The Cross Demands Righteousness

Isaiah 57 1. The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and
    no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.
2. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
3. "But you--come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!
4. Whom are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a
    brood of rebels, the offspring of liars?
5. You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your
    children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags.
6. The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; they, they are your
    lot. Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings. In the
    light of these things, should I relent?
7. You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your
    sacrifices.
8. Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me,
    you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with
    those whose beds you love, and you looked on their nakedness.
9. You went to Molech with olive oil and increased your perfumes. You sent your
    ambassadors far away; you descended to the grave itself!
10. You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, `It is hopeless.' You found
    renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint.
11. "Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me, and have neither
    remembered me nor pondered this in your hearts? Is it not because I have long been silent
    that you do not fear me?
12. I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you.
13. When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all
    of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge
    will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain."
14. And it will be said: "Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the
    way of my people."
15. For this is what the high and lofty One says-- he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I
    live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to
    revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16. I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would
    grow faint before me-- the breath of man that I have created.
17. I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on
    in his willful ways.
18. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him,
19. creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near,"
    says the LORD. "And I will heal them."
20. But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and
    mud.
21. "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

1. "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people
    their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2. For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a
    nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me
    for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
3. `Why have we fasted,' they say, `and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled
    ourselves, and you have not noticed?' "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
    and exploit all your workers.
4. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists.
    You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for
    bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a
    fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?
6. "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the
    cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7. Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with
    shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh
    and blood?
8. Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then
    your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear
    guard.
9. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say:
    Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and
    malicious talk,
10. and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
    then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and
    will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose
    waters never fail.
12. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you
    will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13. "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy
    day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor
    it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14. then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the
    land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has
    spoken.

1. Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
2. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from
    you, so that he will not hear.
3. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies,
    and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4. No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty
    arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.
5. They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider's web. Whoever eats their eggs will die,
    and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
6. Their cobwebs are useless for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they
    make. Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands.
7. Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil
    thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways.
8. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned
    them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.
9. So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is
    darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
10. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. At midday
    we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.
11. We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find
    none; for deliverance, but it is far away.
12. For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are
    ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities:
13. rebellion and treachery against the LORD, turning our backs on our God, fomenting
    oppression and revolt, uttering lies our hearts have conceived.
14. So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the
    streets, honesty cannot enter.
15. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked
    and was displeased that there was no justice.
16. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his
    own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.
17. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put
    on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
18. According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution
    to his foes; he will repay the islands their due.
19. From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they
    will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD
    drives along.
20. "The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins," declares
    the LORD.
21. "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you,
    and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the
    mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and
    forever," says the LORD.

There are those in the world that would have us believe that there is little or no truth to what the bible has to say or that it is no longer relevant to them or our time. They have deliberately closed their eyes to what is going on around them and around the world. There are also many that feel that they can pick and choose just what they want to hear from the bible and disregard the rest. They think that because they choose to believe part of his word that God will not hold them accountable for what they do not believe. This is why so many churches have jumped on the bandwagon of tolerance. Many people that do believe in God, including many Christians, believe that God is nothing more than a god of love. They believe that no matter what they do, God will just simply forgive them and they continue living the same life style they are living and disregard the righteousness of God.

For the people that call themselves Christians and yet continue to ignore what God has to say does this mean that they have more of the world living in them than they do Christ? I certainly believe that it does. To believe in Gods love and disregard his righteousness is nothing more than greasy grace or back door Christianity.

Matthew 22
1. Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
2. "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
3. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4. "Then he sent some more servants and said, `Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'
5. "But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business.
6. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.
7. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8. "Then he said to his servants, `The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.
9. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.'
10. So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11. "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
12. `Friend,' he asked, `how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.
13. "Then the king told the attendants, `Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Notice that in verse 12 Jesus called the man friend. This man was a sinner just like the rest of us yet Jesus still used the word friend when describing him. Jesus did not just arbitrarily use words. His words had meaning. By choosing the word friend, he meant to show us the love that God has for all of us. But let us look in the very same verse to see what happened after that. What we see happening is the rejection by this man of the terms of the invitation that was sent out. The king asked him how he got in without wedding clothes.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Romans 13:14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

