We Must Denounce Sin!

Nahum was a prophet who wrote a prophecy between 664 and 612 B.C. The prophet Nahum was God’s messenger to announce the fall of Nineveh and the complete overthrow of Assyria, the capital of Assyria, as a future event. Nineveh fell in 612 B.C.

Why was Nahum prophesying against Nineveh – it being utterly destroyed, after they supposedly repented after Jonah told them the same thing 150 years earlier? The answer in both cases is the same – the sin of the people of Assyria!

Back then, it was idolatry, sexual immorality, and violence against their fellow man.

While Jonah’s prophecy brought repentance on the part of Assyria – it didn’t last. Jonah’s mission to Nineveh was probably sometime in the first half of the eighth century B.C. (700s). To Jonah’s dismay, the Ninevites listened to his message, repented, and were spared God’s judgment.

This repentance, however, did not last beyond 745 B.C., when Nineveh became the leading military power in the Near East. In 722 B.C. the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. Nineveh was destroyed in 612 B.C., marking the end of the Assyrian empire.

I said in my last blog posting – that we may be in a “Jonah moment” – or a “Nahum moment”. This means that we are currently either at a point where we can repent, or we’re at a point where God’s going to just take our nation out.

I truly believe that we’re at a “Jonah moment” – God’s giving us time to repent, but this isn’t going to last. God’s patience ran out with Israel many times, and He judged them, and His patience ran out with Assyria, thus bringing their “Nahum moment”.

Today – we have the same sins – just look at the list

Idolatry:

• Love of other gods, other than the One, True, God!
• Love of Money
• Love of Power
• Placing any thing or any one above, and worshiping them, instead of the One, True God

Sexual Immorality:

• Adultery
• Fornication
• Abortion – the murder of unborn children
• Homosexuality
• Transgenderism
• Multigenderism

In addition to all of this, we have become so politically correct, that violence against out fellow man is commonplace. The White Supremacists on one side, and the socialist so-called “anti fascists” (who act more like fascists than not)  on the other – both of whom are determined to suppress our right to free speech.

Just this past couple of weeks, we had these groups beating each other to bloody pulps in various cities such as Charlottesville, Virginia. This should never be! Both of these groups collectively – are repulsive and repugnant – and should be shut down.

We have Islamic terrorists killing and maiming people in the name of a false god. Killing in the name of a false gospel called the Qu’ran!

So, we have the same sins being committed now, as were being committed then. Why is God allowing us to even live? Why is He even allowing this – and other equally guilty nations – to even survive?

Because we’re being given a chance to repent!

But here’s my question – where the heck are the pastors?

Why aren’t they all preaching hell fire and brimstone against that above list?

I’ll tell you why? Because they’re serving two masters – God – and the world. What did Yeshua – Jesus – have to say about that?

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24 ESV)

Pastors – you cannot be serving God, and turn  blind eye to the sin all around you!  Just because someone – even in your own congregation – might call you a bigot or a homophobe – or even worse – you must call out sin.

My own son came out as a homosexual many years ago. I told him in no uncertain terms that although I loved him – he is my son of course – I cannot, and will not. condone his lifestyle and therefore compromise my faith.

For this stand, I’ve taken a lot of heat. My own sister and brother-in-law – Youth Pastors in their church – have not denounced his decision and seem to actually celebrate it, along with his mother (who I have been divorced from for many years now), his sister, and other family members!  I wonder what his Senior Pastor would have to say about that? In my eyes, their faith – and their ministry – has been compromised.

I’m not perfect – no one is. I don’t pretend to be. I have things for which I have repented and atoned for. I have paid an earthly price for my sins. I am a changed person today, a much changed person, and see things very clearly.

God pulled me out of ministry temporarily because of sexual immorality! God doesn’t wink at sin! I could not serve two masters – God and Sin – one had to go, and God made that choice for me rather forcefully. As it says in the Scriptures:

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29 ESV)

So God judged me, and put me in ministry “time out” – because God will not see His name trodden under foot! He gave me time to repent – and repent I did, and He is restoring my ministry – here.

