Category Archives: Government

All Powerful / King of All, Fear / Reverence for God, Government, Interceding for Others, Justice / Judgment, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Righteous, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Leadership in a Nation Matters

Leadership in a nation matters. It has lasting consequences on the people individually and collectively. It leads people to or away from God. I would add that it is more about policy than personality or perfection. God’s blessing or punishment depend on how we live and as a nation that is influenced very strongly by government policy.

What an amazing contrast between father and son as king. Hezekiah was righteous, walking in the ways of the LORD. His son, Manasseh was the opposite, rebuilding the altars that Hezekiah had pulled down. It would seem that Hezekiah was not a good father setting his son on the path to obey the LORD and perhaps also that there was not a godly advisor to help guide the young boy when he became king. 2 Kings does not say how quickly Manasseh turned to do evil, right away or later after he grew up. As he did evil in a leadership position, he led many to do evil along with him. The whole nation suffered as a result.

2 Kings 21:1-18

Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah

      1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4He built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.” 5For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD provoking Him to anger. 7Then he set the carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. 8“And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.” 9But they did not listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.

The King’s Idolatries Rebuked

      10Now the LORD spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, 11“Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, having done wickedly more than all the Amorites did who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols; 12therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. 13‘I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14‘I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoil to all their enemies; 15because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.’”

      16Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD. 17Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did and his sin which he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son became king in his place.

It is heartbreaking. After finally having a righteous king to destroy the things that were offensive to God, the next one comes along and brings it all back. It seems it is not unusual for a reign of righteousness to fall back directly to evil. It is so easy to walk in our own ways and just flow with the culture around us. It takes more discipline to seek after the LORD and walk consistently in His ways.

Let this be a reminder to parents on the importance of educating and raising your children the right way, the LORD’s way. Do not just ship them off to public or private schools and assume they will turn out godly. Consider homeschooling. If not, choose your school carefully and stay very much involved. Do not outsource your responsibility to raise your children in the LORD.

Also, who leads our nation matters! As a nation that gets to vote for a leader, we must stop voting just for personality and go deeper. We must vote for those who will protect our right to worship God in His ways. We must look at the policies they propose and the actions they support (e.g. abortion, homosexuality, transgender, limiting our ability to live out our faith in our businesses, etc.) and compare against God’s word. This should guide us and not personality. Our vote is not a love letter to say who our best friend will be, but rather a chess move to help guide our country to be the nation we want to live in as God’s people.

Get involved at the local and state and federal level. Get involved with schools and communities. Pray for our nation and our leaders at all levels, that they would be righteous and not wicked or worldly. Pray for people to have discernment and wisdom, that the spiritual blinders would come off and they would see clearly the wicked from the righteous.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please remove the spiritual blinders from the eyes of the people across our land and across the world. Open their eyes to your righteousness and to wickedness disguised as righteousness. Many claim your name and then work against your values. Help create revival and awakening in this nation and around the world. Let people see clearly and embrace you, repenting of their sins and asking forgiveness humbly before the LORD. Leadership in our nation is very important and impacts our walk with you as a nation. It leads many to you or away from you. Please break down the spiritual strongholds in media, social media, education, government bureaucracy, corporations, and culture generally. Protect our free speech and freedom to worship and live for you. Awaken the people by the tens and twenties of millions to the truth of who you are and how they should live. Raise up the righteous to lead and strike down or convert the wicked. Let us become a righteous nation again in your eyes and be a light unto the world. Amen.

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Government, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Idols / False Gods, Obeying God, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Just Because the LORD Tolerates the Wicked Does Not Mean He Approves of Them

There are times when the LORD tolerates the wicked to have power and influence, success in the eyes of men. Just because he allows the wicked to rule over His people does not mean He approves of them. In fact, He has already determined their punishment and downfall in advance.

Similarly, the LORD is capable of arranging for placing in power whom He wants, when He wants. Pray for Him to bring forth righteous rulers and remove or change the wicked.

2 Kings 8:16-29

Another Jehoram Reigns in Judah

      16Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king. 17He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab became his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. 19However, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David His servant, since He had promised him to give a lamp to him through his sons always.

      20In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. 21Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; but his army fled to their tents. 22So Edom revolted against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. 23The rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah

      24So Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.