This very same invitation has been sent out to the rest of the world. It was sent out the very moment that Jesus died on the cross and I believe that the Book of Isaiah, chapters 50-56 is a prophecy of that invitation. There is no doubting God's love but as the parable describes there have been many who have tried to sneak in the back door without wearing the wedding cloths that God has prepared for them. The very same clothes that Jesus himself wears as described in Isaiah 59:17. I also believe that Isaiah, chapters 57-59 is a prophecy of the rejection of that invitation that was sent out to the world. As we look at Matthew 22 again let us look at verse 13. This verse tells us exactly what happened to the man that rejected the terms of that invitation. It says that this man was thrown outside into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In the book of Revelations we are told of a one-world religion that will come on the scene during the end times. One of the main focuses of this religion will be on tolerance. But it also denies the one true God. This is why it will reject Christianity or more to the point sound biblical teaching which is the cornerstone of true Christianity. Does this sound familiar? Jesus himself said that this teaching will be a stumbling block for the world and as we see what is happening in the world today that has been the case. The world is rejecting anything that calls sin a sin. If anyone tells a person that the bible says that his or her lifestyle is wrong, that person is labeled an intolerant person that is full of hatred. This is not as bad as it may seem. After all, the world has labeled God an intolerant God. Does this change God? No! It does not.

There are those that believe that Jesus let go of righteousness at the cross. This was not the case however and if a person would pick up the bible and read it they would find that out. The reason that Jesus died on the cross was not only because of Gods love for us but also because of Gods righteousness. It was Gods righteousness that required a holy sacrifice for our sins. It was Gods love for us that caused him to provide that holy sacrifice for our sins. God does not contradict himself and neither one of these statements are a contradiction. However tolerance is. God does not tolerate sin. Why would he send his Son to die on the cross if he did? Don’t you think that if that sacrifice was not required that God could have stopped what happened? If you don’t believe that then take a look at what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. Mankind has mistaken Gods patients as tolerance. This is why so many people use Gods love as an excuse to do what ever they want.

There are also those that believe that they can make it to heaven because they think that they a good person. While they may indeed appear, outwardly, to be a good person, the bible says that being good will not get you into heaven. “The flip side to this was dealt with by Paul himself when he asked the question, “ Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Because of this belief there are those that believe that you can earn your way into heaven. That to is something that the bible says is not so. God’s grace and his righteousness go hand in hand. You cannot separate them nor can you earn them by your works. Those that believe in tolerance are trying to separate them however. The problem is, tolerance does not deal with the real issue. The issues of the heart! Tolerance is nothing more than a smoke screen for anyone who does not want to deal with the issues of the heart. Much like the gun control issue that is plaguing America today. Many of those that have spoken out for gun control have no idea what forces are behind the issue. Realistically, if a person wanted to kill someone they don’t need a gun. Cain did not kill Able with a gun. Let’s take for example those that spoke out against the American soldiers in Vietnam. The American soldiers were not the ones behind the Vietnam War. It was those that wanted to exploit the natural resources of that region for their own personal gain that were behind it. They just sat back and laughed at the protestors for keeping the focus off of them. In the process they raked in billions of dollars while American soldiers were dying. These protestors all thought that they were doing what was right but they were nothing more than pawns for the system. Recently, a well-known figure from Hollywood used her program to lash out at another well-known Hollywood figure on the gun control issue. As well intentioned as she may believe that she is, she has no idea that she is just a puppet for those that want to reintroduce tyranny back into America.

As I stated earlier mankind has mistaken Gods patients for his love. I believe that Gods love is the most misunderstood attribute of Gods character. The truth is, he has never denied his love for us and he never will. Truth however is where things get mixed up. To understand what I am talking about let’s take a look at the Book of Genesis, chapter 3. Satan has introduced two things here that caused man to rebel against God and against every form of authority since. They are called doubt and tyranny. He has managed to place doubt in Eve’s mind of Gods love. And placed the thought in her mind that if God does not give her everything that she wants he is nothing more than a tyrant. What he in fact was saying to Eve was that, “God does not really love you. He is trying to control you by telling you that you cannot have something. He is afraid that if you make up your own mind about the apple and eat it you will be just like him and he will not be able to rule over you.” Talk about reverse psychology! What he has done here is place the desire inside her for something that she was warned would destroy her and the belief that if she did not get it that God was a tyrant. Does this sound familiar to you parents out there?

