The Earth is Defiled

Monday morning I awoke and heard the following verse in my heart:

"When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness." Isaiah 26:9

And as I meditated on that verse I heard this one as well:

"The earth is defiled by it's people. They have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; it's people must bear it's guilt." Isaiah 24:5

The earth is defiled by it's people. How? Through disobedience to God's laws. Sin has defiled the earth.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) and the Word Health Organization (WHO) estimate that there are almost 42 million abortions occurring worldwide on an annual basis. They also say that the number was actually higher in 1995 at an estimated 46 million abortions worldwide in that year alone. If these stats are anywhere near accurate then we could probably assume that in the last 25 years, since 1986, over 1 Billion abortions have occurred in this world. That's one billion, or roughly 15% of the world's current population.

1,000,000,000 = One Billion

Nine zeros. That number is staggering to me. When a murder occurs in a town or neighborhood it makes the news. But one billion in roughly 25 years? Humanity no longer values life. And God knows this is true.

"Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord." Isaiah 26:10

The book of Romans continues to define the issue.

"Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes." Romans 3:15-18

"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by it's own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." Romans 3:20-22

Man has been swift to shed blood. Ruin and misery has marked his ways. He does not fear God. God's creation is frustrated and in bondage to decay. Creation is groaning, even up to the present time. And now it appears that the creation itself is rejecting humanity and it's actions.

"The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of it's rebellion that it falls - never to rise again." Isaiah 24:20

Earth is rejecting humanity by trying to shake her off. Look at the following chart:

The chart was put together by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and tracks earthquakes from 1900 to 2008 with a magnitude of 6.0 or greater. See the rate of increase? Just as an added punch, the number of earthquakes in 2009 in that range of magnitude was 52. That would exceed the vertical scaling on the above chart by 26 percent if it was added on.

The ground itself is cursed because of sin. It started with Adam. The Lord God told him....

"Cursed is the ground because of you;..." Genesis 3:17

God spoke to Moses about it just to clarify the issue.....

"Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants... And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you." Lev 18:25,28

"Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made fro the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not pollute the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord dwell among the Israelites." Numbers 35:33

The Lord continued to remind the people of these principles in the Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

"They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood." Psalms 106:38

"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." Proverbs 6:16-19

"...one sinner destroys much good." Ecclesiastes 9:18

And yet the Israelites did it anyway.

"Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord's command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done, including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive." 2 Kings 24:3,4

King Manasseh's sin exceeded even the Amorites, that Nephilim-laced culture, whom God had destroyed at the hands of Joshua.

"Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites...Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols." 2 Kings 21:9,11

So he rebuked them through his prophets...

"I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable." Jeremiah 2:7

"On your clothes men find the lifeblood of the innocent poor, ..." Jeremiah 2:34

"They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent." Jeremiah 19:4

"Prepare chains, because the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of violence." Ezekiel 7:23

"The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice." Ezekiel 9:9

"Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her detestable practices and say, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close and the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.'.....See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood....In you are slanderous men bent on shedding blood." Ezekiel 22:2-4, 6,9

And he commanded his prophets to stop praying for the well-being of his people.

"Do not pray for the well-being of this people. I will destroy them..." Jeremiah 14:11

All the while he also spoke of the impending destruction of the the world around them, of nations and key cities.

• In Isaiah 14-24 he speaks of the destruction of Assyria, Moab, Damascus, Cush, Egypt, Babylon, Edom, Arabia, Tyre, Jerusalem....the entire earth.
• In Jeremiah 25 he tells the nations that they will be destroyed along along with Jerusalem. All the towns of Judah, Egypt, Uz, the Phillistines, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Arabia, Zimri, Elam and Media....all the kingdoms of the earth.
• In Ezekiel 25-35 he prophesies against Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Egypt, Lebanon and Jerusalem.

He destroyed them all. He started with the Judeans, the one nation who he had dispensed the most grace upon. He started with the most prominent of nations at that time, Israel and Judah, and worked his way down the list because, truth be told, all nations were doing the same thing. So he caused disaster to spread from nation to nation.

