God is predictable. What He has written in the Bible was, is and will be exactly as He said it was, is and will be. That is a surety. However, there are times when He does things that, though Biblical, are not obviously so. In such cases one must search the Scriptures diligently to find a corresponding passage. No matter how unusual His act might be, there can be found one or more references that confirm that the act was from Him. That said, bear with me as I share with you what happened only minutes ago. It is now approximately 2:00 p.m.
When it comes to things of the spirit, I am not easily surprised. Throughout this ministry I have shared some episodes that God has thrown me into that, to the Biblically challenged, would be declared unbelievable, even demonic. For example, I asked the Lord to heal a super-religious lady of a terrible knee problem. He healed her totally and instantly. Her response? She accused me of using witchcraft. Now back to the present. She died in her sleep a short time later for no medical reason.
I had finished the previous series just before daylight this morning and was wondering what the Lord wanted me to write about next. From early this morning until about 20 minutes ago I had been wondering what subject He had in mind. A couple of hours ago I had helped my wife get ready for a visit by our elder daughter by dusting the furniture. Fast forward to a few minutes ago. Still pestering God to tell me what to do, I walked into a room and there, lying on top of a dresser I had just dusted, was a Post-it note whereon was written Eze. 22:23-31 in my handwriting. How did it get there? When had I written it? I would have had to move it in order to dust the item. Had I seen it I would not have left it there but would have placed it where I keep all of my notes. My wife knew nothing about it. No one had come in. And yet, there it was. I have experienced many supernatural occurrences in the conduct of this ministry. I knew immediately that God was telling me what would be the topic of my next series. I immediately read the passage knew for sure that He had “spoken” to me for it perfectly describes the moral sewer in which the United States is wallowing today. It also tells us why this most blessed of nations is in the worst spiritual condition of her existence, as are all of the other so-called “Christian nations.” Let us see what God wants to tell us.
In the passage found in Ezekiel 22 we know that the Lord was speaking to Israel anciently and to modern day Israel now at the end of the Laodicean age. Read Revelation 3:14-20. As I explain in the series titled Who and Where is Israel Today, modern “Israel” is composed primarily of the United States, Britain and the Jews of the Middle East. The key word for the series is Today. Also bear in mind that, though the Lord uses physical terms like “land” and “blood” in the focal passage, His message is spiritual in context and is directed primarily to the U.S. because she was established to take God’s Gospel to the world in these end times. She has done so. The problem lies in the fact that she has proclaimed a perverted form of His Gospel, one which leads people away from God while convincing them that they are following Him. The Apostle Paul had to come against the same problem in the churches of Galatia (Gal. 1:6-). As was the case in Galatia, what America has proclaimed, she has practiced. Today America leads the world in sin and degradation, much of which is practiced by the professing church. Let us begin reading the Lord’s warning to Christendom with verse 23.
Notice that He calls the nation of Israel unclean “land” (people) that has not been cleansed by His “rain” (Word). The Word of God is His cleansing agent, provided it is embraced, believed and obeyed. The heart (mind) is ridden of sin through a Word-cleansing process in which sin is flushed out and replaced by Gospel Truth, leaving the believer in a state of holiness. In Ephesis 5:26 Paul reminds the New Testament church (vs 24) of her spiritual position, telling us that God has sanctified (set aside) His Very Elect “by the washing by the water by the Word.” Sanctification (making one saintly and separate) refers to God’s cleansing His saints so that they can live the rest of their lives in a state of holiness and righteousness, the end result of which is salvation (Rom. 5:21; 6:22). After being cleansed of all past sins by justification, saints must be continuously cleansed by “water” (the Word) so that they can serve as the “light of the world” in order to lead “whosoever will” embrace their light to the Lord.
Jesus said that while He was in the world, He was the light of the world (Jn. 8:12). After His departure His disciples would be the light of the world (Mt. 5:14). They were to make disciples throughout all the world (Mat. 28:18-20). They would then serve as His light to the world around them. From among His lights He would call apostles who would continue to preach His light (Mat. 9:37,38) as did the original apostles who had gone throughout the known world pouring forth His “rain” (light–Gospel). In this sense God’s true light bearers are also His “rain makers.”
In verse 24 God is telling the people (“land”) that they have not been cleansed by His Word (“rain”). He tells them that they are living in a time of His indignation (wrath). The Israelites’ kings, priests, prophets, princes, etc. were commanded by Him to obey and teach the Law and to compel the people to follow their words and their examples. But there was a problem. As the following four verses will show, the problem was coming down from the top. As went the religious hierarchy, so went the people. Recall that it was Aaron the priest who instructed the Israelites gathered at Mt. Sinai to give him their gold out of which he fashioned a bull calf–the Egyptian’s god. He then proclaimed that the animal was now the Israelites’ god who would lead them back to Egypt. In preparation for the journey they engaged in a sex orgy. As stated, the people were to follow the example set by those in authority, beginning with the king. A study of the Old Testament reveals that Israel had many sinful kings such as Ahab and Jeroboam. The nation operated under a monarchy in which the kingship was handed down to the eldest son, some of whom were vile reprobates. The same was true of the priesthood.
Today we see a generational decline in morality within the church as hireling pastors, evangelists and missionaries lead the people further and further away from the Word (rain) of God and replace it with church doctrine–a perverted version (interpretation) of the Truth of God. The abomination runs like a deadly disease throughout professing Christendom. This ministry is dedicated to bringing the church’s false gospel (dirty rain) into the open where the light of God’s Word can reveal what is going on in the darkness that is “the church.” For this reason I reference each Truth by providing book, chapter and verse for whatever I write and say. In this way God can reveal His Truth/Word/rain/light to those who seek it.
In verses 25-28 God calls out the Israelite leadership for their failure to lead the people in His ways. Bear in mind that among the ancient Israelites there was no separation of what we call “church and state.” God’s Law, summarized by the Ten Commandments, was the governmental decree by which His kings, priests, prophets and other leaders governed the people. What God said to the people and their leaders anciently He is saying to modern day pastors, evangelists, Sunday School teachers and missionaries. I will close this segment with the words of the Prophet Isaiah which were directed at God’s people anciently and professing Christendom today (1:1-7). I will paraphrase his scathing characterization of modern day Catholic/Protestant church system and the so-called “Christian nations” in which it is found.
Isaiah proclaims that they have forsaken the Lord and do not know Him, that they are a sinful nation, evil doers, corrupters who live lives in opposition of His will. God has stricken (warned) them in many ways (war, disease, natural disasters, etc.), yet they revolt against Him more and more. Their whole head (leadership) is spiritually sick and the nation’s heart (mindset) is wrong. From the sole of the foot to the top of the head there is no soundness, only wounds and bruises (the result of God’s curses–His “voices”–administered because of their sins). They have not allowed Him to forgive them and raise them back up in righteousness. In verse seven Isaiah perfectly describes modern day Israel: “Your country is (spiritually) desolate. Your cities are burned with fire; strangers devour the produce of your land in your presence and it is desolate (drought, etc.) and occupied by foreigners.” And it is all because those who have been blessed by the Almighty have allowed Satan to take charge of their lives. Only God’s remnant, His peculiar, holy, priestly flock cling to Him as their nation slowly decays around them. God has promised to protect them in the midst of the carnage. Whosoever will humbly obey Him can become part of that tiny group. L.J.
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