We would not be where we are today without the Lord’s providential guidance, protection, provision, and power. We fully believe when we follow His will in His way (and wait on His timing), He takes full responsibility for the outcome of His sovereign plan. As President John Quincy Adams famously said, “Duty is ours. Results are God’s.”

This audiobook has been produced as a free ministry resource for LivingStrategically.com.

Timestamps & Appendix

Chapter 1: Waiting for a Miracle 0:04:30
Chapter 2: Exposing Darkness 0:15:15
Chapter 3: Seeking Justice 0:35:17
Chapter 4: Dwelling in the Wilderness 0:51:51
Chapter 5: Hope Deferred 1:13:18
Chapter 6: An Unexpected Plot Twist 1:29:13
Chapter 7: God’s Resurrection Power 1:54:28

Click here to download the appendix PDF with additional resources for your wilderness journey.

“What is truth?” Pilate asked his prisoner, and he was certainly asking the right person. The world’s greatest Teacher of truth—the very embodiment of God’s truth in the world—stood before him as the defendant. Truth was on trial, but the judge didn’t know what truth was.

Pilate’s famous inquiry is the same question that has perplexed the world from the fall of man all the way to the age of fake news. What is truth? Some people, like Pilate, ask it in contempt or disillusionment, while others are sincere truth seekers. In this post, we’re taking a look at five traits of people who put truth at the top of their priority list.

Know the Source of Truth vs. the Source of Lies

If you want to seek the truth, you have to know where to find it.

The Gospel of John records ten times that Jesus spoke about truth in His last few hours with His disciples, between the Passover supper and His betrayal and arrest. Perhaps most critically, He tells His followers where to find the source of truth: in Him, in the Father, in the Holy Spirit (the “Spirit of truth”), and in the Word of God (John 14-17).

In your search for truth, you also have to deal with “untruths”: lies, deception, and everything false. Jesus identified the source of falsehood when he confronted the corrupt Pharisees:

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44, NASB

Satan was the source behind the lies of the Pharisees and is still the ultimate source of falsehood in our world today.

Study the Truth

If your third-grade teacher made you memorize the multiplication tables, then you know without thinking that 7 x 7 = 49. A truth seeker takes the same approach to the truth, studying until it is second nature, ingrained in the heart and mind.

The foundation of this study should always be the Word of God:

“The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” Psalm 119:160, NKJV

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God…accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15, NASB

“We keep asking God that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding— to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9b-10, TLV

Patrick Morley, author of The Man in the Mirror¹, asks, “How many of us have carefully chiseled our life view by a search for truth? Or, is our life view more the product of our environment and circumstances?”

A truth seeker will build on their biblical foundation by examining every fact and event in relation to Scripture. Over time, they develop a Christian “life view” that allows them to be discerning and act in accordance with God’s truth, even in areas that are not specifically addressed in the Bible.

For example, we can know something true about the existence of fossils or the structure of DNA. But what do these facts mean? Do they confirm the account of a global flood and show the genius of an intelligent Creator, or do they prove that we evolved from a primordial ooze over the course of billions of years? A true fact can point to a bigger truth or it can be manipulated to tell a complete lie, and that is why a truth seeker must remember that anything true will be consistent with God’s Word.

Know the Signs of the Times

The “end times” started in the first century AD. The apostles considered themselves to be living in the end times, which biblically means the period of the new covenant leading up to the second coming of Jesus. With the prophetic fulfillment of Israel once again becoming a nation and the Jewish people returning to their homeland, we are seeing signs that we are nearing the end of the end times. (Check out this article for a list of biblical signposts that can help us identify where we are on the biblical, prophetic roadmap.)

The Bible tells us the end times is an age of deception, where many false prophets and evil men arise and mislead many (Matt. 24:11 and 2 Tim. 3:13). We are called to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1) and be bold for the things of God. This is a time to be led by the Spirit of truth, who will “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

The Bible paints what appears to be a bleak picture for truth in the end times:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:3-5, NKJV

That last sentence is the key for truth seekers. Though there are forces of evil at work, the bottom line is that we are called to fulfill our ministry. And how do we do that? Stay alert and be aware of the deceptions in the world, so that we will not get caught up in them.

Speak the Truth

Knowing the truth is important but it doesn’t do you any good unless you act on it. A person who is a truth seeker should also have the courage to be a truth speaker. Sometimes that is an incredibly difficult thing to do. The people that need to hear the truth the most are usually the people who want to hear it the least, but if we truly love our neighbor then we can do nothing less than speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:14-15).

Author and pastor Rick Warren has said, “Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”

When speaking the truth, we must remember that we cannot control whether our neighbor believes the truth. We may be called to be a witness but the rest is between them and God.

Defend the Truth

Once you know, study, and are willing to speak the truth…you have to be ready to defend the truth. It says in 1 Peter 3:15, “…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence…” (NASB).

This defense could entail sharing your faith with someone you don’t expect to be receptive. It could mean risking a friendship because you won’t go along with the crowd. It may even require you to risk your job because you won’t tolerate corruption. Whatever the situation, a truth seeker will obey God’s truth even when it costs them to do so.

When these types of situations arise, the Apostle Peter gives us this encouragement:

“Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled.” 1 Peter 3:13-14, NASB

The truth is that God’s children have nothing to fear, because His blessing is greater than any threat the world can devise. That truth opens the door to the kind of life that God intended for his people, a life of freedom. As Jesus proclaims, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” John 8:32, NKJV.

¹ The Man in the Mirror written by Patrick Morley and published by Zondervan in 1997, updated in 2014.

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Article originally published July 2019. Updated August 2024.

When we study Scripture, we gain a better understanding of God’s heart in this matter. We see that God delights in love, justice, truth, and righteousness (Jeremiah 9:24). And because He alone knows the hearts and minds of mankind, He always judges rightly (1 Kings 8:39).

When we as humans take issue with God’s approach to justice, it usually means we need to gain a better understanding of three things: God’s standard, God’s timing, and God’s objective.

God’s Standard

Notice that the Bible always divides people into two groups, the righteous and the wicked, based on those who serve God and those who do not (Malachi 3:18 and Matthew 25:31-33). In regards to holiness, Jesus uses this metaphor of fruit trees to show the simplicity of His perspective.

“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luke 6:43-45)

Most of us do not see ourselves or others in such black and white terms — partly because we do not have God’s insight into the true nature of each person’s heart and mind, but more importantly because we often do not understand righteousness.

God’s standard of righteousness is complete, absolute perfection, which no person can attain in their own power. Instead, it comes through faith, like Abraham who “believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). We believe in God’s free gift of salvation and it changes the way that we live our lives, and it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to produce good fruit. This allows God to maintain His standard of holiness without condemning every human to eternal punishment, and at the same time, it allows our actions on this earth to have a meaningful effect on eternity.

Each one of us will give an account to the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ, and we will be recompensed for the way we spent our lives while on earth (2 Corinthians 5:10). Revelation 2:23 tells us, “I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.” We also read in Jeremiah 32 that God is “great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jeremiah 32:19).

Those who have produced good fruit will be given a resurrection of eternal life, but those who have done evil and rebelled against the truth will be given a resurrection of judgment and wrath (John 5:28-29 and Romans 2:5-8).

So if God’s standard divides all humanity into the righteous and wicked categories, then why does He need the prophesied events of the end times to happen? Why not just stop the clock right now?

God’s Timing

The first thing that we need to understand about God’s timing is that God’s perspective on time is always longer than ours. He has existed from eternity past and He sees into eternity future, so it only makes sense that He does not see a year, decade, century, or even a millennium as a very long time. This can feel frustrating when we are waiting on God to act, but it actually works to our advantage. Psalm 103:8 tells us, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.”

The second thing we must realize is that God’s timing always follows the principle of sowing and reaping. The Bible describes righteousness and wickedness as two harvests, which will not be gathered until they have reached full maturity (Matthew 3:8-12 and Revelation 14:14-19). The longer a righteous person lives, the more time they have to produce good fruit. The longer a wicked person lives, the more thoroughly they earn their coming judgment. This is even more true on the global scale than it is on a personal scale.

When Jesus returns, He will utterly defeat the forces of evil at the height of their power, and pour out His wrath on the nations and peoples that do not know or worship Him (Jeremiah 10:25). If He returned before the appointed time, it would diminish the glory of His victory. Likewise, when Jesus returns, He will find His own people fully refined, purged, and purified by the fires of tribulation (Daniel 11:32-35), and if He rescued them early He would deprive them of the full measure of their reward.

In short, God has designed His story of redemption to reach a perfectly-timed righteous crescendo. If He dealt with every turn of events in a piecemeal fashion, the kingdom of Heaven would trickle in rather than arriving with a bang!

God’s Objective

God’s objective, in a single word, is salvation. I Timothy 2:4 says that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Peter underscores the connection between God’s objective and His timing when he writes, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

As long as a wicked person is alive on earth, he still has the opportunity to repent. “‘Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,’ declares the Lord God, ‘rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?'” (Ezekiel 18:23, see also 33:11). God may intervene with discipline in a person’s life, “striking but healing; so they will return to the Lord” (Isaiah 19:22). Until that person’s last breath, God is extending the offer of eternal salvation while also allowing the free will to choose life or death.

Let’s return to our original question: Is God too permissive today, or too severe at the end of the age? In truth, He is neither. As pastor Charles Stanley says, “He tempers His justice with grace.”¹ Only God has the wisdom to balance His standard of righteousness with His desire to save. If that balance ever looks off from our point of view, we can rest assured that the error is in our human perspective. God’s ways are perfect, and trusting them will always be in our best interest.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)

¹ The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Daily Bible, NASB, page 354.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing
but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Matthew 7:15 (NASB)

Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the eastern side of the Temple in Jerusalem. Soon His disciples would witness His crucifixion and three days later His resurrection, and the completion of numerous prophesies from the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible).