"See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all who live on the earth, declares the Lord Almighty. .....He will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword,........Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth." Jeremiah 25:29,32,33

He just had to start with the nation to which his name was attached. His Name was being profaned through Judah's disobedience. 

"But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out." Ezekiel 20:14

Why? Because they had conformed to the standards of the nations around them.

".....You have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you." Ezekiel 11:12

Does this have application today? What nation in the world today has had Christ's name attached to it, both presently and historically?

And if a nation like that really existed, and God was going to start judging nations, would he start with that nation in a time of global judgment? Who would that nation be? And does that nation have the blood of the innocent on it's hands? Is the land of that nation defiled? Has that nation conformed to the standards of the world around it, in spite of it's historical blessings with regards to both physical protection and financial provision?

".....You have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you." Ezekiel 11:12

Have we answered those questions before? See Here. The Ring of Fire is starting to explode with activity. See Here for it's symbolism.

Do not love the systems of this world saints. Let's not pin our hopes on worldly things.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. The world passes away and the lust thereof but the man that does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17

Receive the message. Know the doctrine that confirms the prophecy that has been laid down for us. Know the Doctrine.

"If any man chooses to do my will he shall know the doctrine." John 7:17

Knowing the consequence for shedding innocent blood, for both individuals and nations, is part of our doctrine in Christ. Know the doctrine.


JEB

The Final Two Miles

About two months ago the Lord was starting to show me that I needed to lose weight and get down to 82 kilos (181 pounds). Because I am getting older (almost 41) I have to work out more than I used to in order to drop the weight. Ten years ago I could run maybe 12 miles a week and lift some weights and I could control my weight very easily. Things change when you get older. You have to train harder and with more focus. You have to watch everything you eat almost all of the time.

In response I have had to increase my mileage when out jogging. My runs have gone up to 4.7 miles at a minimum of three days a week if not four. Because of this my runs have become much more painful. But through this whole process the Lord has reminded me of a spiritual principle that applies to all of us. It's the principle of how clear his voice becomes when we are in pain.

My runs are divided into two experiences. The first experience is had in the first 2.5 miles. This is when my mind is set on various things. I think about family, work, ministry, fellowship, the future....My mind just wanders from thought to thought. Sometimes the thoughts are vain, sometimes imaginative. They often lack focus. I find myself taking alot of thoughts captive on that first 2.5 miles. During this time I am not in much pain. My body temperature is still cool, I am not completely soaked in sweat and I haven't had to start drinking from the frozen water bottles in my hands. I still have alot of spring in my step. My stride is very strong, steady and consistent. During that first 2.5 miles things are easy. There is little or no pain.

The final 2 miles are different. I can feel my mouth getting drier and I have to start rehydrating. My clothes are starting to become soaked with sweat. My feet can feel the heat of the pavement as it heats up my shoes. My strides are becoming more laboursome. My body starts to feel heavier in spite of severe water loss. And through it all my mind starts to clear up. By this point I have been quoting 2 Corinthians 10:5,6 and Galatians 5:26 now for the past mile or so and my thoughts start to shift completely heavenward. I am now entering into the realm of pain and this is where I want to be. This is where I begin hearing the voice of the Lord. This is where I connect with him....in the realm of pain.

"But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction." Job 36:15

God speaks to us in our affliction. He appears to us in the fiery furnace.

"Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." Daniel 3:25

I appreciate the last 2 miles of my runs. Why? Because this is where I hear him. This is where I get insight on riddles he has set before me, clarity in doctrinal issues, prophetic insight........I love it. This is where his voice is for me. He led me to this. He led me to this realm of fire. This is where he meets with me, in those final two miles.

This has not been about weight loss rooted in a vain spirit. This has been more about connecting with him and being reminded that sometimes, not all of the time, but sometimes.....in order to hear him, we have to go into phases of affliction.

Saludos
JEB

America is Falling

I was going to take a nap on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. But now I am finding myself writing about Track and Field events and former Miss Universe contestants.....all in light of God's word of course. Read this all the way through. I think you will find it interesting.

