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Welcome to the Reflections Newsletter from Reflect His
Glory. RHG is a co-ministry with Creation Science Ministries. Feel
free to send this to your relatives and friends.
- What Will Be
America's Ultimate Destiny?
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What Does the Bible Say About...?
What Will Be America's
Ultimate Destiny?
Where is the United States in Bible
prophecy? The easy answer to this
question is that without a crystal ball, we cannot even guess.
But this question has been asked
by many people over the
past several years.
While I have addressed this question in our Bible studies,
both ABF and Small Groups, I thought I would take a
brief look at what the Bible has to say about America’s
future.
As far
as I can tell, the United
States appears to be conspicuously absent from Biblical
prophecy. Biblical scholars
tend to disagree on this subject. No
surprise there, eh? There are a whole host of
conjectures concerning America's fate, but the fact of the
matter is that the Bible does not specifically explain God's
plan for the US.
However we can learn many things about
America's possible future by
looking at the parallels between the US and the Northern
Kingdom of Israel as described in the book of Hosea.
We should also look at it
from God's point a view. The people had exchanged
their loyalty to their heritage for pagan worship with
golden calves and such. What was the result of the
lack of loyalty? Widespread adultery, social injustice,
violent crime, religious hypocrisy, political rebellion,
selfish arrogance, and spiritual ingratitude.
Does this sound
familiar to you at all?
The Northern Kingdom enjoyed material
prosperity unequaled since the days of Solomon, but they had
sunk to the depths of immorality and idol worship.
You could say that it was the best
of days... it was the worst of days. As a
result of their sin God judged Israel and they were
effectively destroyed by their enemies.
The United States also enjoys
unprecedented wealth and prosperity, but as a nation we have
turned our back on God. Again, you
could say that it was the best of times... it was the worst
of times. Granted, you can say that the wealth that we
the people of the USA have enjoyed
for so long has diminished recently. But at the same
time, we can ask, "Why has God
not judged America?
Or is it too late? Or is there still time?"
The Lord has power over all
that is in heaven and earth and He alone has the power to
transform our nation. God
made a promise to the people of Israel that may apply to us
as well:
"If
My
people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves,
and pray, and seek
My face, and
turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven,
forgive their sin, and heal their land."
2
Chronicles 7:14
This call for repentance is not addressed
to our President, our Congress, the liberal left,
or the conservative right: It is addressed to "My
people, who are called by My
name." It speaks to the Body
of Christ. Our stewardship
of this nation does not begin and end at the ballot box.
There is much more required
of us. We need a national
revival - and it must start with you and me.
"Yours,
O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and
the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven
and in the earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and
You art exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honour come
of You, and You
reign over all; and in Your hand
is power and might; and in Your
hand it is to make great, and to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God, we
thank You, and praise
Your glorious name."
1 Chronicles 29:11-13 KJVER
What Does the
Bible Say About...?
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In this section of the
Reflections Newsletter we answer questions that have been asked.
If you have a question that you would like ask, and do not mind having
it printed in the newsletter, (your name will not be mentioned), feel free to
send your question in an email to me at
biblequestions@reflecthisglory.org. Of course, you may call me
anytime by phone at 801.302-1111.
The question for this issue is,
"How do you reconcile the everlasting nature of our
salvation with Revelation 3:5?" |
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The verse
in question is part of the message to the seven
churches of Revelation, given to us in the Book of
Revelation, Chapters 2 and 3. Specifically, it
is in the letter to the church at Sardis, one which
as a whole was spiritually dead, but still had a
believing remnant. Our Lord Jesus said to that
church:
"He that overcomes, the
same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will
not blot his name out of the book of life, but I
will confess his name before My Father, and before
His angels," Revelation 3:5 KJVER
This is a
figure of speech in which an affirmation is
expressed by the negative of a contrary statement.
By a denial of the opposite, (I will not blot out),
our Lord Christ Jesus affirms emphatically that the
overcomer's name will be retained in the book of
life.
For sure there
are many who profess to be Christians, but who
firmly and resolutely, at some point, turn their
backs on the Lord God and embrace a life of sin.
While I cannot make a blanket statement about such
individuals, I can say that many of them
were most likely never really saved from the
beginning of their walk. Jesus said that we
would know His true followers by their fruits
(Matthew 7:20). The absence of such fruit for
an extended period of time, even a lifetime, gives a
strong indication that a person was never grafted
into the true vine of Christ Jesus, as described in
John Chapter 15.
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**MEMORY VERSE OF THE
MONTH**
But by the grace of God I am what I am:
and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain: but I labored more
abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV ER
We solicit your prayers and support of this ministry. God Bless.
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