Wednesday, October
02, 2013, 2:07 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand”
playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart.
I read Ezekiel 33
and Acts 28. I found that they
shared a similar message. They both spoke of people hearing the word of the
Lord with their physical ears, but not really taking the word seriously, and
applying it to their hearts, and doing what it says. They could see with
physical sight and could hear with physical ears, but they lacked spiritual
perception, insight, discernment and understanding, as well as they lacked
obedience to what they did understand and know. They could not see with
spiritual eyesight because they had closed their eyes to what the Spirit of God
was revealing to them. They had made their hearts dull (desensitized), too, perhaps
through feeding their eyes, ears, minds and hearts with the things of this
world – sinful pleasure; over-indulgence in entertainment; human philosophies
and humanistic teachings; and the lies and deceptions of our leaders and sinful
world.
Harmony of Religions
While the Lord Jesus had me up so early in the morning, he
reminded me of a speech that Barack Obama gave in Cairo in June of 2009 [1]. Obama
stated his purpose in going to Cairo as to “seek a new beginning between the US
and Muslims around the world.” His speech was an interesting blend of uniting
people of different religions and nationalities so that they could live
together physically in harmony together in one location, and that of trying to
unite people of various faiths philosophically and faith-wise so that they
could live in harmony and peace with one another, believing one another to all
be worshiping the same god. He seemed to go back and forth between the two, as
though intending to blend them together as one thought and belief. I will focus
on the latter of the two.
What I took away from Obama’s speech in Cairo was that he
was saying that the true dividing factor between the people of Islam and the
people of the US was that of those he termed as “religious extremists.” And,
then he went on to describe these “religious extremists” in various ways, some
of which I believe was subtle. He suggested that we could not permit the
relationship between the US and the Muslim world to be defined by “our
differences,” for if we did that, “we will empower those who sow hatred rather
than peace,” he said. He also spoke against those who “promote conflict rather
than cooperation,” and that this “cycle of suspicion and discord must end.”
He suggested that our presence in Afghanistan and in Iraq
had to do with a coalition of 46 countries coming against these “religious
extremists,” all in the name of protecting the people of America and
safeguarding our lives. He said, “None of us should tolerate these extremists.”
As well, he stated that the “Holy Land” was of 3 great faiths – Islam,
Christianity and Judaism – and was “the place of peace that God intended it to
be.” And, then he quoted from the story of Islam’s Jesus, suggesting that
Moses, Jesus and Mohammed “joined in prayer” to the same god. And, he stated
that “Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance,” “This tolerance is essential
for religion to thrive,” and, “In fact, faith should bring us together.” I hope
you are following where this is headed.
He called out those who would “stoke the flames of division,”
and who would “stand in the way of progress.” He said, “If we choose to be
bound by the past, we will never move forward.” And, he said to the young
people of every faith, in every country that they should, more than anyone, “have
the ability to reimagine the world, to remake this world.” He advised against
focusing on what “pushes us apart,” and encouraged us to make the effort “to
find common ground… and to respect the dignity of all human beings.” He ended
his speech by saying that “The people of the world can live together in peace.
We know that is God’s vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth.”
Sounds good, right? Peace, harmony, love, mutual respect,
etc. seemed to be his message until you read between the lines and pray for
spiritual discernment. This man calls himself a Christian – a believer in Jesus
Christ - and yet he spoke of Christianity, Judaism and Islam as though they
were all underneath the same god, and he even suggested that Jesus prayed with
Mohammed. As well, he suggested that it was God’s plan for all three of these
religions to unite as one; in harmony and unity with one another; in peaceful
cooperation. No true follower of Jesus Christ would say (suggest) such things
as this.
The Message
Ok, so what was the message here? I believe it is a warning
to believers in Jesus Christ who hold to the truths of scripture to “cooperate,”
rather than to “divide.” In other words, Obama is describing a one world
religion that tolerates and accepts all religions as leading to the same place.
