The Sword is in the Land

Apostasywatch.com ^ | 06-21-04 | Steve Lumbley

[The Lumster]

The sword is in the land but the people are too blind to see.

When 3,000 people died on Sept 11, 2001 there was a debate among church people in this country as to whether or not this constituted God’s judgment upon America.

Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson said that it was God’s judgment and blamed it on all those sinners out there. Later when they were criticized for the statement, Falwell recanted and Robertson claimed he had misunderstood what Reverend Jerry was saying.

Many preachers and church leaders categorically rejected the idea that God had anything to do with Sept 11, claiming that God doesn’t do that sort of thing. Many blamed the devil citing him as the source of all evil.

As usual the church seemed to be speaking nothing but confusion. One says one thing another says something else. In the aftermath of the attack churches reported overflow crowds. Many who hadn’t been to a church in years came looking for answers.

But instead of using this occasion to proclaim the gospel and warn the people of God’s coming judgment, most of our apostate church leaders simply assured the folks that everything was all right. God didn’t do this they said. Things like this happen. Don’t worry they said. God loves you just the way you are. He would never require you to change. Everything’s O.K. God would never judge America. We’re a Christian nation. We‘re God’s favorite. Go back to sleep. Everything will be just fine.

Jer 5:12-13 They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.

And of course most people quickly resumed their life of complacency, finding no answers in the church.

In the days after the attack God gave me two scriptures that settled the question for me.

Amos 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

God doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Throughout the bible God warns of judgment upon people and nations that will not obey him. Those warnings are as true today as they ever were.

So my question is this. Since 3,000 people died and most of the church did not see it as God’s judgment how many deaths will it take to wake us up?

If 30,000 people died in an attack, would you consider that to be God’s judgment? How about 300,000 or 3,000,000. Would that be enough to convince you?

Since 1973 somewhere between 30 – 40 million Americans have died. Not at the hands of foreign terrorists. Not of natural causes. No, these Americans were murdered before they ever had a chance at life. Destroyed not by war, not by disease, but by our own hand.

Many today say that God will judge America because of the sin of abortion. I have no doubt that they are correct.

But have you considered that abortion itself is a form of God’s judgment on our nation?

If 30 million people died in a nuclear attack on a major city wouldn’t we see that as judgment? Is it any less God’s judgment just because it is spread out over 30 years rather than a single event?

Is it not God’s judgment that we are so blind to the truth that we actually think we can destroy over 1,000,000 of our own citizens every year and not suffer any ill effects from it?

If we had any sense at all we would see that the economic impact alone is devastating. That’s 30 -40 million people who, for the most part, would be productive working members of our society. 30 – 40 million tax payers. 30-40 million more people paying into social security. I don’t mean to reduce this to strictly a dollars and cents issue but that is part of the equation.

Could it be that God has given us over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient (Romans 1:28)? Is that not clearly God’s judgment?

Deuteronomy 28 is a favorite of many people because it lists all the blessings that God will bring upon people who obey Him. There are 14 verses of blessing that come with obedience.

And most people stop right there, claiming that because we are a Christian nation, because we are no longer under the curse, the remaining 54 verses do not apply. The remaining 54 verses are the curses that come with disobedience.

How many of these curses can you see happening before our eyes today in America?

Deut 28:20 The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.

Do we not see cursing, vexation (confusion) and rebuke in our nation. Are we not divided and at odds with each other over virtually every issue today.?

Deut 28:22 The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

Even though science and medicine has made great progress against many diseases in recent years, isn’t it true that things like cancer, and Alzheimer’s, and many other diseases are more prevalent than ever? Other diseases like tuberculosis (consumption) seem to be making a come back. And then there are relatively new diseases like Aids. Even the plague is still around, being spread through fleas carried by squirrels and chipmunks.

You see, man cannot overcome the curse. He can only move the effects of it around. It’s like a brush fire that you stamp out in one place only to have it flare up in another. We have many “wonder drugs” available today. But before you take them be sure to ask your doctor about the side effects. Sometimes I think I’d rather put up with the original disease than all the side effects that come with the cure.

Look again at verse 22. It says God will use mildew as a curse. How can that be? Well, have you heard of this toxic black mold that is driving people from their homes?

November 6, 2003 BREAKING NEWS!! "Toxic mold continues to pose dangerous health risks" The number of toxic mold cases is rising dramatically… The dangers of toxic mold are that they can cause serious health ailments but are hard to detect…..Common symptoms of toxic mold exposure include memory loss, allergies, and breathing difficulties. People with existing respiratory illness, asthma, and infants should be especially careful because of the fever and mold infections that can be suffered within their lungs due to toxic mold exposure

Here in Texas a couple of insurance companies almost went broke because of toxic mold claims. In many cases people have had to abandon their homes as there is no cure except to destroy the areas affected.

Mildew pursues people and chases them from their homes. Still think God’s judgment is a myth?

How about verse 24

Deut 28:24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

We are currently experiencing extreme drought in parts of the country while at the same time we have an overabundance of rain and flooding in other parts.

Global warming or simply God’s word coming to pass?

Deut 28:43 states The stranger (alien) that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.

You realize of course that the 30-40 million Americans murdered by abortion have been replaced in our society by 30 – 40 million (mostly illegal) aliens. A recent government report stated that there could be as many as 15 million illegal aliens in this country. The report basically admitted that the government really doesn’t know how many there are.

I can assure you that if the government admits to 15 million illegals the real number could easily be twice that. And our elected representatives including our great Christian president George W. Bush can’t seem to do anything about it.

Deut 28: 44 continues He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.

In my lifetime the U.S. has gone from being a creditor nation to being a debtor nation. And who owns most of that debt? Foreigners (aliens) that’s who. Many of our institutions like banks, manufacturing plants, even media outlets are now owned by aliens.

Do you know why we can’t solve our illegal alien problem? Because it is part of God’s judgment upon this nation. Do you know why we can’t seem to stop abortion in our land? Because it is part of God’s judgment upon our nation. Do you know why we are experiencing all these crazy weather patterns? Because God’s word is true.

There is only one way to stop these things and it’s not going to come from petitions to the government. It’s not going to come from electing the right leaders. It’s not going to come by appointing the right judges.

It’s only going to come when God’s people repent and return to Him.

Deut 28:15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

Little by little these curses are coming upon us and overtaking us. It’s happening slowly and over what seems to be a long period of time. We don’t see it. We are blind.

When God blesses a nation it isn’t because of that nations form of government. It isn’t because of that nations constitution or courts or elected officials.

Isaiah 40:17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.

God’s blessing comes upon a nation in direct proportion to the extent that God’s people are willing to obey Him.

The reason God has blessed America is because this nation has had a larger percentage of His people living in it than any other nation. For most of our history, God’s people in this nation have obeyed him whether anyone else has or not. This has brought the blessings of God upon saint and sinner alike.

Quit waiting for all those sinners out there to repent. They aren’t going to repent until we do. Look in the mirror. It is we who must repent.

Those of us who are called by his name must repent of our idolatry. We must turn from our trust in man. We must repent of our pursuit of riches and material wealth. We must turn from loving the things of this world and return to loving Him first and foremost.

If we do not I can assure you that ALL the curses of Deuteronomy 28 will come upon us.

Then we will cry out to God. As we are carried off to foreign lands in chains and bondage we will cry out to God saying why oh why has this happened? How could such a thing happen to our great nation?

And God will tell us that we have no one to blame but ourselves.

2 Chron 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Steve Lumbley 2004 www.apostasywatch.com This article may be reproduced and distributed free of charge as long as it remains in its original form