Who’s Running the Country?

Judges 17

Judges 17:6
⁶ In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Judges 21:25 [last verse in the book]
²⁵ In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

These final chapters begin and end with these bookends making it clear that no one was running the country.  But it’s not a political thing.  It’s a moral thing…a spiritual thing.  God was supposed to be in charge.  He had been before, but God's people had moved away from Him and morality.  There was no absolute truth, no authority...they had lost their spiritual compass.  The people were lost sheep and their leaders were a reflection of the people and their low morality.  Eventually they had no real leader.  Who’s in charge of the country?

Well, take heart America, someone is running our country, though it doesn’t look like it to you and me, nor to our enemies who are poised to strike at our weakness.  Chin up, even though Biden is on the beach, unelected Jill is running Cabinet meetings, and the Vice is hidden away memorizing lines, there are people in charge, behind the scenes, pulling the strings, making decisions, spinning reality to the press, writing lines for the teleprompter, and administering a cocktail of drugs sure to juice up the lamest of ducks.

There’s much talk about democracy today, and which candidate is a threat to democracy.  But the people of God really are called to a theocracy.  We see God as the One in charge.  That’s how we should proceed no matter who wins in November.  No matter who is in the White House, God is on the throne!  More and more we will have to choose whether we obey God or man.  But it’s good to know that ultimately we are in good hands.

        Am I afraid that the wrong person will win?  If we don’t turn back to God I am.  Is Trump our Savior?  Not hardly!  If he wins does that fix things?  Don’t count on it.  If he wins and we don’t turn to God then we all lose.  If he wins and we see him as our hope then God loses and we are just begging for our own destruction.  If he fixes the economy but we don’t fix our eyes on Jesus then prosperity will only speed our destruction.  If he closes the border but we close our minds toward the Lord then the Bible says we are alien to Him.  You want to know what land has the strictest immigration policy?  Heaven!  Because you must be born again!   [“the wicked shall be turned into hell/nations forget”]

‘existential threat’?  Speaking of democracy [citizens having a voice], the very people who point fingers at Trump as an ‘existential threat’ have some huge holes in their argument. 

• If he wanted to end democracy, then why didn’t he when he was President?  He has already proven who he is.  A better question might be, if SHE can fix America, then why didn’t she?  She has already proven who she is.
• Wasn’t January 6 an example of citizens making themselves heard?  That’s part of democracy.  I know damaging property is wrong, just like looting and setting fires in the streets.  But they try to pretend that Jan. 6 is bigger than Sept. 11.  Freedom of speech includes peaceful protesting, and most of ours is harmless while much of theirs isn’t.  They can break the law all they want and get off scot- free, but if you were caught on camera on the Capitol grounds on 1/6 you are still being held indefinitely without trial.  Does that sound like democracy?  I remind you, America wouldn’t exist without a righteous revolution that happened 250 years ago.
• Our current president, duly elected, has been removed from the ballots by way of a coup.  Does that sound like democracy?
• Their new candidate never had a vote nor won a single primary.  The voice of the people toward her was ‘no.’  But here she is.  Does that sound like democracy?
• They are doing all they can to keep Trump off of ballots.  Does that sound like democracy?  [court / 14^th amendment / assassination]
• I’ll tell you who is inciting violence, and it’s all those who use this ridiculous inflammatory language of saying he must be ‘taken out’.  There’s a lot of nuts out there who think they would do the world a favor by killing ‘Hitler.’
• We need to understand that a key part of citizens having a voice is that they are actually citizens!  We want every citizen to vote.  They want every illegal and deceased person’s voice to be heard.  Does that sound like democracy?
• They own the media, and censor conservative thought on the internet, effectively silencing us.  Does that sound like democracy?
• We are the United States, not the United Cities. [map] They want to do away with the electoral college and to redistrict the map so the urban areas can make the decisions for the rest of us.  Well if you want the whole country to look like the war zones of the cities, do your worst, but don’t call yourself a champion of democracy.

