Forget God

Dear Brethren,

Are the commandments of God meant to be a private matter, written only in our hearts, or, did God mean for them to be publicly displayed?  God intends that His commandments be obeyed, and displayed personally, privately and publicly - including courthouses (gates), where people are to be judged with just judgment.

"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart... And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates [in your courthouses]..." (Deuteronomy 6:6,9)

"Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, (courthouses), which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment." (Deuteronomy 16:18)

Judges, too, need to be continually reminded of God's ways that are all too easily forgotten.  Nowhere is this more apparent than in the high courts of our land.  In the battle of States Rights versus Federalism, we can see the USA sinning mightily by rejecting God, and neglecting to hear His warning.  As did the Biblical Israelites, we Americans, their modern descendants, are disregarding God and His most basic Law, The Ten Commandments.

More and more, God's name is being held in contempt by a vocal segment of the population which prefers any law, rather than God’s law, and any religion so long as it is not Christianity.  Americans lack the resolve to insist that the Ten Commandments be the foundation of our law - even though a considerable majority (77%) actually still claim to support the public display of the Ten Commandments.  Why is America incapable of helping itself?

On August 27, 2003, a work crew removed a monument containing the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of the state judicial building in Montgomery, Alabama.  It had been placed there by Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore in an attempt to honor both his Christian convictions and the laws of the state of Alabama.  US District Judge Myron Thompson, ordered the removal of the monument.  In doing so, Federal Judge Thompson went beyond the provisions of the US Constitution, violating the powers of the federal government.

Supporters of the removal of the Ten Commandments see that result as a victory in their continuing crusade to suppress all expression of religion (especially Christianity) in public life.  Supporters of the monument saw its removal as one more violation of the public's right to freedom of religious expression, in or out of government.  The arguments are certainly heated, and the right of Americans to express the Judeo-Christian heritage of their nation stands in greater jeopardy.

The frightening implications of this and similar events in recent years (e.g., the suppression of prayer in public schools ) are ominous and challenging -- legally, politically, and religiously.  For our purposes here, as Children of God, there is a much more vital meaning to these events based on the little-recognized relationship of the American people with Almighty God, a relationship established thousands of years ago.

Of course, we in the Church of God have understood for decades that the United States of America, as well as several other related nations, was settled and founded by descendants of the ancient Israelites.  Numerous researchers and authors over the last two centuries or so have made amazing contributions towards establishing this particular historical fact.  In short, the United States is fundamentally an Israelite nation by ancestry and heritage.  Americans are part of the end-time generations of God's people, Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).  God prophesied how we would turn away from Him in the end - just as our ancient forefathers in Israel rejected Him.

"Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people  the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not heeded My words nor My law, but rejected it." (Jeremiah 6:19)

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." (Hosea 4:6)

Astonishingly, we find in Scripture that God predicted Israel's renunciation of His law in the end-time and the moral depravity and societal decay that would ensue.  America is about to suffer because of our own sin.

"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore you shall bear the penalty of your lewdness and your harlotry.'" (Ezekiel 23:35)

God described the Israelites' end-time view of His law and His Bible, and recorded for us that we ultimately would forget Him.  "I have written for him the great things of My law, but they were considered a strange thing." (Hosea 8:12)

Even acknowledgement of God or the barest mention of Him is increasingly not tolerated or allowed in modern American official discourse.  America officially is choosing to forget God.  In the modern political arena, we are seeing public officials and candidates for public office who still refer to God or religion in some personal way increasingly being held up to official scorn and ridicule, as was Judge Moore of Alabama.  Judges have even overturned jury decisions because one or more jurors turned to Scripture for personal guidance during deliberations.  "Israel has forgotten his Maker ... they have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law."   (Hosea 8:14, 1)

As Children of God, we can envision this assault on our religious freedom becoming so extreme and God's punishment so severe that, soon, Americans will find themselves fulfilling the following prophecy?
 
"Then it shall come to pass, that if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. And when a relative of the dead, with one who will burn the bodies, picks up the bodies to take them out of the house, he will say to one inside the house, 'Are there any more with you?' Then someone will say, 'None.' And he will say, 'Hold your tongue! For we dare not mention the name of the Lord.'" (Amos 6:9-10)

Imagine a society and legal system so hostile to God that people will be too afraid even to mention God's name.  How much time do we have before our society begins to look adversely upon open acknowledgement, never mind actual worship of the True God.  In light of the current legal crusade to suppress such expression, as the recent events in Alabama indicate, could even we find ourselves breaking the law of the land in order to keep the Law of God? 

The distance from the state judicial building in Alabama to our individual homes, wherever we live, just got a lot shorter!  Just as God said it would!  As His children we must be watching and paying heed!   Let us pray, “God help Americans not to bow the knee to the image of Baal.”

***


image
image