This came via email to me this morning from my mom. It deals with something a nearsighted preacher was preaching from his pulpit. It makes me wonder if it is partially stirring up the wrong spirit. Stirring our spirits about natural things and forgetting about the things of God which are essential. I think sometimes God must just look at our rants and shake His head. Or perhaps He laughs or cries.
Good morning, brothers and sisters;
it’s always a delight to see
the pews crowded on Sunday
morning, and so eager to get into
God’s Word. Turn with me
in your Bibles, if you will to the 47th
chapter of Genesis, we’ll
begin our reading at verse 13, and go
through verse 27.
Brother Ray, would you stand and
read that great passage for us?
….(reading)….
Thank you for that fine reading,
Brother Ray.. So we see that
economic hard times fell
upon Egypt , and the people turned to
the government of Pharaoh
to deal with this for them. And Pharaoh
nationalized the grain
harvest, and placed the grain in great storehouses
that he had built. So the
people brought their money to Pharaoh, like a
great tax increase, and
gave it all to him willingly in return for grain. And
this went on until their
money ran out, and they were hungry again.
So when they went to Pharaoh after
that, they brought their
livestock -their cattle,
their horses, their sheep, and their donkey -
to barter for grain, and
verse 17 says that only took them through
the end of that year..
But the famine wasn’t over, was
it? So the next year, the people
came before Pharaoh and
admitted they had nothing left, except
their land and their own
lives. “There is nothing left in the sight
of my lord but our bodies
and our land. Why should we die before
your eyes, both we and
our land? Buy us and our land for food,
and we with our land will
be servants to Pharaoh..” So they
surrendered their homes,
their land, and their real estate to
Pharaoh’s government, and
then sold themselves into slavery
to him, in return for grain.
What can we learn from this, brothers
and sisters?
That turning to the government
instead of to God to be our provider
in hard times only leads
to slavery? Yes.. That the only reason
government wants to be
our provider is to also become our master?
Yes.
But look how that passage ends,
brothers and sisters! Thus Israel
settled in the land of
Egypt , in the land of Goshen .. And they gained
possessions in it, and
were fruitful and multiplied greatly.” God
provided for His people,
just as He always has! They didn’t end up
giving all their possessions
to government, no, it says they gained
possessions! But I also
tell you a great truth today, and an ominous
one.
We see the same thing happening
today – the government today
wants to “share the
wealth “once again, to take it from us and redistribute
it back to us. It wants
to take control of healthcare, just as it has taken
control of education, and
ration it back to us, and when government
rations it, then government
decides who gets it, and how much, and
what kind. And if we go
along with it, and do it willingly, then we will
wind up no differently
than the people of Egypt did four thousand years
ago – as slaves to the
government, and as slaves to our leaders.
What Mr. Obama’s government is
doing now is no different from what
Pharaoh’s government did
then, and it will end the same. And a lot of
people like to call Mr.
Obama a “Messiah,” don’t they? Is he a Messiah?
A savior? Didn’t the Egyptians
say, after Pharaoh made them his slaves,
“You have saved our
lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh”?
Well, I tell you this -
I know the Messiah; the
Messiah is a friend of mine;
and Mr. Obama is no Messiah!
No, brothers and sisters,
if Mr. Obama is a character
from the Bible, then he is Pharaoh.
Bow with me in prayer,
if you will…
Lord, You alone are worthy to be
served, and we rely on You, and You alone. We confess that the government
is not our deliverer, and never rightly will be. We read in the eighth
chapter of 1 Samuel, when Samuel warned the people
of what a ruler would do,
where it says “And in that day you will cry out
because of your king, whom
you have chosen for yourselves, but
the LORD will not answer
you in that day.”
And Lord, we acknowledge
that day has come. We cry
out to you because of the ruler that we have
chosen for ourselves as
a nation. Lord, we pray for this nation. We pray
for revival, and we pray
for deliverance from those who would be our masters. Give us hearts to
seek You and hands to serve You, and protect Your people
from the atrocities of
Pharaoh’s government.
In God We Trust…
Hi,
I got this from a friend, and a staunch republican, I usually delete her stuff when she gets on these political rants. THIS IS A NEW ONE USING THE BIBLE. Any truth to this ????