The disciples used the remaining time with their Rabbi to ask for details about something that had been weighing on their minds and hearts, longing to know more of “the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus was very generous in His reply, detailing events that would kick start His second coming as Judge and King.

We can now look back, almost two thousand years later, and realize that Jesus was really giving us instruction on how to discern the times of the end. And one of His first warnings is to beware of deception.

• “And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will mislead many.'” Matthew 24:4-5
• “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” Matthew 24:11
• “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance.” Matthew 24:24-25

False Christs and false prophets are a prerequisite to Jesus coming on the clouds at His second coming. So how do we prepare, standing ready to test the spirits and discern the truth?

Guided by Scripture

“But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit,
and who trembles at My word.” Isaiah 66:2b

In times of apostasy the culture goes from bad to worse. Such a time happened in the prophet Jeremiah’s day.

Leading up to the exile in 586 BC, Israel had numerous false prophets telling the people what they wanted to hear — that God would overlook their idol worship, child sacrifice, and wicked hearts. God called the false prophecies appalling and horrible. He warned, “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 5:31)

Jeremiah had his work cut out for him, faithfully proclaiming the truth that the Lord told him to proclaim, amongst so many false prophets. We read in Jeremiah 14:13-15:

But, “Ah, Lord God!” I said, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”
Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility, and the deception of their own minds. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them—yet they keep saying, ‘There will be no sword or famine in this land’—by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end! Jeremiah 14:13-15

God declared that the very thing the false prophets said would not happen would be how they meet their own end, “for I will pour out their own wickedness on them” (Jeremiah 14:16).

Those who faithfully studied God’s Word in Jeremiah’s time knew sound doctrine and how God defines apostasy, and could therefore discern right from wrong. But we are told the majority had abandoned God’s Word. “To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed and they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the Lord has become a reproach to them; they have no delight in it” (Jeremiah 6:10).

The majority had also forsaken the God of their forefathers to the point that they no longer knew the Lord Almighty. Out of His great love, God would send judgment in an attempt to bring them back into relationship with Him.

• “I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.” Jeremiah 1:16
• “Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts lodge within you?” Jeremiah 4:14
• “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and remove the foreskins of your heart, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or else My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.” Jeremiah 4:4

The progression of falling away from God started with forsaking His Word, then turning to other gods. Ultimately, the apostasy led to the destruction of the nation.

Detect the Counterfeit

The best prevention for spiritual deception is a pure and devoted relationship with the Lord. When we walk close with Jesus, we know His character, His love, and His commands. So the next time you come across a new teaching or “authority figure” that says something that sends your spirit a warning, be like the Bereans who “…received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). If it doesn’t line up with God’s Word, then it’s a false teaching, no matter how much it tickles the ears!

By strengthening our faith muscles now, we’ll stand ready to discern the truth as the days get darker. Now more than ever we must be living in close fellowship with the Lord and taking in His Word daily.

All Scripture taken from New American Standard Bible, 1995 version. Photo credit: Kevin Carden, Lightstock.com.

Famine was in the land of Samaria. It got so bad that the citizens started eating their children. It’s hard to even fathom such a desperate situation! One citizen cried out to the king for help but he replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I find help for you?” And again he said, “Surely this calamity is from the Lord.”

The historical account from II Kings 6:24-33 is very humbling to read. It appears to have started when the enemy besieged Samaria, cutting off the food supply, which lead to inflation, famine, and starving citizens. But in reality, the root cause had been going on for generations.

Abandoning the Lord

For decades, since the reign of King Solomon, the people of Israel had been slowly replacing worship of the One True God with pagan worship and sacrificing to false gods. They sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, even to the point of killing His prophets and performing child sacrifices. Finally, the Lord had declared disaster on the people. Viewing things from a human perspective, we might consider this a harsh punishment. However, God had warned the nation of Israel that He is a jealous God and would not tolerate false religions or other gods. He was now returning their evil on their own heads.

Around one hundred years before the famine hit Samaria, King Solomon dedicated the (first) Temple in Jerusalem unto Jehovah. We read the account in I Kings 8 and verses 31-40 are especially prophetic of the events to come for Israel:

“When anyone sins against his neighbor…then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel…”

The next few verses list the consequences for sinning against the Lord, which include drought, famine, pestilence, enemy attack, plague, sickness, etc.

Applying this passage to modern-day events, one can understand why many Christians asked if the recent plague of Covid-19 was from the Lord. Of course, based on this passage, it could also apply for food shortages, inflation, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, political unrest, etc. Most definitely, God sends judgment when His people of covenant turn their hearts from Him.

God’s Consequences

In the very next chapter, we read the Lord’s reply to Solomon’s prayer. He confirms the consequences that follow when a nation that has been established by God forsakes the Lord.

“And the Lord said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness…then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever…’” (I Kings 9:3-4)

“But if you or your sons at all turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss, and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore the Lord has brought all this calamity on them.’ ” (I Kings 9:6-9)

The Lord clearly laid out the requirements for blessing and the consequences of forsaking. It was up to the people to remain faithful and keep their hearts pure before the Lord.

The Power of Prayer

Another time when God’s hand was turned against His people, due to the sin of Solomon’s father towards the end of his reign, David cried out to the Lord for mercy.

“And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.'”

The story goes on to say, “So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.” (II Samuel 24)

Through prayer and repentance the plague was stopped. America would be wise to follow the example of King David’s humble repentance. Our nation must turn back to God and repent of our abandoning His ways. We were founded as “one nation under God” and our forefathers entered a covenant relationship with the Lord. Across this land we have forsaken the Lord, from the church pews to the government buildings. God is our only hope for salvation, both eternal and from the consequences of sin. Both require heartfelt repentance and a turning away from sin.

In the words of the prophet Elijah, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him…” (I Kings 18:21)

All Scripture passages taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.

A Sick Heart & Mind

From a human perspective, it’s easy to focus on “this wicked generation” and blame them for the evil of our day. However, when we view things through the lens of Scripture, we see that revival begins in the hearts of God’s people.

“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:9-10

“[If] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

In Jesus’ short time of ministry on earth, He spent just as much time seeking the lost as He did rebuking the religious hypocrites who appeared to follow all of the Law but on the inside needed heart transformations. In Mark 7, we read, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.'”

One of Jesus’ priorities during Passion Week (in the final days leading up to the cross) was cleaning out the Temple from corrupt “church attendees” who had turned God’s House into a robber’s den (Mark 11:15-17). We get a glimpse at how depraved the religious leaders had become in verse 18. This ultimate “come-to-Jesus meeting” caused them to seek how to destroy the Son of God!

How did these ungodly people get so out of control? They compromised on the Word of God, first in small ways under the surface, which grew and grew into an evil and corrupt generation that completely rejected God’s ways. And it all started with the people who filled the pulpits and the pews.

The Holy & the Profane

A pastor once stated, “If the pulpit is weak, the church will be weak. If the church is weak, righteousness will fail, and so will the nation. As goes the church, so goes the country.” That’s exactly the pattern we see in the Old Testament, where priests were commissioned by God to lead the people in His holy ways and obey God in all areas of life. It didn’t take long before the religious leaders failed at their tasks.

“Moreover, they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” Ezekiel 44:23

“Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.” Ezekiel 22:26

In the New Testament, God’s children are called a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s own possession. Similarly to the Temple priests, we have been called to proclaim the excellencies of the Almighty.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God…” 1 Peter 2:9-10a

“Therefore I [Paul], the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…” Ephesians 4:1

Pastor and author Jonathan Cahn says, “To fulfill your calling you have to be separate from that which is not your calling.” There is no room in a Christian’s life for the things of darkness and disobedience to God. We must walk in a manner worthy of our calling.

Holy Vessels in a Wicked Generation

Ultimately, if we allow sin into our lives, we are profaning the name of the Lord. We damage our testimony when we don’t hold to the high standard that God has set for His children. God tells us in Leviticus 11:44, “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” He goes on to say that part of being consecrated is keeping His commandments.

“You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” Leviticus 20:7-8

Just as the Temple priests and religious leaders needed a heart change, we need to turn from anything ungodly that we have allowed into our lives. A heart that truly delights in God is one that follows God’s will. God is looking for Christ-followers who show their devotion through obedience, in a world that is running in rebellion away from the ways of God.

A key to obedience is spending time with God. When we take in God’s Word each day, we learn about God’s holy character. When we spend time in prayer each day, our hearts are drawn to repent and turn from anything that would defile us. Pastor and author Charles Stanley has said, “It is both a great privilege and an enormous responsibility to belong to the Lord. We cannot have an intimate relationship with God without reflecting His holiness, and intimacy with Him is our highest calling.”

Now is the time to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and commit to a life of obedience. We have been set apart as a distinct people, who must remain faithful to His call, His commands, and His character.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 1:24-25

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8 (NASB)

There are two conflicting belief systems in this world, God’s ways and man’s ways. The way of the Spirit or the way of the flesh. Christianity versus secular humanism and false religion. The godly versus the worldly. There is no neutral ground.

God’s Word promises that those who sow godliness will reap bountiful blessings. However, it also says that the ungodly will reap consequences for their sins. Those can be natural consequences, such as losing someone’s trust if you lie to them. Or, God may intervene, as a loving heavenly Father, and stop you in your sins before they hurt you or others.

Those who bear good fruit are those who do the will of God, and they will reap eternal life. And those who do not bear good fruit, those who reject and rebel against the ways of God, are headed for eternal death.