      25In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. 26Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. 27He walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD, like the house of Ahab had done, because he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

      28Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. 29So King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.

2 Kings 9

Jehu Reigns over Israel

      1Now Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Gird up your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2“When you arrive there, search out Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and bid him arise from among his brothers, and bring him to an inner room. 3“Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door and flee and do not wait.”

      4So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 5When he came, behold, the captains of the army were sitting, and he said, “I have a word for you, O captain.” And Jehu said, “For which one of us?” And he said, “For you, O captain.” 6He arose and went into the house, and he poured the oil on his head and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. 7‘You shall strike the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. 8‘For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male person both bond and free in Israel. 9‘I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.’” Then he opened the door and fled.

      11Now Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know very well the man and his talk.” 12They said, “It is a lie, tell us now.” And he said, “Thus and thus he said to me, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’” 13Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”

Jehoram (Joram) Is Assassinated

      14So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. Now Joram with all Israel was defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, “If this is your mind, then let no one escape or leave the city to go tell it in Jezreel.” 16Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there. Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

      17Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company.” And Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them and let him say, ‘Is it peace?’” 18So a horseman went to meet him and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” And the watchman reported, “The messenger came to them, but he did not return.” 19Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said, “Thus says the king, ‘Is it peace?’” And Jehu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn behind me.” 20The watchman reported, “He came even to them, and he did not return; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.”

      21Then Joram said, “Get ready.” And they made his chariot ready. Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jehu and found him in the property of Naboth the Jezreelite. 22When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” And he answered, “What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” 23So Joram reined about and fled and said to Ahaziah, “There is treachery, O Ahaziah!” 24And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his arms; and the arrow went through his heart and he sank in his chariot. 25Then Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Take him up and cast him into the property of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for I remember when you and I were riding together after Ahab his father, that the LORD laid this oracle against him: 26‘Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ says the LORD, ‘and I will repay you in this property,’ says the LORD. Now then, take and cast him into the property, according to the word of the LORD.”

Jehu Assassinates Ahaziah

      27When Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu pursued him and said, “Shoot him too, in the chariot.” So they shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is at Ibleam. But he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28Then his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his grave with his fathers in the city of David.

      29Now in the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, Ahaziah became king over Judah.

      30When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window. 31As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it well, Zimri, your master’s murderer?” 32Then he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three officials looked down at him.

Jezebel Is Slain

      33He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot. 34When he came in, he ate and drank; and he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.” 35They went to bury her, but they found nothing more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 36Therefore they returned and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37and the corpse of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, “This is Jezebel.”’”

All Powerful / King of All, Discerning / Judging, Government, Interceding for Others, Seeking God

We Need Not Embrace Every Leader That Attains Power

Not every leader that the LORD allows to take position of authority is for the good of the people. Sometimes evil attains power by wicked and dishonest means. That is not reason for God’s people to shrug as if it does not matter and say, “God appointed Him, so it must be ok.” Watch as Elisha cries openly over the wickedness that will be done by Hazael to Israel.

2 Kings 8:7-15

Elisha Predicts Evil from Hazael

      7Then Elisha came to Damascus. Now Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.” 8The king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 9So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ loads; and he came and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 10Then Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You will surely recover,’ but the LORD has shown me that he will certainly die.” 11He fixed his gaze steadily on him until he was ashamed, and the man of God wept. 12Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” Then he answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their little ones you will dash in pieces, and their women with child you will rip up.” 13Then Hazael said, “But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.” 14So he departed from Elisha and returned to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me that you would surely recover.” 15On the following day, he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face, so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

We can get disappointed or despair, not understanding why the LORD allows such leaders to attain power, or we can humble ourselves and pray that the evil will be defeated. We do not need to simply accept each leader who attains power as if it is something to be blandly accepted. We can, however, be comforted that our LORD is always in control. Seek to grow every closer to Him, despite your circumstances.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Government, Humility, Learning To Pray Effectively, Thankfulness, Traditions / Holidays

One Nation, Under One True God…Thankful and Humble Before Him

You will often hear today about “separation of church and state”. Many will claim we must separate our faith and obedience to the one and only God from our government. This is clearly not the intent of our founders and more importantly not the intent and desire of God. Further, it is a lie to say that this is how our nation functioned. “separation of church and state” is nowhere in the Constitution. It appears in some letters from the founders. It is primarily focused on the government not determining which denomination of Christianity we should follow. We see overwhelming evidence in history, if we study it (because schools will not teach it anymore). I have previously shared George Washington’s Thanksgiving Day Proclamation and also some resources about our history (Silencing God). Today I wanted to highlight another Thanksgiving proclamation from Abraham Lincoln to help us remember how our country should be humble and repentant and thankful before God… and yes how our government should represent our Christian faith in the one true God without apology.

