THE PROPHET JEREMIAH - A WARNING TO AMERICA AND THE AMERICAN CHURCH

                                                


Jeremiah the Prophet was called by God to warn the ancient southern kingdom of Israel of impending doom brought about by open spiritual rebellion.  By the time Jeremiah began his ministry, the northern kingdom of Israel, known as Samaria, had already been destroyed due to sin and rebellion towards God.  Jeremiah's purpose is to warn the government and religious leaders of the southern kingdom that their fate will be similar if they do not change their ways.  Each time I study Jeremiah, I am struck by how similar the sins committed by Israel mirror the behavior of America at large and, to a certain degree, many in the church.  I share my observations because I believe that America is headed towards the same judgments that Israel suffered and for the same reasons.  Our culture has embraced sin at the highest levels and like no other time in history, we see good called evil and evil called good.  This post is meant as a warning to American Christians.  A large portion of the American church is embracing popular culture, embracing the idolization of entertainers and sports figures and supporting a satanic agenda by purchasing entertainment that directly defies God.  Much like the false prophets in the days of Jeremiah, many American preachers have embraced easy believism which is bereft of any call to repentance.  I will focus on some key scriptures of Jeremiah and show how our society has embraced the same behaviors the Weeping Prophet condemns in Israel.

Jeremiah 2:5  Thus says the LORD: "What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? 

The first passage I would like to look at, Jeremiah 2:5,  is foundational to this topic.  At some point, our leaders in entertainment, government and, in some cases, the church, have abandoned the principles of God and begun to pursue worthlessness.  God's word is very clear in the above passage, if we pursue worthlessness, we become worthless.  It is the concept of reaping and sowing.  Each of us has inestimable worth in the eyes of God, as demonstrated by the cross, yet, if we begin to abandon the ways of God, and pursue worthless pursuits, we trade that worth for a spiritual worthlessness in which we ourselves declare, "I am of no use to God."

Jeremiah 4:22  "For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are 'wise'—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not."

click here to read about Barna's study on the relevance of the Bible in today's young Christians

Ask the average youth group member about the lyrics to Mylie Cyrus's Wrecking Ball  or Katie Perry's Supernatural.  Next, ask the same youth group member to quote the 23rd Psalm, or even John 3:16, ask them to give a simple explanation of salvation. I think you will be very disturbed by the results.  It is not that the youth are not interested, because they are, sadly, they are not having their questions answered.  Parents are not spending time in Bible study with their children and youth groups have become focused on fun activities and very little Biblical teaching.  As a former youth minister, I can assure you that if you teach teens the Bible, they will ask questions and become engaged.  Our entire culture is geared to teaching evil to our kids, from television, to radio, to movies, to intrusive sex education in schools, to lies about evolution being taught as fact.  We must counter that negative influence by teaching the youth of America the Bible.


Jeremiah 5:30-31  An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: 
  the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes? 

In this passage, Jeremiah points out that the religious leaders are teaching falsely, and the people love it.  One well known pastor and author, Rob Bell, teaches that Hell is here on earth, that eternity is more a quality of life issue than a matter of time, and that God's love demands that we allow room for salvation outside faith in Christ.  If Rob Bell is right then Christ is a liar. Bell went on FOX News to defend his views.

ROB BELL DEFENDS HIS HERETICAL VIEWS ON SALVATION AND HELL. click here

Rob Bell has also given his endorsement for Gay marriage - something expressly forbidden in scripture. Also, in a very eye opening interview with Oprah, Rob Bell never once mentions Christ or judgement when asked about afterlife and salvation. - YOU CAN SEE THAT INTERVIEW HERE - PAY ATTENTION FROM 1:50 ON click here

While you may or may not have heard of Rob Bell, I am sure you have heard of Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven movement.  Rick Warren has turned his pulpit over to Rob Bell and Saddleback Chruch uses Rob Bells teachings.  Obviously, Warren endorses Bell's theology.  The only criticism for Bell from Warren has been Bell's decision to leave the ministry and pursue a career in publishing and conference speaking.  Warren criticized this decision intimating that it diminished Bell's influence.  Warren's Purpose Driven model is a Gospel-lite approach that is more concerned with social injustice than actual salvation. At a World Economic Summit, Warren makes that abundantly clear. SEE WARREN EMBRACING OTHER RELIGIONS FOR "PROGRESS" IN SOCIAL ISSUES click here

A great book exposing Warren's true agenda is New Evangelicalism  by Paul Smith.  You can read my review of this book by clicking here.