“So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” Matthew 7:17-21

When you trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then a transformation of your heart and actions takes place. You turn from the deeds of your past and instead desire to please God in all your ways. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you are no longer in bondage to the desires of your flesh or the temptations of this world. You start to bear good fruit and, as a result, will see God’s favor on your life.

When Jesus Christ returns at the end of days, He will judge all the inhabitants of earth on account of the fruit of their deeds. The Righteous Judge, who examines our minds and hearts, will separate the righteous from the wicked — separating His children from those who never knew Him.

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man
according to what he has done.” Revelation 22:12

“For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you.
Your dealings will return on your own head.” Obadiah 1:15

You may feel like a “pretty good” person, but God’s standard is complete holiness. The Bible tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Truth be told…we have all sinned. But there is hope. Because the Bible goes on to say, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Those who sincerely give their life to God are promised eternal salvation. And when the days of divine retribution come, you will have nothing to fear, for Jesus paid the price for all your sins on the cross. Oh, what a gift of amazing grace! All you have to do is receive His gift of salvation. (You can learn more about God’s gift of salvation at this link.)

We are not promised tomorrow, so today is the day to make things right with God. Today is the day to chose eternal life. When you’re ready, pray this prayer to the Lord.

Oh Lord, I admit I am a sinner. I need Your forgiveness. I accept Your death on the cross as the penalty for my sin, and recognize that Your mercy and grace is a gift that You offer to me because of Your great love, not based on anything I have done. By faith I receive You into my life as my Lord and Savior. From this day on, help me to honor You in all things. Amen.

Now you have assurance in Christ Jesus. The Bible tells us, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

The next step is to live out your faith and bear good fruit. Go tell others about the best gift that you’ve ever received. When you live separate from the world, seeking after the things of God, it won’t be easy. But God will be there by your side as you fight the good fight of faith.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.” Matthew 16:24-27 (NASB)

How do you fix a broken nation?

Add another government program? More economic stimulus? Elect a different president?

Humanistic thinking could easily lead you to any of these conclusions. America has certainly tried time and time again. But have you noticed that it never works? No man-made solution has ever been able to solve the root problem.

Oddly enough, there is a solution that will get to the heart of every issue. It is not a secret, nor is it complicated or expensive. It has been in front of us our entire lives, but in recent generations it has not been applied on a national level.

In fact, the one solution that can fix this broken nation is the solution that Americans (as a whole) appear to be most unwilling to try.

The reason man-made solutions have not worked is because they apply social, economic, and political solutions to a spiritual problem. To solve a spiritual problem, you need a spiritual solution.

The Pledge

In 1954, President Eisenhower felt that an important ingredient was missing from the United States pledge of allegiance. At his prompting, Congress added the words “under God”, giving us the final version of the pledge that we use today.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

At the time, few Americans would have disagreed with the idea that we are a nation under God. And yet, there were major cultural changes that were advancing under the surface and eroding the truth of the newly updated pledge.

Fast forward three or four generations and the turmoil is no longer under the surface, to say the least. It may be more accurate to say one nation in rebellion against God.

The Solution

The ancient nation of Israel experienced a similar rebellion against God. At the height of Israel’s glory, the dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem, God already knew about the fall that would come and He gave King Solomon the solution:

Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  2 Chronicles 7:11-14 (NKJV)

The solution that will bring God’s healing on our land is for God’s people to humble themselves, pray and seek God, and turn from their wicked ways.

Just as judgment begins with the household of God (I Peter 4:17), so does healing. And it starts with humility. In the age of Covid, there’s been a lot of talk about immunity but if there’s one thing to which America has immunity, it is humility.

Going Astray

Like the ancient nation of Israel, America started out by dedicating itself to God. Our forefathers made a covenant with God Almighty that we would follow His commands and stand apart from other nations. Now, our nation looks much like Israel in the time of Ezekiel, when God declared He would judge the nation according to their ways and bring all their abominations upon them.

In Ezekiel, Israel is described as:

• trusting in their silver and gold
• acquiring dishonest gain
• God’s blessings turned into a source of pride rather than gratitude
• the people began to idolize their abominations and detestable things
• the land was full of bloody crimes
• the city was full of violence

And still greater abominations are described as:

• the elders were corrupt and apostate
• false prophets were giving false visions
• the priest profaned the holy items of the Temple
• the very house of God was filled with the worship of idols
• God’s name was being profaned among the nations because of Israel’s sins
• and most heartbreaking of all, the people were sacrificing their children to idols

God describes the sons of Israel as rebellious, disobedient, stubborn, and obstinate. And a people who provoked the Lord repeatedly. All of these indictments apply equally to current-day America.

Humbly Depending on Him

Even amongst a wicked and perverse generation, God’s people can shine as beacons of truth in the darkness.

First and foremost, we must make no provision for sin in our lives. In order to glorify God, the Bible tells us that the righteous must wholeheartedly obey His commands with reverence. Isaiah 66:2 says, “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

God’s children are also called to “groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in [their] midst” (Ezekiel 9:4). And how can we not do this, if we have any moral fiber in our beings? We should be like Daniel, crying out on behalf of his nation, confessing their rebellion against God, and seeking restoration for God’s name sake (Daniel 9).

Finally, we must stand as watchmen who warn our fellow man to repent and turn back to God. We must lovingly speak truth amongst cultural lies, without being frightened by any fear and leaving the consequences in God’s hands. Doing so may not win us any popularity contests with the world, but we should be far more concerned with God’s opinion of us.

The Lord told Ezekiel, “According to their conduct I will deal with them, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 7:27b)

The choice is clear: we either walk in rebellion against God or humbly depend on Him. There is no middle ground.

Reckoning for Sin

In Daniel’s time, King Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of the world’s top super power—Babylon. Not surprisingly, he had an issue with pride and failed to recognize the one true God as ruler of all. God, in His mercy, decided to teach Nebuchadnezzar a lesson and humble him by taking away his mental faculties and causing him to live like an animal. God told him this would continue “until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes” (Daniel 4:25). It took seven long years, but Nebuchadnezzar did finally repent and acknowledge God’s sovereignty over the nations.

Today, America is the world’s top super power and struggles with the same rebellious pride against God. Would it not be highly inconsistent if the Lord turned a blind eye to our abominations? There are countless examples in Scripture of God bringing judgment on a nation, and we’ve already seen the same patterns beginning to take place in our time. God’s judgment is not merely vindictive; a loving Father uses discipline and correction for our own good, to protect us.

For a nation like America which has claimed the Lord as our God from our founding, there is another dynamic, which is that the Lord will not allow His name to be profaned indefinitely. Unless America turns back to God, we can expect a reckoning. He will judge us according to our conduct, as He told the children of Israel.

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord God. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.” Ezekiel 18:30-32 (NASB)

God is calling to America. Repentance is still an option, but not indefinitely. Humility can turn away wrath, but we are fast approaching the point of no return.

If America does not repent, the watchman’s cry of warning will soon become a cry of mourning.

“As for you, son of man, groan with a breaking heart and bitter grief; you shall groan in their sight. And when they say to you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news, for it is coming; and every heart will melt, all hands will go limp, every spirit will be disheartened, and all knees will drip with water. Behold, it is coming and it will happen,’ declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 21:6-7 (NASB)

So grab your Bible and let’s see what the Bible says about darkness in the End Times.

Difficult Times

In 2 Timothy 3, it describes the end times as “difficult times” and gives a very descriptive list of the character traits that we can expect from people who oppose the truth and our biblical faith.

It says, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.“

And continuing in verse 8, “…these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, worthless in regard to the faith.”

And then in verse 13, “But evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”  2 Timothy 3:1-5, 8, 13 (NASB)

It’s not very encouraging to hear that things will go from bad to worse. Some of you may have a natural reaction to want to escape such difficult times.

But, as Christians, we have victory through Jesus, who has already defeated evil on the cross. When the times get dark, it’s our greatest moment to shine His light into the darkness. And, we must remember that light is most valuable in the darkest moments.

We read in I Thessalonians 5, verses 1-11…

“Now as to the periods and times, brothers and sisters, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let’s be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.”  I Thessalonians 5:1-11 (NASB)

This is a very important passage about the End Times. Some Christians have used it to say that we will escape the evil to come. But that’s not the case. Rather, Paul is telling us to use this passage to encourage each other to stay on the alert as the Day of the Lord approaches. And Paul details the armor that will help us in the battle of good versus evil, which includes the breastplate of faith and love and the hope of salvation as our helmet.

Fulfilling Our Ministry

Those who have placed their hope in Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, need to stay focused on God’s overall plan. We are placed on this earth to shine forth God’s love to a lost world. That’s not an easy task but it is our calling.

We read in 2 Timothy 4:3-5:

“For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.“

In a world of darkness, Christians will endure hardship and persecution, but we must stay focused on fulfilling our ministry!

In I Peter 2:9, the apostle Peter gives us a great reminder of who we are and our divine task…

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…“

The gift of salvation is an incredible gift. We need to be willing to share the Good News of the Gospel with those who are still trapped in the domain of darkness…no matter the cost. So they too, can be rescued, have their sins forgiven, and be transferred into the kingdom of His marvelous light! (Colossians 1:13-14)

And, I’ll close with probably the most well-known passage on how to fight the good fight of faith against the powers of darkness. These are spiritual tools that we will use more and more as the days grow ever darker.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

[And the apostle Paul goes on…]

18 With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints, 19 and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”  Ephesians 6:10-20 (NASB)

So today, as children of the light…it’s time for us to take up the full armor of God, standing firm and fully alert. So that we can make known the Mystery of the Gospel of Truth to a dark world.