Those of us, who hold to the true gospel and who believe that only through
faith in Jesus Christ can any of us achieve eternal life with God (the One and
Only true God) in glory (heaven), are being called out here as intolerant, sowing
hatred and discord, dividing rather than uniting, standing in the way of
progress, bound by the past, separatists; and that we are the ones who should
not be tolerated and should be targeted for extinction. If you don’t see this,
then please prayerfully go back and read his speech again. He has woven a
subtle message all throughout his speech that says we must all come together as
one, and those who stand on what divides people of all faiths, rather than what
unites them together as one, these are the “religious extremists” who should
die.
I believe with all my heart that the Lord Jesus has been
showing me for some time that Obama’s government and their coalition of 46
countries have been leading the way in the murdering of innocents; of Christ’s
servants and witnesses throughout the world who are standing strong in their
faith and who are refusing to bow (to cooperate with the one world religion and
government). And, I believe with all my heart that my Lord Jesus has been
showing me that this is soon to come to America, too.
Obama made one other reference of significance in his speech
that called out to me. In his speech, he spent a great deal of time stroking
the Muslim people for all their accomplishments throughout history. And, then
he quoted from the Treaty of Tripoli of 1796. This quote was only in part,
though, for this is the whole quote:
“Art. 11. As the Government of the
United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian
religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws,
religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims],—and as the said States never
entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan [Muslim] nation,
it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall
ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tripoli
So, if you
were under the notion that this nation’s government was founded upon
Christianity, then this should dispel that notion. Clearly stated here, only 20
years after the “Declaration of Independence,” was a statement, made law, which
says that our government of these United States was not, in any sense, founded
on the Christian religion. But, it doesn’t end there. It goes on to state that
our government has no enmity against the laws and religion of Muslims. So, we
are not a Christian nation. That is evident by so many things. But we are also
not hostile against Islamic law or religion. And, Obama brought this treaty to
mind in the context of praising the Muslim people for all their many
contributions to this “unchristian” nation. And, all this comes from a man who
says he is a Christian.
To the Shepherds
The sad
reality of all of this, though, is that this type of philosophy and teaching
being espoused here by our country’s president is also being taught in some
form or another in today’s institutional church, which does not, for the most
part, tolerate those who stand on the truth of the gospel of salvation, but
which does tolerate the teachings and practices of this sinful world. It
teaches harmony and unity, as well, but not harmony and unity with Jesus Christ
and with his gospel, but with the goals and objectives of human leaders.
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of
man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even
to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been
feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you
clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not
feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not
healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought
back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled
them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became
food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all
the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face
of the earth, with none to search or seek for them. ~ Ez. 34:1-6 ESV
I believe
this is a picture of much of today’s institutional church leadership, and the
result has been that the people under their care are wandering spiritually for
lack of a shepherd. Yet, I also believe that God will bring judgment on our
leaders (governmental and church), and when this happens, the church will be
physically scattered, for this will also be a judgment against the
institutional church which has yoked itself together with this unchristian and
ungodly and pagan government, and which has made it her head in place of Jesus
Christ. So, Jesus will judge our nation and his idolatrous and adulterous
church within this nation, and she will suffer much in the way of persecution
and in physical and emotional distress. Yet, the purpose for our Lord to do
such a thing is to bring his church back underneath his headship and to bring
his people back into pure and unadulterated fellowship with their One and Only
God.
On Jordan’s Stormy
Banks I Stand
Samuel Stennett / Rigdon M. McIntosh
On Jordan's stormy
banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan's fair and
happy land,
Where my possessions
lie.
O'er all those wide
extended plains
Shines one eternal
day;
There God the Son
forever reigns,
And scatters night
away.
No chilling winds or
poisonous breath
Can reach that
healthful shore;
Sickness and sorrow,
pain and death,
Are felt and feared no
more.
When I shall reach
that happy place,
I'll be forever blest,
For I shall see my
Father's face,
And in his bosom rest.
I am bound for the
promised land,
I am bound for the
promised land;
Oh, who will come and
go with me?
I am bound for the
promised land.
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