One of the most frightening thoughts that comes to mind, is the thought of God turning us over to our own devices. You might say, He washes His hands of us and walks away.

I’ll never forget what one of our coaches said to us in high school. It went something like (leaving out the expletives), “When I’m on your case, I see potential in you. When I’m not on your case, I’ve washed my hands of you.” That has always stayed with me, and I found it to be true later in life when I did some coaching.

God said of Israel, “So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.” (Psalm 81:12 ESV)

He said on another occasion, “They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.” (Psalm 44:18 ESV)

In Romans chapter one, God states three times by the Apostle Paul that He “gave them up.” Last year I wrote an article titled, “God Gave Them Up” that addresses this subject, but this time I would like to consider the hopeless vacuum that remains when we are forsaken by God, and the security that is ours with Him.

In Romans 1:24, God gave them up to the lusts of their hearts. In verse 26 He gave them up to dishonorable passions, and in verse 28 he gave them up to a debased mind. So we have:

1.     Lusts (desires, longings)

2.     Dishonorable (shameful, disgraceful, vile) passions (desires, lusts, urges), and a

3.     Debased (corrupted, soiled, stained) mind.

Is it possible that God has seen these traits in our society today, and has turned His back on us? Has He removed His hand of grace that has provided us protection and blessings over the past years?

Let me say clearly that I can see these traits in our society, and if I can see them I know he can see them much clearer than I ever could. So has God given us up to our own desires, our own vile passions and our own corrupted minds? If He hasn’t done so, He must surely be in the process of turning away. Is there any hope for us?

I’m sure you’ve heard it said that one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. In a few short years we have become a society that is a barrel full of rotten apples. To top it off, we can’t see the rot or smell the stench coming from that barrel, but God can. As we wallow in our filth, we joyously applaud our “liberty” to do as we please, and insist that God get out of our lives. As we move God further and further away, we live lower than the animals.

The most hated people on the planet, apart from the Jews, are true Bible believing Christians who stand with God and refuse to bend. I personally believe that if we are second only to the Jews, we are quickly becoming equally hated and it’s getting worse daily.

The world does not want Jesus or those who follow Him saying there is only one way to God. The world does not want to be told that some things it does are a sin against a Holy God. The world wants to come before God and be totally accepted by Him, without true repentance in Jesus Christ, while reeking of sin. The world wants Jesus and all He represents removed just as badly as the sons of Ishmael and Esau want the sons of Isaac and Jacob pushed into the Mediterranean Sea.

Perhaps sooner than we think, this decadent society we live in will get its wish. The true Church will be removed and transported to Heaven, and then God will truly turn His back and give the world exactly what it wants; the Antichrist and all the baggage that comes with him.

The Holy Spirit will not work as He has in the Church age dispensation, but will revert back to His ministry of the Old Testament, when only a few experienced His presence.

The world will finally get what society today demands, a world without God (at least to a degree). Satan will finally be granted his time to “let loose,” and God will initiate His own type of justice upon this world.

Our world is in bad shape at present, and it likely will continue to decline until Christ returns for His bride. Once He removes His bride, the Church, the evil of hell will be unleashed. Even worse, the judgment of God will fall upon it.

Many are lonely today, because they are scared. With all the bad they see around them, a black loneliness has enveloped them because they see no way out. The world has gone mad, and there doesn’t seem to be any hope.

On the other hand, millions are living like there is no tomorrow and no God. They’re carefree and thrilled at their newfound “freedoms.”

When the Antichrist shows his true colors, the blood will drain from these same two groups of people, until their faces are ashen. Why? God will give this world up as He did the people of Noah’s day, except this time, there will be a judgment of fire instead of water.

Today we are living in the seventh Church age of Laodicea. Jesus said to that Church,

“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:20 ESV)

There is a ray of sunshine. More than that, there is a brilliant Light from Heaven that promises salvation for anyone who will put their trust in Jesus Christ. There is nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. If you open the door of your heart and ask Jesus to take over your life, He will give you eternal life. The world can collapse upon itself, but you will be secure in the arms of Almighty God.