I am referencing below a website by a historian named Bill Petro for Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation and afterwards Fox News for Abraham Lincolns 1864 proclamation. I am sure you can search these out online in many places.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION – 1863

Following the initial Presidential Thanksgiving proclamations of George Washington, John Adams and James Madison, there were no further Presidential proclamations for this day until Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day during the Civil War, but it was not initially in November. Instead it was in the Spring of 1862 and then again on October 3, 1863 for victories in battle. He later established the common Fall celebration of Thanksgiving for the blessings of the year on Thursday, November 26 1863. It was on March 30, 1863 that Lincoln, in his Proclamation for a Day of Prayer and Fasting said the following:

“…It is the duty of nations as well as of men to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.

“We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subject to punishments and chastisements in
this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins; to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

“But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.

“Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

“It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”

Abraham Lincoln later went on to say on October 3, 1863:

“It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”

Editor’s note: The following is a proclamation from Abraham Lincoln on Thanksgiving Day, October 20, 1864. (Fox News.com)

It has pleased Almighty God to prolong our national life another year, defending us with His guardian care against unfriendly designs from abroad and vouchsafing to us in His mercy many and signal victories over the enemy, who is of our own household. It has also pleased our Heavenly Father to favor as well our citizens in their homes as our soldiers in their camps and our sailors on the rivers and seas with unusual health. He has largely augmented our free population by emancipation and by immigration, while He has opened to us new sources of wealth and has crowned the labor of our workingmen in every department of industry and abundant rewards. Moreover, He has been pleased to animate and inspire our minds and hearts with fortitude, courage, and resolution sufficient for the great trial of civil war into which we have been brought by our adherence as a nation to the cause of freedom and humanity, and to afford to us reasonable hopes of an ultimate and happy deliverance from all our dangers and afflictions:

Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart the last Thursday in November next as a day which I desire to be observed by all my fellow-citizens, wherever they may then be, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe. And I do further recommend to my fellow-citizens aforesaid that on the occasion they do reverently humble themselves in the dust and from thence offer up penitent and fervent prayers and supplications to the Great Disposer of Events for the return of the inestimable blessings of peace, union, and harmony throughout the land which it has pleased Him to assign as a dwelling place for ourselves and for our posterity throughout all generations.

Done at the city of Washington, this 20th day of October, A.D. 1864, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-ninth.

Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Day Proclamation _ Fox News

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Government, Idols / False Gods, Justice / Judgment, Purposeful / Intentional, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Do What Is Right in the Sight of the LORD. It Matters.

1 Kings 16 provides stark contrast for how a righteous leader and his reign contrasts to that of the wicked when Yahweh’s hand of blessing and/or curse are involved. It is dramatic.

As you read 1 Kings 16, keep in mind what was said about Asa.

1 Kings 15:11

 11Asa did what was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father.

1 Kings 16

Prophecy against Baasha

      1Now the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2“Inasmuch as I exalted you from the dust and made you leader over My people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made My people Israel sin, provoking Me to anger with their sins, 3behold, I will consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4“Anyone of Baasha who dies in the city the dogs will eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens will eat.”

      5Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

The Israelite Kings

      6And Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah, and Elah his son became king in his place. 7Moreover, the word of the LORD through the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani also came against Baasha and his household, both because of all the evil which he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck it.

      8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel at Tirzah, and reigned two years. 9His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was at Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household at Tirzah. 10Then Zimri went in and struck him and put him to death in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and became king in his place. 11It came about when he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he killed all the household of Baasha; he did not leave a single male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends.

