A rock and roll band named the Who wrote a song with lyrics that go something like this:
You thought you could deceive me
But I got magic in my eyes
I can see for miles and miles
Though this song was written about one of the band member’s girlfriends misbehaving while he was far away, the song reminds me of a story in 1 Chron.16:9 whereby the prophet Hanani told King Asa:
“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”
Asa turned his back on the Lord and the Lord responded in kind and Asa paid for his lack of faith with his own life just as the prophet predicted.
The same thing happened to Saul as recorded by the prophet Samuel:
“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.”
The story progressed in Samuel 15:11: “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.”
And the day of reckoning: 1 Chron. 10:13 “Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,”
This morning I read a news article entitled: U.S. Army Defines Christian Ministry as ‘Domestic Hate Group’. It reads in part:
Several dozen U.S. Army active duty and reserve troops were told last week that the American Family Association, a well-respected Christian ministry, should be classified as a domestic hate group because the group advocates for traditional family values.
The briefing was held at Camp Shelby in Mississippi and listed the AFA alongside domestic hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazis, the Black Panthers and the Nation of Islam.
The article went on to say that this Christian ministry believes that homosexuality is a sin and thus are a hate group.
Hiram Sasser of the Liberty Institute was quoted as saying: President Obama said last year when Muslim extremists attacked our diplomatic outpost in Libya.
“Since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths,” We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.”
Sasser said he wished the president and the Army would treat the American Family Association with the same deference and respect they show those who mean to harm us.
He stated: “Why must the Army under this administration continue to attack Americans of faith and smear them? I fear the answer to that question, because it appears the Obama administration is separating the military from the American people – and planting seeds of doubt about Christians and some of our nation’s most prominent Christian ministries.”
Hmmm . . . If Words for the Day suddenly goes off the air, it might be because I believe homosexuality is a sin and while it is true that I hate sin; it is also true that I try my utmost to obey God’s command to love and pray for all sinners.
How can our country avoid judgment with unbridled defiance of God becoming the norm?
I believe the problems we are experiencing in this country are a result of our turning our backs on God. In other words we are already under judgment now with a failing economy, chaos in Washington D.C. wars, violence, and so forth.
The answer is to turn back to God. The late great commentator Paul Harvey offered the following prayer, (often incorrectly attributed to Billy Graham). It received the largest response of any that he ever aired and is poignant and pierces through to the heart of the matter today.
“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that.
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will, to openly ask it in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen”
Mr. Harvey need not worry about God searching our hearts. I just pray that He will cleanse us gently.
Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
October 15, 2013 – Click here to listen