Unleashing a lion in your back yard
Pastor Charles Cooley

America has cast itself adrift from God by our blatant disregard for His laws: legalizing killing of unborn babies, legalizing homosexuality, purposely undermining the American family by legalizing same-sex marriage, outlawing God's commandments from the public arena (the very place they are most needed), publically profaning of His Name by equating Him with the false god of Islam (as President Bush has done repeatedly), and by pressuring Israel to give up His land.

God has said in the Bible, which is His word, that the land doesn't belong to Israel, they are but tenants which He has placed there, and that it is His land. Scriptures warn clearly that any who attempt to divide it or give it away risk His displeasure. Of course, that presupposes that you believe the Bible is His word. American and Israeli leaders have repeatedly demonstrated that they don't!

Israel is already receiving the reward of following unrighteous, unbelieving leaders. They release live terrorist prisoners for dead Israeli soldiers thus emboldening their Islamic enemies to plan even further attacks. Hamas, seeing Hezbollah's negotiating success, has declared they will now kidnap more Israelis. Israeli leaders are fast losing respect among their enemies because they are listening to United States diplomats more than they are to God. Now, Hamas has sent hundreds of terrorists into the Sinai Desert to carry out that threat. The best Israel seems to be able to do is warn the people that a lion is lose in their back yard, so don't go there!

The United States has also been receiving it's rewards for following unrighteous, unbelieving leaders. Violent storms, fires, and floods have caused damages in the billions in recent years, many of them exactly coinciding with American anti-Israel actions, but few seem able to connect the dots. Now our economy is about to go down and even our food production is threatened - this in a nation having more abundant resources than most, if not all! We, like Troy of old, have opened our doors to an Islamic flood as well, which will overwhelm us from within, just as is doing to England and other European countries. We have opened our southern border to a flood of illegal's, most of whom care nothing for our country (in fact many claim it is really theirs!), because our leaders have already sold our sovereignty to become a North American Union. We are about to hold another presidential election between two men, neither of whom are willing to boldly proclaim Jesus as the only Savior of the world and who will probably both yield to the powers behind the scenes who really make the policies of the United States.

While it saddens me to witness our great nation, a nation with such promise, decline in such obvious ways, I also know that all nations are but a drop in God's bucket. He is still in control, no matter what man may vainly think to do. Jesus Christ, His Son, is the only way to salvation and He is more than able to save those who turn to Him. God has a plan that is clearly laid out for all to see in His word, the Bible. There are others who claim to be gods, but only One loved us so much that He was willing to send His Son to die in our place for our sins, because you see, the penalty for sin is death.

Some will say, we serve three gods, because we say that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But, He is one God, while three in nature. This may be hard to understand but, we all have a visual example - ourselves! We are one person, but we are spirit, soul, and body. We were made in the image and likeness of God.

Yes, our refusal to follow God has unleashed a lion in our back yard. That lion is known as the devil. All who follow him are destined for destruction, but our God can stop the lion's mouth. He has done it many times before. Regardless of what nations do, you can still choose to follow the One who alone can save you - and no one can take that from you. Choose Him today.