Pastors – you too, will be judged – for not calling out sin from your pulpit! You must call sin for what it is – sin!

Homosexuality is a sin! You know that – the Bible says it clearly! If you believe otherwise, you’re on the road to Hell, and you’re leading your congregation down that same road! You can let them visit – but never serve, or become members – unless they repent and turn from those ways.

And some of you are actually solemnizing (performing and sanctifying) marriages between homosexuals! This, in itself is sin! Marriage is only between a man and a woman! Repent, or you – and your flock that you lead – will be on the road to Hell!

Sexual promiscuity, including fornication or adultery, is sin! You know that – the Bible clearly says that too!

How many pastors and church workers are out there, who have a little something on the side? Many more than you think! I know of a pastor or two just in this area who have heir wife – and their mistress – in the front row! How many of these pastors and church workers will be found dead in bed?

And then there’s this Transgender thing – where men think they’re a woman, and women who think they’re men. This is patently ridiculous!

I was in the men’s room of a well-known department store, and out of a stall walks a woman – who was looking at me as if I were from Mars. I told her that I thought she was in the wrong restroom, to which she replied that I was wrong, as she identified as a man! I told her that she needed Jesus – she replied that “God made her perfect”. Pastors – you should be railing against this nonsense!

The Bible is so clear on the subject of gender:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27 ESV)

This past week, there was an article in Breitbart News about a teacher scaring kindergarten students by teaching transgenderism. This is ludicrous and must be put down, and pastors, it’s our job to call this out for what it is – child abuse, pure and simple!

And again, pastors – if you believe otherwise, you are headed straight for Hell – and you’re leading your flock down that same road!

Remember pastors – GOD DON’T MAKE NO MISTAKES! If you believe otherwise, see the preceding sentence.

Abortion – the murder of unborn children – is sin!

Most of the time, it’s the sacrifice of the  child on the altar of convenience – because the child was the result of sexual sin. The woman does not have the right to choose to terminate the life inside her. She had the choice to say “NO” to sexual sin.

Abortion is never an alternative in the Christian church. Murder of any human being – and God knows each of us from conception – as David said:

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13-14 ESV)

And God told Jeremiah directly:

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 ESV)

The Bible says that God knows every life – even in the womb. Killing that life is murder, the taking of a life without justification. That’s sin! You must call it out!

But, you say that Jesus would never treat people this way! Jesus loved everyone, right?

Guess what? Jesus loves the sinner, but he hates – and called out sin. He called it out all the time:

The woman at the well:

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (John 4:16-18 ESV)

Jesus called her out in that she’s been married five times, and she’s shacking up with the guy she’s with now. Yes, he dealt with her lovingly, but he called out her sin!

How about the woman caught in adultery – John chapter 8:

Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:10-11 ESV)

No, Jesus didn’t condemn her – but he did tell her to “go, and and from now on sin no more.” He called it out for what it was – sin.

And so we, as pastors, must call sin for what it is – sin! We must preach that sin is wrong, that we must repent of sin, that God doesn’t wink at sin, and unrepentant peple are on the road to Hell.

We must preach Heaven AND Hell!

Yes, it will make people uncomfortable – that’s called conviction. If they’re convicted, then, we lead them to repent of their sins – and be saved through he blood of Yeshua ha’Mashiach – Jesus, out Messiah!

Political candidates who support and endorse all of this nonsense – this sin, must be called out. You cannot support – even tacitly – any candidate who does.

I know that there are pastors who will justify support for candidates because they have other beliefs for which they find more palatable – for instance, their support for more government handouts or the poor. They feel that this overrides whatever sin that they may endorse or support. You are so wrong pastor!

You cannot support a candidate who supports sin – and still try and preach the Gospel. That’s serving two masters – God and the World. God won’t have it – He will not allow you to trample His good name under foot!

So pastors – get to work, stop hiding in your study, and break out the hell fire and brimstone. If you can’t do it – then get out of the pastorate – you have no business pastoring a church!