Let me say something here. Tyranny will never stand. Not at any level! Not at a global level and not even at the family level! It may rule for a while but it will never last. Why? Because tyranny destroys! It destroys trust, families, relationships, and wipes out nations. If you don’t believe me then take a look at history and ask yourself this question. How long has any nation continued to exist under any form of tyranny? There were some nations that existed longer than others did but eventually they were brought down because of their rebellion against God. That holds true 100% of the time. There are nations today that exist under some form of tyranny but there is no peace for them. Their rulers live everyday with the threat of extermination. That is why they seek to control their people through whatever means they can. Gun control is not a new issue. The Nazi’s tried the same thing. They even tried censorship by burning bibles and any material that cast doubt on their belief that they were a supreme power.

Satan knew what he was doing by making God out to be a tyrant. He planted that seed of resentment in Eve that has grown into a full-grown tree of resentment throughout the entire world for Gods authority and for all other authority as well. Does anyone think that if man has no respect for Gods authority that they will have respect for mans authority? You are only fooling yourself if you believe that. Satan knows that and so does God. In fact that is why God has given man a free will. He wants us to use that free will to love him the same way that he loves us. It is because of that free will that we have the freedom too except or reject the invitation that God has sent out to us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Does this mean that there are no consequences for rejecting that invitation? I think Jesus made that very clear in his parable about the wedding feast. Those consequences were set in motion when Adam and Eve bit into that apple. Ever since then the truth has been twisted.

Satan managed to destroy much of the godly fear that man needs to have for God and has managed to make God look like a tyrant to much of the world. Did this stop Adam and Eve from fearing God? No! Not much! But even that slight loss of fear caused them to not fear him enough to keep them from rebelling. This loss of fear does not mean that one does not fear someone. What it means is that they no longer respect that someone. And this is why tyranny will not stand. This is why when you have a government that has forgotten that its roll is as a servant that nation is doomed. That is why when you have a person in a position of authority that abuses that authority that persons position is doomed to be taken away. The bible says that God establishes kingdoms and he removes kingdoms. Again, take a look at history if you don’t believe that. Even the nation of Israel found that out.

Yes! God is a god of love. His patients is because of his love, it is not an endorsement of tolerance. The bible says that if we draw near to him he will draw near to us. By doing so it will give us a better understanding of the love that he has for us. Please don’t make the mistake of calling intolerance of sin and hatred the same thing because they are not. That, once again, is where Satan is mixing the truth up. He is telling you that God does not love you. That he is just trying to control you, because if you can make up your own mind you will be just like him and he will not be able to rule over you. God is not a tyrant. But he is also not just a god of love. He is much more than that and his Son, Jesus Christ, is that righteousness that the cross is demanding.

I will say that again. Jesus was, and still is the righteousness that the cross is demanding. The problem with ignoring righteousness and only wanting to believe that God is a god of love is that there are also Gods judgements. This is not an area that many people want to deal with. But sooner or later everyone will have to reconcile their belief about the cross, wither they want to or not. The bible says that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. It does not say that everyone will make it to heaven. It also says that Gods judgements are true and righteous.
Psalms 19:9, 89:14, 119:144, 160
Deuteronomy 4:8
Most people don’t understand that in Gods judgements you will also find his love. But not without Jesus Christ! The bible tells us that God is a consuming fire and our sins have separated us from him. This is where Jesus comes in.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Hebrews 7,8,9,10

The cross is where God has decided to deal with the sins of man. That very same cross demands accountability for sin. There is a price to be paid for sin. A price that can only be paid for one way, Death! The good news is that there has already been a death that has paid for all our sins. The problem is that we must except what Christ has done for us. This is a stumbling block for many people. We live in a world where people do not like being held accountable for their actions. We also live in a world that is rejecting Jesus Christ. Many people talk about Gods love but have no idea what that love is all about. God loves us so much that he provided just what the cross is demanding. A righteous sacrifice for our sins. Without that sacrifice there is only one thing. Judgement for all men! It’s hard to understand why people reject Christ because he is the only thing that stands between them and the righteous judgement of God. They cannot see that it is Christ as that payment or them. If anyone attempts to draw near to God without the forgiveness that comes from excepting what Christ has done for them then the result is having to face that consuming fire on their own.

