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Is It Too
Late For Revival?
By Grant Phillips
“Pray
no more for these
people, Jeremiah
(My Prophets).
Do not weep or pray
for them, and don’t
beg me to help them,
for I will not
listen to you. Don’t
you see what they
are doing throughout
the towns of Judah
(America)
and in the streets
of Jerusalem
(your cities)?
No wonder I am so
angry! Watch how the
children gather wood
and the fathers
build sacrificial
fires. See how the
women knead dough
and make cakes to
offer to the Queen
of Heaven
(their gods).
And they pour out
liquid offerings to
their other idol
gods! Am I the one
they are hurting?”
asks the Lord.
“Most of all, they
hurt themselves, to
their own shame.” So
this is what the
Sovereign Lord
says: “I will pour
out my terrible fury
on this place. Its
people, animals,
trees, and crops
will be consumed by
the unquenchable
fire of my anger.”
This is what the Lord
of Heaven’s Armies,
the God of Israel
(America),
says: “Take your
burnt offerings and
your other
sacrifices and eat
them yourselves!
When I led your
ancestors out of
Egypt
(Europe),
it was not burnt
offerings and
sacrifices I wanted
from them. This is
what I told them:
‘Obey me, and I will
be your God, and you
will be my people.
Do everything as I
say, and all will be
well!’ “But my
people would not
listen to me. They
kept doing whatever
they wanted,
following the
stubborn desires of
their evil hearts.
They went backward
instead of forward.
From the day your
ancestors left Egypt
(Europe)
until now, I have
continued to send my
servants, the
prophets—day in and
day out. But my
people have not
listened to me or
even tried to hear.
They have been
stubborn and
sinful—even worse
than their
ancestors. “Tell
them all this, but
do not expect them
to listen. Shout out
your warnings, but
do not expect them
to respond. Say to
them, ‘This is the
nation whose people
will not obey the Lord
their God and who
refuse to be taught.
Truth has vanished
from among them; it
is no longer heard
on their lips. Shave
your head in
mourning, and weep
alone on the
mountains. For the Lord
has rejected and
forsaken this
generation that has
provoked his fury.’
“The people of Judah
(America)
have sinned
before my very
eyes,” says the Lord.
“They have set up
their abominable
idols right in the
Temple
(church)
that bears
my name, defiling
it. They have built
pagan shrines at
Topheth
(Godless pulpits),
the garbage dump in
the valley of Ben-Hinnomtt
(Godless seminaries),
and there they burn
their sons and
daughters in the
fire. I have never
commanded such a
horrible deed; it
never even crossed
my mind to command
such a thing! So
beware, for the time
is coming,” says the
Lord,
“when that garbage
dump will no longer
be called Topheth
(Godless pulpits)
or the valley of
Ben-Hinnom
(Godless seminaries),
but the Valley of
Slaughter. They will
bury the bodies in
Topheth
(Godless churches)
until there is no
more room for them.
The bodies of my
people will be food
for the vultures and
wild animals, and no
one will be left to
scare them away. I
will put an end to
the happy singing
and laughter in the
streets of Jerusalem
(your cities).
The joyful voices of
bridegrooms and
brides will no
longer be heard in
the towns of Judah
(America).
The land will lie in
complete desolation.”
(Jeremiah 7:16-34
NLT)
By inter-changing
just a few words in
the above passages,
this message could
be for us in the
United States of
America. Actually,
this message is for
us. It was certainly
directed
specifically to
Judah (Israel), but
without a doubt this
message also fits us
to a tee.
Is there any hope
for revival in this
country?
Our Lord says
to His people, “If
my people, which are
called by my name,
shall humble
themselves, and
pray, and seek my
face, and turn from
their wicked ways;
then will I hear
from heaven, and
will forgive their
sin, and will heal
their land.” (2
Chronicles 7:14)
Based on this verse,
I do believe that
there is always hope
for revival … but …
I sincerely believe
that we have passed
the point of being
willing to comply
with this verse. In
my opinion, our
hearts are in the
final stage shown in
verse 27 above which
says, “Tell
them all this, but
do not expect them
to listen. Shout out
your warnings, but
do not expect them
to respond.”
We, the Church, have
sat idly by while
the God we claim to
worship has been
removed from every
vestige of our
society.
We have allowed Him
to be removed from
our schools where
our most precious
treasure, our
children, are being
indoctrinated in
their tender years
to everything that
is anti God. The
Bible has been
replaced by sex
classes. Evolution
has replaced the
truth of creation by
Almighty God.
Discipline has been
removed, resulting
now in teachers
being afraid of
their students. Our
schools have become
a battleground. The
Church has been
silent.
The airwaves, be it
movies, television,
and even radio have
become a bastion of
filth.
Homosexuality,
promiscuous sex,
gutter language,
violence,
drunkenness, drugs,
divorce, etc. are
all examples of
Hollywood’s success
in these avenues.
The sinful acts
against a Holy God
are laughingly spat
in His face. The
Church has been
silent.
The classical music
of great composers
has been replaced
with trash. “Music”
that encourages the
killing of police
officers, rape,
hate, sex, and
whatever else can
come from the mouths
of sewers. Instead
of music that is
soothing, uplifting,
and comforting, it
has been replaced
with noise that
draws gyrations of
sexual desires.
The Church
has been silent.
God’s design for the
family; husband
(man), wife (woman)
and children has
been replaced with
single parent
families, or two
same-sex parents.
Also, one of the
greatest detriments
to the family is
“no-fault divorce”.
