SODOM, GOMORRAH & THE UNITED STATES….. PERADVENTURE

 

                There was a time when, as a child, your neighbors played a vital role in the well-being of your life. If you tried to do something behind your parents’ back, more than likely your neighbors saw you do it. As a result, they had the right to discipline you accordingly. They were like your second parents. You respected them all the same. Not anymore. If a neighbor even hinted at directing some sort of correction to a child, they may very well get cussed out by that child. On top of that, the parent of the child may also get indignant to the neighbor for accusing their child of doing something wrong.

                There was a time when, as a child, going to church wasn’t even a second thought. You knew that, short of a natural disaster, every Sunday morning you were getting up to go to church. You went to church as a family. Not anymore. Children now are given the choice whether or not they want to go to church. Sometimes the children are dropped off. Sometimes the parents have an important appointment to keep like cutting the grass on Sunday morning. It’s their only day to rest and sleep in. There are countless other reasons (excuses) as to why parents and/or children don’t go to church.

                And finally there was a time when marriage was only viewed as a union between a man and a woman. The sanctity and holiness of marriage is properly and correctly represented with this union. The purpose of marriage is to procreate (Genesis 1:28). Not anymore. Marriage is now viewed as between man & man and woman & woman. A minority of individuals have scratched and clawed to have these unholy unions the law of the land. And on Friday, June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage.

                Now keep in mind, in these three examples, the changes didn’t happen overnight. It has been a gradual change with small amount of acceptance along the way. So the question is why did this happen? Why would this nation relax and renounce the biblical views that this very country was founded on. Why? Because this country has turned away from God’s authority. When you turn away or remove God’s authority from your decision-making you start to allow your children to do what they want. You won’t think that going to church is that important. And worse yet, you’ll be accepting to the redefining of marriage. Without God’s authority, chaos has erupted in our society and life itself will continue to be redefined.

                There are many people who believe the truth that the world is coming to an end, but they don’t understand the magnitude of events leading up to it. When we talk about the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, everyone who knows the story knows that God destroyed the cities because of the evil going on there. Fire and brimstone came from heaven and everything burned. And we know about Lot’s wife turning around to look back and she turned into a pillar of salt. But there are two things I’d like to point out in scripture prior to Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed and we’ll see some parallels with our country as it is today. Before the angels went down to the cities, the LORD (Jesus) spoke to Abraham in Genesis 18:20-21 “And the LORD said ‘Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.’” We first see that the cry is great on Sodom and Gomorrah. Where are these cries coming from? I’m sure they are coming from both within and without. The destruction and corruption had become too great for people to handle. Chaos had erupted in their society. Sound familiar? Oh please believe the cry against the United States is also great. We then see that their sin is very grievous. This means that their sins were very severe and serious. Again, with the removal of God’s authority you do what you want to do. Regardless if it’s morally/legally right or wrong, it’s what you feel is right at the time. Proverbs 14:12 tells us “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Sounds like our country doesn’t it?

                The second part that I’d like to point out is when the angels arrived at Sodom and Lot insisted they stay in his home. Genesis 19:4-5 says, “But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter. And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.” To “know them” meant to have sex with them. Ahhhh, so we see that men having sex with men was rampant in these cities. Why? Because people tend to do what is popular in culture at the time. Killing someone was an afterthought. To cheat and swindle someone was second nature. The thing to do now is to have sex with the same gender. Here we see both old and young men participating in this immoral act, so there’s evidence that it has been passed down through the generations and accepted as the status quo. And what a way to welcome strangers or what they probably called “fresh meat” to their area but to know them. The NKJV adds the word “carnally” at the end, which emphasizes the act of knowing them sexually. As a result, the entire cities were destroyed. Do you see the parallels with this country? Galatians 6:7-8 says “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

                Now there may be those “doubting Thomas’s” out there who would say Sodom and Gomorrah wasn’t destroyed just because of homosexual exploitation but because of all of their sins. Yes that would be correct. By them living in sin day after day the time had come for their destruction. But keep in mind, when God talks about something in the Bible it is very important and significant. Example:  Whenever a woman’s name is mentioned in the Bible it is because they are playing a vital role in God’s divine plan, thus the mentioning of a woman’s name was significant. We know that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah committed many sins but God only specifically talked about the sin of sexual immorality. And very specifically homosexuality. Why do you think that is? I’m glad you asked! Leviticus 18:22 simply states that “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” Something that is an abomination is ‘detestable’ to God. So we see the significance that homosexuality played in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and now we see our country has reached that same plateau. The problem that people have today is that without God’s authority, the truth becomes relative. But you see, God’s authority is truth. Nothing else is. The amazing thing about God’s truth is that it’s still true whether you believe it or not. Psalm 100:5 says, “For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 119:160 says, “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” And 1 Peter 1:25 says, “But the word of the LORD endures forever.”

                So what now? What do we, as Christians, do now in these last days? We must stand! We must stand up for truth and righteousness right now. Even if we stand alone. Ephesians 6:10-13 tells us, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” We must do all we can to stand up against all that opposes God’s word. For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal LORD and Savior but haven’t fully surrendered their life to Him, Ephesians 5:15-18 tells us, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” The time is now to turn our lives over to Christ and redeem the time we lost having a relationship with Him.

                For those who are not saved and have come to know the truth about God in their head, time is running out. The time is now. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God does not want to see anyone perish. Because if you fall away, Hebrews 6:4-6 tells us, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” For those who are lost and don’t believe, we pray for mercy. We pray that as long as they’re still breathing that the opportunity is there for their eyes to be opened to the truth of God. Remember 2 Peter 3:9.

                So where will your name fall at the coming of Christ? Will your name fall in with the United States or will your name fall in with peradventure? It is your choice.