Below is a study from my church that I’d like everyone to consider, for we’re living in the end times…..and as the Word makes clear, many will fall away or believe that they were saved when in reality they were not…..& by the time they make it to Heaven, it’ll be TOO LATE. It is not my desire that it would be the case for any of the readers here, and so again I encourage everyone to please investigate the information inherent in these studies.
For anyone who may not currently know, please keep alert:
WASHINGTON – Televangelist Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, endorsed Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday.
“It is my pleasure to announce my support for America’s Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, a proven leader who is not afraid of what lies ahead and who will cast a hopeful vision for all Americans,” Robertson said during a news conference with Giuliani in Washington.
The former New York mayor backs abortion rights and gay rights, positions that put him in conflict with conservative GOP orthodoxy, and has been trying to persuade evangelical conservatives like Robertson to overlook their differences on those issues.
Now, for those who may not realize the significane of this,
Pat Robertson (Marion Gordon Robertson) founded the Christian Coalition of America in 1989 and headed the organization until his resignation in December 2002.
Now to many, this is a great shock…..but in all honesty, I was amazed to see that there have been many things which Mr.Pat has done contrary to Scripture that could be considered on the same LEVEL as what Rudy supports, which of course is the devaluing of life.
Has anyone ever seen the movie “Blood Diamond”?? It contained many truths/factual information regarding the explotation/murder done by many dictators to the people in Africa that often takes place in order to recieve the diamonds/jewlrey we in America wear without any thought……….
Funny, however, is that Robertson has actually supported the trade. Of cours, it wasn’t made as public as other information…..but I was quite shocked to learn of it. Go here to find out:
As another wisely said on the issue, “Robertson had millions invested in gold in Liberia and when it was time for Charles Taylor to be ousted, Pat suddenly felt it was a bad idea for the Bush Administration to do so. He claimed the nation would “descend into chaos” and that Muslim radicals would take over. Instead they’ve got a new President and Islamists have not taken over. Liberia is a nation that has been fairly well pimped by folks looking to make an easy buck and Pat was doing the same in my opinion. Although he claims he was going to use the money for aid and evangelism. In keeping Taylor in power there would have been more continued chaos than there was in Taylor’s being removed”
That said, Honestly, I don’t think anyone should be shocked by the issue. For someone to support other ventures that cause bloodshed/violence, it makes sense for Robertson to do as he did with Rudy in light of the abortion issue..
As John Bunyan once said, “Sins never travel ALONE…” AND THE sins one says yes to are the same ones that bring in/open the door for all of the other ones that may’ve been deplorable & what you’d originally rejected…..& regarding Robertson, if there is acceptance of one evil because of the profit it gives you, then it becomes that much more easy to disregard another when similar situations arise.
There are many other things which Robinson has done that should give many Christians pause before endorsing him or holding him up as truly “SOLD OUT FOR GOD”, & IF ONE were to follow the bread crumb trail, it might lead you here:
Matthew 7:15-23
15) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16) You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17) Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18) A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20) Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22) Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23) And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Can’t claim the NAME of CHRIST when one doesn’t have the NATURE, regardless of whatever good he or she does in his name or how it may’ve blessed someone. There are many good deeds that people who are atheist do, as well as people from other religious backgrounds who do humatarian work….but at the end of the day, what matters is whether or not those actions were built upon the solid WORD OF GOD/CHRIST’S WORDS……..
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
As the old saying goes, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”……& yet I wonder how many times it has been the case that many of us in our actions begin to lay down the first stones there & not even realize that we’re traveling it.To illustrate, some history should be considered:
1 Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. 3 The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because in his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed. He did not consult the Baals 4 but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. 5 The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. 6 His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah. 7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. 8 With them were certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people. 10 The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat. 11 Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats. 12 Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah 13 and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem. 14 Their enrollment by families was as follows:
From Judah, commanders of units of 1,000:
Adnah the commander, with 300,000 fighting men; 15 next, Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000; 16 next, Amasiah son of Zicri, who volunteered himself for the service of the LORD, with 200,000. 17 From Benjamin:
Eliada, a valiant soldier, with 200,000 men armed with bows and shields; 18 next, Jehozabad, with 180,000 men armed for battle. 19 These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.
