Jeremiah 29:32 “This is what the Lord says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion against me.'”

Speaking against what God is saying has consequences, not only for the individual but for their descendants. I was seeing a headline just yesterday about churches that are having “pride” events this month. I didn’t read the article, but just the headline made me quite sad. It’s one thing when secular organizations spout the devil’s lies, but it’s quite another when supposedly Christian organizations do so. America, and specifically the Church in America, is going to have scars for a long time. The devil in his craftiness is making us think that standing up for Biblical standards is being “hateful,” when it is no more hateful than telling someone not to take heroin because it will do them in. The groundwork for all of this was laid by convincing the average person that there was no absolute truth, that everything was subjective. Try telling a nuclear physicist that! Regardless, we are at the place of speaking of “your truth” and “my truth,” instead of God’s truth. Whether we realize it or not, that is preaching rebellion against God, and just as Shemaiah was punished, so will we be, if we parrot the devil’s lies.

I am grateful to have been raised before the current level of nonsense, but even my own children have been influenced by it. I didn’t imagine that such a rejection of absolute standards would become so widespread, so I didn’t prepare my children sufficiently to stand against it. However, I have seen other cases where people went very far afield and still returned to the Lord, much as the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable, and my own children have not lost their faith. I am not to despair, but keep speaking God’s truth in love to all who will receive it. After all, when that truth penetrates, it sets people free. (John 8:32)

Father, thank You for Your grace. We all need it! I pray that I would be an effective communicator of Your truth, Your holiness, Your love and Your grace, so that many may receive it, repent, and believe for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!