My Soul Weeps In Secret

Hear and give ear: Do not be proud, for the LORD has spoken. 

Give glory to the LORD your God before He causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, And while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death and makes it dense darkness. 

But if you will not hear it, My soul will weep in secret for your pride; My eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock has been taken captive. 

Jeremiah 13:15-17

When I was a young man I subscribed to a prophecy newsletter.  But it seemed the content of that letter was only sensational doom and gloom.  With the added stress that college brings, it was really more than I could bear at the time.  One day, after having read the letter, I began to weep for all the heartbreaking news I had just read.  The Holy Spirit spoke comforting words to me and instructed me to cancel the newsletter.  It wasn't time to carry that burden.  I didn't have enough knowledge of the Bible to properly frame what I was reading.

Now, some twenty years later, I find myself literally surrounded by tragedy; unable to escape it.  Family members are in dire straights.  Friends, godly men, are fighting for their very lives; hanging on to threads of hope.  Every day the headlines cry out the tragedy and sorrow of each moment, as it happens.  Severe troubles and sorrow surround us continually in America.  And while our suffering can't be compared to the suffering in third world countries, we are not immune to sorrows.  My heart is heavy.  My soul weeps in secret as I watch God's hand of protection leave his people.  And while all this is going on, the leaders of the Church today can't stop talking about God's favor.  Despite all evidence to the contrary, they insist God is pleased with us.  Just send in your seed offering and you'll be greatly blessed!  Just pray in faith and the destroyer will flee.  But what if God is the one heaping disasters upon us?  What if he is the one spending his arrows on us?(Deuteronomy 32:23)

Oh, but this is not the message the people want to hear.  People don't want to hear that God is angry with his people.  Tell us only about God's goodness and grace!  Tell us about his unending mercy!  Surely God would never remove his lovingkindness from us.  We are a nation void of counsel, without understanding.(Deuteronomy 32:28)

"We couldn't have imagined such tragedy would come to us,"


No truer words could be spoken by God's people in America today.  Until it happens to us, or a loved one, we simply can't imagine such sorrow and heartache.  After all, what about all the sermons we've been hearing all our lives about God's grace?  Where has his graciousness gone?  When I was just a small child, I almost died.  We were coming down an overpass during a blustery winter storm.  Just as our van passed the guardrail a great wind lifted the van up on two wheels towards the edge of that steep hill.  But suddenly, as my mother describes it, the van came to an abrupt stop as if a huge angel grabbed the back bumper.  There was no skidding tires heard on the gravel edge of the highway.  My family didn't plummet to our deaths that day.  God had other plans.

Who's to say why God spares one and not the other?  But when we study the scriptures one thing becomes clear.  Over and over again we see in his Word that God's judgments come to his people, collectively, when we become polluted, collectively.  There's a song being sang in our churches today: "I am the God that healeth thee.  I am the Lord your healer."  The song is based on God's promise in Exodus 15.  But it's a conditional promise, as are many of his promises.  Shouldn't we, then, start to question what's going on when our born-again loved ones are dying from all sorts of afflictions?  God's promise to be our healer is based on his people keeping his commandments.  Are we?  Is God healing our land today?  Maybe we're not keeping our end of the bargain.  2 Chronicles 7:14 says we have to turn from our wicked ways if we want God to heal our land.

Perhaps we're not as righteous as we think we are.  "Oh, now you've done it!  I've caught you in my trap.  The blood of Jesus makes us righteous."  Yes, of course it does...when we turn to him, repent and are saved.  At that point we become a new creation in Christ.  And God is pleased with us as long as we don't draw back.(Hebrews 10)  But are you going to try to tell me that you are righteous as you continue to lust after the ritual harlots of our day, pornography?  Are you going to try to convince me you're righteous when you're sleeping with your boyfriend?  Or when you marry an unbeliever?  Or when you go out and get drunk with your friends?  Or when you neglect the poor and down-trodden?  Or when you neglect God's Word for days, weeks, and even months on end?  We spend more time washing our outward bodies than we spend washing our hearts with the cleansing water of the Word.  Our minds are not transformed.  Rather, our lives are polluted because our minds are polluted.  All tables are full of vomit; no place is clean. (Isaiah 28)

This is what Jeremiah tried to tell God's people of his day, who were under his judgments as well.  Guess what?  He received the same reaction I've received.  The people tried to shut him up.

