Outward Profession of Godliness

Last night was the last of our revival services and I thank God for showing up in my life. God showed me areas that had become idolatrous. He showed me that although it is wise to plan for the future, that I am not in control of it; He is. As Bro Brad Lowery likes to say, “Can I get an amen?”

Bro Brad preached on 2 Chronicles 12:1-12 and you might as well read the whole chapter; it is 16 powerful verses.

However, I couldn’t get past verse 1:

    “Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel along with him.” (2 Chronicles 12:1)

Yeah, I know; where do I start with that?! King Rehoboam was a very practical king in that he fortified the cities of Judah; you see he was a national defense hawk. He was also a polygamist; in other words he wasn’t following God’s model for marriage.

So what did Rehoboam’s forsaking of God’s law bring to Judah? It brought war with Egypt and Judah and the treasures of the Temple were plundered.

But notice the last six words of verse 1; “and all Israel along with him.”

As goes the church, so goes the community. As goes the community, so goes our leaders.

Why did Israel follow Rehoboam into rebellion? Because their eyes were on Washington DC for the issues of the nation. Okay, I realize the capital of Israel is Jerusalem, but you get the connection, right?

Last Saturday was the 38th anniversary of the hellish Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade. It is not only a hellish decision; it is bad judiciary ruling. I actually begin to write the mantra, “it is bad law.” It is not law. Courts do not make law; isn’t that what the conservative/pro-life movement tells you everyday. Aren’t we supposed to fight judicial activism? So then why is the toxic lie that Roe vs. Wade is the law of the land being spewed out of the mouths of “our” so called leaders?

It is because we have replaced God’s law with man’s law. We have replace piety for pragmatism.

It has been 38 years and some 50 million babies butchered across America, a generational curse, and EVERYONE in political power and those who supposedly represent our Christian values still speak this vile lie.

Beloved, forsaking God never works out for a rebellious people; the Old Testament is filled with examples of failure:

    “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”’” (Exodus 32:7-8)

    “For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.” (Numbers 14:43)

    “The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me.” (Deuteronomy 28:20)

    “And the LORD said to Moses: ‘Behold, you will rest with your fathers; and this people will rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.’” (Deuteronomy 31:16-18)

Are you beginning to see a pattern yet? I want to close with this commentary on Rehoboam from Matthew Henry and I’m not going to say anymore. You figure it out. You decide for yourself if the GOP, FRC, FOTF, CWA, ACLJ, AFA, LC, and any other letters from the alphabet can ever save this country. I know of three: G-O-D.

    “When Rehoboam was so strong that he supposed he had nothing to fear from Jeroboam, he cast off his outward profession of godliness. It is very common, but very lamentable, that men, who in distress or danger, or near death, seem much engaged in seeking and serving God, throw aside all their religion when they have received a merciful deliverance. God quickly brought troubles upon Judah, to awaken the people to repentance, before their hearts were hardened. Thus it becomes us, when we are under the rebukes of Providence, to justify God, and to judge ourselves. If we have humbled our hearts under humbling providences, the affliction has done its work; it shall be removed, or the property of it altered.”

Hello?

Are you awake yet?

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2011 David Jeffers

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