Jehosaphat was a righteous man after God’s heart, & he did much to reform the nation from where it once was. The people of Judah were Biblically illiterate, never taking the time to listen to and discuss God’s law and understand how it could change them. Jehosophat realized that knowing God’s commands was the first step to getting people to live as they should, so he initiated a nationwide religious education program
However, despite all of the good that Jehosaphat accomplished & how deeply he was committed to God, he fell into the same mentality of Good INTENTIONS being sufficient to justify decisions. At one point, he allied himself with the infamous King AHAB, in a bid to “strengthen the nation”. He solidified this alliance by arranging for his son to marry Athaliah, the daughter of wicked King Ahab of Israel, and then made a military alliance with him……..with Jehoshaphet’s popularity/power making him ATTRACTIVE to the cunning/opportunistic Ahab (II Chronicles 18)
Though Jehosaphat had believed he was doing a “good thing”, the effects of his alliance were devastating due to 3 consequences: (1) Jehoshaphat incurred God’s Wrath (II Chronicles 19:2); (2) It was through ATHALIAH that Judah was exposed to the EVIL PRACTICES OF ISRAEL, FOR SHE HELPED PROPAGATE BAAL WORSHIP IN JUDAG & THIS EVENTUALLY LED TO THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM’S DECLINE/downfall (II Kings 8:18-29)….& 3.)When Jehosophat died and Attialiah’s son, as well as her husband perished (II Kings 9-10), Athaliah became Queen, she seized the throne and almost WIPED OUT ALL THE DESCENDANTS OF DAVID (II Chronicles 22:10-12).
All of that said, one will QUICKLY GET THE PICTURE that while Jehosophat’s alliance with Ahab may’ve been POLITICALLY ADVANTEGOUS, it was SPIRITUALLY DEADLY…….& though he probably didn’t wish for all of the consequences of his decisions to happen, the damage was done.
All because of GOOD INTENTIONS…….
The same scenario isn’t an ISOLATED ONE. Anyone who’s honestly studying throughout the books of I-II Kings and I-II Chronicles will quickly find that out…..
It happened with Jehosaphat’s father before him, II Chronicles 15, before his confidence in God began to slip & he began to rely on human means via alliances with PAGAN NATIONS…II Chronicles 16, rather than turning to the God who helped him earlier, II Chronicles 14…….)
It happened with nearly all of the Kings after Jehoshaphat in Judah…..
It happened with Israel after the split of the nation, where King Jereboam set up his own worship centers and told in people it was too far to travel to Jerusalem (which was in the ENEMY NATION OF JUDAH), all for the sake of being “PRACTICAL”/SECURING HIS POSITION….and consequently, his actions resulted in a religion that had nothing to do with the original and eventually resulted in era of apostacy that Israel never recovered from (I Kings 12).
It happened with the ORIGINAL KING OF ISRAEL, SOLOMON….for back in his day, marriages between royal families was a common practice in the ancient Near EAST because it secured PEACE…..and although Solomon’s marital alliances built friendships with surrounding nations that were necessary for dealing with COMMON PROBLEMS they ALL HAD, THEY WERE ALSO THE BEGINNING OF HIS DOWNFALL. These alliances became inroads for pagan ideas and practices.And Solomon’s foreign wives eventually brought their gods to Jerusalem and eventually led him into idolatry (I Kings 3:1-3, I Kings 11:1-6)
The same thing also happened before Israel even had a king, for the people were given EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO DEVELOP ALLIANCES WITH THOSE WHO DIDN’T BELIEVE IN THE SAME GOD/HIS STANDARDS (Deuteronomy 7-31, Joshua 23), but they choose otherwise. Seeing that the Israelites were nomadic people, they may’ve been reluctant to settle down, preffering to depend ECONOMICALLY on the people they were supposed to destroy and whose influence they were to have nothing to do with. Some feared the high cost of continued warfare,, seeing trading for goods as an easier route and more profitable than resisting them….. The RESULT: On the Eve of fully conquering the Land, they chose to make business alliances with the people there……& A 400 YEAR LONG “DARK AGE” happened WHERE THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY OBJECTIVE STANDARD OF TRUTH AND “EVERYONE DID WHAT WAS RIGHT IN THEIR OWN EYES (Joshua 15:63, Joshua 16:10, Joshua 17-18, Judges 1-16)
The list could go on, but I bring all of that up because, as the old saying goes, “there’s nothing NEW under the sun….” (Ecclesiastes 1:8-10)….& the same thing is happening today.
For those who don’t know, RICK WARREN—Author of the book “Purpose DRIVEN LIFE”, recently got alot of Christians really disturbed at him, seeing that he claims to be against abortion & yet he had Senator Barack Obama come to his church & speak,…….never calling out ANYTHING he did wrong since Obama is PRO-ABORTION.
When questioned point blank, Rick Warren said that it really doesn’t matter whether you’re gay orpro-abortion or anything else, as long as you’re working on a social issue. In his view, as long as people have “good intentions”/a common goal, everything should be fine…..