No false teacher has as much acclaim in Christian circles today as Joel Osteen.  Osteen teaches that our words have creative power and if we are unhappy or suffering, we need to speak something out in order to give life to our words.  According to Osteen, if I believe I am blessed that is good but if I say, "I am blessed", that is when blessings begin to come down.  Osteen teaches that we have the same creative power in our spoken word as God in Genesis.   Joel Osteen also stated on Larry King Live that some who do not believe in Christ may gain salvation as God judges their hearts and motives. Osteen says he cannot state that those who deny Christ are not saved click here

Bell, Warren and Osteen are false prophets of the modern age who have captured the hearts(and possibly souls) of millions of American's


Some of America's top religious figures, the ones selling the most books, seem to be "prophesying falsely" on a regular basis.  What will their followers do "when the end comes" and they realize they have been lied to and are not prepared for the return of Christ.  In Matthew 25, Jesus, discussing end times, tells a parable about the ten virgins.  The ten virgins represent the church, 5 were ready for the Bridegroom(Jesus) and 5 were not.
    The 5 who were not, did not have oil for their lamps( oil represents the Holy Spirit) and were excluded from the marriage, or in our terminology, left behind.  According to the teachings of Christ, half of the people who claim to be Christians do not have the Holy Spirit and will be told by Christ. "I know you not."  This is a terrifying thought when we consider that many of the world's Christians are persecuted, but here in America, it is culturally acceptable to be called a Christian.(as long as we don't get fanatical about it)  If Jesus truly meant that half of professing Christians will be left behind, what percentage of that half will come from the American church.  I fear a largely disproportionate number of American"Christians" will be without oil and miss the rapture.

Jeremiah 1:16  And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. 

One of the major pitfalls for the nation of Israel was idol worship.  This is not really an issue in America, especially in the church...or is it.  Do we have idols in America today?  If so, who or what are they?   FOX Television answers that question for us, I believe.
                                                         
Today's entertainers have replaced God when it comes to adoration, devotion and instruction.

      
adoration of Elvis                                    fans reacting to the Beatles 


fans at a heavy metal concert

Open displays of worship and adoration for musicians is nothing new in America, but how many of our Christian youth,(and shamefully, adults) openly worship their idols up on stage.  This idolatry does not stop with mere worship, but also indoctrination. Many of today's most popular musicians openly endorse evil.  Beyonce, who started singing in church, openly admits to being possessed by a spirit that empowers her on stage, and has revealed the name of the spirit as Sasha Fierce.

 Beyonce describes being possessed - click here

Beyonce describes Sasha Fierce - click here


Lady Gaga has has come out with her own perfume - Fame - of which she claims was designed to smell like a slut.
                      
     Black- "like the soul of fame"                                Lady Gaga packaged for the children



                                                     
                                                                            Obviously not child friendly

Amazingly, part of the chemical composition of this perfume is based on men's semen and Lady Gaga's blood.  Also notable is Gaga wanted the perfume to be black to represent the "soul of fame."  I wonder how many Christian girls have this perfume and how many Christian parents have bought it for them.

You can see ABC News' release here -

Katy Perry is another former "christian" who has admitted to selling her soul for fame and undeniably sings about welcomed demonic possession in her song Supernatural.

           
Perry admits leaving Christ for fame - click here                          lyrics to Supernatural click here


Our youth(and many adults) are being poisoned by popular culture and parental apathy is probably one of the biggest factors.  It is imperative that parents are aware of the entertainment their children are being exposed to.  If you are a Christian parent, take the time to go through your child's music and movie collection, Google the artists and use IMDB to check out the movies.  We are losing our youth and do not even realize it.  As a parent, take the time to find out what your child is watching, listening to and surfing on the web.  You are obligated before God to do so!


Jeremiah 8:1  "At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs. 
  And they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped. And they shall not be gathered or buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. 