Children are not
being given what
they need in a
family to grow
mentally and
emotionally as they
should; a dad (man)
and mom (woman). Is
it any wonder they
are confused. The
Church has been
silent.
Homosexually is
overtaking this land
like locusts, and it
is a dirge to any
society. Every
society that has
succumbed to this
evil has fallen. We
are not exempt. The
Church has been
silent.
Many of our
governmental leaders
are primarily
corrupt, sexually
perverted, obsessed
with greed, and what
do we do? We keep
them in office year
after year. The
Church has been
silent.
Even our manner of
dress has changed to
the point where
there is often
little to nothing
left to the
imagination. The
body is not covered
with respect, but
put on display as a
harlot. This can
often be seen even
in church worship
services. The Church
has been silent.
The Church has sat
back on its haunches
while Satan’s goats
have infiltrated the
local churches. In
self-induced
ignorance, the
Church has allowed
false teachings to
infiltrate its
assemblies and
blaspheme the name
of God by insulting
His Holy Son, Jesus
Christ. All that I
have previously
mentioned in this
article, and more,
have actually found
their way into the
local churches. The
Church has been
silent.
In Mark 6:12 the
disciples, “…went
out, and preached
that men should
repent.” This is
what we, the Church,
must do if there is
any possibility of
avoiding judgment.
Notice that God said
in 2 Chronicles
7:14, “If
my people, which
are called by my
name, shall humble
themselves, and
pray, and seek my
face, and turn from
their wicked ways;
then will I hear
from heaven, and
will forgive their
sin, and will heal
their land.
The emphasis
is on “my
people”.
We, the Church,
could bring revival,
if we only would. We
must come to God as
Job when he said, “Wherefore
I abhor myself, and
repent in dust and
ashes.” (Job
42:6) We cannot
continue blaming the
world around us for
the mess we are in.
The world is only
doing what is
natural to a fallen
world. When we sit
idly by and do
nothing, we are the
problem. It is we,
the Church, who must
come to God on
bended knee and
repent.
It has been nearly
50 years since
Madalyn Murray
O’Hair began her
crusade against God
and His Church. In
all that time, the
Church as a whole
has done nothing but
sit back and watch.
“Nary a peep”, as
they would say years
ago, back in the
hills where I was
raised.
Most are probably
thinking, “what
could I have done,
I’m only one
person?” Let me ask
this question, how
much of the world’s
influence has rubbed
off in your life?
Allow me to provide
a few examples to
clarify that
question:
·
If your grown
unmarried child
comes to visit, and
they bring their
date with them,
where do they sleep
in your house?
·
What do we allow to
be seen and not seen
on the television
screen?
·
What do we talk
about among friends?
Specifically, is
Jesus ever
mentioned?
·
When was the last
time you spoke out
against Satanic
doctrine preached in
the local church you
attend? Are you
still there?
·
What kind of example
for Christ are you
in front of your own
children?
·
How do you treat
your own spouse?
·
Has your family ever
seen you pray and
study God’s Word?
I could give dozens
of other examples,
but the point is
that we can make a
difference in our
own area of the
world we live in.
However, I have seen
far too many times,
good people
succumbing to the
pressures of the
world. It’s the old
“everybody’s doing
it” excuse. Let us
keep one thing in
mind, there is only
one yardstick, the
Word of God. We call
it the Bible. We
need to be
VERY familiar
with this Book.
Sadly, very few are.
Is it too late for
revival? I reiterate
that in my opinion
we have gone so far
in our rebellion
against God, we will
not choose to
repent, but instead
face judgment. I
would love to be
proven wrong.
Is it possible that
the Church could go
through a cleansing
judgment in this
country (and
elsewhere) before
Jesus comes to
retrieve her in the
Rapture? It is
entirely possible.
Whether that is the
case, I do not know.
My earnest prayer
for our country is
that the Church wake
up. Even if it is
too late to change
the direction of all
the Satanic garbage
that is
proliferating itself
upon us, we need to
get our hearts right
with God.
We the Church have
been silent far too
long, perhaps even
past the point of no
return, while
darkness has
replaced the light
that once was. When
the light is turned
off to a room,
darkness immediately
takes its place, and
that is the result
of our silence.
Jesus told us, “Ye
are the light of the
world. A city that
is set on an hill
cannot be hid.
Neither do men light
a candle, and put it
under a bushel, but
on a candlestick;
and it giveth light
unto all that are in
the house.”
(Matthew 14-15) If
our light is under a
bushel, perhaps we
need to get it out
from under the
bushel and place it
on the candlestick.
Jesus’ Word also
tells us, “Then
spake Jesus again
unto them, saying, I
am the light of the
world: he that
followeth me shall
not walk in
darkness, but shall
have the light of
life.” (John
8:12) Who are we
following? If we are
following Jesus, we
will reflect His
light to the world,
because He is the
light of life.
In closing, my
observation is that
many of those who
claim to be
Christians are good,
moral people with
high standards. They
work hard at
providing for their
families, and they
care for others.
Perhaps they are the
“silent majority” we
speak of so often.
Now is the time to
break that silence
and stand up for
God. Jesus said “Whosoever
therefore shall
confess me before
men, him will I
confess also before
my Father which is
in heaven. But
whosoever shall deny
me before men, him
will I also deny
before my Father
which is in heaven.”
(Matthew 10:32-33)
If we are ashamed to
confess Him, maybe
we are not His
child. On the other
hand, if we are
ashamed of
ourselves, maybe we
should repent and
seek His
forgiveness. A
revival can always
begin with one.
Otherwise, our own
silence condemns us,
and it is deafening.
Grant Phillips
grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture
Commentary
http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
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