Remember When Israel Demanded a King????

As I told you in my last post, I received my copy of the Beth Moore Esther study in the mail on Monday. In the first lesson, she quotes a book called "How To Read the Bible for All Its Worth" by Fee and Stuart. One of the quotes she uses from this book is referring to Biblical narratives (Bible stories)......Fee and Stuart say "the story they (Bible narratives) tell is not so much our story as it is God's story---and it becomes ours as He 'writes' us into it"

This morning as I read 1 Samuel 8 & 9 (see the end of this post for a refresher course on this passage), I remembered this quote and thought it was very appropriate for 'such a time as this'.....................Remember when Israel demanded a king? They didn't really care who or what kind of king, but pretty much any king would do. Samuel prayed and the Lord told him that the people were not rejecting Samuel, but were rejecting God Himself. Are you seeing how America is being 'written' into this story???

America demanded a king. The people are so disgusted with Bush they were ready for any king (regardless of his views). The issue with our country is not about race, party, or political views. The major issue in our country is that America has rejected God. And our rejection of God DID NOT start with the election of Barack Obama. I cant tell you the exact time our rejection of God as a nation began, but I can tell you that over time it has only become more and more clear that America is no longer a nation that trusts in God. America may still be one nation under God (aren't we all under God?), but she is also a nation who is in love with sin (a trip to San Fransisco will tell you that).

In Galatians, the Bible says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows". I believe this also applies to our country. As a nation, I fear that we just might be getting ready to reap what we have been sowing for years. Galatians 6:8 says, "one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life". No matter who you voted for, it is easy to see that over the past several years America has sown to please her sinful nature. We have stood by while innocent babies were killed and used the excuse that it is a woman's body and she has a right to do with it what she pleases. Anyone who claims to be a believer knows that is a lie straight from the pit of hell. We have remained silent while homosexuality has become commonplace instead of an abominable act that is not the norm. I have never read a version of the Bible that said homosexuality was ordained by God, but I am sure if I were to visit a liberal Episcopal church, I could find one. We have stood in silence as the word of God has been perverted to encourage our sinful lifestyles. If you are TRULY a believer, you know that homosexuality is sin plain and simple.....there is no grey area.....it's black and white.

Speaking of black and white.......This election has brought up so many questions and concerns for me (and not just concerns about the candidates). I am concerned by people who call themselves Christians, but vote contrary to the Bible. I am concerned by people who call themselves Christians, but continue to live like the rest of the world, look, talk and act just like the rest of the world. A Christian is not someone who looks like the rest of the world.....we are to be different. Can you truly say that there is something different about you? Whatever happened to being a "chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" 1 Peter 2:9. Don't misunderstand me here, I am not just talking about the election, but about satan's power to deceive.

I have to wonder (and not because of the election) how many people satan has deceived into believing they are saved, when they have never REALLY made the change that comes with salvation. I do not pretend to know anyone's heart (sometimes it is difficult to know my own), but the Bible is clear that where there is no change, there is no salvation. The devil is the master deceiver and he would love nothing more than to allow people to believe that they are on their way to heaven, when in fact, they are still lost and on their way to hell. It is easy to talk the talk, but walking the walk is a different thing entirely. Billy Graham has said that he believes that as many as 80-90% of the people who sit in the pews of churches every Sunday in America are unsaved. If that is true (and I know Billy Graham is only a man not God) then, there are millions of people who think they are "okay", but will split hell wide open. If that thought does not sober you, then nothing will !!!!



So, if you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I have been passionate about this election. I am not afraid of what Obama will do as president, but I am concerned that his liberal agenda will cause America to slide further down the slippery slope of sin that she has been on for years. I fear that Christians will be silenced even more than ever in the name of tolerance. I believe our faith will be tested like never before in the history of America. I do not hate Obama (or anyone else for that matter). I hate sin because God hates sin. I hate sin because it nailed Jesus to the cross..........my sin, your sin, everyone's sin nailed Jesus to the cross.

When I voted last week, I voted not by party, but by Christian values and my candidate lost. So, the only thing left for me (and everyone else in America who is concerned) is pray. We need to pray for Barack Obama....pray that his mind will be changed on the issues of abortion and gay marriage among other things. Pray that he will be honest in his dealings as leader of the free world. Pray that he will not continue to oppose Israel. Pray for his safety and the safety of his wife and girls. Pray that prejudiced groups will not plot evil against him --- that his election will help ease the problem of prejudice in our country. Pray that he would not be able to rest until he is in right standing with THE One and Only Holy God. But most of all, we need to pray that God's will be done in America.



1 Samuel 8
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."
But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."
Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."
When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."