We have a high calling on our lives! Let’s go out and fulfill our ministry!

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Sometimes we need to be reminded that we serve an amazing, awesome, incredible God. Our God knows everything about every single human on this planet. And He has our best interest in mind. God’s Word tells us in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

And that is a theme we see in Jonathan Cahn’s latest book called The Harbinger II: The Return. God is working behind the scenes in countless ways in our country, in our churches, and in each of our lives. He is orchestrating events in ways we can’t even imagine.

Rabbi and Pastor Jonathan Cahn leads the Beth Israel congregation at the Jerusalem Center in Wayne, New Jersey (located just outside New York City). It’s one of the largest Messianic worship centers in the world, and we had the pleasure of attending services there on our road trip around the U.S.A. last year. We got to meet Rabbi Jonathan in person and we were touched by his humility and great love for the Lord. We enjoy listening to his sermons every week online.

We first discovered Jonathan Cahn in 2013, after the release of his first book The Harbinger. We’ve read all of his books, and we give them out as gifts because they are so important to read in these prophetic days that we are living in.

The Harbinger II: The Return

As of September 1st, 2020, Jonathan Cahn has released his sixth book, The Harbinger II: The Return. And we’d like to share some thoughts about it, hoping to inspire our readers to go pick up a copy and read it for themselves. (And just a quick note, if you haven’t read the first book called The Harbinger, don’t worry. We suggest you skip that book and just start with The Harbinger II, which does a good job of summarizing everything from the first book.)

Just like the original Harbinger, The Harbinger II takes the form of a story, following the same fictional character, Nouriel, as he discovers real-word facts. It helps keep the book from being just an information download, because the experiences of the protagonist help to pace things out.

As far as subject matter goes, this new book speaks of a biblical pattern of judgment, calamity, and destruction that appeared in ancient Israel, a template of judgment on a nation that once followed the Lord’s will, the ways of God, and reaped the blessings of God…but then turned in defiance against God. Even warring against God.

Crossing A Moral Tipping Point

We’ve obviously crossed a moral tipping point in the United States of America, but The Harbinger II makes the case that we have been standing in a window of grace between initial signs of warning and a coming national judgment.

America’s hedge of protection was temporarily lifted when terrorists attacked our nation on September 11, 2001. For decades, the nation had been departing from the Lord and God sent a wake-up call in the form of a terrorist attack.

For America, the pattern of judgment began on 9/11, and the harbingers of judgment have continued ever since on American soil. If America does not turn back to God, then following the ancient biblical pattern it will be destroyed. That will be the end of America as we have always known it.

On the day The Harbinger II was released, Jonathan Cahn sent out an email blast and this is one part of what he said. “The ancient template leads up to where we are right now. What I have written in The Harbinger II, I believe all the more is that the present moment is most critical and dangerous – one that could seal America’s future once and for all, for judgment or redemption.”

Patterns of Judgment

We have now studied Jonathan’s Cahn books and listened to his sermons for 7 ½ years. When his first book, The Harbinger, was released, we exhaustively researched all the details of 9/11 that he connected to patterns in biblical prophecy. We were thinking, could all of this really be true? But it was; all the details are verifiable. And then we started thinking, how in the world did he make all those connections?

What we’ve come to realize is that Jonathan Cahn has a unique gift for identifying patterns, both in scripture and in history. It partly goes back to his Jewish background, because in western thinking and philosophy, going all the way back to Aristotle, you have this tendency towards categorical reasoning — how can we divide up ideas into discreet parts. But Hebraic thought is much more typological. Prophecy is pattern, not just prediction and fulfillment. Jonathan Cahn is able to see things through that lens and make connections that we never would have seen… but now we can’t not see them.

In this new book, so many new connections, or “mysteries” (as they are called in all of Jonathan Cahn’s books), are revealed that are very shocking. There are numerous new insights into 9/11 (which was the event when judgment began in this nation)… and connections following the same template of judgment that ancient Israel went through, shakings that impacted America’s economic power, its military power, and its position as a world superpower.

The whole idea behind both the first Harbinger and Harbinger II is that God is consistent, and we can see a pattern He used with ancient Israel being repeated now with America.

Without Repentance, There Will Not Be Revival

Throughout the book, the reader sees how only God could be behind these events…orchestrating them for the purpose of bringing America to repentance and revival. Because without repentance, there will never be revival. And repentance was a key element missing after the shakings of 9/11.

The Harbinger II is such an important wake-up call for America, and it will help Christians better understand the days of national judgment that are increasing in intensity right before our eyes.

We believe that Jonathan Cahn is a watchman, and a prophetic voice, for this generation. God has used him to sound the alarm of warning to anyone who will listen, and he has been faithful in his calling. We are grateful that God allowed us to discover his work back in 2013 so we could better understand what is going on in our nation and consider how to respond to things that are still to come.

Jonathan Cahn’s message is really simple, “Judgment is coming. Prepare to stand before God. Get right. Repent.” If there is anything in your life that needs to change, get right with God. If there is anything that you have been called to do, fulfill your calling. Time is short. We are in a window of grace, but that window is closing.

The Turning of America

Now, you may be asking, why would God judge the United States of America? And will America ever turn back to God and have revival?

These are things covered in The Harbinger II, and we want to explore this concept further in our own words. These thoughts are consistent with what you will find in the book, but not necessarily taken from it.

1. America has a covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Following the pattern of the nation of Israel. Our founding fathers formed this nation based on prayer and a commitment to honor the Lord Almighty. For example, our nation’s moto is, “In God we Trust”, and in our national pledge we state, “One nation under God”. However, over the past many decades our leaders have been abandoning this covenant in word and deed. And there are consequences for a nation that once knew God and turns its back against God. Becoming a nation that brazenly wars against God.

2. America has turned against the Ten Commandments and honoring God’s Holy Word the Bible. We absolutely believe America has crossed a moral tipping point and is now operating as a pagan nation. For example, its citizens have allowed the murdering of the unborn, to the tune of tens of millions! Helpless babies that never saw life outside the womb. Its judiciary has gone against the biblical mandate for marriage. We’re seeing rampant carnality and sexual immorality. And unfortunately, many churches and people of faith are choosing to walk hand-in-hand with the culture, instead of standing up for biblical truth.

At one point in the book, Jonathan Cahn describes it as, “not only calling evil good and good evil but establishing it, legislating it, and executing it, by sanctifying the profane and profaning the sacred.”

Walking in God’s Ways

We read in Deuteronomy 28 that a nation that the Lord establishes through covenant must be careful to observe the commands of the Lord and walk in His ways. Here is Deuteronomy 28:8-14 (NASB):

“The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. 9 The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10 So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you. 11 The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, 14 and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

This was a covenant which God made with the children of Israel in the Old Testament. And likewise, our forefathers followed many biblical templates in the founding of America, modeling it after ancient Israel.

And thus, we have seen the blessings of heaven poured out on America, when it carefully observed the Lord’s commands. We’ve seen economic prosperity, spiritual blessing, and military and political success.

Consequences for Disobedience

But all of these blessings have a condition. We read in Deuteronomy 28:13-14:

“…if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

We’d encourage you to finish reading the rest of Deuteronomy 28 on your own. It goes on to list the consequences of a nation that once knew God but turns its back on the Creator. Disobedience that leads to national shakings and calamities.

In verses 45-46, we read, “So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever.”

It’s important to note that these consequences are for redemptive purpose. God’s love is so great that He chastises His children, hopefully bringing them to a restored relationship with the Lord.

And that is God’s hope for America. Complete restoration. Complete salvation. That is why He sends warnings of judgment to turn us back to Him.

The Window of Grace Is Closing

But the Lord’s time of warning is not endless. At some point, if America does not return and repent, then out of God’s nature of justice, He will send judgment.

Right now we are dealing with a world-wide plague, financial instability, a national debt crisis, natural disasters, civil unrest…but we believe these are only warning signs and shakings (or as Jonathan Cahn calls them…harbingers) telling us that our nation needs to turn back to God.

In the template from Deuteronomy 28, we see that a nation that once knew God but turns to rebel against God is eventually given some dire consequences. The nation will be torn from their homeland. They are given severe lasting plagues and chronic illness. And it says, “the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul.” (Deut. 28:65b)

Ultimately, the nation is destroyed.

Returning To God Almighty

Over the years, we have heard many sermons by Jonathan Cahn where he shares about Christians being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and in The Harbinger II he describes a dream that the protagonist has about America being a city on a hill. These concepts come from “The Sermon on the Mount” found in Matthew 5:13-16:

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

And that is what Christians need to do in a pagan nation that once knew God. We need to commit to honor the Lord in all that we do. We must come to repentance in our own lives. We need to stand firm on a biblical foundation and unwavering faith. And we need to rise up to our divine callings.

And as the dark gets darker, we need to shine ever brighter! We must rise up and shine brightly as witnesses to the lost world.

The United States of America is dying from a spiritual disease, which requires a spiritual cure to be healed. It must return to God Almighty.

We want to encourage our readers to pray as never before for God to bring repentance, return, and revival to America. Because until God sends the final destruction, there is still hope for the revival of our nation!

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From the very first announcement of The Return, I knew I needed to be there. The event was created by Jonathan Cahn and Kevin Jessip to be a “national and global day of prayer and repentance.” For a long time now, those two actions—prayer and repentance—have weighed heavily on my heart as two of the most needed and most lacking disciplines in the American church. And I’m not the only one. There has been a rising chorus of voices from throughout the Christian community calling for the church at-large to wake up from its spiritual stupor and for the nation to reverse its descent into godlessness.

I believed that The Return would be a catalytic event, uniting the long-building sense of spiritual urgency from countless individual Christians and turning it into action. I hoped that this would be a rolling pebble that triggered the avalanche of revival.