We used to be the United States, but today we are the divided states.  [Untied States]  We could be headed for civil war.

In America, we need a moral, spiritual revival or we are doomed.  This is my fear, and it fits well into Bible prophecy. 

Anytime a nation goes down and experiences the judgment of God it happens in this order:  Moral decay in the home, then in the church, and finally in the government.

"As the home goes, so goes the church, and as the church goes, so goes the nation."

Here's 3 things it will take to bring back the glory before it is too late.

1.     Families with a Foundation.

v. 1-6       This is not the prophet Micah.  This is a spoiled brat.  His mother saved money and he decided to steal it--1100 shekels of silver.  She didn't know who the thief was, so she pronounced a curse upon him.  He got scared when he heard that and returned it, not out of conviction, but out of fear.  Rather than scolding him, she blessed him.  She was so glad to get the money back.  She said she was dedicating it to the Lord and then she made an idol with it.  Dysfunction!

Of course, the Bible strictly forbids this sort of idolatry.  This is how spiritually blind they had become in their apostasy.  Far removed from the true worship of God--thinking this was doing God a favor by making an idol to Him.

v. 5  Micah had shelves full of idols...he was steeped in idolatry.  Then he appointed his son to become a priest.  He didn't qualify, and it wasn't God's way.  It is absolute confusion spiritually, and they think they are actually serving God.

So, in this family we have coveting, stealing, cursing, dishonoring of parents, idolatry, and God knows what else.  They are morally bankrupt.  But if you would have gone to them and confronted them about all of this they would say, "That's your opinion, but this is the way we want to do it."  Every man did what was right in his own eyes!

This is where America is today.  It's not that we don't have enough religion, we are up to our ears in religion.  But we have left the absolute Bible authority and truth, standards, and morality.  This lack of Bible conviction infiltrates even many families in good Bible churches. 

Parents are losing their kids because we are not the examples we need to be.  We want them to obey but they see us going our own way personally.  Our inconsistencies will be magnified in our kids, just as Micah's mother's issues were magnified in his life.  And what we allow in moderation our kids abuse in excess! 

Grandpa: Church is a must

Dad:        Church is optional

Son:         Church is unnecessary

G’son:     Jesus who?

ill.--in a small Missouri town, Preacher James’ two boys were playing with a little dog they found, it was black w/ a white tail, they wanted to keep him.  They loved him.  Then they heard about a new family who moved in and how they had lost their dog, which was black w/ a white tail.  Their preacher dad didn't want to have to give up the dog so he painted the white tail black, and when the new neighbors asked about whether this could be their dog he lied and said, no, the tail is the wrong color.  What could they say?  Do you know Preacher James’ son's names?  Frank and Jesse James, two of the most notorious criminals of all time.  As parents we don't get what we want, we get what we are.

And I share this because bringing back the glory to America has much  more to do w/ my house and your house than the White House!

We need families w/ a foundation.  Who’s in charge?  We the people!  “If my people…”

2.     We need Preachers with Principles.

v. 7          This was a priest, and he is out of a job.

v. 8-13     He has lots of needs, and crosses paths w/ the ungodly Micah, who says, man, have I got a deal for you!  He knew his own son was not a real priest, so he tries to get this priest to move in.  He feels good about being religious.  But religion sends more to hell than sin does!

This priest proves himself to be a hireling, because he agrees and just for the money.

18:4         'hired'?

John 10:11
¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
¹² But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
¹³ The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
 

Know how to tell the difference between a true man of God and a hireling?  The hireling is committed only to himself and keeping his salary, not the truths of God's Word.  But preach the truth and God promises that many will leave, potentially taking your salary with them.  Preach truth anyway!  My job is not to fill this auditorium...it is to fill this pulpit!

A good preacher isn’t in it for the income but for the OUTCOME.

