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Judgment

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I’ve been elected!

Tomorrow, America offers her citizens the most direct influence they have on her government. Voting for legislators is a privilege not enjoyed by all peoples. It’s a right that came at great expense to many men and their families when our independence as a nation was won. It’s an honor defended in several wars since that first revolution against Britain. America is still a young nation and the security of the freedoms we enjoy has not been proved. There are impending threats to the liberty that our Constitution was intended to guard. The rejection of its original intent, the mighty arms of terrorists, those who would usurp intended power from the states, and self-serving interests of elected officials are but some of the foes that daily attack our foundational freedoms in America today.

I love this country. I pray regularly for her. I pray that she can return to principles of morality that are clearly the basis upon which she was founded. I pray for her leaders and for changes in government and culture that can result in an awakening to the truth of God’s Word in her homes and communities. Much has already been lost, and so I pray that my children and grandchildren could be blessed to enjoy at least a vestige of the great nation into which I was born.

But I constantly remind my kids that, no matter what happens in or to America, we will be okay. God has granted us citizenship in His nation (Phil. 3:20). We are a royal priesthood and a holy nation (I Peter 2:9) that is headquartered outside the arena of evil influence or danger. Our sovereign Governor is not vulnerable to terror, the usurpation of His power or the twisting of His laws.

At the conclusion of the contests (which, in some cases, may be several days after November 2nd), we will have some new legislators in the U.S, in most of our states and in many of our communities. The well-worn mantra of “change” will be heralded once more. I hope it will be change for the better. No doubt there will be some mistakes or unfortunate inevitabilities in the process. Some people will mistakenly mark their ballots—that is, they will vote for a person accidentally. Some computer glitches may occur and might even influence an election one way or another. Some person might have an accident or a flat tire or an ER run on the way to the poll and be unable to cast the intended vote. Some politician might be able to convince a constituency that he stands for some proposition for which he has no intention of actually voting and thereby gain votes by dishonesty. (It could happen, you know!) A villainous political opponent could put out a bit of last-minute slander to gain votes, leaving the innocent front-runner no time to prove the slanderous allegations false. Lots of things can occur to upset the political apple cart and cause the electorate to have to suffer through a term of politics that should never have happened. As my mother used to tell us when some inevitable occurrence predicated our disappointment: “Sorry, but circumstances alter cases.”

God has elected some folks, too. There are those living today who’ve been elected to eternal salvation (II Tim. 2:10). It was a very costly election (exacting the blood of Jesus) and there were some very specific qualifications to be met by the candidates for salvation (I Peter 1:2). But, at the end of the day, there will be no recounts, mistakes, mitigating circumstances, or computer errors. The calling and election will be certain, once the day of decision is over. The God of Justice never gets it wrong. Because of the holiness of the Election Official, Christians can, just like those candidates on CNN, say “We are confident of the victory.” But, unlike them, we really ARE confident (I John 2:28).

…with God is terrible majesty.
Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart (Job 37:22-24)

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Woman with an Audience, Part 2

Enter Cozbi

Families were weeping as they witnessed the hanging deaths of loved ones. The method of execution was not left to human discretion. There were no appellate courts to prolong life for the guilty. God was prosecutor, judge and jury. Twenty-four thousand were already dead. Millions were in mourning.

In this setting Cozbi enters the camp. Her appearance was a blatant and blasphemous slap in the face of God. While weeping multitudes were being humbled by the death plague, Zimri, an influential Simeonite, brought his adulteress publicly and pridefully before his brethren. In the somber setting of God’s wrath being dispensed, he displayed this whoredom before the assembly that now wept as a result of the consequences of such whoredom. Furthermore, Cozbi wasn’t just any old Midianite maiden. She was a princess of Midian. Zimri’s alliance was not only with an immoral woman of Midian. His alliance was with the influential and important idolaters (vs.15).

The Final Act

Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron was incensed by the utter defiance of Zimri. He followed Zimri to the pavilion and graphically illustrated for all of Israel, God’s disdain for his arrogance.

And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel (Numbers 25:8).

God was pleased with the zeal of Phinehas. He established with Phinehas his covenant of peace. When blatant sin is in the camp today, God expects his people to address it and purify his congregation (I Cor.5). The plague was stayed and the healing process was begun. God re-ordered the smiting of the Midianites and re-issued his warnings about the beguiling nature of the idolatrous peoples of Canaan. He was preparing their hearts for the challenges that lay ahead for they were about to enter Canaan, a land they were to rid of idolatrous multitudes. How could Israel fail to recognize at this point the oneness of Jehovah and His wrath on those who would divide their allegiance?

When the Curtain Closed….
(Lessons Learned)

Joining the devils forces is a progressive decline rather than a sudden fall.

Sexual sin binds with strong cords.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31).

Blatant and intentional sin must be Biblically confronted by people of God.

*This post and the previous one taken from Women of Deliverance, by Cindy Colley; Publishing Designs, Huntsville, AL