On the morning of September 26, 2020, I found myself in Washington, D.C., weaving my way through the gathering crowd on the National Mall’s massive open lawn to find a place close to the stage. Due to Covid-19 restrictions in D.C., the stage was in a small, fenced-off area with no public access, but four giant screens and two enormous speaker arrays made the event visible and audible to everyone in the area. A great cross section of America was represented there: every age and every race, from young families trying to keep toddlers confined to a picnic blanket to elderly couples in camping chairs. They wore youth group t-shirts, business suits, tie-dye, and in one case, even sackcloth. Some groups brought banners to wave and others brought shofars to blow. We were a diverse congregation to say the least!

My Three Take-Aways

As the event got underway, I really had no idea what to expect. I knew the purpose of the event, but how would it play out with dozens of speakers and prayer leaders from many different ministries and backgrounds? And just as importantly, how would the crowd respond and participate?

I won’t try to give a play-by-play of the entire event. (You can watch the 8-hour live stream here.) Instead, I want to share a few big takeaways from the whole experience.

1. Unity and Humility

Most importantly, repentance truly was the theme of the day. Nearly all of the presenters were unified in heart and mind, speaking out of humility and a deep sorrow over America’s sins. The crowd was right there with them, kneeling, praying, and pouring out their hearts to God.

To be honest, a handful of the presenters were out of sync, using their time for self-promotion instead of repentance. But those were few and far between. Overall, The Return remained laser-focused on its stated purpose, and I don’t think I have ever seen such a large gathering of big-name leaders that was so conspicuously free of big egos.

2. The Warning Has Changed

If you haven’t watched Jonathan Cahn’s keynote from The Return, you need to. It was the foundational message of the entire day. He modeled the message after Jeremiah 19, in which God commanded Jeremiah to take a clay jar and shatter it before the leaders of the people as a prophetic foreshadowing of God’s judgment, which would soon shatter the kingdom of Judah for their sin and rebellion.

Jonathan Cahn preached that America has followed in the spiritual footsteps of the ancient Israelites and has come to the same precipice of judgment. He took an ornate clay jar and, in conjunction with telling of the event in Jeremiah 19, he smashed it on the stage. If that sounds overly theatrical to you, I urge you to watch the whole message. It was no gimmick.

The breaking of the jar was a grave symbolic act that I believe carries as much import for America today as it did for Judah in biblical times. To me it was the most significant moment of the day. It embodied a realization that I think is dawning on many Christians: that repentance is no longer a free pass for the nation to escape judgment. When we pray for revival and God’s mercy, it is so that the church can be sustained and refined during the unavoidable shakings that will come. Escape is no longer the name of the game, but rather endurance.

3. Not Everyone Gets It

Perhaps the greatest difference between attending The Return in person and watching it online was the ability to observe the crowd. The collective reactions to various moments throughout the day were revealing. At many points, I saw a true spirit of repentance—people kneeling and even on their faces before God, grieved by the sins of the nation.

But I also noticed a large percentage of the crowd that was hungry for positive words. The most jubilant reactions went to a few speakers who glossed over the repentance part and preached only revival, restoration, and power from on high. I believe there is a yearning among Christians to jump straight from where we are now directly back to the good old days, without going through the painful process of deconstructing decades of bad decisions in our nation. It is an understandable feeling, although I fear there is a strong current of denial in it.

When Jonathan Cahn broke the clay jar, the reaction was varied. There were a few gasps. Many people knew what was coming and bore solemn witness to it. But surprisingly, a large portion of the crowd cheered and applauded. If you watch the video closely, even Jonathan Cahn seems stunned by this response. I get that people were trying to affirm the act, but I also got the sense that many people didn’t understand the gravity of what they were seeing and what it meant for the nation and for them personally.

I don’t mention this to criticize my fellow attendees. These were folks who made a long and expensive journey to Washington, D.C., to spend 8 hours kneeling, praying, and worshipping. These are dedicated people! But it is a sign of where we are as a church that even among this passionate group, there is perhaps a lack of awareness of how deep the valley is between two mountaintops.

Conclusion

Was The Return the event I hoped it would be? — Yes!

Would I go again? — Absolutely, in a heartbeat!

Is it resulting in national revival? — I believe it is one of the first steps, along with many other solemn assemblies that have taken place recently as the Holy Spirit has moved God’s people to prayer. This is only the beginning of something that will take shape in the months and years to come. I believe that those who attended will look back one day and see it as a pivotal moment in America’s spiritual history.

The Return was all about repentance and then revival. We must have the former if we want to see the latter. And when revival comes, we need to embrace whatever God brings our way—whether it is another Great Awakening or something that looks more like the persecuted underground church.

So now, mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of Adonai your God; so Adonai will relent of the calamity that He has pronounced against you.  Jeremiah 26:13, TLV

Photo credit: Images taken from The Return live stream.

Reed and Elizabeth Hewitt were blessed to meet Jonathan Cahn in April 2019 at The Jerusalem Center (one of the largest Messianic Worship centers in the world) located in Wayne, New Jersey.

And that is the main theme in his new book. America is on the verge of judgment, if it does not return to its foundation in being one nation under God. Join us for a review of this timely new book, as well as a discussion of the broader themes of repentance and revival in America.

If you’ve never read a book by Jonathan Cahn, get ready for a different way of looking at the world — in a good way! Just as we believe his message is important, Jonathan Cahn’s methods provide a fresh perspective on prophecy and history to help us understand the world we live in today.

Jonathan Cahn is a watchman, and a prophetic voice, for this generation. God has used him to sound the alarm of warning to anyone who will listen, and he has been faithful in his calling. We are grateful that God allowed us to discover his work back in 2013, so we could better understand what is going on in our nation and consider how to respond to things that are still to come.

In case you couldn’t tell already, we really think you should go get this book! Purchase it through our affiliate link here: https://www.christianbook.com/the-harbinger-ii-return/jonathan-cahn/9781629998916/pd/998916?event=AFF&p=1205899&

Scripture from this Episode

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28, NASB

“The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you. The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.” Deuteronomy 28:8-14, NASB

“So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever.” Deuteronomy 28:45-46, NASB

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16, NASB

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14, NKJV

Suggested Resources

Sermons by Jonathan Cahn through Hope of the World Ministries

The Harbinger II: The Return by Jonathan Cahn

This page contains affiliate link(s) from ChristianBook.com. If you choose to make a purchase, your price will not be affected and we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

This week marks three years since Hurricane Harvey hit South Texas as a category 4 storm. It made landfall just north of our hometown and was the first major hurricane to hit our area in over forty-five years.

Our local communities had forgotten the amount of destruction such a massive storm could bring with its 140 mph wind gusts, tornados, storm surge, and torrential rainfall. To make matters worse, Hurricane Harvey gained most of its strength in a short period, growing from a tropical depression to a category 4 storm in less than 48 hours.

The small coastal towns that were devastated by Harvey have mostly recovered by now, but there is another storm brewing on the horizon. It is a global storm that looks on the outside like civil unrest, cultural revolution, government corruption, tyrannical oppression, and societal breakdown, with a pandemic thrown in for good measure.

Like Hurricane Harvey, this new storm threatens to go from inconvenient to devastating at a rapid pace. But unlike Harvey, the global storm in front of us is not driven by the wind and seas. It is man-made, and it stems from humanity’s loss of its moral compass and increasing rebellion against its Creator.

The Global God Divide

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”  Romans 8:6-8, NASB

The Pew Research Center conducted a worldwide survey last year asking people if belief in God is necessary to be moral. They call the report “The Global God Divide”. Here’s what they found: “Across the 34 countries, which span six continents, a median of 45% say it is necessary to believe in God to be moral and have good values.”

Particularly interesting for those living in North America, the survey reports, “Less than half in both Canada and the U.S. say belief in God is necessary to be moral (26% and 44%, respectively).” For Americans, this represents a 14 point drop from a survey conducted seventeen years earlier in 2002.

Across the globe, the survey shows a divide between younger adults (ages 18 to 29) and those age 50 and older, with the older generation more likely to affirm that belief in God is necessary to have morality and strong values. This pattern has held consistent for past analysis as well.

The significance of these statistics is not about whether an individual can have a moral framework while not believing in God. We have all met unbelieving people who are nice, law-abiding citizens. The Apostle Paul writes that “they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” (Romans 2:15-16, NASB)

Lost at Sea

The true consequences of unbelief, however, can be seen on a societal level. When a large percentage of the population pulls up their anchor of faith in God, it is only a matter of time before we collectively begin to drift out of the safe harbor and into the stormy seas.

The moral drift happens slowly in the first generation, when those who have abandoned their parents’ faith still hold on to their parents’ cultural values and traditions. The next generation sees those values and traditions as barriers to their happiness and fulfillment and begins to dismantle them. Without revival, the process continues until there is virtually nothing left of the stabilizing, safeguarding influence of a widespread faith in (and fear of) God.

Today in the U.S., citizens are essentially divided in half, with the two sides engaged in a gargantuan battle of tug-of-war over the future of the nation. This polarization is usually defined in terms of a political or ideological divide, but in truth the divide is spiritual — regardless of whether the people on either side recognize that fact.

As Christians, we believe God is the author of morality, which He gives us in written form in the Holy Scriptures. Only societies that point their moral compass to God’s unchanging moral law can find a reprieve from the storm of lawlessness and spiritual rebellion.

