Turning the Tide - Part 2

The worst part of this tide is the move toward socialism in this country. Let me remind you of something. The government's responsibility is not to take care of us, it is to protect us.

So I want to define for you what socialism is, because in many people's ideas that means the government's going to take care of me. It's social welfare, the government's responsible. So I want to define for you what socialism is.

It is a centrally planned economy in which the government controls all means of production and distribution. That's what socialism is. Now, if you want to ask people how that works out in practicality, and there are people in this church who can tell you that, people who've lived in Russia and Germany and other nations who've lived under communism, and socialism is simply a form of it, there is no reward for working in a socialistic society.

That is, God has given all of us gifts, and some people are very skilled at what they do, whether it's technology or whatever it might be, and they work diligently at it. And we are a great nation because of the diligence and the creativity and the willingness to work hard and to make progress scientifically in every other way. But when there is no motivation for that, when that creativity is stifled, then what happens? Something happens to a whole society.

Socialism demoralizes people so that the individual owns nothing because in a socialistic society, remember this, the government has the right and the power to take anything they want when they want it for the sake of the state. Don't ever forget that. That is the power of a socialistic society.

Listen carefully. This tide is bringing in a control that will indeed attempt to silence the truth and will attempt to squash the religious devotion and worship of the people of God. And, of course, part of this whole tide is the war against Jesus Christ.

There is a war going on against Jesus. You take Him out of the classroom, you remove the Bible, little by little, and then we say, we do not want anybody praying about Jesus in public prayers. Then we don't want chaplains using the name of Jesus in their prayers.

Let me ask you a question. What is it about Jesus you don't like? What did He ever do wrong? What is it about the Son of God sent by the Father who came into this world who never committed a single sin, who was always helping, healing, teaching, uplifting? And I think if you look back in history, it was the principles of Scripture. It was the recognition of the equality of all men, for example, that lifted the women in America to their present position.

Go to many other countries in the world and see the position of women, because Jesus sees all of us as His children who will trust Him as their personal Savior. And the salvation offer is to every single person. What is it about Him people don't like? He went to the cross.

He died for your sins. He made it possible for you to be forgiven of all of your sins. He made it possible for you to live a godly life.

He made it possible for you to have hope after death and the assurance of a resurrection and the promise of heaven. What is it about Him you don't like? And when I think about this whole tide, I think about one of the most disastrous decisions we're going to make, and you can mark it down. When we turn our back on Israel, we will not escape the judgment of God.

We will not. And that is exactly the tone we are hearing out of Washington. You say, well, Israel is just that little piece of land over there.

What's so significant about that? God. He said, I'll bless those who bless you, and I will punish those who do otherwise. How do you explain this? How do you explain that little band of people just came back and took their land? Secondly, how do you explain this? There are enough hordes of people in the world who could just overwhelm them.

And in spite of all the criticism they get, there they are, poised and ready to defend themselves no matter what. It is a dangerous thing to turn away from the nation of Israel. Yet that is exactly the tone that we keep hearing, and I just want to say to you, mark it down.

It will be a move that we'll never get over. Then, of course, the whole idea that we're sent around the world, that we're not a Christian nation, then what kind are we? Anybody who says that, if you believe we're not a Christian nation, go back and read our history. Go to Washington and look at all the inscriptions.

Count all the Christian churches in America and the pastors and the godly people all across this land. Go back and see what the impact of the Word of God has been upon this nation. You see, to deny it doesn't make it true.

This is a Christian nation. We have our problems. We do not deny that.

But we're still a Christian nation. There are those who would like for it to be otherwise, and they're working diligently in doing so. And the last group of people who should contribute to that whatsoever is the government.

We talk about separation of church and state. Then don't come knocking on the church door. And don't try to silence the servants of God.

And as I think about the fact that we've been told that we're not a Christian nation, what kind of message does that send to the world? Another thing that will be a disaster ultimately. We decided to kill the babies, and we decided to promote it around the world. Well, if you will look for a moment in Exodus chapter 23, verse 7. Keep far from a false charge and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.

You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just. We are seeing sin committed publicly with no excuse, no explanation, and pridefully and arrogantly doing so. Mark this down for socialism.

Because these three groups of people do not contribute to the state, they're of no value. Unborn babies, the elderly, and those who are disabled. So when we think about how many people in our country may fall into that particular category, then what does that mean for them?