      12Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, 13for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols. 14Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

      15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days at Tirzah. Now the people were camped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 16The people who were camped heard it said, “Zimri has conspired and has also struck down the king.” Therefore all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 18When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house over him with fire, and died, 19because of his sins which he sinned, doing evil in the sight of the LORD, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, making Israel sin. 20Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his conspiracy which he carried out, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

      21Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; the other half followed Omri. 22But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. And Tibni died and Omri became king. 23In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel and reigned twelve years; he reigned six years at Tirzah. 24He bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and named the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

      25Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, and acted more wickedly than all who were before him. 26For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sins which he made Israel sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel with their idols. 27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did and his might which he showed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28So Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son became king in his place.

      29Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all who were before him.

      31It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him. 32So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria. 33Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.

Godlessness leads to unrest and anarchy. In this case it was more dramatic because the LORD Himself caused the punishment to fall on the wicked. He did not simply remove His hand of blessing but basically brought forth judgment and punishment.

On the other hand, Asa, who did what was right in the sight of the LORD, was reigning for 41 years. That did not mean he had an easy time. He had challenges, but what a stark contrast between the righteous and the wicked among God’s people.

Leadership matters. It influences what happens to the people and their relationship with the LORD. Yahweh will hold leaders accountable for not only their own bad choices but more so when they lead so many others astray. In our society today we have the opportunity to influence who gets put in leadership positions. Let us actively engage to influence elections to favor those who will not stand for false religion, homosexuality, abortion, and government control instead of relying on Yahweh.

It is also a reminder for each of us to seek to do what is right in the sight of the LORD.

As a closing thought, we also see that as each generation of wicked king did more and more evil, more than those who went before him. That is the way of sin and separation from God. Once you no longer submit to Him and His ways, what you deem acceptable continues to move farther and farther away from His ways. The path of the godless becomes more wicked over time, more separated from God.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Government, Idols / False Gods, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil

Pursue the Father Wholeheartedly

After the death of Solomon, the kingdom was split into Judah and Israel. Both Jeroboam, king of Israel, and Rehoboam, king of Judah, were wicked and did not follow YHWH wholeheartedly as David did. We see in 1 Kings 15 a chain of kings summarized in quick succession.  There is a lot to unpack and reflect on.

To sum it up, we see things get really messy when our leaders, or individuals, do not pursue the Father wholeheartedly, but instead mix and mingle what He tells us with the beliefs of false gods. Leadership matters because it influences the minds of the people in their walk with the LORD!

1 Kings 15

Abijam Reigns over Judah

      1Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, like the heart of his father David. 4But for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; 5because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 6There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

      7Now the rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

Asa Succeeds Abijam

      8And Abijam slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son became king in his place.

      9So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah. 10He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11Asa did what was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father. 12He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made. 13He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 14But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days. 15He brought into the house of the LORD the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils.

      16Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold which were left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19“Let there be a treaty between you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a present of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 20So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah and all Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali. 21When Baasha heard of it, he ceased fortifying Ramah and remained in Tirzah. 22Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah—none was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had built. And King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa

      23Now the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might and all that he did and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

Nadab, then Baasha, Rules over Israel

      25Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin which he made Israel sin. 27Then Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

      28So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. 29It came about as soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam any persons alive, until he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 30and because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

      31Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

War with Judah

      32There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

      33In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel at Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years. 34He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel sin.

A key theme we can see is that our Father cares deeply about the leadership of His people and whether or not they follow Him wholeheartedly. He is not pleased to simply be one of several “gods” they worship. This is idolatry and wickedness.

We see that to come out of wickedness, as Asa did, is hard. He had to stand against his own mother, who had embraced false gods. He had a heart for Yahweh and did much good to pull down the idols. Despite the fact that he did not get them all, he is praised for pursuing Yahweh wholeheartedly. He did not have to be perfect to be pleasing. We don’t either, though we should not let that serve as an excuse to leave some sin in our lives.

We can also see a theme that when God’s people fight among themselves, neither one wins. Both are divided and made weaker. It is sad to see that Asa had to go pay to have another nation come against the attacks from Israel. We can apply the same thoughts to how we act as brothers and sisters in Christ. Do we unite around the truth of Messiah and debate the full understanding of scripture? or do we come against one another, one denomination against another, undermining the unity of His people? Keep in mind, there is some doctrine which must be thrown out and we can not stand in unity with those who hold fast to it. One extreme example would be those who claim Yeshua was not Messiah or not God, but only a teacher. We can not stand in unity with this. Similarly, there are many other controversial topics today in which people who claim the name of Yeshua also stand against what His word and teaching proclaim. Abortion and homosexuality come to mind as examples. We can engage and debate with these individuals, but we can not accept what they teach in unity.