Jeremiah does not just condemn the spiritual leaders and idol worshipers, but the governmental leaders as well.  A cultural shift has taken place in America, a cultural shift unlike any seen before. This cultural shift is due, in large part, to the current political atmosphere in Washington.  Never have we seen so many policies and ideologies(from both parties) that are so opposed to Biblical truth.  The latest attack on Biblical values comes from a federal judge who overturned a Pennsylvania law defining marriage as between a man and a woman.  PA voters decided to define marriage according to the Biblical definition but U. S. District Judge John Jones III overturned that vote, stating, "We are better people than what these laws represent."  The amazing thing about Judge John Jones III is that he was appointed by President George W. Bush on the recommendation of then Republican Senator Rick Santoram.  Santoram is considered a staunch conservative.

As a nation, we have shifted into a post-Christian era, as our current president declared that America is not a Christian nation.


President Obama declares America "no longer a christian nation" - click here

The Republican National Convention has been battling internally over faith based issues, as many in the Republican party feel that faith based issues have become passe and are ready to abandon conservative social issues in order to focus on fiscal conservatism.  Our money says, "in God we trust" but it seems that money is more important than God to many in the new GOP.

The Democratic party abandoned issues of faith years ago, and now we see the Republican party sliding into same moral abyss.  George H. W. Bush supported Planned Parenthood prior to his being selected as Vice President under Ronald Reagan and Mitt Romney attended Planned Parenthood fundraisers in 2002.  The two parties seem to be two wings of the same bird, both flying away from God.



Rabbi Jonathan Cahn wrote a ground breaking book comparing prophecies in Isaiah to current events in modern day America.  The Harbinger shows how America may just be about to fall under major judgment from God.  Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn address the presidential inaugural prayer breakfast - click here
If you have not seen Jonathan Cahn's address at the presidential inaugural prayer breakfast, click the link above, it is long but well worth viewing.


Jeremiah 4:1  "If you return, O Israel, declares the LORD, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver,  and if you swear, 'As the LORD lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory."

All is not lost or hopeless.  I believe this nation can experience a revival, but it will depend on the American church submitting to the authority of God.  I do not write this because I believe all is lost, but because I believe that we have an opportunity to see one more big move of God before the end.  I do believe we have lost the cultural war, but I believe the real battle is for the souls of individual Americans.  I believe the battle must start in a church that calls for holiness in it's members, a church that demands accountability of it's leaders and a church that stands on the literal interpretation and application of scripture.  The church needs to get back to the basics of Bible, prayer, true discipleship.  If we are willing to call for repentance in our churches and to purge those who will not repent, we can see the church grow in it's moral authority and begin to affect the greater society.

I named a few people who need our prayer, Rob Bell, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Beyonce Knowles, Stephani Germanoti(Lady Gaga), Katy Perry, President Obama, our government leaders, and judges all need our prayers.  Each of these people is loved by God.  Christ died for every one of these people, just as He died for you and me.  Pray, pray, pray, and then pray some more, read your Bible, live your Bible and love people into the kingdom.

As Christians, we need to take responsibility by not supporting sin with our entertainment choices.  We need to direct our youth to things that honor God and steer them away from that which glorifies the things of Satan.  Jeremiah's warnings went unheeded by the people of Israel, to disastrous results,  let's not make the same mistake or experience the results that Israel suffered.

CULTURE WAR - CHRISTIANS NEED TO STAND FOR TRUTH - BUT IN LOVE

This weekend, we discovered that my middle son's favorite movie franchise has decided to promote the gay agenda.  Apparently, a character in How To Train Your Dragon 2 is going to come out as gay and the movie makers are planning on developing this story line in HTTYD3.  My son, and our family is sadly disappointed, to say the least, as we will absolutely not support such a decision by paying to see this movie.  Here is a link to the article:  click here for article

    My wife and middle son are huge HTTYD fans, since the first movie.  They have gotten posters, stuffed animals, Wii games, dvds and even bedding.  HTTYD2 has been highly anticipated since it was announced and plans to go to the theater to view the film have been well under way.  When news of a character in the film coming out as gay reached our house, my son was crestfallen, and he fully supported our decision to skip this movie.    He asked me why the gays had to take this away from him.  If you have read this blog, you know that we recently left the Boy Scouts of America over it's decision to allow openly gay boys to join the program.  Leaving Scouts was hard on my son as he felt it was taken from him by a group of people who were attempting to promote a lifestyle that the Bible clearly calls sinful.  In his mind, he saw this as just another thing the gays have stolen from him and he expressed anger toward the gay community.

