How did we get to this point of leadership?

Joel 1:15-20 -2:1-11

This morning as I spent time with Paul Wendell, the question came up how did we get to this point of leadership where we would accept men and women who want to lead this great nation and their pledge means nothing to them.  We embarrassingly had to agree that of all those in the race for the office of President, the Socialist was the only one who believed what he was saying, and that is very sad.  How did we get to that point?  It has been the frog in the cold water on top of the stove, it would have jumped out of boiling water, but he does not move if you turn the fire up a little at a time, till it’s too late and you have boiled frog legs.  As a nation whose foundation was built on God’s commandments and freedom, that all men are created equal, and that government was necessary but looking to God, not to man is what has made us a great nation.  Can you believe we have exchanged that for socialism, a system that is anti-God, and has failed and imprisoned people everywhere it has been tried?

Could it be that we are at the boiling stage and it is too late to get out of the pot? That is where Judea was they awoke from their drunken stupor to find the land devastated; the locust had come.  And now they are fearful that the day of the LORD is near, and they begin to take inventory of the years the locust had run amuck.

They are now willing to fear the one who can both take their life and their soul, and you need to read the account in verses 1-11.  Let’s look at verses 1 and 2b   we will end with verse 11.  “Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain!  Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord, is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness!  It certainly does not sound like a party they are looking forward to!   In verse 11, “The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful.  For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it? 

It is not in vogue to talk about hell, and many in and out of the church do not believe in hell, but Jesus did, in fact, Jesus had a lot to say about hell, and I copied these words from Billy Graham; “Yes, Jesus did talk about the reality of hell — in fact, He talked about it more than any other person in the Bible. He warned, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
Did He say this simply to scare us? The reality of hell should frighten us because not one word in the Bible about hell would ever make you want to go there — not if you take it seriously. The Bible speaks of hell as a place of absolute loneliness and despair and hopelessness. It calls it a place of “darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13).
But Jesus didn’t talk about hell just to scare us. He talked about it instead because He wanted us to know that God has provided a way of escape! Listen: God doesn’t want you to be separated from Him forever. He loves you, and He wants you to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Unlike hell, heaven is a place of joy and peace and freedom from all the fears and pains of this world. Who wouldn’t want to go there?
Don’t gamble with your soul, and don’t turn your back on Jesus. Instead, by faith turn to Christ and commit your life to Him. He alone gives us hope — hope for today, and hope for eternity.”

From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice