Who Will Address The Breaks
In The Wall?
12/3/06
What if?
• the city
of Marion was on fire this morning—are we going to have church as usual?
• we were
meeting in a small church building in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, and at
the base of the mountain there was fire all around us, what would we do?
The truth is—that's just what
we are doing!
2 Tim. 3:1 But mark this:
There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be
lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to
their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous,
rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5having
a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
Is. 59:19 ...When the enemy
shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard
against him.
The truth is—most churches in
America are more concerned about what goes on inside the church building than
what happens outside the walls!
If the churches in America
were doing what God really wants us to do the moral fabric of this nation would
be dramatically changed!
During the early days of this
nation the church building was a place for more than worship. It was also the
place were decisions were made concerning the government of the town. Decisions
were made in the moral framework of the gospel! It was the town meeting hall.
We measure "church
success" by what's inside the walls, that's important, but I believe the
real measure is done outside the walls!
Do we believe or do we not
believe that the churches in America should set the moral standard for our
society?
It's obvious that we are up
against Goliath.
Ez. 22:23 Again the word of the
LORD came to me: 24"Son of man, say to the land, 'You are a
land that has had no rain or showers in the day of wrath.' 25There
is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey;
they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows
within her. 26Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy
things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach
that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut
their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27Her
officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and
kill people to make unjust gain. 28Her prophets whitewash these
deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, 'This is what
the Sovereign LORD says'—when the LORD has not spoken. 29The people
of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and
needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice. 30"I looked
for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap
on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. 31So
I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing
down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD."
Ez. 13:1 The word of the LORD
came to me: 2'Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel
who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own
imagination: 'Hear the word of the LORD! 3This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have
seen nothing! 4Your prophets, O Israel, are like jackals among
ruins. 5You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it
for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of
the LORD. 6Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They
say, "The LORD declares," when the LORD has not sent them; yet they
expect their words to be fulfilled. 7Have you not seen false visions
and uttered lying divinations when you say, "The LORD declares,"
though I have not spoken?
8"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the
Sovereign LORD. 9My hand will be against the prophets who see false
visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my
people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter
the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.
10"'Because they lead my people astray, saying, 'Peace,"
when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it
with whitewash,11therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash
that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send
hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12When
the wall collapses, will people not ask you, "Where is the whitewash you
covered it with?"
13"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and
torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. 14I will tear down
the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so
that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in
it; and you will know that I am the LORD. 15So I will spend my wrath
against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to
you, "The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16those
prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her
when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD.'"
I have been accused of being
too political from the pulpit—thank you for the compliment. I'm in good
company!
Ez. 5:1 Now Haggai the
prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews
in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2Then
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild
the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping
them.
Just about every prophet in
the Old Testament addressed the Kings and political leaders of their time,
advising them, warning them, giving them messages from God, encouraging them,
etc.
Even Paul was told he would
go before kings...
Acts 9:10 In Damascus there
was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,
"Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he
answered.
11 The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on
Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12In
a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to
restore his sight."
13 "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have
heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints
in Jerusalem. 14And he has come here with authority from the chief
priests to arrest all who call on your name."
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my
chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before
the people of Israel. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for
my name."
Here at Community of Faith we
are doing things outside these walls. May it be ever increasing.
The Refuge Home is a rescue
station for young ladies and their babies. It gives these young women a chance
to have a new start.
Jenner School is a tremendous
open door that God has given us outside these walls.
If you participated in
calling Wal Mart—thank you!
Some of you were skeptical—I
know because I heard it.
Those of you who took the
time to call or write, it made a difference.
Mat. 5:13 "You are the
salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made
salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and
trampled by men.
14"You are the light of
the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp
and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light
to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Read the Ford letter
To the Management of this
dealership:
I am sending this letter to
show my support of continuing a boycott encouraged by the "American Family
Association" (afa.net).
The information below was
taken directly from their web site November 29, 2006. I am very much pro family
and Ford continues to show it's support of ideals and organizations that do not
embrace the moral fabric in which this country has been built upon. Homosexuality
and same sex marriage is not something that enhances the values and uprightness
of which millions of Americans strongly embrace.
As long as Ford continues its
support in this direction I will not support Ford or its affiliates.
"Ford endorses voter
guide urging defeat of state constitutional amendments banning homosexual
marriage"
"In March, AFA called
for a boycott of Ford Motor Company because of their support for the homosexual
agenda and homosexual marriage. We asked Ford to remain neutral in the culture
war over homosexual marriage, as Wal-Mart has decided to do. Ford refused and
elected to throw their company resources behind the promotion of homosexual
marriage.
Prior to the recent
elections, Ford Motor Company sent an e-mail to their salaried employees
pointing them to one of the most liberal, anti-family Web sites on the
Internet. Ford urged their employees to go to Ballot.org for information on how
to vote on issues including homosexual marriage. (Go to 4th paragraph where it
says "check out the 2006 BISC Picks [our yes and no votes]." The
Ford-recommended Web site urged voters to vote against constitutional
amendments which defined marriage as being between one man and one woman in
Arizona. Colorado. South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Of the hundreds of voters
guides Ford could have endorsed, Ford chose Ballot.org. Ford's endorsement of
this site clearly indicates that Ford favored the positions promoted on
Ballot.org. The Web site accused those who favored the marriage amendments of
"extreme bigotry" and said the amendments were an "attack on
marriage equality, civil unions and all domestic partnerships." This is
the Web site Ford sent its employees to for information on how to vote.
Ford, Mercury, Lincoln,
Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, and/or Land Rover (All these are owned by Ford Motor
Company.)"