Shall evil be repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for my life. Remember that I stood before You to speak good for them, to turn away Your wrath from them.  Jeremiah 18:20

Don't tell us about our sin and the consequences of living a polluted life!  But look at how Jeremiah described what he was doing: "to speak good for them, to turn away Your wrath from them."  Jeremiah rightly understood that he was doing a good thing in the eyes of the Lord.  So why did the people want to kill him?  Because he wasn't telling the people about God's goodness and grace.  Was God good and gracious back then?  Of course he was.  God does not change.  So why wasn't he speaking of God's goodness?  Why was Jeremiah's message that of sin and repentance and judgment?  Because that's what God's people needed to hear.  Just as we do today.

God is not gleefully spending his arrows on us.  God does not willingly afflict us. (Lamentations 3:33)  No, God's heart is broken to watch us suffer.  He weeps bitterly for the affliction of his people.  I can say it no more plainly than this: his Word is life by which we are to live.  May we rend our hearts as we diligently seek God in his Word.  May we abide in his Word and may his Word abide in us and may we be doers of his Word and not hearers only.

Great American Horror Show

“I did not know that a normal, average man who was a preacher, who was a lawyer, who was a senator - could turn into this monster,” Head said. “That is the scariest moment when you are amongst people who claim to be normal yet they purchase you and they turn into these monsters. They rape you. They beat you. And then act as if they're normal. These are not your normal pedophiles.”

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/07/sold-for-sex-in-our-backyards/

Habakkuk 1
2  O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save.
3  Why do You show me iniquity, And cause [me] to see trouble? For plundering and violence [are] before me; There is strife, and contention arises.
4  Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.


In the book of Habakkuk the prophet asks, Lord, why do you show me iniquity and cause me to see trouble?!

Lord, I don't want to see this anymore!  It's all I can do to stop my ears of hearing of bloodshed and shut my eyes from looking at evil. (Isaiah 33:15)  My heart breaks for the violence done to others, especially the children! (Matthew 18:6)  Lord, I have children of my own.  Father, I don't think I could bear it if this kind of harm came to my own girls.  How I desire that they would know your hand of protection all the days of their lives.  Lord, keep them always safe and secure under the shadow of your wings.

Oh, Lord, God Almighty, intervene on behalf of the children!

5  "Look among the nations and watch--Be utterly astounded! For [I will] work a work in your days [Which] you would not believe, though it were told [you].

But we have to look.  We can't turn a blind eye to the pain and suffering in this great land.  We have to watch and be provoked to prayer.  We must now, today, rend our hearts for the bloodshed that we allowed in our own country.  We have to cause our hands and feet to be stirred to action on behalf of the poor and oppressed of the land.  Days are coming, and are here now, that all will be called into judgment.  The Day is quickly approaching when this great land will come to nothing in only one hour.


Revelation 18
2  And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
...
8  "Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong [is] the Lord God who judges her.
...
11  "And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
12  "merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;
13  "and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.

Tebow's 316

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

So let's see, we have:

• An unlikely professional starting quarterback
• Who is a devout Christian
• With a track record of giving to the poor
• Leading his team to an unlikely playoff birth
• After several unlikely come-from-behind wins
• (One of which was over my beloved Chicago Bears)
• Garnering a ton of publicity
• Heading into said playoff game, wobbly passes and all,
• And leading them to another unlikely win, in overtime, no less
• With the scripture verse "John 3:16" written under his eyes
• Throwing for 316 yards in the game
• Which happened to result in an average of 31.6 yards per pass
• The final quarter hour of which resulted in a television rating of 31.6
• Which became the highest-rated AFC wild-card game for CBS since 1988
• And "caused millions of fans" to search for the meaning of John 3:16

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/tebow-time-three-3-16-references-boffo-tv-172145772.html

Coincidence?

Not likely.  Look, who wins a football game doesn't matter one bit.  But people matter to God.  Jehovah will get his message out however he wants using whatever means pleases him.

That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That [there is] none besides Me. I [am] the LORD, and [there is] no other;  I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these [things].'  Isaiah 45:6-7

So where does that leave us?

Choice.  Choose this day whom you will serve.

"And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."  Joshua 24:15

If your car is god, serve it.  If your job is god, serve it.  If pleasure is god, serve it.  If wealth or status or drugs or booze or whatever idol of the land you serve is really god, then go ahead and serve it.

But if the LORD Jehovah, King of all the earth, Creator of heaven and earth, the Holy One of Israel, the Rock of our salvation, the lifter of our head, the redeemer of our souls, is God, then serve Him, and Him alone.

Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.  Isaiah 55:7 

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Blessed [are] those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.  Matthew 5:4

A brother in Christ, apparently tired of hearing me beat the same drum over and over, said, in so many words, "You know, I finally figured out why your message irritates me so much.  There's a whole big Bible you could be teaching out of, yet you only want to preach this doom and gloom end-times message."  He also conveyed that my message causes him quite a bit of angst, even to the point of upsetting his stomach.

I realize my message is not a popular one with, I'm sure, many people.  Nevertheless, what this brother doesn't realize is that this is THE message of the last days; our day.  He said, look, we should be preaching the gospel to all who would hear.  We should be telling of the goodness and grace of God.

Well, of course we should.  And that is part of the message.  But why not give people the whole message of the Bible, especially that which is specifically for our day?  You see, people understand that we are currently in the age of grace.(Revelation 14:6)  And, ironically, many also realize we're in the last days.  But what they don't realize is the urgency of the hour.  And they don't realize that right along side that message of grace is also a message of repentance.  And without faith and repentance, and the evidence to back it up, there is a message of judgment, whether that person makes it to the start of the tribulation or dies tomorrow.

Matthew 7
19  "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20  "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

And what many Christians don't realize is that the door of the age of grace is quickly closing.  And not everyone who thinks they've got a ticket into heaven actually do.  Therefore, shouldn't we be shouting from the rooftop that the building is about to collapse!  Run to safety, the walls are coming down!  Run to safety, the fire is coming!  Run to safety, the Titanic is going to sink!  Would you still allow your house to be broken into even if you knew when the thief would arrive? (Matthew 24:43)  Oh, sorry, we're going to continue to act like we have all the time in the world.  We're going to continue to play church as usual.  You know, the game where you attend church service every Sunday and pretend everything is as it should be.


The Rejoicing City

But no.  Continue on with your message that's lulling people to sleep.  Everything's going to be alright.  Just confess Jesus.  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven..."   But it's so hard in America to live right.  Yeah, but isn't he the greater one who is in you than he who is in the world? (1 John 4:4)  Should you then throw up your hands in surrender to whatever idol of the land that's holding you captive?  Should you continue to rejoice with your countrymen, right up to the very end?

This is the rejoicing city That dwelt securely, That said in her heart, "I [am it], and [there is] none besides me." How has she become a desolation, A place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her Shall hiss and shake his fist.  Zephaniah 2:15

How Then Should We Live?

When Jeremiah saw the end of his country was near, what did he do?

I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, Nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because of Your hand, For You have filled me with indignation.  Jeremiah 15:17

Oh, but it all seems so strange to us.  We see someone with a fiery indignation for the sin of God's people, his polluted Bride, and we think he's crazy or depressed or has a screw loose somewhere.  C'mon Jeremiah!  Lighten up, will ya!?!  Don't discourage someone who's going to a Hillsong worship concert!  Don't tell him God won't listen to their worship!  (Amos 5:23)  How rude!!!  Who do you think you are, anyways?!  This is the age of grace, haven't you heard?  God will always accept the worship of his people, regardless of how polluted we are.  Mmm, hmm.  Good luck with that.  Are these really the last days?  Maybe we should begin to take God at his word:

James 5:1-3 Come now, [you] rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon [you]!...You have heaped up treasure in the last days.

Folks, please don't wait until tragedy strikes before you wake up and change course.  Change course now.  Realize and understand.  See and hear what's coming.  Weep and mourn and howl now.  Humble your souls now.  Study your Bible now.  Take his words to heart now and do those things he says to do.  Stop doing those things you know and read in his word that are wrong.  Stop believing the lies of the false prophets who tell us everything will be just fine. (Ezekiel 13, 34, Jeremiah 23, Isaiah 28, Micah 3)

Do you understand that we've turned a corner?  Do you see that we are even today under the Deuteronomy curses?  America's sins have reached heaven.  The blood of the violence of this land cries out to Jehovah.  And God's people are weighed down and polluted with all the idols of the land.


The Message of Hope

Not all is lost.  God will spare a remnant from America.  But who will they be?

"I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, Who are among you, [To whom] its reproach [is] a burden.  Zephaniah 3:18

and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it." Ezekiel 9:4

How does the Bible instruct us to walk today?

"Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."  Joel 2:12

Isaiah tells us there is, in fact, a message for us today.  Even with judgment bearing down on us and as desolation awaits us at the threshold, he says:

To whom He said, "This [is] the rest [with which] You may cause the weary to rest," And, "This [is] the refreshing"; Yet they would not hear.  Isaiah 28:12

What is that message of rest for the weary today?

For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." But you would not,  Isaiah 30:15

Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' Jeremiah 6:16

Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.  Isaiah 55:7