Excluding God

A number of years ago we participated in a study called The Truth Project by Focus on the Family, which provided an excellent description of how contemporary culture has removed God from philosophy and ethics:

“…current thought pictures reality as a closed box—a cosmic cube—in which there is no room for anything that cannot be sensually or materially perceived. The problem is that with the lid of the box closed and God excluded, philosophy is deprived of a universal reference point and thus crippled in its ‘scientific quest for ultimate reality.’ As a result, it cannot answer the most basic questions about right and wrong behavior.”

When society takes God out of the picture, it loses its ability to define right and wrong. It turns to humanism and man’s attempt to achieve the greater good. The problem there is rooted in mankind’s sin nature. The entire human race is born sinful and corrupt from the womb.

“The wicked are estranged from the womb; these who speak lies go astray from birth.” Psalm 58:3

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” I John 1:8

Without accepting Christ as personal Lord and Savior, mankind lives in hostility towards God and it leads to eternal death.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17)

There are a few things that we need to realize, if we are going to make progress out of the current situation.

1. The only way to solve a spiritual problem is through a spiritual solution. Our efforts need to be spiritual efforts and our battles need to be fought on our knees in prayer.
2. The people with whom we disagree are not our enemies. Our main concern is to bring the lost into the Kingdom of Light. When the Holy Spirit changes someone from the inside out, the political issues take care of themselves.
3. As we watch this storm rolling across the globe, we have to realize this is just the earliest rumblings of thunder. The true severity of the storm will be much, much worse and come much more quickly than we expect. (Even so, the storm will not prevent us from practicing points one and two above.)

God’s Shelter from the Storm

“He who does these things will never be shaken.” Psalm 15:5b, NASB

Throughout the Psalms, we read that God is our refuge and hope through any storms of life. So how do we make sure that we are staying in the shelter that He provides? Psalm 15 gives a beautiful description of what it looks like to walk in integrity and righteousness, and gives a promise of security to those who walk in God’s ways.

“O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honors those who fear the Lord;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He does not put out his money at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.” Psalm 15, NASB

We may not be able to stop the storm from coming, but praise God that we can be found unshakable in Him. The darkest hour for the world may yet be the brightest hour for God’s people.

There are numerous things in which our culture tells us we can find self worth, but notice they are all external.

• Status symbols – fashion, automobile, house, expensive vacation
• Relationships – being popular among peers, friend count on social media, sports team loyalty
• Accomplishments – epic life experiences, attending the right university, successful career, title and job position
• Personal – physical appearance, personality traits

The lists could go on and on. The point is the things of this world will never fulfill us. If we base our identity there, we will always come up empty. And we’ll never stop striving for more. We’ll never measure up.

We must find our identity in things that are spiritual and last forever. Look at what 1 John 2:14-17 says:

“I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (NASB, emphasis added)

These verses connect with a passage in Luke 4. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. What types of things did Satan use to tempt Jesus?

• the lust of the flesh (Luke 4:1-4)
• the lust of the eyes (Luke 4:5-8)
• the boastful pride of life (Luke 4:9-12)

Satan used the things of this world and he also twisted truth to try and get Jesus to sin. However, Jesus used Scripture to combat the temptation and the lies. We can follow this example in our own lives.

Know the Truth

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast…”
Hebrews 6:19, NASB

The best place for a Christian to discover (or recover) their identity is in the Word of God. Check out these verses:

• “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you…” Jeremiah 1:5
• “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” 1 John 3:1-2
• “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14
• “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” 1 Peter 2:9

Can you imagine the stability the world would find if they placed their faith in Jesus Christ? If they based their identity on the Savior that gives everlasting life? For God loves each of us so much that He gave His only Son, so the world might be saved through Him (John 3:16-17).

But, Satan wants us to think otherwise. John 10:10 says Satan is a thief that “comes to steal and kill and destroy” but that Jesus “came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

From Your Identity to Your Calling

Your identity not only describes who you are, but even more importantly, it also determines what you do.  Once we discover our identity in Christ, we can go on to fulfill the God-given calling that He has designed for our lives.

• “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
• “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Has God put a calling on your life that always seems out of reach or too difficult to begin?  Take a moment to reflect on where you are finding your identity.  If it is not in Jesus Christ, start by letting go of everything that competes with Him to define who you are.  Once you find yourself in Him, like a branch firmly connected to the vine, it will be the most natural thing in the world to bear good fruit.

Thankfully my dad took the time to explain to me that this “too good to be true” offer was exactly that.

I can look back and smile at the naiveté of my third-grade self, but unfortunately, not every scam is so easy to spot. This world is full of subtle lies and empty promises when it comes to money and possessions, and countless people get caught up in them every day.

But we’re not in this alone. We have a heavenly Father who has taken the time to warn us about financial pitfalls. God knew that money would be one of our biggest struggles, so His Word is full of principles and instructions to guide us.  He explains how to get back on track when we’ve gone astray, and He tells us exactly what it takes to become a success in His eyes.

The Study of Stewardship

Like what you are reading? Click on this image to download our FREE eBook on Biblical Stewardship.

My wife and I have been intrigued by what the Bible says about money and possessions for the past 20 years. Around the time we started our courtship, we also started listening to Christian financial experts like Larry Burkett and Dave Ramsey. Over the past two decades we’ve studied the topic of biblical stewardship, as well as taught it and put into practice. In our latest podcast series, we take a look at the key elements for a biblical understanding of personal finances.  (Scroll to the bottom of this blog post for links to all the episodes.)

If you listen to the podcast, you’ll hear us talk about stewardship a lot. It is an old-timey word, but it’s still very useful today because whether you realize it or not, a steward is exactly what you are. A steward is a person who manages something that belongs to someone else. A steward’s job is to act according to the instructions and interests of the owner. Sure, we all have things that belong to us, but the Bible says that, in the ultimate sense, everything belongs to God simply because He created it all. When you follow that truth to its logical conclusion, it has a profound influence on how you handle money.

A Spiritual Perspective

For one thing, we realize that how we spend “our” money really comes down to spiritual decisions. And if our job is to be stewards, then we probably can’t do a very good job unless our priorities are aligned with those of our Boss.

We also find reassurance in the fact that we are dependent on God, and that He is completely trustworthy! When we do things His way, it actually works out really well for us. (But we also find out how much trouble we can get into when we think we can control everything on our own.)

Above all, the Bible shows us that all the money and all the material possessions that pass through our hands are temporary, but we have an opportunity to use them to accomplish things that will last for eternity.

We hope you’ll join us for this podcast series and embrace what we call the ultimate paradigm shift in your financial life. It may seem daunting at first, but God is faithful to help His children walk in His ways. Don’t get discouraged, and don’t give up. The reward is treasure that will outlast this world!

Podcast Episodes

• • The Ultimate Paradigm Shift (Episode 11)
    Acknowledging that everything under our care ultimately belongs to the Lord.
  • Biblical Stewardship (Episode 12)
    Christians managing God’s resources in accordance with biblical priorities.
  • Cultivating Contentment (Episode 13)
    Living with the attitude of gratefully accepting what God gives, while gracefully releasing what He withholds.
  • Debt-Free Living (Episode 14)
    Viewing debt as bondage and hazardous to our financial health.
  • Reaching Financial Freedom (Episode 15)
    Living an abundant life when we connect our faith with our finances.

Suggested Resources

• • • Video: Why Has America Been Blessed by Reed and Liz Hewitt
    • Article: What is Biblical Stewardship by Liz Hewitt
    • Article: Money, Wealth, and the Book of Proverbs by Reed and Liz Hewitt
    • Class: Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey
    • Book: Master Your Money written by Ron Blue and published by Moody Publishers in 1986/updated in 2016.
    • Book: Debt-Free Living written by Larry Burkett and published by Moody Publishers in 1999/updated in 2010.
    • Book: Managing God’s Money written by Randy Alcorn and published by Tyndale House in 2011.

Our normal every day lives have been turned upside down. People have been gripped with fear, as evidenced by hoarding toilet paper and a crashing stock market. Now, it’s no small thing when a virus causes people to lose their jobs and others to lose their lives. But Christians should have a unique perspective in such unprecedented times.

A Christian Perspective

When once-in-a-lifetime events happen, God can use them to call our attention back to the most important things in life. By putting into practice His biblical wisdom, we can get peacefully to the other side of this pandemic. Which of these principles does God want you to keep in mind right now?

1. 1. Jesus Christ is our firm foundation and in Him alone is our salvation.

      “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Heb. 13:8, NASB

      “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4, NASB

      “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2, NASB

   2. In every circumstance, God’s will is for us to rejoice, pray, and show gratitude. This transforms our perspective!

      “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thess. 5:16-18, NASB

      “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7, NASB

   3. We must pray for our fellow man, those in authority, and for our nation.

      “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority…” I Timothy 2:1-2, NLT

      “Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” 2 Chron. 7:14, NLT

   4. We need the Word of God on a daily basis.

      “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9, NLT

      “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” ‘” Matthew 4:4, NKJV

   5. We must make the most of our time on earth, seeking the Lord’s will.

      “…whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'” James 4:14-15, NKJV

      “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15-17, NASB

   ---

   Even when our world seems out of control, remember that God is always in control. And, as Christians, He is working all things together for our good.

   I would love to hear what lessons the Lord has been teaching you and your family through this pandemic. Send me an email at info@livingstrategically.com.

Join us for the fourth episode of our current podcast series about money management and biblical stewardship. It may just transform your finances!

Scripture from this Episode

Want to go deeper in this study? Click on this image to download our FREE eBook on Biblical Stewardship.