Am I saying the preacher shouldn't be paid?  Perish the thought!  The Bible says that those that preach the gospel should live of the gospel, matter of fact, they are worthy of double honor.

        But the hireling tells people what they want to hear in order to draw a crowd and not offend anyone.  He is not called, it’s just a career.

There is not much wrong w/ the USA that could not be readily fixed w/ more true preachers and fewer hirelings.  We need a generation that God will get a hold of to preach the uncompromised Word of God!  The very topics that are today politically incorrect to talk about are exactly what we need to be talking about.  We need preachers who will say, "It's not an alternate lifestyle, homosexuality is an abomination in the sight of God!"  Call me homophobic or hateful if you will, but I stand on the absolute authority of God's Word!  Which by the way, supports that fact that God loves those sinners, as we should.

Pro-choice?  The real choice they make is choosing to reject the truth of God, who wiped out nations that sacrificed their children.  The price of innocent blood is the price of death.

We despise deadbeat dads, who abandon their kids to do what’s best for themselves.  So what about moms who abort their kids to do what’s best for themselves?

Our churches are getting so caught up in entertainment, worldly worship and self help topics we have left off prophetic preaching of the fiery truths of God's Word!  I think many sincere Christians in America are fed up with coffee shop based churches that offer pop psychology from the pulpit.

They want to make messages like this illegal.  They call it hate speech.  But it’s free speech.  The first amendment says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”  So we can preach the Word if we want.  If they try to silence us, they are on very shaky ground.  Instead, they try to intimidate.  In 2009 they audited me and my Grace Notes Sermon Ministry saying that the teachings could encourage people to vote a certain way.  I fought it and won, and my finances were in order.  They then said they would pursue taking away my church’s tax exemption.  We said we will not be intimidated.  Their efforts went nowhere, because we have freedom of religion and speech.  Now, I assure you, I’m not looking for trouble.  But I hope you are with me that in actuality, we don’t want to be in trouble with God!

        It says a lot about them that they are so threatened by a Book!

Galatians 4:16
¹⁶ Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

Ecclesiastes 7:5
⁵ It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

Americans are flocking to hear the ear-tickling songs of fools that are hirelings.  But who wants to hear the Word of God!

Who’s running the country?  If people and preachers would stand up, we could guide this country back to God and support good Godly leaders that God could bless.

To bring back the glory we need families w/ a foundation and preachers with principles...

3.     We need Government with God.

If you study history and don’t try to revise it, there is no question about it...our republic was founded on Biblical, Christian principles.  I have heaped up mountains of evidence on this over this series, and it is irrefutable.  But when we take God and Biblical morality out of our nation, it begins to unravel. 

We have lost our moral foundation.  Every man does what is right in his own eyes. 

Why is shacking up and sex outside of marriage now an accepted norm?  Because every man does what is right in his own eyes.

Why do you think the homosexuals say they have the right to get married?  Because every man does what is right in his own eyes.

Why are we saying you can be whatever gender you want?  Because every man does what is right in his own eyes.

Why does 60% now want abortion to be legal?  Because every man does what is right in his own eyes.

Judges keep striking down laws of common sense in favor of woke political correctness which protects pedophiles and pornographers and criminals of all ranks.  Because every man does what is right in his own eyes.

Why are 30% of evangelical Christians not even registered to vote?  Because every man does what is right in his own eyes.

        Of those registered, who do nearly half of them not vote?  Because every man does what is right in his own eyes.  [so over half in this room won’t be doing their civic duty.  This dishonors God!]

I like what I'm seeing, however, in a small segment of Christian America.  I see a smattering of believers getting involved in politics, running for office, protesting, and taking their stand.  Don't believe the liberal left that says because we believe in God we should just shut up.  It's because we believe in God that we ought to speak up!

There are sparks, and we need to fan the flames.  Our homes and our churches can affect our government.  Join me in praying for a great awakening and revival.

Who’s in charge of the country?  Let’s give it back to God!