Grant Phillips

We found in part one that Daniel informed Belshazzar, the son of Nabonidus, that he had been weighed in the balances and found wanting by God. His kingdom would be taken away and given to another, the Medes and the Persians. That very night, the prophecy was fulfilled.

What brought this on though? Nebuchadnezzar, through some persuasion by God, eventually turned to God and had a strong and successful reign. By the time Nabonidus became king though much had changed. Obviously, if Nebuchadnezzar’s experience had any influence, it had worn off by this time.  By the way, Nabonidus spent most of his 17 year reign out of the country and left his son Belshazzar in charge. This would be the reason we are discussing Belshazzar and not Nabonidus, and also why Belshazzar offered Daniel the position of third ruler in the kingdom and not second.

This just goes to show that each generation must account for its own actions against God and man. Nebuchadnezzar, in my opinion, became a righteous man, but that doesn’t automatically mean that those who follow him will be righteous.

Most of our forefathers in this country were righteous people, but each generation must answer to God, and our current spiritual condition in this country is a far cry from our forefathers.

The following verses give us some insight into the spiritual condition of a nation (Babylon) in Belshazzar’s day.

Daniel 5:1-9

1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.

3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

6 Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

8 Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

Just a note for verse two: Nebuchadnezzar was possibly Belshazzar’s grandfather, since Nabonidus was his father.

It appears that a drunken party was probably in full swing. Only God knows all of the actual events of that evening, but during this time Belshazzar crossed the line in showing no respect for God’s possessions; i.e. those items from the temple in Jerusalem. In addition, they worshipped their false gods with God’s possessions in hand.

We as a nation have come to the same crossroads with God. We started out right, but what happened? We are nothing like our forefathers who feared and worshipped God. Our original mothers and fathers of this country were not perfect, but they knew right from wrong. They gave credit to God. As a whole, they worshiped the one and only true God of the Holy Bible.

Today we party with Belshazzar. We have no respect for God or anything He represents. We are drunk on drugs and alcohol. We are murderers and thieves. We are spoiled, as I’m sure Belshazzar was. We have no shame. We curse the name of God and praise our gods of lust, power, greed, selfishness, pride and perversion. From the top down, our leaders, as a whole, are corrupt to the core and do not fear God. Our populace, generally speaking, has become spoiled and lazy with the attitude that everyone else owes them a living. We have become so spiritually rotten today; we would probably make Belshazzar blush.

If that weren’t enough, God’s churches across our country have been turned into a den of thieves, perversion and happy hour. Those who say they represent God are leading millions away from Him.

If that isn’t enough, we murder the most precious gift God has given us, the gift of human life; i.e. unborn babies. Our bloody hands toss this precious gift from God in the garbage and think nothing of it.

If that still isn’t enough, we corrupt the souls of our youth by teaching them that sexual perversion is the norm, just another form of love.

If that isn’t enough, we have turned our backs on the apple of God’s eye, Israel. We are no longer her friend, but her enemy. Our so-called leader gives lip service to God, if that much, but bows before and kisses the hand of our enemy.

In my opinion, even Rome didn’t become as decadent as the United States of America in the 21st century.

Here is the tragedy. The true Church, as a whole, stands silent. Because of that, the attacks on true Christianity, in this “used to be” Christian nation, are increasing and will continue to worsen.

It is evident to many of us, that we as a nation have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. Unless we repent, now, there is no hope for us.

Will we be conquered by another country? I don’t know, but it’s possible. One thing is for sure, we are quickly decreasing in importance on the world’s playing field. We may just fade by the wayside as England. I don’t know. However, do we really think God will merely wink at our rebellion? Belshazzar wasn’t exempted, so why should we be exempt? Even Israel, the nation God loves with all His heart, has been punished many times for its rebellion, and is still out back at the woodshed.

When judgment comes to this country, I feel it will be greater than that received by other nations that have felt His rod. Why? We have been more blessed than any nation in history. Therefore, our judgment will be severe.

“But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:48)

As it stands today, there is no way we can deny that if God were to address this subject with us today, we have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.

 

Grant Phillips