"The Power of the Remnant"

Hi there this is on Solomon and I like to welcome you to our program today. You know it's a tremendous honor to God's given us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truths of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward and I'm so glad you tuned in to listen and be part of that. Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio and now let's get to the word of God. Now when I think of former Pres. Ronald Ragan.

I have wonderful image of him burned into my mind, picture of him standing at the recommissioning of the USS New Jersey and Long Beach while he was president standing at attention and then later saluting with a big smile on his face.

One of the military commanders who were there and I don't know. There's just something about him about the old-fashioned patriotism that he had about the fact that he was proud of his country and he was proud to be an American and when he was president that was something we hadn't seen in America in a long time that I just find incredibly heartwarming and and the pictures that you see on the screen. I think remind us of how much we seem to have lost in this country. I mean I remember as a child in Portsmouth, Virginia. Growing up wherever July 4. My whole family would go down and stand on the street corner of high Street, the main street that ran through the town, along with thousands of others in the band would come down the town and all the military units would come to town.

I can remember all military men like my father standing erect and motionless as the flag went by I can remember in elementary school in that town standing and saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag every morning and having a Bible reading lesson over the loudspeaker and having prayer led by someone over the loudspeaker and then we all stand and sing my country tis of the me I remember all of that. In fact, I often have people who say well you know all these patriotic songs we sing on July 4. Let me do they really belong in church friends. My response is that we don't sing him in charge. Then I going to get song anymore. I mean that's the only place anybody is allowed to sing this stuff anymore, said, said but anyway, people often ask me lawn what you think about the future of America. I mean, what about this quote you've all heard it. If God doesn't judge America. You'll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Well, actually I thought a lot about this and I want to share with you some of the thoughts I've had about the future of America thoughts that have their foundation in biblical revelation in biblical truth. Now before we begin let's say, of course we all realize that God has a sovereign plan for every nation that has ever existed on the face of the earth. A plan that has nothing to do with human activity or human behavior, and of course everything we say here has to be conditioned by this overarching truth, but it is also true that God says in the Bible that I that a nation's long-term prosperity, humanly speaking, is directly connected to that nation's obedience to God. Listen to these verses of Scripture Leviticus chapter 26.

If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands. God says, then I will look on you with favor. I will send you rain and it's seasons and the ground will yield its crops. You will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land, I will grant please in the land, and you will lie down to sleep without fear. Deuteronomy 28 if you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow his commands. Then God says. Then he the Lord will set you high above the nations of the earth. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail. Indeed, if you pay attention to the commands of the Lord you will always be at the top. Never at the bottom.

This is why David said Psalm 3312 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord the point, my friends, is that the well-being of America depends far more on our obedience to God, then it draws on our gross national product now based on that equation, assuming it's true, and it is, then I think that that means we got some real challenges in America today. You know about them all. Let me just remind you pornography in this country is out of control. The most explicit forms that you can get pumped right into your living room on DirecTV cable TV pay-per-view on the Internet. You can even go to Blockbuster and by pornographic movies) Blockbuster alcohol and drug abuse in America is at epidemic proportions. The rate of divorce in America has remained incorrigible. He above the 50% mark for decades now homosexuality is becoming a nationally accepted lifestyle in this country. Massachusetts has recognize same-sex marriage since 2004, but look on the map. The following states. Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, California, New Hampshire, Hawaii, the District of Columbia and Washington state. All recognized civil unions between same-sex partners.

Meanwhile, the Federal marriage amendment is hopelessly bogged down in Congress, and will probably never get out. A few years ago, one of the leaders of the annual gay pride march in New York City said and I quote face it sooner or later we're gonna win this fight. Gay marriage is inevitable in America" about the abortion issue which remains a a constant concern here in America several years ago, Sen. Orrin Hatch gave statistics showing that the number of legalized abortions. The total number of deaths in America now outnumber by 10 times all American deaths in all wars.

The US has ever fought in combines and yet the Supreme Court refuses to reverse Roe V Wade, and finally, what about God in our schools. I mean, you would think after Columbine. And after all of the other incidents of violence and assault and criminal behavior in the public schools of America. You would think that the powers that be here in this country would finally agree with Justice Clarence Thomas's mother. Justice Thomas said and I quote my mother says that when they took God out of the schools. The schools went to hell."

And she's right, but friends once again, the United States Supreme Court and Congress had refused to reverse the 1963 Supreme Court decision Murray versus Scarlett which, in which Madeline Murray O'Hare successfully sued to have all prayer band in the public schools, and so here's what we got. We got a Supreme Court that is legalized abortion and is forced God out of our schools in a way that most Americans don't agree with. We have a media that is dominated by liberals who despise all biblical truth. We have the ACLU seeking to annihilate all Christian influence from public life in America and we have a Congress that seems to have a preponderance of politicians who are more concerned about reelection than they are national righteousness, so what can we do.

