Not an Idle Word

Stop a moment and consider the words of God after writing His commandments with a finger of fire on tablets of stone, the first of which and the one all others ultimately depend upon is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Please take very seriously the words found in Deuteronomy 32:46-47: “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”

Just as Old Testament Israelites did, Americans have experienced Promised Land blessings. Our national anthem declares we are to be known as “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Prolonging our days with the blessings only freedom makes possible depends upon the response of God’s church to the demands being made in this hour by those who reject the truth. Truth revealed by nature’s God and nature’s law. And this is just the beginning, hopefully, not the beginning of the end.

The church of Jesus Christ will either take a stand on God’s irrefutable truth, or witness the fall of our once great nation. The enemy of truth and father of lies has drawn his line in the sand and demands America choose whom they will serve. Will we refuse the promises of another Pharaoh to care for us as his dependent servant slaves, or take an even more foolish step by accepting another controlling force like Nebuchadnezzar? Remember, he not only required servanthood, but demanded that people worship his idols or face the fiery furnace.

Such are the threats against the church – ministers, pastors, priests, and any who refuse to compromise God’s call to put a trumpet to their lips, proclaiming truth and true liberty throughout the land. The church and her leaders now face the choice of bowing before the demands and gods of this world, or as the three Hebrew children did, refuse to bend, bow, or break regardless of any threats. They experienced firsthand the supernatural power of the fourth man in the midst of the fire and did not even smell of smoke. They were in fact a sweet smelling aroma in the nostrils of a holy and loving God. Count me in with them.

We must not stand by and accept the demands of Bible-denying, truth-denying, unprincipled people, however great their numbers who try to force us to participate or approve voting idols into high places throughout the land, the churches, or into law. The same-sex marriage issue is far bigger than giving people special rights and protection which the law already guarantees and which God’s people would certainly support. No one should be mistreated, even if we believe they make poor choices and participate in what scripture deems unwholesome. The fact is we are being asked to “change the truth into a lie” rather than flee idolatry and are being manipulated to embrace and exalt idolatry into national law. The American people are being asked to vote for idolatry, accept it, embrace it, and approve it. They are expected to call what is clearly unnatural “natural” and encourage people to live as prisoners to their own appetites whatever they may be: smoking pot, abusing drugs, engaging in extreme sexual practices – ultimately anything goes. This is where the nation is headed unless people who love God, His Word, and their neighbors take a stand against this tsunami of immorality.

I just left the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) in Miami with over of 41,000 member churches. My close friend Samuel Rodriguez is the president of that vitally important Christian faith group. He preached “The Lamb’s Agenda” at last year’s “Under God, INDIVISIBLE” conference which I was privileged to host. It is now a published book being read and shared rapidly. For two days I listened to these concerned leaders and I spoke to this important church group. Immigration reform was one of the hot topics discussed, which included securing and protecting our borders. Corrective actions must be clearly defined and a wise, appropriate, compassionate approach must be put in place to deal with undocumented workers. I challenged the pastors to exhort and encourage the undocumented who profess faith to lead the way. Those who came over for right reasons but without legal documents should volunteer to be the first in line to come clean and admit what they have done even if someone helped them get dishonest papers. They should openly and willingly volunteer to pay the necessary fines and accept the penalties required to make it right. I told the NHCLC leaders that I would join them challenging all who have employed the undocumented workers to rightly acknowledge their role and not only pay their own fines, but offer to assist those workers. Fines and penalties must be within reason as there is wrongdoing on both sides of the border. I emphasized that the employer is the one best qualified to help identify skilled workers who are committed to their families and to the freedom found in this great nation. The employer recognizes the character necessary to accomplish worthwhile goals and assignments. Both parties must be involved in the process to gain permits in line with the demands of effective immigration reform guidelines.

Positive progress toward these ends is in sight, but people who are totally united together in lockstep and committed to their own idolatrous goals are discussing attaching same-sex marriage approval to immigration reform legislation. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), who is the Judiciary Committee Chairman, has sponsored the deceptively-titled Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), which guarantees citizenship for the “permanent partners” of homosexual citizens. He has indicated that he will push to amend the immigration bill with this piece of gay activist legislation as early as next week. This crafty move will most likely lead to court challenges to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and force every state to legalize gay marriage.

We can expect attachments by the same-sex activists to begin polluting all legislation, especially if it is legitimately important and meaningful to the American people. Whatever they have to do to accomplish their goals, they will never waiver. For example, if Senator Leahy amends the immigration bill to satisfy gay activists, they will be saying, “If you want reform for immigrants, you must also accept same-sex marriage in this bill.” They will be insisting for the sake of 11 million people, citizens, including those who profess faith in God and His Word, must compromise biblical truth and undeniable principles in order for the immigration bill to pass.

Believers are faced with a choice. Pastors, church members, and those they influence must choose whom they will bow before and serve. The choice is clear however muddled some may try to make it. The issue is much bigger than the enemy of truth wants you to believe, far bigger. Idolatry will always challenge our citizens on their personal journey, each one of us. But are we as a nation going to vote idolatry on the throne? Whatever people, parties, and practices in our day demand, will we approve it either by our consent or by our silence?  Or will those who profess faith in Christ stand with as much commitment and unity as those who oppose irrefutable, undeniable, biblical truth? Never has the call of Christ and His prayer for unity among believers been more urgently important. We must be one with the Father and perfected in unity with one another.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.