To make a point on this matter… reflect back on what caused the division. It started with Solomon turning away from wholeheartedly pursuing Yahweh. Sin and idolatry divided God’s people. As they pursue other gods and other beliefs, while still claiming to follow Yahweh! This is what largely divides our body of believers still today. Much bad teaching had been mixed and mingled with the good. People are now confused and lost as the people were under the kings like Jeroboam. Pray for our Father to remove the spiritual darkness and let the scales fall from the eyes of believers that they would see truth clearly and pursue it, even if they have to stand firm for God and against their own family, as Asa did.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Government, Idols / False Gods, Intgegrity / Honesty, Purposeful / Intentional, Wickedness / Evil

Godly Leadership Matters for All of Us

Israel had gone quickly from glorifying Yahweh to idolatry during the reign of Solomon. He started out strong and then turned away from the LORD and embraced other gods alongside Yahweh. When he left the throne. Fast forward into 1 Kings 14 and we see that Yahweh split the kingdom and both kings were bad, and Israel and Judah suffered because of it, because they lost the blessing of Yahweh that comes with obedience and worship in following Him.

1 Kings 14:9 speaks about Jeroboam, who was king of Israel except Judah. You can read more of 1 Kings 14 to find out more on him and the impact it had on Israel, which was very bad.

 9you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back

1 Kings 14:21-31 tells us about Rehoboam, who was king of Judah.

Rehoboam Misleads Judah

      21Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 22Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy more than all that their fathers had done, with the sins which they committed. 23For they also built for themselves high places and sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and beneath every luxuriant tree. 24There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.

      25Now it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. 26He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house, and he took everything, even taking all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. 27So King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place, and committed them to the care of the commanders of the guard who guarded the doorway of the king’s house. 28Then it happened as often as the king entered the house of the LORD, that the guards would carry them and would bring them back into the guards’ room.

      29Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 30There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 31And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. And Abijam his son became king in his place.

What we see about us today in our culture is much the same as the wickedness of Jeroboam and Rehobam. Many who try to rule over us, are wicked and reject God entirely or worse, claim His name and then live in opposition to all He stands for. This is very much like Rehoboam and Jeroboam indeed. We have a chance at least to influence our government, where the people of Israel and Judah did not. But we must be active and get engaged in the process and unify.

Sadly, the wicked and those who support them often try to distort who is wicked and who is not, who really follows God, and who just says they do. They end up confusing many who claim to follow Yeshua and we get godlessness in many big cities and states around the nation

A pretty good place to start is to understand the party platform that they identify with. If someone stands for abortion and homosexuality and taking away personal freedom to replace it with bigger government to control us…if someone supports opening casinos, but not churches… these are “tells” or “tips” that disclose their godlessness. If they are trying to emphasize Islam or other false religions instead of Christianity or Judaism, then that is a big tell. Clearly there may be candidates from many perspectives that may not be godly, but the ones who identify with such platform as listed above are clearly lost and many are smearing God’s name, or reputation.

Stand firm. Pray for one another and for righteousness to prevail in our leaders from all sides. Do not look for and expect perfection in candidates that are trying to follow Yeshua. None of us can meet that standard. If we expect perfection and defeat those who would stand for us, then we open the door for those who stand against us to rule. Said another way, if you can’t find what you perceive as a righteous candidate, at least pick one that is less wicked and will by policy support our freedom to worship and live out God’s ways.

Keep in mind, the righteousness of our leaders and their policies influences culture and people and leads us into or away from righteousness. The impact affects us as a nation and a people, not just individuals.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Government, Seeking God

Be Careful What You Ask For, You Might Get It

Sometimes our Father withholds something from us that we ask for and it is a good thing. Sometimes he may give us what we ask for and it is not good. Israel asked for a king. They got one. Samuel makes the case why this was a mistake, but they are stuck with it. They looked at how all the other nations were run and desired to be like them. God’s intent was for them to be special, set apart, his own people. He was to be their king.  Samuel makes it plain… with or without a king, they will do well to obey the LORD and do poorly if they do not.