I mean all of this guy, if were not careful, leads us to throw our hands up, and in despair and say what in the world can a few people like us really do. I mean, how could we ever eradicate all of these on biblical forces in our country so that we can secure and maintain the blessing of God on America. Well, I want to say to you that based on some great news from the Bible. I'm going to share with you. We don't have to reverse all of these forces because friends the solution to our dilemma is found in the biblical truth about the power of the remnants here in America. Let me explain what I mean by that.

You know, no nation has ever had 100% followers of Jesus Christ and that nation you know that no nation ever can have 100% followers of Christ, no nation ever has or ever will contain people that are being 100% obedient to God. I mean, even when the nation of Israel had their most God-fearing kings, and even when God's blessing was the mightiest on the nation of Israel. There were still unbelieving people in that nation doing ungodly things.

Listen second Chronicles 27 Jotham was 25 years old when he became king of Israel, and he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, the people, however, continued their corrupt practices. But Jotham grew powerful and God granted Israel success because Jotham walked steadfastly before the Lord his God friends in the days of David in the days of Josiah in the days of Hezekiah Josip Fadden every other God-fearing king that Israel ever had.

There were unbelieving people just like this in the nation when they were king. They these unbelieving people were doing ungodly things and yet where and whenever there was a God-fearing remnant of believers in Israel whenever there was a kernel of godly believers in that country who love God and who obeyed God and will honor God and who were faithful to God. God bless the nation of Israel. Anyway, in spite of these other people who were part of the remnant point is that the fortunes of the nation of Israel did not go up and down based upon the spiritual condition of the general populace. The fortunes of Israel went up and down based on the spiritual condition of the remnant to put it another way, whenever the remnant of godly believers in Israel was spiritually zealous and active for the Lord and faithful to God. God bless that nation, and whenever that remnant of godly believers became apathetic and sloppy and disobedient to God. God didn't bless the nation to put it simply, when it comes to God's blessing on a nation, humanly speaking, it's all about the spiritual condition of the remnant that's inside that nation. They civil law and I think I was there which talk about but are you sure you're right. I mean you have any other proof at all.

Besides just as one line of evidence that you just walked us through. Absolutely I do remember the story of Abraham.

Genesis 18, three people came to see Abraham one day.

Two were angels and one was the Lord Jesus himself in human form and your remember the first thing they did is announced to Abraham that Sarah was going to have a child and then they told Abraham that they were going to Sodom and Gomorrah, which was just a few miles away and they were going to destroy the two cities.

Remember that and so here's what Abraham said to God, then Abraham said to the Lord, will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked. I mean, what if there are 50 righteous people in that city. Abraham said will you really not spare the place for the sake of the 50 righteous people in it. I watch verse 26 then the Lord said if I find 50 righteous people in the city of Sodom. I will spare the whole city on their account. The whole city because of their now if you remember, Abraham proceeded to bargain God all the way down to 10 righteous people in the city. That's our heritage. That's what we do with you know where born able to do this but but. And as you know, when the angel showed up and Sodom and Gomorrah.

They couldn't find 10 righteous people in the city so they destroyed it. But what this passage in Genesis 18 tells us friends is that in every nation and in every society.

God has respect for the remnant had there been a godly remnant in Sodom and Gomorrah of even 10 people had there been a kernel of godly believers in those cities who were living for God and serving God and obeying God and standing for God. God makes it crystal clear in Genesis 18 that he would have relented in his judgment against those cities because of the remnant on their account.

Out of respect for them. This is why Isaiah said. Isaiah 19 unless the Lord had left us a remnants we would've become like Sodom and Gomorrah. As I said earlier, when it comes to God's blessing on a nation, humanly speaking, it's all about the spiritual condition of the remnants within that nation. Now that all of that leads us to ask our most important question of the morning and you know what this question is so long going on summer break after this week I'll be gone for a few weeks is the last chance we get to do this for a few weeks so are you ready are you ready let's make it worth it. Here we go.

1230's house is a lot. So what say alright. I understand what your sample, what difference does it make to me as an American in a 21st-century and as a follower of Christ. Well friends it makes a lot of difference. What this means is that as a follower of Christ. Here in America when we focus on all the spiritual wrongdoing that is going on in our land and we begin to lose hope and feel powerless and feel helpless and we begin to feel doomed to God's judgment because of all the pornographers in the abortion clinics in the same-sex marriages and the ACLU lawyers friends. I say that his followers of Christ, we have our focus in the wrong place. You see, as followers of Christ if we will rise up and as the remnant within America as we give.