Signed ______________________________ Date
November 29, 2006
A first for America...The
Koran replaces the Bible at swearing-in oath
What book will America base
it's values on, the Bible or the Koran?
By Dennis Prager - Tuesday,
November 28, 2006
Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the
first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will
not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.
He should not be allowed to
do so -- not because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the
act undermines American civilization.
First, it is an act of hubris
that perfectly exemplifies multiculturalism activism — my culture trumps
America's culture. What Ellison and his Muslim and leftist supporters are
saying is that it is of no consequence what America holds as its holiest book;
all that matters is what any individual holds to be his holiest book.
Forgive me, but America
should not give a hoot what Keith Ellison's favorite book is. Insofar as a
member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is
concerned, America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are
incapable of taking an oath on that book, don't serve in Congress. In your personal
life, we will fight for your right to prefer any other book. We will even fight
for your right to publish cartoons mocking our Bible. But, Mr. Ellison,
America, not you, decides on what book its public servants take their oath.
Devotees of multiculturalism
and political correctness who do not see how damaging to the fabric of American
civilization it is to allow Ellison to choose his own book need only imagine a
racist elected to Congress. Would they allow him to choose Hitler's "Mein
Kampf," (mean-campf) the Nazis' bible, for his oath? And if not, why not?
On what grounds will those defending Ellison's right to choose his favorite
book deny that same right to a racist who is elected to public office?
Of course, Ellison's
defenders argue that Ellison is merely being honest; since he believes in the
Koran and not in the Bible, he should be allowed, even encouraged, to put his
hand on the book he believes in. But for all of American history, Jews elected
to public office have taken their oath on the Bible, even though they do not
believe in the New Testament, and the many secular elected officials have not
believed in the Old Testament either. Yet those secular officials did not
demand to take their oaths of office on, say, the collected works of Voltaire
or on a volume of New York Times editorials, writings far more significant to
some liberal members of Congress than the Bible. Nor has one Mormon official
demanded to put his hand on the Book of Mormon. And it is hard to imagine a
scientologist being allowed to take his oath of office on a copy of
"Dianetics" (di-a-net-ics) by L. Ron Hubbard.
So why are we allowing Keith
Ellison to do what no other member of Congress has ever done — choose his own
most revered book for his oath?
The answer is obvious — Ellison
is a Muslim. And whoever decides these matters, not to mention virtually every
editorial page in America, is not going to offend a Muslim. In fact, many of
these people argue it will be a good thing because Muslims around the world
will see what an open society America is and how much Americans honor Muslims
and the Koran.
This argument appeals to all
those who believe that one of the greatest goals of America is to be loved by
the world, and especially by Muslims because then fewer Muslims will hate us
(and therefore fewer will bomb us).
But these naive people do not
appreciate that America will not change the attitude of a single
American-hating Muslim by allowing Ellison to substitute the Koran for the
Bible. In fact, the opposite is more likely: Ellison's doing so will embolden
Islamic extremists and make new ones, as Islamists, rightly or wrongly, see the
first sign of the realization of their greatest goal — to Islamize America.
When all elected officials
take their oaths of office with their hands on the very same book, they all
affirm that some unifying value system underlies American civilization. If
Keith Ellison is allowed to change that, he will be doing more damage to the
unity of America and to the value system that has formed this country than the
terrorists of 9-11. It is hard to believe that this is the legacy most Muslim
Americans want to bequeath to America. But if it is, it is not only Europe that
is in trouble.
2 Ki. 17:29 Nevertheless,
each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled,
and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high
places. 30The men from Babylon made Succoth Be-noth, the men from
Cuthah (chew-tha) made Nergal, and the men from Hamath made A-shi-ma; 31the
A-vites made Nib-haz and Tar-tak, and the Sepharvites (sef-ar-vites) burned
their children in the fire as sacrifices to A-dram-me-lech and A-nam-me-lech,
the gods of Sepharvaim. 32They worshiped the LORD, but they also
appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the
shrines at the high places. 33They worshiped the LORD, but they also
served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which
they had been brought.
We do have some religious
hang ups about Israel! I'm not denying God's plan for Israel, but the Bible
says...
Ps. 33:12 Blessed is the
nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.
Mayor Richard Daley's Chicago
Tells Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus That There is no Room in Chicago's Public
Square for Them/Blocks Advertising for the Movie "The Nativity Story"
Which Begins in Theaters Across America Today
Left-wing distain for
Christianity continues unabated this Christmas season. The latest outrage is
the action taken this week by Mayor Richard Daley's officials in Chicago
banning advertisements for the movie, "The Nativity Story" due out
today in theaters all around America.
Politically-correct Chicago
officials are frightened that the America that is not 85% Christian will be offended
by advertisements about a movie depicting the story of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
and the birth of Jesus. A left-winger working for the mayor of Chicago's Office
of Special Events effectively said, "Bah humbug to Christmas" and
went on to say that the city of Chicago does not want to appear to endorse one
religion over another.
We are living in a different
time!
What worked before is not
working now.
The church can not do what it
has done for years and years.
In places were there are mega
churches the community has still not been changed!
In fact, many of the mega
churches are growing because they stay neutral!
Many churches today have gone
to what's called "Postmodernism."
What that means is, they stay
away from anything that is controversial, and they stay politically correct.
What if?
We came together on a Sunday
morning and worshiped for 30 minutes and broke into workshops where you would
write letters addressing matters of intense importance.
In another area there was
prayer going on about these same issues.
What if some Saturday the
whole church went up to Granite City and met the next day for nothing but
prayer and intercession for what we did the day before?
What if we pulled our
resources together in the Name of Power of Jesus Christ and did things we
haven't done before?
Mat. 12:30 "He who is
not with me is against me....