We all have been given that invitation. The same invitation that was given to the two thieves that hung on a cross next to Jesus.
Luke 23:32-43
32. Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.
33. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the
    criminals--one on his right, the other on his left.
34. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they
    divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved
    others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
36. The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar
37. and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
38. There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save
    yourself and us!"
40. But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under
    the same sentence?
41. We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done
    nothing wrong."
42. Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43. Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Most people do not recognize just what it is that they are rejecting. And just like the two thieves we have a choice. These two men came face to face with Jesus and they came face to face with the Gods judgement at the cross.Both of these men were given the same opportunity to make that choice. Yet only one of these men recognized Jesus for who he was. This man knew that he was a sinner and that he deserved his punishment. He made the choice to except Jesus as the sacrifice for his sins. The other man rejected Christ and there was only one of them that Jesus said to, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise". Do you recognize Jesus for who he is? The righteous sacrifice that God has provided to take your place on the cross as payment for your sins! If not, then take another look at what Jesus said to the man hanging on the cross that rejected Christ. Nothing! This man decided to reject Jesus and face the consuming fire of God by himself.

The bible says that all of us fall short of Gods glory and that we have all sinned and gone astray. It is only Christ blood that was shed on the cross that makes atonement for our sins. If anyone would rather face Gods judgements without that atonement it is their choice but you must remember that God has already judged sin and found it guilty.

The one thief died on the cross rejecting the terms of Gods invitation and was therefore cast out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are invited, but few are chosen. It has been said that truth is a close cousin to righteousness. These are some vary hard truths but the fact is, you cannot only take part of God and reject the rest. It’s all or nothing. That means that when you except Gods love, you must except his righteousness, which is given to us through Jesus Christ, Gods Son. There are only two choices that God has given us. To except his invitation or to reject his invitation! In the Book of Revelation, 3:15-22 it says that if you don’t make that choice then the choice will be made for you.

Don't let someone make that choice for you because you will not like the choice that is made. Don't let someone mislead you into believing that Gods word is not relevant because it is. God is the same yesterday, today, and always. God is a kind and gentle god. Many people think that because he will not except their life styles that he is not. They are demanding a kinder and gentler god. This is not going to happen. God is no less as kind and gentle as he has always been. But he is also no less holy. Find out for yourself wither the word of God is true. As for those that refuse to believe Gods word. Well! That is very sad, but God does not speak anything but the truth. And the truth is, sin will not be allowed back into heaven. If anyone is holding onto their sin and refusing to let go then they will not be in heaven either. As I said earlier truth is a close cousin to righteousness. In closing I what to deal with the issue of truth.
Paul made a very interesting comment in Galatians about truth.

Galatians 4:7-17
7. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also
    an heir.
8. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not
    gods.
9. But now that you know God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning
    back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all
    over again?
10. You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
11. I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
12. I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no
    wrong.
13. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.
14. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn.
    Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
15. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would
    have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
16. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17. Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate
    you [from us], so that you may be zealous for them.

You will notice in verse 16 that Paul is asking a very important question but also take notice to the statement that follows in verse 17. This letter was written to the believers at Galatia. Many of them had fallen back into their old lifestyles and were being enticed by the world to except false beliefs and practices. This is one of the things that tolerance is all about. It will pull you away from the truth. And so will hatred. Both of these will cause you to be zealous for something other than the one true God who is very much a loving and righteous God. For the believers in Christ, you are a target. This is something that Paul warns us about. That is why he exhorts us to stand firm and pray.

Ephesians 6:10-18
10. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
    authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in
    the heavenly realms.
13. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be
    able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of
    righteousness in place,
15. and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the
    flaming arrows of the evil one.
17.Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in
    mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

We know what the end of the bible has to say. We have the victory and it is given to us by Jesus himself. Pray for America and the world as it becomes more divided and separated from God. Pray also that we as believers in Christ will be able to stand as we come down to the end times. We are called as believers to unite and stand. My pastor made a very good point after I had written this and I feel that it is worth quoting. Because of all the turmoil that the 2000 and 2004 Presidential Elections have caused we are hearing a lot about the will of the people. Shouldn't we be seeking the will of God instead of our own will? If we don't then America and the world will be handed over to tyranny to be dealt with and will face Gods judgments.