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Politically Incorrect |
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It has come to my attention that there happens to be an awful lot of bad stuff happening in California recently... Wildfires... A 5.4 earthquake yesterday... Is the Lord trying to tell us something? I think that He most certainly is! To begin, I'd like to explain a pattern of sin leading to judgement which the Apostle Paul revealed to us in Romans 1:20-32. As this is a lengthy passage, I will break it up into smaller portions and comment on each process of this sin cycle in light of what is occurring in California today. Please read the following: --his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Romans 1:18-23 (NIV) |
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In this portion of the scripture, the Apostle Paul is explaining that the Lord is known by all people since His power and divine nature can be clearly understood through His creation and therefore no one is excused for their sin of idolatry. Paul continues to tell us that inspite of this knowledge of our Creator, some will neither thank nor glorify Him but will instead pridefully consider themselves to be wise. As a result of this sin, their hearts were darkened and in this foolishness they began to glorify idols in the form of men and animals. Considering the fact that Hollywood has "immortalized" many people and made them into "stars" and "idols" through the entertainment industry and considering that there is also a large population of pagan "Mother Earth" worshippers and liberal extremists within the state of California, I feel that it is very obvious that this state, when taken as a whole, has fallen into this part of the pattern. to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women< br />and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Romans 1:23-27 (NIV) This passage explains that after the people have rebelled and committed the sin of idolatry, the Lord then allows them to engage in the next sin of this cycle, which is sexual immorality. The Lord is very careful to have everyone understand through Paul's words here that He allows this to occur because they have chosen not to worship Him as God, the Creator, and have chosen instead to worship their created things. It is because of the sin of idolatry, that He allows them to engage in their shameful lusts, lesbianism and homosexuality, in order that they will receive within their bodies the penalty for this perversion. Back in February of 2007, Shannon Price Minter, who at that time was the legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, stated in a debate on same sex marriage "that more than 100,000 same-sex couples live in California. That's more than in any other state. Those couples live in every single county in this state, and we know that more than 70,000 children in California have lesbian and gay parents."1 Mr. Minter stated he had gotten this data from the most recent federal census of that time. This is indeed proof that this second process of the sin cycle is currently in progress in the state of California. it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32 (NIV) These verses explain that since people didn't value their knowldege of God, He not only allowed them to engage in the sin of sexual immorality, He also allowed them to become depraved and do things that were extremely sinful, wicked and evil. The Lord is also having the Apostle explain to us that these people who are engaged in this sin cycle know that according to His righteous laws, they deserve to die because of their behavior and yet they continue to do them anyway! Not only that, they also approve of others who are practicing those same depraved behaviors! Is it any surprise, in light of what we are discussing about this sin cycle, that the California Supreme Court over-ruled the ban on same sex marriage on May 15, 2008?2 Proposition 22, which was passed by the people of California by majority vote in 2000, defined marriage as being the union of a man and woman exclusively. Is it any wonder that the California Supreme Court justices sided with the sexually immoral liberals who are promoting gay marriage by voting 4-3 against Proposition 22? Obviously, as these are confirmed facts, the state of California has definitely moved into the third process of this cycle by approving of the sexually immoral behavior implicit in same sex marriage! So, what is the fourth and final process of this sin cycle? To discover that, we must go back a little bit to the verses preceding those which I started with above... against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. Romans 1:18-19 (NIV) This cycle of sin leads to the Lord's judgement - His wrath being revealed to us! As stated in the opening of this article, I know that the Lord is telling us something through what has been occurring in California... He's telling us that He is God and that He will punish sin! If you are in doubt, consider this... One week after the California Supreme Court over-ruled Proposition 22 (May 22, 2008), Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed that a state of emergency existed in Santa Cruz county due to "the circumstances of (the Summit Fire) wildfire, by reason of their magnitude, are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat."3 This is no coincidence! Also, consider this... On May 28, 2008, Fox News reported that the Field Poll had revealed that 51% of the citizens of California were now in favor of same sex marriage and that on June 17, 2008, the state of California would begin marrying same sex couples.4 Is it no surprise that three days later, on June 20, 2008, a storm system moved over California starting over two thousand lightning sparked fires? Since that day, there have been 2, 096 fires and 1,109,891acres have burned.5 Yesterday, July 29, 2008, a 5.4 earthquake rattled southern California and as of today there have been over 90 after shocks. This is exactly 6 weeks to the day that California began performing same sex marriages. Do you truly believe that this is all coincidence in light of what we have been discussing about this cycle of sin which leads to judgement? I hope not! But, you can take heart because the Lord has also said: shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) If you are a true believer, then you are called a Christian - you are called by His name! Brothers and Sisters, will you join me by humbling yourselves, praying and seeking His face and repent? I hope you will! For the Lord is Faithful and He will fulfill His promise! We can bet on it! **NOTES**
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