We do well to remember that we must develop relationship with our Father. Our government can not save us.

1 Samuel 12

Samuel Addresses Israel

     1Then Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me and I have appointed a king over you. 2“Now, here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray, and behold my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth even to this day. 3“Here I am; bear witness against me before the LORD and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you.” 4They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5He said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

      6Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. 7“So now, take your stand, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did for you and your fathers. 8“When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. 9“But they forgot the LORD their God, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 10“They cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ 11“Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security.

The King Confirmed

     12“When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ although the LORD your God was your king. 13“Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the LORD has set a king over you. 14“If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God. 15“If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers. 16“Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes. 17“Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the LORD by asking for yourselves a king.” 18So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

      19Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.” 20Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21“You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. 22“For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. 23“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. 24“Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. 25“But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Government, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer

Look To God Instead Of Government

It is not the LORD’s will that a king, or any sort of government would take his place in our lives as leader and provider. He is our leader. He and his word directs our path. Sometimes he uses prophets to help communicate that, but the emphasis should be on him and his word. Whatever form of government we have should be directly pointing back to YHWH and obeying his instructions and laws. He does not want us looking to how others that do not follow him govern as an example for us. He wants us to look towards him. It is the sinful nature of man that tries to establish government separate from YHWH and then submits to the laws of man where he would not submit to the the law and instruction of the Father.

1 Samuel 8

Israel Demands a King

      1And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. 3His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.

      4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; 5and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” 6But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. 8“Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. 9“Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.”

Warning concerning a King

      10So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king. 11He said, “This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. 12“He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13“He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14“He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. 15“He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. 16“He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. 17“He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. 18“Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

      19Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, 20that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the LORD’S hearing. 22The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint them a king.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

Be careful what you ask for as a nation with regards to separating the Father from our government. He will allow it if we reject him, but it will be to our own peril as a nation.

A few more interesting points of consideration… just like Eli, Samuel had children that did not follow in his ways. Samuel was a righteous man. Was it his fault as a father? or did his sons make their own choice to rebel against YHWH? or was it simply that the LORD had not chosen them to be faithful followers? There is always a bit of the second part in every situation like this. We all have personal accountability for following or rejecting YHWH. We do not get any information about Samuel as a father, but one might reasonably conclude that if he had failed as a father, it would be highlighted in the historical record like it was for Eli. Also, we see that Samuel was not rebuked by YHWH for his failure to discipline his sons, or at least it is not recorded here. If it comes down the the third option, the LORD not choosing them to follow, then we must simply trust in the LORD even if we don’t understand.

To make this more personal, imagine it is your children that are not following in his ways. What would you do differently as a parent? Do it now. Pray for him to help your children to follow obediently and faithfully. Learn the ways of the Father in his word and don’t simply accept the teaching and ways of man. Then teach your children. Live out the example for them, admitting when you are wrong and changing behavior to follow YHWH more closely even when it is hard.

Perhaps worth a comment also is the dire warning about a king includes the fact that he will take 1/10th of your stuff. That was considered high apparently for that culture and time. Now look at us. Our obese federal government clamors for 25, 33, 50% and more of what we earn and squanders it on many corrupt and ungodly or mismanaged programs they should never operate in the first place. Clearly in comparison to God’s word, the taxes we face are much too high and instead of looking to what other failed nations are doing as an example, we should look to God and his word for guidance in all things.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Am I on the path?, Government

Honor Authority

Peter provides some challenging material to think through about honoring secular authority.

1 Peter 2:13-20

Honor Authority

      13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 17Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

      18Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

On the surface, this seems reasonable. Generally speaking it seems right to respect and honor authority. Where this gets tricky is where we are told to honor authority even if they are unreasonable. It seems the main thrust is that you are more likely to bring honor to YHWH and to bring others to him by honoring authority. This is not to be taken to mean that ungodly authority can instruct you to rebel against the ways of YHWH and you just say you are honoring authority for even as you are subject to earthly authority, you are more so subject to the authority of the creator. Consider Daniel, and Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego. Consider the disciples and Yeshua himself as they confronted authority in the Pharisees while preaching and teaching. There are boundaries and we are accountable first to our Creator.

However, we are warned not to let our freedom be a covering for evil, but to let our freedom lead us to be bondservants of the LORD, choosing willfully to serve him.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.