I have a heavy message, not the kind of message I delight
to bring, but I'm confident that what I
carry is what the old prophets used to call the burden of the
word of the Lord. Be sure you understand to whom
I'm speaking. I'm not talking to folks that
chant it. If I were, they probably wouldn't
pay any attention to me. I'm not talking to your neighbor.
I'm talking to you. I'm talking to Bob Duff. I'm
talking to Skip Gladduck. I'm talking to Don Fortman. I'm
talking to you. I'm talking to you who know God. To you who have, by the grace
of God, been called from darkness to light. To you who are no longer
groping about in the darkness. of Babylonian freewill works
religion. To you who have been redeemed
by the blood of Christ, bought for price. To you who are the
objects of God's constant care and love. I'm talking to you.
And I'm talking to you who are sitting here this morning with
your fists so square in God's face. To you who are rebels against
God Almighty. To you who would If you could,
get God by the throat, choking to death. To you who will not
bow to his domain. To you who will not submit to
Jesus Christ the Lord. To you who will not believe on
him. You have the summary, at least,
of my introductory comments in the bulletin. I encourage you
to read them carefully. Not now, but when the message
is over, I want you to listen to me right now. I've been asked by several in
the last couple of weeks to give my thoughts concerning the events
of these dark days. Without question, September 11th,
2001 is a day of infamy burned in our hearts. burned in our
hearts by the acts of men and burned in our hearts by the providence
of God. As believing men and women and
all believers, I say this for all believers, if it's not true
of you, I'm telling you, you are not a believer. You don't
have any idea who God is. I'm saying that with regard to
everybody. Preacher, please be clear. I'm
telling you. This is the character, the trait
of everybody who knows God. We readily fall on our faces
and acknowledge and confess our sin, our personal sin, our own sin,
our sins as God's people. In hours of the worst, Ours are
the worst. Don't point your finger at somebody
else's sin. Ours are the worst. For us, Bobby
Estes, not to believe or pray to God. For many women who've
experienced such things as we've experienced at the hand of the
Almighty, not to devote ourselves to Him. For us to be entangled
with the things of this world. Ours is the worst of sins. Daniel's words are a proper expression
of God's people in such times as these. O Lord, the great and
dreadful God, keeping mercy to them that love him, to them that
keep his commandments, we have sinned. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedness and have
rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and thy judgments. What's worse, we have not hearkened
unto thy servants the prophets who spoke in your name. to our
kings, and our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people
of the land. Oh Lord, righteousness belongs
to you, but to us confusion of face as at this day. Oh Lord, to us belongs confusion
of face, and to our kings, and to our princes, to our fathers,
because we have sinned against you. Neither have we obeyed the
voice of the Lord our God to walk in his laws, which he has
set before us by his servants, the prophets. Yes, we all have
transgressed your law, even by departing that we might not obey
your voice. Therefore, the curse is poured
upon us. And the oath that is written
in the law of Moses, the servant of God, because we sinned against
God. That's bitter, bitter, bitter
medicine to swallow, but swallow it we must. We also recognize the hand of
God's providence in the things we've seen. We say with Job,
the hand of the Lord has brought this to pass. The hand of the
Lord has done this. We do not excuse the acts of
terrorism performed by men any more than we would excuse the
acts of barbarity performed by those men who nailed the Son
of God to the cursed tree. But as we recognize that God,
by his providence, was ruling on the day when his son was crucified
by the hands and wills of wicked men. So we recognize that God,
the God of all sovereign power and grace, is in control this
day. To suggest otherwise is to say
that somehow something's out of God's control. To suggest
otherwise is to say that somehow God doesn't really have his way. He doesn't really accomplish
his will. To suggest otherwise is to say
you can't believe God for anything. Ron Wood of God Almighty is not
almighty. If God does not sit upon his
throne and rule in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants
of the earth, In heaven, earth, and hell, if God does not have
his way, you can't believe anything he says, any more than you believe
what I say. Just trust him as far as you
think he's able to do what he's able to do. And the reality is,
that's just how much we trust him. Just how much we trust him. Our first and primary concern,
I speak now for us who are gods. is that we are gods. Our first
concern is the glory of God, the will of God. And I can't
tell you how angry, grieved, frustrated, disappointed, enraged, every passion I can
think of negatively, I've experienced. watching how men in this nation
have responded to things that have taken place these last two
weeks. So I'm here to speak to you as
God said. Now, we're patriots. We are and ever must be loyal
patriots. Let us live as such. Let us pray
for our leaders. God's people, God's people ought
to be the most loyal citizens in any society in which God in
his providence has placed them. God's people ought to be the
most loyal, most patriotic of all, no matter how they may be
charged by others. We are loyal patriots. But there's one question that's
on the minds of men. I'm sure it's a question that's
been on your mind, and you hardly know how to answer it. And if
you answer it according to the scriptures, you're going to get
in trouble. I promise you. If you answer
it according to this book, if you look beyond the newspaper
and look beyond the news media and look beyond the opinions
of men, why? Why has God done this? Why? The answer is found in Jeremiah
chapter 22. I want you to turn there and
look at it. And the question raised in these
verses I'm about to read to you, and the answer given, is one
that is raised many times in Scripture, and the answer is
given in exactly the same way many times in Scripture. Jeremiah
chapter 22, verse 7. And it's what God says. It's
what God says. This is not what the Folks on
television are going to say this afternoon when you get home,
watch it. This is what God says. I will prepare destroyers against
you, everyone with his weapons, and they shall cut down your
choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. And many nations
shall pass by this city, and they shall say, every man to
his neighbor, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus to this great
city? Why did God do this? Wait a minute,
God didn't do that. He said, I prepared these fellows
to come. I prepared, I sent them. Well,
why'd God do this? But you know, verse nine, then
they shall answer. because they have forsaken the
covenant of the Lord their God and worshipped other gods and
served them. That's why. Let's see if that's not so. Knowing
that the events of providence are not accidents, things that
come to pass by random chance, a blind fate, knowing that God's
creation is never, at any point, at any time, in any area, or
to any degree, out of God's control. We who believe God understand
that what we've experienced these past two weeks are clear, evident,
unmistakable manifestations of divine Now I'm not a politician, I'm
not one of those preachers who decides what to preach by doing
this. I ain't going to take it back. These are evident, clear
manifestations of divine judgment. People don't like that, they've
never had. I realize what I'm saying. Like Jeremiah the prophet
causes me to run in the teeth of all the prophets of deceit
in our day. I do not mean to suggest that
no one misunderstand me, that these events display the wrath
and judgment of God. They are distinctly against those
who perished Tuesday two weeks ago in Washington, New York,
Pennsylvania. Not at all. In fact, I'm certain
that they were actually blessed by God's hand in taking many
of his own out of this world. I don't suggest that at all.
I am saying that which everybody, everybody must understand. Everybody must. And all men do.
They want to acknowledge it. All men, they know it. They want
to acknowledge it. All men, everybody in this society,
everybody from the top to the bottom is scared to death. God
might do it again. Scared to death. It might happen
again. So all of a sudden, everybody
got religious. Everybody got religious. I watched with some interest
the news last Friday morning, as many of you did, I'm sure.
You remember what Tom Brokaw said just before they began the
national prayer meeting at the National You know what he said? He said, today all Americans
are turning to their God, whatever their God may happen to be. Isn't that wonderful? I watched the state prayer meeting
in the National Cathedral in Washington. female preacher, bishop, something
or other. She said those of us who are
gathered here, listen now, Muslim, Jew, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist,
Hindu, all people of faith. Well isn't that wonderful? Leading the prayer meeting were
Episcopalians. papist, Methodist cardinal, a
Muslim cleric, and Billy Graham. Reckon how on earth they could
all get together on this thing? Reckon how? Do you really have
to reckon how? I've been telling you for years.
I've been telling you, it was the first time you ever heard
my voice speak. It's because they all believe exactly the
same thing. Exactly the same. The Muslim,
the Sikh, the Hindu, the Presbyterian, the Methodist, the Episcopalian,
the Theist, and Billy Graham. The Methodist preacher from Houston
who opened the prayer. This is how he opened his prayer.
And folks, he stood. Oh, wasn't that such a moving
service? Wasn't it? Wasn't that just wonderful? He
called on the God of Abraham and Mohammed and Jesus. My whole heart to make Jesus
Christ to be nothing more than Abraham or Mohammed is utter
blasphemy. It is to invoke the wrath of
God Almighty. I know the whole world sees what's
going on around us as a great awakening. Late Friday evening there's a
pastor of a large Presbyterian church, I don't remember But
he was insignificant anyway. He said, I do not believe in
a vindictive God. What I'm seeing is a time of
great spiritual awakening. He said, we had to have three
services. Three services, best being, whatever it was. He said, I see a nation turning
to God. how I wish it were true. But
the fact is, Ranger, the religious activity we have seen these last
two weeks is the kind of religious activity that God says makes
him want to vomit. You can read it in Revelation
3.60. Yes, the United States of America,
this nation that we love so dearly, This nation for which I think
I can say with confidence there's not a man in this building who
would not go to war to lay down his life if necessary. This nation
is a nation under the judgment of God. I've been telling you
that for years. Don't think I'm unpatriotic.