Love you ,
mom
Dear Mom,
I guess I have to think about it, but what comes to mind is the difference in the governments… Egypt was a theocracy – we live in a democracy. Egypt only allowed idol worship – here in America we are free to worship our own God. In Egypt everyone was making the same wage… here in America, you don’t hear too many doctors and lawyers and corporate executives complaining about socialism. We also don’t know what real persecution is in this world. Having provided health care and starving to death are two different things. We are a people that no longer pray. We are a people that have not learned to fast – or go without. We are a people that only worship a God on Sunday mornings and God forbid that we take too long doing it. Shame on us in America for blaming our ills on governments and other people. Shame on us for being whiners instead of warriors. Shame on us for being soft and uncomfortable with where God planted us. Perhaps He should have planted some of us in Africa or Iran or Afganistan… perhaps then we’d have a greater appreciation for what hardship is. We are still one nation under God although we are moving away from Him a day at a time…
In the old testament, God commanded Pharaoh to let the people go – and although an unsaved ruler, he was given an offer he couldn’t refuse. Exo 12:51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, [that] the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies. In the end, the people were set free. Here in the new testament we are reminded of that story, not to be scared of or hateful toward our government or our leaders – but that God’s will vetos mans – EVERY TIME. 2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
In the new testament it said that all who live Godly WILL suffer persecution. 2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
In the new testament, prophecy about the end times can’t be reversed by bashing a president or your country’s leaders. Rev 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.
In the new testament we are told to pray for our leaders, not bad mouth them. Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you.
In the new testament we are to pray for those that despitefully use us. Luk 6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Doesn’t sound like the talk I am hearing… that’s NOT good… but hey, as Christian Americans, we tend to make up our own rules about how to follow Christ’s teachings. PRAY FOR THEM – pray to God. Don’t TALK ABOUT THEM to people.
In the new testament we are to love our neighbor… and whether you like or hate who’s in politics, or in the White House, last time I checked, 1600 Pennsylvania avenue is an address right here in America and thus, they ARE your neighbors. Mat 19:19 Honour thy father and [thy] mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
In the new testament we are supposed to set our affections on those things above…Col 3:1-3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth (not on the white house where the president sitteth) on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Even in the old testament when the children of Israel were in bondage to Babylon – they didn’t bash the government, but lived under it and prospered in spite of it… ie: the three Hebrew men who WERE NOT burned in the fire Dan 3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. (the fire only destroys those who are mindful of it) and were promoted to governmental positions; Dan 3:30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. and who convinced a king to decree to a nation that no other God can save – like their God. Dan 3:29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
And… what about Daniel in the midst of a perverse generation and living in an unholy place?? Dan 2:48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise [men] of Babylon. Did Daniel choose NOT to be a part of that governing body? Did he refuse the position because of the sin? Did he boycott the system? Did he preach against it from his pulpit? Did he speak out against the ungodliness of a godless king? Daniel walked in his witness… he didn’t preach it.
And what about Joseph who was sold into slavery, Gen 37:36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, [and] captain of the guard. overcame great odds to be a part of Potiphar’s governing body, only to be thrown in prison Gen 39:20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners [were] bound: and he was there in the prison. and then promoted to second in command!! Gen 41:40-43 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him [ruler] over all the land of Egypt. And… notice Joseph never once badmouthed Potiphar or his lying and deceitful wife. Joseph had a master, but he never forgot who his LORD was. (When we work – we are in essence slaves to the company we work for… some get paid more, some get paid less… Joseph prospered for his job. Never, however forget your God and His promises. 2Co 1:20 For all the promises of God in him [are] yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
There is one rule of thumb that people need to abide by… God is sovereign and He will place us where He will - and if we are willing to go even into adversity, He will get the most glory from it. 2Co 4:15-17 For all things [are] for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; He also said that he wouldn’t put us into places that were too much to bear. 1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]. Fear the government and find no way of escape… play on God’s side and it’s escapable and bearable… simple, huh?
