Prophecy

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Turn Back and Live

Ezekiel 18:32 for I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves and live ye.

The message is clear! God is calling His people to turn back to Him! The alarm is being sounded! Turn from the gods that you have created to appease religiosity. Crush beneath your feet anything that has been placed before God, and ask yourself how long will He tolerate our inconsistency and lukewarm religion?

Revelation 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth.

How long do you think we can hide behind our facades of Christianity? How long do you think God is going to tolerate our acts of worship? We have turned away from the God that delivered us, and turned to the gods of this world. We have left our first love! We have become lukewarm in our padded pews and fine sanctuaries. While many have grown cold even as they hold membership rights to the local church.

Jeremiah 23:11 for both prophet and priest are profane; yes in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord. Pastors have listened to the world’s request and softened the message in order to draw the crowd. The shepherds have lied to the flock, polluting the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Altars have been replaced with a self-help message, reducing the act on the cross to a mere handshake and pat on the back.

We have crossed the line from love to tolerance. We have opened our doors for all, accepting anyone that chooses to worship with us, regardless of race, creed, color or sexual orientation. While God intended for us to love all, and share His love, he also intended for the sinner to be convicted by the moving of the Holy Spirit in our services. He wants the sinner to enter the doors of worship, but He desires to bring forth change. Yet, we enter our scheduled services and leave untouched. We have grown accepting of adultery and fornication. We have turned our heads to lies and hypocrisy. Tolerance is not the message of the Gospel, but rather turn from your evil ways and sin no more.

Unless we are vigilant in our prayer life, we will not be able to live a balanced life. Unless our knees are calloused from prayer we will not be able to love the sinner. Instead we will make place for sin, call it a different name and ease our conscience as if we are doing something remarkable for the kingdom of God. Can we honestly say that we love the sinner if we do not humble ourselves before God Almighty and pray for healing in our land?

Amos 6:1 woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

Israel, during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753) was propelled to heights of power and prosperity unmatched since the days of David and Solomon. Many were buoyed by a sense of well-being and felt optimistic about the future. While the military was strong and the gross national product was high, however, the nation was in an advanced state of social, moral, and spiritual decay. Shocking extremes of privilege and powerlessness, wealth and want had emerged. Judges could be bribed. Religion was a syncretistic mix of ritualistic devotion to Yahweh and various pagan deities. The fact that Yahweh had to summon Amos to address this situation was a damning indictment of Israel's leaders, both religious and secular, who lacked the requisite ethical fiber. A notable exception was Hosea, whose denunciation of Israel's spiritual apostasy complemented Amos's devastating exposé of her tattered social and moral fabric. (taken from Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology)

Does this not resemble the state of the church today? There are mega churches springing up across this nation! We are living in a day when being a ‘Christian’ is very similar to being a member at your local country club. Not everyone will join, but those interested in a status quo, will find membership very appealing. Chances are, if the power of God is moving in a mighty way, and lives are being changed through the flowing of the Holy Spirit, you’ll find the church membership low. Quite frankly the pastor that stands behind the pulpit and preaches as the prophets of old are looked at as lost in the past. They are not often the popular mainline speakers that are sought out for mega conferences!

But God’s Word will prevail!

Wake-up sleeping church! Recognize that it has never been and will never be acceptable in the eyes of God to profane the gospel and soften the truth. If we insist on bringing our idols of worship into the temple of the Lord, He will bring destruction. If we insist on our personal agendas, and cast off the truth of God’s Word, judgment is at hand. I Peter 4:17 for the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? Were these words scribed for pleasantries? Brothers and sisters it is a warning for today! The alarm has been sound! Joel 2:1 BLOW THE TRUMPET IN ZION, AND SOUND AN ALARM ON MY HOLY MOUNTAIN: LET ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND TREMBLE: FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD COMETH, FOR IT IS NIGH AT HAND.

We must recognize that there is a way to love the sinner and not conform to their ways. It is possible to embrace the homosexual with the love of God and not condone. It is possible to love the addict, the adulterer, the fornicator, the thief, the liar and not be accepting to their sin! But I fully believe that this is only possible when our own lives are in line with the cross, the work that was done on the cross and the truth of God’s Word. We must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God to see people the way God sees them. If we are not humbled and seeking the face of God we are in jeopardy of conforming, and what once was considered sin will be pardoned in our eyes.

So, what are we to do? II Chronicles 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. Did we not open this up with the words from Ezekiel, Turn and Live! Recognize that we have turned back to the land of bondage and taken up the gods of the heathens. We have adapted to the culture until we can no longer be told apart. We are a mockery to the Gospel of Jesus Christ because we live double standards according to the Word of God. BUT, He is giving us an opportunity, at this very moment to TURN and LIVE!

We may think we are in control of our destiny, but there is only one who has full control. He gives us a will to choose, and gives us plenty of opportunity to choose life or death. Jeremiah 21:8 and unto this people thou shalt say, thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. Life or death is our choice. Live for today and what the world offer’s or die to the world and live for God! It is not popular to live a holy life, set apart and abiding in the Truth of God’s Word, but I tell you hell will not be popular either.

When God delivered the children of Israel from the Egyptians (bondage) and placed them in the wilderness, it was not to punish them, but rather to prove them. God’s desire was for the children to be a peculiar treasure and a kingdom of priest. Exodus 19:5-6a now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. His desire was for them to see His mighty acts of deliverance and know that He alone was God! I Peter 2:9 but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye may shew forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

God longs to be our God! He longs to hear us worship Him, unadulterated and with a pure heart. He longs for us to cast aside every weight, and walk hand in hand with Him. He longs to make us a peculiar people! Called and chosen! Standing apart from the sin of this world so that we can bring His love and the message of the cross to those in need. He wants us to LIVE! Here, today and for eternity with Him! He wants us to know Him

Blow the trumpet in Zion is not just a catchy Praise song but also a real warning! He that hath ears let him hear what the Lord is saying! Turn back and live! Heed the warning today! Wake up from your slumber lest the thief cometh in the night and you are unaware! Fall on your face before the Lord and humble yourself so that you may be a peculiar people set apart in order to share the love of God! So that we can love the sinner as God intended, and earnestly seek God’s face for healing and deliverance from bondage.

Without a total surrender to God our souls are at risk. We cannot walk the middle of the road and think at the last minute we will be able to slide right though the pearly gates! We must humble ourselves today! Turn from our wickedness! Shun evil! Destroy the idols that we have set up within our hearts! Crush the gods that have replaced GOD! Take notice of the Word of God, Ezekiel 18:32 for I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves and live ye.





© August 5, 2005 Jounda LaMance

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