That's not so. That's not so. My blood runs
deep. But I'm not here to preach to you as a politician. I'm not
trying to get you a vote for anything. I'm here to speak as
God's servant to your soul, for the glory of God. We've become
a nation of idolaters, as the events of this past two
weeks have clearly demonstrated. The whole nation is running after
other gods. Mary, the saints, Allah, Buddha,
Bowing down before images and statues and icons and priests. The gospel of God's free grace
in Christ has been preached in this land for 300 years. And we have persistently rejected
it. We have violated every law of God, not only as individuals,
but as a nation. In the name of religious freedom,
in the name of God, we've legalized abortion, homosexuality, And people attempt to justify
this idiocy, this ungodly idiocy, to attempt to justify it in the
name of God, religious freedom, and use the scriptures to do
it. How politicians pander to envy
and covetousness. I wonder if there's any such
thing as a politician who will not do anything. to
get folks to vote for him. I hope there is. As a nation, as a nation, I'm
talking about a whole society, as a whole, we not only tolerate,
but we promote every form of moral decadence imaginable. From Washington to Hollywood,
from from the backwoods of Eastern Kentucky to the big cities of
New York. We not only tolerate it, we promote it. Let me just
give you one example. You watch a little television. When was the last time, when
was the last time on any current modern television show, movie,
sitcom or otherwise, you saw any indication of a man actually
sleeping with his own wife instead of somebody else's. Can you stop
and think about it? It's almost so bad, we're happy
they're sleeping with a woman instead of a man. Utter decadence. Utter decadence. Not only tolerated, promoted,
taught in schools alternative lifestyles. Isn't that a good
way to describe adultery, homosexuality, perversity, immorality, pedophilia? Alternative lifestyles. Nobody teaches pedophilia is
an alternative lifestyle. You teach that anything goes,
you teach that anything goes. The religious leaders of our
nation the religious leaders of our
nation, as in the days of our Lord. I'm talking about the heads
of churches, the heads of seminaries, the heads of Bible colleges,
pastors, evangelists, on television, on radio, on the street corner. The religious leaders of our
nation are idolaters. Idolaters. In order to serve as a chaplain
in any public organization Now I'm not speaking hearsay, I'm
talking good about what I know. These days, you just retire from
the Navy, serve as a chaplain in the Navy, you've got to agree
to be an idolater. If a man wants last rites, you
give it to him. You've got to agree to cater to their religion. This message then is a call to
repentance. If we are not humbled before
God, if we do not believe on the Son
of God, who by the sacrifice of his self, by the shedding
of his blood, by the obedience of his life, by his resurrection
glory and power has saved his people from their sins. If we
do not bow to Jesus Christ as the only, the only revelation
of God, we are courting more judgments. If we harden our hearts, God
will not be merciful. His judgment will continue. Oh,
what a mercy. that he only spoke in his providence
and didn't destroy in his providence. This present surge of spirituality,
how do you account for that preacher? It is but the continued hardening
of our heart as a nation. It is but the continued rejection
of the gospel of God's free grace as a nation. It is but the continued
of our wallowing in the filth of our idolatrous religion as
a nation. And yet God is merciful. Oh,
that's God. God is merciful. I'm sure you've heard it quoted
and seen it written many times. Perhaps many times the last few
days, hear what God says. If my people, my people, there are some people in this
world who are God's people. He loved them with everlasting
love. He chose them. He redeemed them by the blood
of his son. He called them by his almighty grace. He holds
them in his hand. If my people, which are called
by my name, called by my name by me. Called by my name? What's his name? What is the
one name? What is the one name given in
this book of God Almighty? manifest in Jesus Christ the
embodiment of God, for it is the one name which he wears by
which he calls his people to righteousness. This is the name
wherewith he shall be called, Jehovah's continue, the Lord
our righteousness. This is the name whereby she,
my church, my people shall be called, Jehovah's continue, the
Lord our righteousness. Because God Almighty so thoroughly
looks upon his people in the person of his son that he sees
us as his son. Our sins put away by the sacrifice
of his son, his righteousness made to be ours, so that we're
made the very righteousness of God in him, just as he was made
to be sinned for us. My people, O blessed name, which
are called by my name, shall humble themselves." Humble. I'm not about anybody
I wasn't talking to you. I'm not going to grovel when
talking to you. I'm not going to grovel to you, but I'm glad
to grovel before him. Because you ain't got anything
to grovel for. He does. Humble themselves, therefore,
under the mighty hand of God. What's that mean? It means what
Elijah the Old did. It's the Lord. But what did he
do? He killed both his boys, that's
what he did. Because of every measure, in an act of judgment,
God killed Eli's two darling sons, grown men, and took the
priesthood forever from his house. How did Eli respond? It is the
Lord. Let him do what seemeth him good. Humble themselves. Well, I'm not about to do that.
