Humility or Humiliation

Several years ago I shared a message God burned into my heart. I called it, “We Have a Choice: Humility or Humiliation.” What I shared remains, in my opinion, very important truth. We will either bow before God, or be broken before God. We will come to Him in humility as individuals, the church and the nation, or we will witness humiliation.

In the word that I shared calling for repentance and a return to God, I made very clear the real threat posed by terrorists and all enemies of true freedom. The fact they targeted something representing our economic system and the prosperity was not incidental. In light of the pressure we feel today, two paragraphs in my message jump out on pages 6-7:

We have made such an idol of economic gain and material possessions, I am not certain brokenness will come apart from the collapse of our economy and loss of treasured possessions. Selfish indulgences, revealed through sexual excesses and perversion, are promoted and defended as perfectly acceptable and normal. This attitude must be changed from within, and its effect will be visibly manifested in the lives and practices of our general population…

We must have God’s power and protection in order to miss our enemies’ plans for us. Without this divine miracle, unparalleled, indescribable devastation is coming to our shores – truly “the sum of all fears.”

Although first shared a few years ago, this is a word for our present time. We have reached a point in America where the collapse of our economic systems need not necessarily come from an outside enemy. There is a very real enemy within our midst. It is an insidious worldview that blames the possibility of productivity and prosperity as the problem, rather than recognizing the idolatrous heart of those given the stewardship and oversight of the free market and the fertile field of opportunity.

Jesus taught all who follow Him to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth (in us and through us) as it is in heaven.” This means there is the very real possibility of being the light that dispels the darkness and reveals the correct approach to best solve every problem and challenge we face including the realm of economics.

Our nation’s leaders are groping in darkness. Jesus proclaims clearly that He is the light of the world and that we have been left here as light and salt, and are to join together in heart harmony with God and holy unity with one another to become a light revealed as distinctly as a city set on a hill. If He told us to pray that His will would be done now, that means it’s possible. We can storm the gates of hell and overcome!

He sends us as sheep in the midst of wolves, but not to be slaughtered. We are to be sheep walking and living in the shadow of the Almighty, the shelter of His wings and with the Great Shepherd guiding and illuminating our path. He says He will prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies. He will calm the troubled water and lead us in green pastures.

God is not opposed to the possibilities and opportunities set before us, or the prosperity that enables us to freely bless those in need. Every Christian should be concerned about social ills and personal need. The compassion connection, however, must be established. Social concerns should be the legitimate concern of every Christian and every caring person on this planet. We are, too often, targeting the wrong enemy! Selfishness, greed, fear and indifference (to name only a few) are the real enemies of the life and godliness available to those who will humble themselves before the Almighty.

The way to discover the necessary course correction for our Titanic ship of state is to fall before God in brokenness and humility. Let me share other points from the message, “We Have a Choice: Humility or Humiliation”:

I don’t want us to get what we deserve. I cry out for mercy for me, my family members, friends and everyone – even those who chose to be our enemies. I don’t want anyone to perish but all to repent, just as the Bible emphasizes. This is the very desire of God’s heart.

A change of heart and direction must take place in this nation. Brokenness will lead to true character, determination, self-sacrifice and a sincere desire to know and do what is right, regardless of the cost or sacrifice. The line distinguishing good from evil must become as distinct as the difference in light and darkness…

I pray for a change of heart and direction, for true repentance to occur until our nation receives the truth of God, begins to live with the character, strength and faith that made America great in the first place, and allows selfless love to prevail rather than selfish indulgence.

I am convinced brokenness will come. Count on it. The Bible says God’s Word is a hammer; its power can break our stubborn will. His Word is a fire; it can purify us. His Word is water; it can cleanse. The choice is ours: Choose life or choose the way that seems right to men and women – the fruit of which is death…

At the present time, there is no doubt we have many enemies plotting our demise, but as Abraham Lincoln pointed out, the fall does not have to come at the hand of any enemy across the ocean. He stated, “If destruction be our lot, we our self will be its author and finisher.”

Many are in the process of making very foolish decisions that will affect those yet to be born. God, bring us to our knees and lead us back to sanity and truth. We must come to understand, as I shared in the message a few years ago, “Prosperity must be defined as life itself, rather than life’s possessions.”  People must choose whom they will serve. We can eat the fruit of our own rebellious ways, or receive the liberating truth and life-changing love that God offers.

Only right relationships with God will produce the necessary resolve to fight the right fight the right way in the right place at the right time. It is only through commitment to godly principles that we will have the character to make the sacrifices necessary to protect and preserve the truly priceless aspects of life. No political leader or party can be seen as our hope and security apart from the guidance of Divine Providence. As Dr. Tony Evans shared earlier this week on LIFE Today, “Hope does not arrive in any city on Air Force One.” Our hope must be in the Lord!

If we repent, we will be guided by God to return to time-tested, proven principles in complete harmony with the Word of God and the Judeo-Christian ethic. Families will be once again defined properly – husband, wife and children.

Our freedom will not only be diligently protected, but its benefits and blessings freely shared. While enjoying the privileges true prosperity affords us, we will cherish the responsibility and joy of sharing what we have with others. We will not be manipulated or motivated by greed, but moved by compassion and unselfish love. I am praying for this day. I repeat what Beth Moore said after she read my message, “…We still have time to humble ourselves and pray. To turn from our sinful ways and seek God’s face. I wonder if perhaps these are days for the people of God, as a whole, to go facedown. For any who will, I’ll meet you on the floor.”

If we fall before Him in brokenness and humility, He is anxious to lift us up and establish our lives and future on the unshakable rock of His truth – truly His Kingdom revealed on earth through the family of faith.

 

If you would like to read the entire “We Have a Choice” message, please go to www.wehaveachoice.org