Right before I was going to lay down I received an email from a good friend of mine inviting me to comment on a thread on his blog. I'll try and give you the cliff notes.

In the comments section at the end of his post he put forth a question. Without him taking a position, he wanted to hear both sides, both for and against, to the following:

"An argument exists that says the idea of God judging nations is an Old Testament concept... that all judgment for sin occured at the cross and so therefore no judgment of any kind is awaiting nations, as sinful as they are. Question: Does God judge nations today? If so, upon what basis in light of Christ’s work on the cross? 

So what he puts out there for discussion is whether or not God judges nations today. The following was my response on his blog.

Posted by Jay on September 4, 2011 at 2:30 pm

"The argument is an extension of Calvinism and the TULIP doctrine. They are superimposing it over the political and social issues of our day. It is another way of saying, “Peace and Safety.” (1 Thess 5:3)

Is the Grace of God a license for immorality (Jude 4)? Do nation-states reap and sow just as individuals do (Galatians 6:7,8)? Do nations experience judgement?

Isaiah 24 speaks of an “everlasting covenant” that has been broken by the nation states of the earth, specifically verse 5 and 6. It also clarifies the consequence for breaking this law of conscience, even amongst nations that did not know the spiritual rock Jehovah Jireh.

Revelation 6 speaks of the Lamb who is worthy to open the seals, releasing 4 horsemen upon the earth to conquer, to make men slay each other with the sword, to disrupt fair trade and plunge men into poverty and hunger, to release plagues on the earth, to release the wild beasts of the earth, and to harvest on behalf of Death and Hades.

Has God judged nations since the our Lord’s cruxificion and resurrection? Paul said, “In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.” 1 Thess 2:16

Even back to the time of Cain and Abel, man has experienced consequences for shedding innocent blood. God judged the world in Noah’s time because of this. After he got off the ark the Lord told him not to shed blood (Genesis 9:5,6) and that if he did there would be consequences. This was a component of the law of conscience which has always trumped old covenant law (See David eating the consecrated bread in 1 Samuel).

Japan’s judgment for what they did to China during WWII. Germany’s judgment for what they did to Europe. The judgment of the Armenians for not listening to God during World War I (and they were Christians). France’s judgment from 1915 to 1945 for what they did to the Huguenot Christians several centuries before. God’s judgment on Jerusalem and Judah in 70 A.D. God’s judgement on the Roman Empire for what they did to the Mediterranean rim. God’s judgment on Britain’s economy for what they did to North Africa (slavery), the southern U.S. (slavery), India and China (the opium trade) during the 1800′s.

Does he judge nation states? Can the United States murder 53 million children through abortion, 8 times more than the Nazi’s did in all of Europe, and think the party will continue? Really? Jesus threw over a few tables for some money changers. How much more should we be turning over these false arguments over 53 million children."

First I want to say that I love my friend who author's the blog I am qouting. I love his heart, his ministry and his writing. I love his whole family. He is married to a godly woman. They bear good fruit in Christ. They have great kids. They are trustworthy people. In no way is my comment a correction of him or anything he is doing in the Lord. I am not directing my response at him. I have even now put a link on my blog to his blog, The Sage of Texas. And I am extremely selective when I do that. I am encouraging others to read his blog and receive from him. Just want to make sure I am being clear.

But my response was to a question he posed from a neutral position and it was directed specifically at the other side of the argument which I believe is rooted in falsehood, specifically in Calvinism and to some degree in Dominion Theology/Kingdom Now Doctrine. Truthfully, if you have been following the posts on this blog for any length of time and you have been taking it in then you know my position on this in the Lord.

Read Here, Here, and Here  if you need a refresher. If not, keep reading.

Brethren, America is falling and has been progressively for many years now. Let me explain why I am bringing this up again like I have in the past months.

Coincidentally, this morning, I saw on the news that a new world record had been set by the Jamaican Men's 4 x 100 Sprint Relay Team at the world championships in South Korea just this morning. The men's 4 x 100 sprint relays are, in my mind, the most exciting 38 to 40 seconds in all of sports. Now 37 seconds. It's all about raw straightline power, speed and intensity.

