Thoughts about the Supreme Court decision

Pastor Bruce has spent the past couple of weeks speaking about the recent US Supreme Court decision which mandates that all 50 states legalize same-sex marriage.  Pastor Bruce shared from scripture,  along with several comments from various evangelists, etc..  Of course, Pastor Bruce’s comments along with those evangelists all expressed absolute dismay at the decision made by the Supreme Court.  That decision makes a mockery of God’s Word – it was God who established marriage between one man and one woman – the Supreme Court of the United States has simply completely overstepped it’s authority in making the decision that it did.

As Pastor Bruce was preaching I couldn’t help but think of his previous messages on the end times, more specifically Matthew 23 and Matthew 24.  As we read the last few verses of chapter 23 and the 1^st few verses of chapter 24 we see Jesus with His disciples leaving the temple for the very last time.  As Jesus looks back on the temple and the city of Jerusalem He laments – Matthew 23: 37, 38- “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing”.   Look, your house is left to you desolate.”  What “house is Jesus referring to?  Jesus is referring to God’s house, the temple, God’s temple in all it splendor built specifically to hold the Spirit of the Living God, the temple built specifically for the Jewish people to worship and to commune with God.  As Jesus makes that statement, “for your house is left to you desolate” – Jesus is not just withdrawing His physical presence,  and the Heavenly Father was withdrawing His Spiritual presence.  What is left of the temple once God withdraws His Spiritual presence?  Just piles of stone, formed into the shape of a building, for all intents and purposes, just an empty shell.  No longer with any Godly purpose.

As I read those verses, as I think about God withdrawing His Spiritual presence from the temple, I can’t help comparing the temple with this country, the United States of America. The greatest democracy ever created, founded by our forefathers, for freedom, specially religious freedom, and yes, to glorify God.  There is no doubt, as we re-read the documents written by our founding fathers this country was founded to glorify our creator God, it was meant to be “one nation under God”.   Where did the decision by our Supreme Court leave us in God’s eyes?   I can’t help but imagine Jesus looking at America, just as He looked back on the temple and repeating those same words as He did in Matthew 23: 37, 38.  – Instead of  Jerusalem, would be now directing His words at America.  “America, America, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing?  Question – could Jesus also have said in reference to this country – “For your house is left to you desolate”.  For our country which was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, was founded to glorify  God – has God now left this country desolate and empty of God’s Spiritual presence?  Has God now left this country empty of God’s protection, leaving the enemy Satan to run amuck of every institution, every aspect of our lives?  It now seems that we live in a nation where standing against God and His principles is celebrated as “courage”,  while standing for God’s truth is criminalized.

As we look further into Jesus words at the beginning of Matthew 24 we see the disciples drawing Jesus’ attention at the absolute beauty and magnificence of the temple.  Jesus simply responded to the disciples,  “Truly, I tell you,  not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”  It would be approximately 40 years in the future when the Roman army under Nero would so utterly destroy that temple, destroy it to the extent that not even one stone would be left on top of another, it would be absolutely flattened.  Why?   Man has stopped using that temple as God’s house, and God had withdrawn His Spirit.

Can we now compare the destruction of the temple with the current status of America.  Don’t we with pride look at America and all it’s freedoms, it’s greatness – as we do that how often do we forget that it wasn’t man that built this house that we call America, it was God.   Are we now leaving God out of this country, and therefore,  forcing God to withdraw His Spirit of protection, just like He did the temple 2000 years ago?  Are the founding prinicples, the very foundation that this country stands on,  beginning to crumble beneath us?

Are we repeating the same mistakes that the Jewish people did in Jerusalem 2000 years ago?  Are we rejecting the only One who can save us?  If so, I can’t help but believe that we are in the final days before the rapture, the great tribulation, and ultimately the 2^nd return of Jesus Christ.

If that is true, are we ready?   Are we ready as a church, are we ready as individual believers.  Most importantly am I ready, is my family ready?   We need to look at the signs of the times and understand just how close we are – “”When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”  Luke 21: 28.

Let us pray that we be not caught unaware.

Amen. 

Thanks, Pastor Bruce for your willingness and courage to speak God’s truth.