 I believe that the current trend we are facing in America will lead to a marginalization of Christians and Christian values that can only end in out right persecution of people of faith.  What we hold as Biblical values is being called hate speech and it is only a matter of time before legislation passes that makes such speech open to prosecution.  For the past 1700 years or so, it has been relatively easy to follow Christ in Western civilization.  Most of the western world built it's laws and mores on morals found in the Bible.  That is all changing and the change is happening far more rapidly than anyone expected.  I recently read an article in which the Anglican church was lamenting the slide into immorality England was experiencing due to the policies of the current prime minister.  Much the same could be said about American culture and the influence of our current political leadership.  Suddenly, many Christians are finding their faith challenged and I fear outright persecution will be upon us before we know it.

The point I wanted to get across to my son, and the point I want to make here is 3 fold.  First and foremost, Jesus told us to count the cost of following Him.  Second, no matter how difficult and unfair this life may seem, heaven will be worth it . Third, we need to direct our anger in the right direction, not at people, but at the spiritual forces behind the evil that people do.

When Jesus saw that multitudes were following Him, He knew they were expecting utopia.  Jesus did not come to establish a Utopia, He came to save that which was lost.  As Jesus began to explain to the people that following Him came with a cost, they mostly abandoned Him.  The Christian life was not meant to be easy, just look at the life of the Apostle Paul.  For the first time in hundreds of years, Christians in the Western world will have to count the cost of discipleship and will have their faith tested in ways they never expected.

The best part of our faith is the reward that awaits us in heaven. Romans 8:18 says, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."   Our lives here are but a shadow of what is to come.  This life, this world we live in, is temporal and nothing we gain here materially can come with us when we cross over into eternity.  Eternity will be so amazing that we cannot comprehend it.  As we see our culture turn on us, we have to keep heaven in sight and know that the best is yet to come.  We can battle discouragement by keeping eyes on the prize that awaits us and looking forward to one day standing in the presence of our loving almighty God.

The third point is directing our anger properly and not allowing our zeal for God to translate into hatred for the lost, who need to see God's love through us.  As we see people forming groups to promote things that God condemns and that harms society in general, we have to remember that the Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12 " For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  Our battle is not with the lost souls but the evil force directing them, Satan.  As we recognize our enemy is a spirit being, bent on our destruction, that brings the battle into a spiritual realm with prayer being our primary weapon.  The people who are working hard to thwart God are pawns of Satan and are entitled to see God's love through us.  

As I saw my son's anger being directed to a group of people, I took the opportunity to explain to him that those people are loved by God and God desires them to come to salvation.  I believe the enemy creates factions so we get distracted from the true battle. If the church is busy directing anger toward the homosexual community, Satan wins a two fold battle. The first thing is we are attacking people that Christ loves and died for rather than showing His love and compassion toward them as people. How can a person be led to repentance and salvation if we, who are tasked with presenting the truth, are busy directing hate and anger toward them.  The second thing is we become distracted from the Great Commission by focusing all our energies on side issues.  We become focused on the symptoms rather than the disease.  Lost people are not going to Hell because of a specific sin in their lives, they are going to hell because they have rejected Christ.  Sinners do not reject Christ because of a specific sin in their lives, they have specific sin because they reject Christ.  Our job is to lovingly present Christ and the Holy Spirit brings conviction and repentance. 

We cannot ignore sin, we cannot endorse sin by purchasing entertainment that promotes sin and we cannot allow sin in the congregation.  We must stand up against sin and injustice but we cannot attack people or groups of people, we need to figure out a way to balance presenting truth with demonstrating God's love.  Yes, the conversation needs to take place that addresses sin in an individual's life, but that conversation needs to take place between two people who have established a relationship in which the goal of presenting Christ's love is central.  Within the church, sin needs to be confronted, addressed and corrected directly, with the lost, we need to address sin in the context of Christ's love and sacrifice and allow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to direct that conversation.  

In so many ways, we have failed to stand for truth and allowed the culture to turn a very bad corner and in so many ways, we have stood for truth in anger and in a spirit or hatred.  It is imperative that we stand for truth, but not at the cost of the souls of the lost.  We must pray for guidance to stand firm in love and keep the goal of making disciples our primary objective.