they have delivered its final, mortal blow.

  Our flesh craves all that is ungodly.  We have adopted the idea that Human Rights take precedence over Human Responsibility.  The enemies of God will not be satisfied until the family is destroyed and it becomes the norm for men to marry men, women to marry women, and either to marry a child, or even an animal.  Sounds ludicrous doesn’t it?  But the same authority that condemns the debauched lifestyle of homosexuality, also warns of the sins that are sure to follow.  The Authority?  We call Him God.

  What can you do to save the family?  Most importantly, you can spend time in prayer for our country.  The Word of God says that your prayers make a difference.  Secondly, you can vote for leaders who will work to maintain the sanctity of the biblically defined family in writing our laws.

  Perhaps you are homosexual and this article angers you.  Please understand that I am not against you, and do not consider myself better than you in any way.  But the lifestyle that you have chosen will destroy you and is changing the sociological landscape of our nation.  God calls homosexuality sin, and sin nailed His Son, Jesus Christ, to the cross.  He loves you and wants you to come to Him by faith and receive forgiveness and unprecedented peace.  God help you to be bold enough to look into His great love.  I would count it a privilege to help you discover this new path.

Profile Of A Willful Unbeliever

  During Jesus’ life on earth, He was confronted by religious leaders who had resolved not to believe that He was sent from God, no matter what He said or did.  You might say they were willful unbelievers.  Jesus told them, “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Matthew 12:34).”  In other words, what you say reveals the content of your heart. In light of this truth, we are able to profile the willful unbeliever by examining what they have said.  John the Apostle records many of their words:

• Willful unbelievers continually seek a supernatural sign or proof that Jesus is God’s Son and the Bible is His Word.  (John 2:18-21)
• Willful unbelievers refuse to look, listen or even think of anything outside of the realm of the physical.  (John 6:51-52)
• Willful unbelievers have no spiritual perception (John. 7:15-17)
• Willful unbelievers are fixed on the temporal things of this world. (John 7:31-36)
• Willful unbelievers judge others, but refuse to judge themselves. (John 8:5-7)
• Willful unbelievers measure truth by their own opinions rather than the Word of God. (John 8:13-14)
• Willful unbelievers reject the claims of Jesus. (John 8:22-25)
• Willful unbelievers trust in their moral heritage and good works to make them acceptable with God. (John 8:33,39)
• Willful unbelievers dismiss undeniable proofs found in the Bible that Jesus is who He claims to be. (John 10:19-33)
• Willful unbelievers incriminate and condemn themselves by their own words. (John 11:47-52)

   Paul writes of the unbeliever, Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. (Titus 1:15). 

  Just this morning the story was conveyed to me of a husband and wife who were traveling down a local highway when they noticed smoke billowing out from under the car in front of them.  As the smoke turned to flames, the husband knew that if he did not do something quickly, the unsuspecting driver would be consumed by the flames.   Finally, when it seemed that time for rescue had elapsed, the car left the road, came to a stop, and was quickly engulfed in flames.  As the terrified couple looked on, the husband, without regard for his own life, decided to enter the burning vehicle and pull its now unresponsive driver to safety.  Because of the smoke and heat the effort seemed hopeless, but after the third attempt the woman was heroically delivered from a fiery demise.  The story, as it was told to me, contains every element of a newsworthy event, but there is more.  One other detail causes us to look beyond the good fortune of the unsuspecting victim and the heroic act of her deliverer to catch a glimpse of the merciful hand of God.  Neither the rescued nor her deliverer received serious injury in the incident!

  There will be those who attribute this successful rescue to good luck rather than the intervention of the Almighty, but those of us who know God personally know that, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above… (James 1:17).

  According to the Bible, because of our sin, we are all separated from God and condemned to eternal flames that were intended for the devil and his angels.  But God, because of His great mercy has taken the penalty for our sin upon Himself.  Jesus Christ, without regard for His own life, took your place in judgment to purchase your pardon and rescue you from eternal ruin.  He died, was buried and rose from the dead to satisfy God’s just requirement for your sin.  And now, …as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12).  Because of Christ, your story can have a happy ending too!

  Almost every day there is some global event that causes me to think of God’s prophetic calendar as revealed in the Bible.  For centuries the world did not seem primed for the cataclysmic happenings that God has ordained for the last days, but now the stage seems set.  Though we cannot know the day and hour in which the final act will begin (1Thessalonians 5:2), we can exercise discernment as to the season in which we live (1Timothy 4:1-2; 2Timothy 3:1-9; 1John 2:18; Jude 18; 2Peter 3:3-10; Luke 17:26-37).

  According to the Bible, the next event leading up to the end of earth as we know it, will be the “catching away” of God’s saints.  At this event (the Rapture), deceased Christians will be raised from the dead to join living believers, and all will be gathered unto the Lord.  The world will view it as a strange disappearance of thousands (1Thessalonians 4:13-18).

  Seven years of judgment will then be poured out upon the earth in ways that are unprecedented in human history.  (Matthew 24:21-28; Revelation 4-19).  Many will turn to the Lord, but most will despise Him.

  Following the seven year period of judgment, the Lord Jesus Christ will come and set up His promised kingdom.  With all of the raptured saints by His side, He will reign as the King of kings for 1000 years (Matthew 24:25-31; Revelation 19-20).

  Lastly, the King will judge those from all ages who have rejected Him.  Condemned at the Great White Throne Judgment (Matthew 20:11-15), they will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Matthew 25:41).  The world will be destroyed and a new world created in which believers from all ages will dwell with God forever.  We call it Heaven (Revelation 21-22).

  My friend, this may all sound like a fairy tale to you, but consider the already fulfilled prophecy of the Bible and you will see how foolish it is to doubt the Word of God.  You need to be ready.  “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1John 5:12).”