“…we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.” Nehemiah 5:5b, NASB

“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God…” Deuteronomy 28:1-2, NASB

“But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you…” Deuteronomy 28:15, NASB

“The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.” Deuteronomy 28:12, NASB

“He shall lend to you, but you will not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you will be the tail.” Deuteronomy 28:44, NASB

“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” Proverbs 22:7, NASB

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'” Isaiah 55:8-9, NASB

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19, NASB

Suggested Resources

Video: Why Has America Been Blessed by Reed and Liz Hewitt

Article: What is Biblical Stewardship by Liz Hewitt

Article: Money, Wealth, and the Book of Proverbs by Reed and Liz Hewitt

Class: Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey

Book: Master Your Money written by Ron Blue and published by Moody Publishers in 1986/updated in 2016.

Book: Debt-Free Living written by Larry Burkett and published by Moody Publishers in 1999/updated in 2010.

In the Bible, Paul told the Galatians, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) The concept of freedom and slavery is interwoven throughout the Bible. From the time of Moses leading the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, all the way through the New Testament where the apostles talk about freedom from spiritual slavery, this running theme is there to help us understand our spiritual condition and why we need the new life that God is calling us into.

Salvation

For example, have you ever considered how the deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt was a foreshadowing of the plan of salvation? Their captivity in Egypt was like a person who is lost, then they were called out of the land. And their deliverance from the curse of death was accomplished through the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their homes, just like the blood of Messiah (our Passover lamb) delivers us from eternal death.

But then in the wilderness, which is like our life after salvation but before eternity, when the Israelites were free from captivity there was a constant temptation to return to slavery in Egypt. Being free was difficult in a way that was different from the hardship of slavery.  As slaves, their lives were predetermined for them. It may have been miserable, but it was familiar and predictable, and it didn’t require faith.

But God’s purpose for the Israelites required them to be free, which meant that they had to go out into an unpredictable world and have faith that God would provide. That pattern shows up again and again throughout Scripture.

Laying Aside Encumbrances

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

We can identify two basic ways that Christians today try to leave their freedom and return to slavery. One is to be weighed down, distracted, and hindered by the cares of this world. And the other, to put it frankly, is bondage to sin. And how do we get past these obstacles? The second verse in Hebrews 12 gives the answer…by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith”.

Here are some examples of encumbrances in our modern culture, that may not cross the line of sin, but can still keep you from living in freedom:

• the endless accumulation of possessions
• the pursuit of financial success and status
• financial debt
• being distracted with screen time and social media
• being too busy
• dysfunction in a family or a workplace
• tolerating toxic relationships

1 Corinthians 6:12 says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” That’s the standard we have to apply to everything in our lives. Whenever you feel something weighing you down, or competing with the Holy Spirit for control of your life, that’s probably something that you need to prune back or remove entirely.

Another thing to keep in mind is that stress is a warning sign that there’s an issue that needs to be dealt with, in order to restore balance and health. Stress can serve a temporary purpose, but if stress has become a permanent thing in your life, that’s no longer living in freedom!

The Trap of Sin

“…through Him [Jesus Christ] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” Acts 13:38-39

In our modern Christian vocabulary, we talk about “being saved”. But the Bible also uses the phrase “to be freed” in the same way. That’s a powerful way of looking at salvation!  Sin is captivity. Salvation is freedom.

Ironically, sin usually masquerades as freedom. To the sinner, holiness can look very restrictive. But the test that shows that sin is really a form of captivity is when you try and put it down. If you can’t stop doing something that God calls sin, then that sin is controlling you. It’s slavery, not freedom.

The list of sins that Satan tries to use to entrap us could be limitless, but here are some examples:

• Emotional lives – pride and bitterness
• Social lives – gossip or any time we chose not to love our neighbor
• Physical lives – addictions or sexual sin, or neglecting our bodies which are the temple of the Holy Spirit
• Financial lives – we can become enslaved to debt, as the Bible says, “the borrower becomes the lender’s slave”. Also, there’s the temptation to allow money to become an idol.
• Spiritual lives – The spiritual aspect encompasses all of the above sins, but there’s also a hidden danger of embracing man-made religion, like the Pharisees, instead of the pure and liberating Gospel!

We need to realize that, like us, Satan also thinks strategically. He will focus most of his efforts on our areas of weakness, to lead us to sin, and the Bible tells us that sin leads to death. That death can be emotional, social, physical, financial, as well as spiritual. We should be extra cautious in any area that we know is a personal weakness.

Christians who stray into sin, to borrow the words of Paul, “pierce themselves with many griefs” (I Timothy 6:10). And there is a particular danger for Christians, because when you have been set free from something, and then go back to it, it is much harder to get free of it again! For example, the Israelites were set free from Egypt and they were an independent, sovereign nation for hundreds of years, but when they strayed and eventually went into captivity again, they remained the subjects of foreign powers for thousands of years.

The Israelites had sins that they kept tolerating, and we as Christians need to take that example and not just focus on symptoms. When we are struggling with sin in our lives, we need permanent solutions. We don’t need a Band-Aid fix that covers things temporarily. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we need to end that sin completely. We need complete restoration. Turning back to living a life of freedom!

Walking by the Spirit

We started this article with Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…” And the entire chapter of Galatians 5 is like the handbook on freedom in the New Testament. Verse 16 gives us the secret weapon in the battle for freedom. It says, “…walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Walking by the Spirit is the key to staying out of the enemy’s traps and it’s also the key to right living. It’s how you stay out of dysfunction and toxic relationships. It’s how you set your priorities so you don’t drown in a schedule filled with fruitless tasks. The bottom line is when we walk by the Spirit, it keeps us on the straight and narrow, because we see sin for what it really is (captivity) and we see submission to God for what it really is (freedom).

Let’s close with 2 Corinthians 3:17, “…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” When we pursue things that lead to freedom, we can set aside encumbrances and live a life unhindered!

Sometimes we Christians come against obstacles that hinder our effectiveness, even hindering us from fulfilling our life’s calling. And that’s why the topic of freedom is so important. We need to aim for living unhindered! Here are some examples of encumbrances in our modern culture, that may not cross the line of sin, but can still keep you from living in freedom:

• • the endless accumulation of possessions
  • the pursuit of financial success and status
  • financial debt
  • being distracted with screen time and social media
  • being too busy
  • disfunction in a family or a workplace
  • tolerating toxic relationships

1 Corinthians 6:12 says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” That’s the standard we have to apply to everything in our lives. Whenever you feel something weighing you down, or competing with the Holy Spirit for control of your life, that’s probably something that you need to prune back or remove entirely.

The bottom line is when we walk by the Spirit, it keeps us on the straight and narrow, because we see sin for what it really is (captivity) and we see submission to God for what it really is (freedom). We pray that you will pursue things that lead to freedom in your life, so that you can live a life unhindered!

In our upcoming episodes, we’ll continue to “unpack” the core principles of Living Strategically, so tune in weekly and subscribe to this Christian podcast!

Scripture from this Episode

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12

“…through Him [Jesus Christ] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” Acts 13:38-39

“…walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16

“…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

Suggested Resource

Living Strategically Book Recommendations

There’s no greater joy to be found in life than fulfilling the calling that God has given you. And the impact it can have on others, both here on earth and for eternity, is astounding! In our upcoming episodes, we’ll continue to “unpack” the core principles of Living Strategically and study what the Bible says about this concept, so tune in weekly and subscribe to this Christian podcast!

Scripture from this Episode

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20, NASB

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15-17, NASB

Suggested Resources

Jonathan Cahn at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9xMxkNROto&list=WL&index=3&t=0s

Why has America been blessed?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoN9-Qnpmfg

The Bible tells us that God is a shield around the righteous and ultimately the only One who can protect us from harm. But a hedge of protection can work two ways. It is both a defense against dangers on the outside, and it is also a boundary to keep us inside the bounds of safety. When we go outside God’s boundaries, natural consequences will take their course.

Scripture from this Episode

“For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12, NASB

“He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.” Ecclesiastes 10:8, KJV

“What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.” Isaiah 5:4-5, NASB

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20, NASB

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1, NASB

“Even to your old age I will be the same, until you are gray I will carry you. I have done it; I will bear you; I will carry you; I will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:4, TLV

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Personally my husband and I are a few decades from age 65, the age that our American culture expects people to enter into retirement. Our parents, however, are about to face this issue so we picked up a copy of Jeff Haanen’s new book An Uncommon Guide to Retirement¹. We discovered the book through a podcast called “Money Wise”, and it sounded like an interesting book to explore. (Want to subscribe? Click here for their podcast. We definitely recommend it!)

The main premise of the book is to find God’s purpose for the final season of your life, retiring “in a way that’s God-honoring, purpose-filled, restful, and truly biblical.” For some, retirement may include working part-time, mentoring, or volunteering. For others, it may include taking up a hobby and spending more time with family. Life requires a proper balance of work and rest, but a strategic retirement does not include idleness and extended self-focused pleasure.

So many Americans think retirement is a well deserved vacation that follows forty years of stressful labor. Ever heard the saying, “I’m retired…good-bye tension, hello pension”? This becomes a problem in two ways. It’s estimated that half of retirees are leaving the work-force with too little savings or investments to live off of for the remainder of their lifetime, and they may need to continue working at least part-time to stay out of financial trouble. Also, living a life focused on luxury and leisure is not biblical. Instead, Christians are called to be strategic, living with an eternal mindset, regardless of our stage of life. The author describes it as “one’s entire life lived in response to God’s call.”

When first entering retirement, Jeff Haanen advocates for taking a (probably much-needed) sabbatical rest in order to make a healthy emotional transition into a slower-paced lifestyle, but also to wholeheartedly seek the Lord’s purpose for your final decades of life. This Sabbath’s rest can last a few months or an entire year, depending on how God leads each individual, and is a way to realign your purpose and identity with God’s call on your life.