But in this particular race we have what I believe is a prophetic symbol of sorts. You see, at about the 30 second mark something terrible happens to the runner on the third leg of U.S. men's team. He falls and the American team doesn't finish. Watch the film up until about the 1:00 minute mark. Then skip all of Usain Bolt's hot-dogging and fast forward it to the 3:20 mark of the video. They show the American falling in slow motion.





The American runner loses balance and just falls between strides. You know, this has happened recently to both of the U.S. contestants at the Miss Universe Pageants in 2007 and 2008.



Miss USA @ Miss Universe 2007



Miss USA @ Miss Universe 2008

Bless their hearts. I felt bad for the U.S. runners and for these 2 ladies. Yet these symbols are out there on the international stage for all to see. And they are not happening by accident. Joseph Herrin does a good post on the symbolism of some of these events as well. You can Click Here to read the whole thing later. But I want to pull something from it and quote it here. This is what he interpreted about Miss U.S.A falling 2 years in a row. I think it is very forthtelling.

"In 2007 Rachel Smith fell down while walking on stage at the Miss Universe pageant, and this year, 2008, Crystle Stewart did the same thing. No other contestant experienced the same. Consider for a moment how appropriately this contest was chosen. All the nations of the world are gathered for this event. Each country is symbolized by one woman. And for the past two years, the woman symbolizing the USA has fallen down as she stood before all the world, in a moment when she hoped to impress all those who looked upon her."

"Rachel was the name of the favorite wife of Jacob. She died giving birth to her son Benjamin. God will bring forth a purified remnant from the midst of the church in America, even though it should require the death of the nation as we know it."

"In an article I read today on the event, it was said that falling down was “the death knell” for any participant as far as their chances of winning the competition. The judges looked for how much poise and grace the contestants manifested on stage, and falling down was sure to end any chance of them winning. Is it not strange that this last event took place in Viet Nam, the infamous war that America failed to win?"

"That this event has occurred two years in a row, being repeated at the same stage of the event, the evening gown portion, reveals some profound truths. The word “evening” speaks of the last hours of the day before night falls, and all is plunged into darkness. That this same event occurred two years in a row bears the same meaning that Joseph declared to Pharaoh when God repeated his dreams to him twice."

"Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about." Genesis 41:32

God has determined this matter. This is to say that His mind is made up and now there is no turning back what He has determined. There is only a sure expectation that these things will come, therefore the wise should do whatever the Spirit tells them to do that they might be made ready. It will quickly come to pass. This judgment is no longer years away. It will commence presently.....As I mentioned, the signs of distress are everywhere apparent."

Joseph Herrin is right. The matter has been firmly decided by God. Both ladies names are in fact significant. Rachel for the reason he stated above:

"Rachel was the name of the favorite wife of Jacob. She died giving birth to her son Benjamin. God will bring forth a purified remnant from the midst of the church in America, even though it should require the death of the nation as we know it."

Rachel was first to fall in 2007. Then in 2008 it was Crystle that fell. The name Crystle is derived from the proper name Crystal and can be defined as: to take on a solid shape or form when atoms or molecules begin to arrange in definite and repeated patterns. (See Websters Dictionary).

When the Lord begins to speak on things repeatedly it means it's important. Real important. Four times in John 14 &15 Jesus said that if we loved him, we would obey him. Romans 1:28 says that men get into trouble with God when they don't retain his word. The word for retain (NIV) in the Greek is Echo. The word of God echoes. 2 Corinthians 13 says that things become established through the repeated witnessing of 2 or 3 members of the body.

My point is that as events occur repetitiously they, in many cases, become a sign of what God is saying. He is in effect trying to Crystalize his word. He is causing it to take a solid shape and form. In this case it is the fact that America, as symbolized by the American runner and the two beauty contestants, is falling. America is falling.

America will fall. The signs are everywhere if you know what to look for. I think in the next post I should talk about the four-fold judgment of Ezekiel 14. The dominoes are falling and the first one has almost completely hit the ground. Ezekiel 14 is happening in America right now.

Stay Alert.
JEB
http://www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com/.