I know. I know. I know you're not. But
if you're his people, you will. And pray. Pray. Pray. Pour out your heart to God. Will I hear from heaven? Is that
encouragement enough to pray? Then will I hear from heaven? And if God hears, that's enough. Then will I hear from heaven?
and will forgive their sin. Oh, blessed is the man to whom
the Lord will not impute sin and heal their land. You see, God deals with the world as he deals
with his people in the world. Let that sink in real good. Let
that sink in real good. God deals with the world as he
deals with his people in the world. Not the other way around. Not
the other way around. So this I must confess. This I must confess. The horrors heaped upon our nation are my
fault. My fault. Not the fault of the politicians
in Washington. Not the fault of the pornographers
on the street corners. Not the fault of the abortionists,
pimps, pushers, and prostitutes. My fault. And I say this to you, the people
of God. My fault. My fault. But Pastor, what on earth are
we to do? Turn over to the book of Hosea
and I'll show you. Hosea, chapter 14. Since I'm not talking to the
nation of Israel, Make you understand I'm talking
to the Israel of God. I'm talking to God's holy nation.
You who are his people. I'm not talking to the religious
world, I'm talking to you. Oh Israel, return unto the Lord
thy God. Thy God. Is he yours? Is he? Has he made
himself yours by covenant mercy? Is he yours? Do you believe him?
Return to the Lord your God, for thou has fallen by thine
iniquity. Take with you words. Don't just
act religious. Order your call before God. Take
some words with you when you go to Him. Turn to the Lord.
Say unto Him, take away all our iniquity. Receive us graciously. So will we render the cares,
the praises of our lips. Asher shall not save us. No need
to look him somewhere else. We will not ride upon horses. We'll not trust in the arm of
the flesh. Neither will we say any more to the work of our hands.
You are our gods. For in thee the fatherless find
mercy. And God says, I will heal their
backsliding. I will love them freely. For mine anger is, not will be,
buddy, but is. Mine anger is turned away from
Him. The reason I deal with my people
the way I deal with them is because my anger is turned away. I will be as the dew, oh, the
morning dew, the morning dew on dry parts of the ground, reviving,
refreshing, enlivening unto Israel. He shall grow as the lily. Lilies grow gently, gradually,
unobserved, until they bud forth in their beauty. My people, they'll grow like the lily. They'll just keep growing, keep
growing. And suddenly they'll bud forth
in resurrection glory and their beauty. Nobody's going to really
know who they are until they bud forth in their beauty like
the lily and cast his roots as Lebanon. The cedars, like the cedars of
Lebanon, are strong because their roots are deep, deep. You can go find you a cedar,
one of those tall cedars, and start digging for the bottom
of the root. That tap root just keeps going down. So it is with those who are the
trees of righteousness planted in the Lord's garden. of life is Christ himself. His branches, branches spread. His branches shall spread and
his beauty shall be as the olive tree. I didn't know this. You know the only thing pretty
about an olive tree? The only thing pretty about an
olive tree is its smell. Its scent. Its aroma. And so it is with God's people. God smells the sweet fragrance
of his darling son as he looks over us. Smell us, Lebanon. They that
dwell under his shadow shall return. Oh yeah. They will. No question about
it. No question about it. If we're His, He won't let us
depart from Him. If we're His, by whatever means
necessary, by whatever sacrifice necessary, by whatever work necessary,
no matter how painful or costly, if we're His, He will cause us
ever to return to Him. They shall return. They shall
revive as the corn. Look out here in this garden.
That corn, man, when it gets dry. Hadn't been in the rain
in a long time. That corn just kind of wilts. The leaves of the corn just begin
to dry up. And then God sends a steady,
slow rain. Give it two or three days. Let
the sun pop up, and man, what's that horn greener, is revived
as the corn. And grow, if we're healed. Grow as the vine, the scent thereof
shall be as the wine of Lebanon. My people shall return. My people
shall revive. My people shall grow. My people shall spread forth
the sweet fragrance of grace. Ephraim will say, you remember
earlier in Hosea 4, God said Ephraim is joined to his idols,
let him alone. But he wouldn't let him alone,
Merle. He wouldn't let him alone. He
wouldn't let him. Oh, God, thank you for not leaving
me alone. Ephraim shall say, what have
I to do anymore with idols? I've heard him. I've observed
him. I'm like a green fir tree. Now look at this. He said my
people will return, my people will revive, my people will grow,
my people will, they will send forth their seed. He said my
people will declare, I'm no more Jordan the idol, I'm like a green
fir tree full of life and vigor. Now listen to what God says.
From me is your fruit fell. Who is wise, he shall understand
these things. Who is prudent, he shall know
them. Now get hold of this, for the
ways of the Lord are right. The just shall walk in them. But the transgressors shall fall
therein. Now, here's my prayer. I hope it's yours. Turn us again, O Lord. Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Turn us, O God, of our salvation,
and we shall be turned. Draw us, and we will run after thee. O
God, for Christ's sake, do it.