Once you discern the Lord’s will for your retirement years you are on your way to an abundant life, which a life of full-time leisure would never deliver. Wisdom tells us to live each day as a faithful steward of the time, energy, money, and talents that God has given us. Assets that are too precious to waste.

Our Response

“O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.”
Psalm 71:17-18, NASB

Though the world may think otherwise, a fulfilling life does not begin at retirement for a Christian. We all have a God-given purpose to fulfill in our short time on earth, regardless of our age or abilities. Though things may become slower-paced the older we get, it’s important to invest each day we are given in ways that serve the Lord and others, for this is the ultimate way to live a fruitful and fulfilling life.

The next generation needs to see Christians who strategically live out their faith in their final decades on earth. Jeff Haanen says, “Rather than retreating into private life, biblical elders embrace their age as a season to influence their families, communities, and the broader society.” Be intentional about the legacy that you leave when your time on earth comes to an end.

In closing, consider this thought-provoking question about our final years, from pastor and author John Piper, “How will we live them in such a way as to show that Christ is our highest Treasure?”

¹ An Uncommon Guide to Retirement written by Jeff Haanen and published by Moody Publishers in 2019.

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Do you believe that God has blessed America? Most American Christians do, but not many stop and think about what we’re supposed to do with all those blessings.

As Christians in a land of plenty, we need to take a long hard look at what our Lord expects of us — and at the extraordinary results that obedience will bring. Once we do, the idea of giving our wealth and our lives for the Kingdom starts to look less like a sacrifice and more like an investment.

Download

For your small group Bible studies, we have a printable, one-page discussion guide that digs deeper into the issues addressed in the video.

License

“Why has American been blessed?” by Living Strategically is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This means you can download and share this work as much as you like at no charge.  However, you must not alter this work or sell it.  You also must attribute this work to Living Strategically, which you can do simply by allowing the logo to show at the end of the video.

We have a spiritual epidemic spreading in our nation. It is impacting thousands of churches, leaving them unhealthy and unsuccessful in their Christ‐given mission to reach the world. One of them could be your home church. The cause of the problem? Allowing a worldly mind‐set to filter into an institution called to be set apart and holy (James 1:27, Titus 2:14, and 2 Cor. 6:16‐7:1).

Chuck Swindoll wrote a great book in 2010 called The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal ¹ . In it, Pastor Chuck describes the warning signs of erosion in a church and compares the signs of a worldly church and a godly church. (This chart lists these characteristics, with a few additions of my own.) As Chuck Swindoll says, erosion is “slow…silent…and subtle”. We are called to guard against it. We must stop the inner drifting away from Biblical foundations.

This is quite a list! No church will rate perfectly in “the blue”, so there is always room to work towards improvement. The key is not to ignore areas that need improvement (1 Peter 5:8). Denial is one of the most dangerous attacks of the enemy because it allows him to keep chipping away at our churches unchallenged. The first step to solving a problem is to admit that a problem exists (and then, of course, you must do something about it).

Another way we can fight against the epidemic of worldliness in our churches is looking at Acts 2:42, part of the foundation of a church, “teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer”. Pastor Chuck says these are to be essentials, part of a church’s core. If they are not, the church is susceptible to getting off course and carelessly losing Jesus as their main focus. To stay healthy, a church must pursue the good just as strongly as it opposes the bad.

The Business Mindset

“But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation
other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident…”
1 Corinthians 3:10 b‐13 a

Has your church let growth and numbers, marketing gimmicks, or a flood of “filler” activities become its main focus? Or does it seek to be contagious for the right reasons? It may be time to reevaluate our approach before erosion takes its toll. It’s essential to reach the unchurched, but we are headed down a slippery slope if we merely imitate the tactics of the world as we do so. So how do we make sure that we are building on the right foundation? We must follow a Christ‐centered example.

Operating a church like a business is not the method Christ modeled. He was interested in the depth of spiritual maturity of His disciples, not in the size of the institution. He didn’t use manipulative tactics, yet His message was still contagious. His impact on the lives around Him was long‐term. He did this through love and He provided what each of us needs most: a way to have a personal relationship with the Father. Bill Gothard says, “The source of our lights is the face of Jesus shining in us and upon us,” and that is exactly right. The tactics of the corporate world have no place in the church.

Matthew 21:12‐13 shows us exactly how Jesus felt when He saw the temple being treated like a place of business. It says:

“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, ‘It is written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer”; but you are making it a robbers’ den.’ “

Our churches are to be houses of prayer, teaching, worship, and fellowship. Jesus is to be our main focus. It’s that simple! Too many are exchanging the simplicity of Christ’s model for worldly sophistication, and they are getting empty results in the end.

Our Response

“Churches merely reflect the lives and convictions of those individuals who make up the body of Christ.
We can stem the tide of erosion only one life at a time — beginning with our own.”
~Chuck Swindoll ¹

The best way to guard against erosion in your church and spiritual life is to stay in the Word and keep your spirit focused on the Lord. This is how you keep worldliness from contaminating your spirit. Do some self‐examination. Check for areas of neglect in your spiritual walk. Are you staying the course that God has set for you? Are you living proof that there is power in the Word of God? If you are, then your testimony will attract the lost more than any marketing gimmick ever could!

As Bill Gothard says, “May God give us discernment to attract people by the brilliant light of Christ rather than the clever manipulation of deceptive lures!” We need to be spreading Christ’s love, not drawing people into a shallow devotion that will soon grow cold. This starts with our own spiritual walk.

We can’t walk in worldly ways and shine for Jesus (see 1 Peter 2:9‐12). We must wear the armor of light, as it says in Romans 13:12‐14, laying aside the deeds of darkness. We need a deep focus that is, as John Piper puts it, realigned to “white‐hot devotion to Jesus Christ…and unremitting labor to rescue the perishing, perfect the saints, and glorify our sovereign Lord.”

Amen, and amen!

¹ The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal written by Charles R. Swindoll and published by FaithWords in 2010.

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We’ve been studying the book The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn in our Sunday school class, which warns that judgment may be coming to our country if we don’t turn back to God. (We highly recommend this amazing book!) When I first started reading, I was thinking of all the sinful, disgusting impurities our culture now accepts and how God must be mourning America’s departure from its Christian heritage. There is no longer a sense of “common decency” shared by the majority. The church is the only godly influence our world has, which is why we have been called to shine His light to this dark world (Matt. 5:13‐16, Philippians 2:14‐16).

Sadly the church is failing in this task. Divorce is as common for Believers as non‐Believers. By and large, Christians are not shining examples in their speech, modesty, integrity, childraising, financial priorities, or in their charitable service to others. When Christ commands us not to give way to unrighteousness, it seems the church is not taking Him seriously. This is a serious issue! Unsaved people around us see no reason to get saved when our lives look the same as theirs, with disfunction and sin galore. This must change and it starts with me and you. How can I expect my country to turn from its evil ways if I haven’t shown it what it means to live a life of purity?

Our Response

“…instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live
sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age…” Titus 2:12, NASB

Have you ever kept a bad habit hidden in order to appear more spiritual? Maybe you watch TV shows you know you shouldn’t be watching, so you make sure to never mention them with people at church. Hidden sin is perhaps the most destructive. When the sin is revealed it can ruin a person’s testimony, but even if it isn’t revealed it will numb our conscience. Jesus rebuked some Pharisees in Matthew 23:25‐28 on this very topic. Read these words and prayerfully evaluate the condition of your own private life.

“‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self‐indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of  hypocrisy and lawlessness.’” Matthew 23:25‐28, NASB

We Christians cannot win our country back to the ways of God if our lives contain hypocrisy, lawlessness, or self‐indulgence. When Christians “talk the talk” but don’t “walk the walk” it even sabotages our testimony within our own homes. Statistics show that an overwhelming majority of teenagers from Christian homes leave the church when they become adults. You may think you can hide sin from your church friends, but your kids are watching too, and you can’t fool them. If Christian families will step up and fully embrace the spiritual life they claim, we will see spiritual growth in our families, churches, and nation. Again, it starts with me and you!

There is a song by Casting Crowns called “Slow Fade” with these lyrics:

“It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away, it’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray,
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid, when you give yourself away,
People never crumble in a day, it’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade.”

This is dangerously true. When we get lax, the enemy moves in. Give an inch and he will eventually take a mile, but it may happen so slowly that you don’t notice. How are you doing at keeping “garbage” out, staying vigilant for “little” sinful habits, and living in the Spirit daily? When we take in pure things, it produces a holy life.

Let’s look up some verses that emphasize this truth: 2 Timothy 2:21‐26, Philippians 4:8, 1:27a, and 2:14‐16. As Paul says, let’s all hold fast to the Word and prove ourselves “to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” so we can “appear as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).

Digging Deeper

“The center of our being, the heart must be so aligned with Jesus 
so that the impurity encircling us does not lodge in us.”
~Ezekiel Oluolajo

Take some time today to look up the following verses. Resolve to hold fast to purity and deal with any sins that have a foothold in your life. You might also consider meeting with an accountability partner to work on any areas where God shows you need improvement.

Christ came to give us freedom from sin, so don’t live another day in captivity. The flesh doesn’t have to win. Let’s make it our goal to live as lights to this lost and dying world, realizing they are watching “our talk” and “our walk” with more interest and expectation than we can imagine.

• 1 Timothy 1:5
• 1 Peter 3:15‐17
• 1 Peter 2:11‐12
• Romans 13:12‐14
• 1 Corinthians 6:9‐12
• Galatians 5:19‐25
• Ephesians 5:1‐16

After you’ve looked up the above verses, you might also read our Bible study on holiness. It goes into more detail about how the Holy Spirit changes our hearts in order to change our habits. God bless you on your journey!

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