James Robison A Weekly Commentary
It is sad to watch the American people trust the “arm of the flesh” and the “deceptive powers in this present world” as their hope. The New Testament refers to Jesus as “the Blessed Hope”1 and points to His promised return. This is a promise we can be assured of, but we should pray and hope for the abiding manifest presence of God in our daily lives. We have been left here as witnesses — salt and light. God has not only commanded us, but has enabled us through the power of His Spirit and with the knowledge of His truth to impact this world in a positive and meaningful way. The church must stand against the negative influence of the world for the sake of those in the world.
Let me go on record on this date in human history and declare boldly that our nation, the United States of America, is headed in the wrong direction. We need a supernatural healing of this land. In 2 Chronicles 7, God said that if there is a lack of rain, locusts devouring the crops and pestilence prevailing, there is an answer. “If my people who are called by My Name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
God makes it clear that if His people – the true believers, the family of faith, the blood-bought, born-again children of God – follow these steps, He will heal their land. Our only hope is in the direction, provision and protection of Almighty God.
God said, “Cursed is man who trusts in man and makes the flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony waste in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant. Blessed is the man whose trust is in the Lord. He will be like a tree planted by the water that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes for its leaves are green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit.”2
God clearly declares the futility and failure of foolishly trusting the arm of the flesh. But He promises fruitfulness and blessing when we trust in Him, even when the heat is rising and the drought is raging.
This nation is moving steadily away from the freedoms we have been blessed to enjoy. The entire Old Testament and the New Testament are filled with rebukes to those who look to the wrong source for provision and the wrong sources of power for their security. The foundation upon which we will safely stand is the Word of God and solid principles shared in the Scriptures.
Join me in prayer for God to awaken the church and to raise prophets who will fearlessly proclaim the truth. Far too many people in the church live in defeat, believing the deceitful sounds of this world, trusting false hope and walking in the ways of the flesh. God said through Jeremiah, “You are trusting deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery and swear falsely, offering sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods? And then come and stand before me in this house, the church – the temple, which is called by My Name and say, ‘We are delivered that we may do all of these abominations.’”3
God rebuked His prophets through Jeremiah and said, “Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility. They speak a vision of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord has said you will have peace as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart’, and they say calamity will not come upon you.”4
My friends, we are creating the calamity that is coming upon us. We have allowed this nation and our leaders to deceive people into trusting the wrong people and the wrong source for freedom and provision. We are witnessing the nationalization and government control of our population. It has moved beyond subtlety to become blatantly obvious. Charity and expressions of love are being replaced by forcefully taking from others and disbursing it at the will of the power brokers in the name of meeting needs. There are legitimate needs that should be met, but we are not finding answers by prayerfully considering the will of God and the appropriate solutions. Political leaders are taking money we do not have and promising help they cannot provide. Only real love, real compassion and a real connection between people can provide real help. Discover more. A behind-the-scenes deal or under-the-table payoff will not meet the needs of ordinary people. Those we have put in authority are promising false hope. The programs of our federal government, however sincerely they were adopted, have failed and will continue to fail. The fact is, they are bankrupt. At this moment, our legislators are guaranteeing insurmountable debt for our children and grandchildren.
We are not walking on the path of wisdom. Far too many decisions have been made apart from an understanding of the times and the word of God. America has abandoned solid principles and accepted deception and meaningless promises. The necessary change of direction and return to principle will only come about if the church ceases having church and starts being the church. Our shepherds must stop saying “peace when there is no peace”5 and encouraging the silence of believers by simply looking the other way. Compassionate Christians can effectively inspire meaningful ways to meet legitimate needs and heal the hurts.
The church of Jesus Christ has, at this very moment, the potential and supernatural enabling to be the most powerful force for positive change on this earth. We must begin to pray now, together in brokenness before God, seeking His face and His approval, turning from our wicked ways of indifference and failure to release the river of His life and love on a drought-stricken world.
Once again, God spoke through Jeremiah with a promise to every believer who will respond, “Thus says the Lord, ‘If you return, then I will restore you. Before Me you will stand. And if you extract the precious from the worthless you will become My spokesperson. They for their part will turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them. Then I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze and though they fight against you, they will not prevail over you. For I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord, so I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the violent.”6
God will deliver us from the hand of the oppressor and the misdirection of all deceivers. The Lord is our Deliverer, our Source, and our only certain Hope. God alone knows the way out of this present darkness and as we seek Him, He will direct our steps. We must pursue answers by pursuing The Answer.
1 Titus 2:13
2 Jeremiah 17:5-8
3 Jeremiah 7:8-10
4 Jeremiah 23:16-17
5 Jeremiah 6:14
6 Jeremiah 15:19-21