God said… “I set up and I remove kings” Dan 2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: That means – no matter how important you think you are in a voting process – in the end, God will have the final say. But… still it remains a dividing point in this country – and the enemy sits back and laughs as we are too busy fighting each other to recognize him. If this country goes down, it won’t be because of an Obama or a Pallin or a Bush or a Clinton or a Kennedy – it will go down in flames because a house divided against itself can NOT stand. We don’t have to worry about a 9/11 bombing – or it reoccurring… we’re killing ourselves. We shoot ourselves in the foot and blame the government. Who is your Lord? Who is governing you? Where does your trust lie? Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
In the time of Jesus – there was cruel and unusual punishment to the Jews. Some of the worst capital punishment this world has seen was inflicted by the Roman government. Did you ever ONCE hear Jesus badmouth Caesar? Did you ever hear Jesus complain about the tax situation? NO… in fact, Jesus asked, “who’s image and name is on the coin?” Mat 22:20-21 And he saith unto them, Whose [is] this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. – In essence he was saying… “he printed the money, I guess he can take it back when he wants it… that’s not the currency of my kingdom!” - Christ never accused or formulated small rants against the government that he was subject to while he was on this earth.
That’s right… he was subject to – willingly to the government in charge. He made his disciples pay taxes, Mar 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.
he went through their kangaroo court system, Mat 27:2 And when they had bound him, they led [him] away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. and died at the hands of this world’s executioners. Joh 19:18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. All as a lamb to slaughter. Isa 53:6-8 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
The problem is… some people are not following in the footsteps of a lamb… but bleating their brains out as a goat.
Bloom where you’re planted – and welcome the dunging as it causes us to grow.
And finally – learn as Paul said – that in whatever state you’re in – be content. Php 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. I could go into so many things about that, but in essence it tells us that, wherever we are, don’t shift your focus or your alliance from God. Don’t lose heart or your faith in a bad situation.
I am reminded of John the Baptist who proclaimed that Jesus was the lamb of God while he was baptizing at the Jordan. Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. But when John went to prison, he questioned whether Jesus was in fact the Messiah… “Are you the one we have been seeking, or shall we wait for another?” Mat 11:2-3 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
Beloved, we can’t forget in darkness what we’ve learned in the light. The Bible is very clear… pray for those who you assume to be your enemies. Obama is NOT our enemy, Pallin is NOT our enemy, The money-grubbing overbalanced prosperity preachers are NOT our enemy, your boss is NOT your enemy… they are just human beings that make mistakes the same as you and I. He that is without sin, keep throwing those rocks at them – I’m sure it’s doing a lot of good (sarcasm). Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
Remember who you are fighting against… and who you are fighting for! I don’t know of one Republican or one Democrat that is strong enough to change the destiny of this world or who can change or alter the hand and plan of God – by vehemently speaking out and causing fear in those around you – you are giving way too much credit to and you are empowering the hand of man in your own mind which will lead to panic. If we would be as steadfast, as fervent, as determined, as dedicated to taking these things to prayer, I believe that things would be accomplished, you wouldn’t be so fearful or exhausted and joy would come into your life IN THE MIDST OF your situation. When we speak fear we prove our lack of faith in The Creator.
And Paul sums it up… in reality, a slave, and in a government jail, yet he called himself a prisoner of Christ. Eph 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.
Paul was heading into uncertain times to face ungodly men… but secured in the Holy Ghost. Not being moved by the circumstance or the government – so that he could finish his course with joy – not anger… not remorse… not hatred for a government that was about to take his life. Act 20:22-24 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And you will notice that Paul’s messages were eternal in flavor, not political. Leave the politics to the politicians – there is a harvest out there that needs to have Christian laborers. Preach what Paul preached – not what Pat Robertson or Jesse Jackson are preaching.
Do you want to be a Christian in all senses of the word, and obey the whole counsel of God – or do you just want to be religious, obeying what is convenient for you? If your sights are set above and not beneath, then you know the time is short. Instead of trying to set this world on a right axis, Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. you should be packing your clothes and getting ready for your journey. Luk 12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. And you should be helping others get ready… Rom 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. not by getting their minds stirred up about what is going on here – but on weightier matters, (although Paul could have preached against it’s injustice and corruption, he said he was READY to preach THE GOSPEL.) There are more important things to worry about right now than our economy or our governmental leaders – and if that is where your worry lies… if that is where your fear is setting – then the things “more important” are more critical to you than you know. It is time to seek the Lord… While He may be found. Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
I guess that’s all I have to say about that right now – just some thoughts to pass on to your friends who want to debate and bash, slash and destroy, shock and awe…
Love,
Mark