We will obey God if we will serve God if we will honor God if we will live for God if we will be faithful and obey God, God will show mercy to America for our sake, just like he would've shown mercy to Sodom.

Had there been a remnant like that in Sodom the difference between American Sodom is not that both countries are doing some bad stuff. The differences there was no remnant there and there is an American was followers of Christ. I'm here to tell us we are not powerless we are not helpless. We are not disenfranchised when it comes to being able to do something to preserve God's mercy on this country.

You remember second Chronicles 714.

It says if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land. But what I want you to notice is who this deal was made with the deal wasn't made with every single person in a country with the general populace. The deal is if my people in that country who are called by my name of the remnant will do this then I will honor that. And also mercy to that country and you know, let me say before we go on I want to tell you some ways we as the remnant within America can do this but before we do that we need to say that despite our troubles. America still stands as the most God-fearing nation on the earth today. There are more ordained ministers in America than any other country in the world. There are more Christian and ran radio and television programs that originate from America than any other nation in the world.

There is more Christian literature that is published and distributed here in America and from America than from any other country.

There more students in Bible colleges and seminaries preparing for the ministry in America than in any other country.

There are more children on any given Sunday in Sunday school in America than in any other country of the world there are more missionaries that are dispatched from this nation than from the rest of the world combined. Thanks to the Gideons. We even have Bibles in every single drawer of every single hotel room in America, I'm you even have God on our money for goodness sake, you know God's name. Listen 50% of America 60% of America 70% may be of America might be unchurched in doing some really nasty stuff, but friends look what the other 50 or 40% are doing for God. I believe it's way too soon for us to give up on America folks because I believe that as long as we were followers of Christ in this nation as long as we wore the godly remnant in America as long as we keep on keep up this kind of active zeal for Jesus Christ.

What did God say in Genesis 18 he said I will spare the whole place for the sake of the remnant thing that we have is a challenge that we need to be careful about is that we never let America get to the point that God says about us. Romans chapter 3. There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands there is no one who seeks God. There is no fear of God before their eyes. All have turned away know if this ever happens in America, then surely we will taste of the judgment of God. This is where Sodom got to where not there and and I want to close by talking to you about three things we can do to keep ourselves from ever get there. Number one. How can we in America keep the godly remnant strong in this nation and active in this nation number one by raising a new generation that does not forget God. One of the saddest verses in all the Bible is Judges 210. It says after Joshua was generation died out another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel and what this means is that we as followers of Christ today in America must be deliberate and we must be intentional about the development of the next generation for Jesus Christ, so that there is never a case where generation grows up in this country that doesn't know the Lord and forgets what he is done. Number two. The second way we can keep the godly remnant strong in this country is by seeking to lead others around us to Jesus Christ. I mean, we need to be constantly looking to expand the ranks of the remnant and make it bigger, the bigger and stronger. The godly remnant in America becomes, the more the blessing of God on this nation is protected and what that means is every time you and I share Christ with a friend. Every time we bring someone to the place that they trust Jesus Christ every time we meet with people in a small group or in some other way and we disciple them and help them grow deeper and more faithful in their walk with Christ. We are doing something to save America finally we can strengthen the godly remnant in this in this country by being serious ourselves as followers of Christ about living God honoring lives. I mean friends. God is not impressed by the size of the remnant. He's impressed by the spiritual quality of the remnant. Remember what I said to you about Israel. When the godly remnant in Israel got faithless and sloppy and disobedient. It didn't matter that they were there. God judge the nation. Anyway, it's not about our numbers. It's about the quality of our walk with Christ that matters in all of the story of Phineas in the Old Testament where one day when Israel was committing a sin when they were involved in idolatry. He rose up, and he oppose that evil almost single-handedly and and and here's what Numbers 25 says it says Phineas has turned my anger away from the Israelites, God was going to really judge these people, he says. Phineas turned away because he was zealous for my honor among them. When you and I as followers of Christ. When we begin to live like Phineas when we seek to honor God and obey God and be faithful to God in our own personal walk with God. That's when we become. Phineas is and we help turn the wrath of God away from this nation every time you and I get on our knees and intercede in prayer for this country every time you and I do things that are obedient to God in our lives.

Every time we live out a lifestyle that is faithful to God and obedient to God. We are doing something to help save America and so out of our love for God and out of our love for America. My challenge to you this July 4 season is for us as followers of Christ as members of the remnant we need to rise up and we need to be that godly remnant that this nation, so desperately needs that we will be perfect.

Nobody ever is. We will get it right all the time. Nobody ever does.

But if we are zealous and passionate and dedicated to living for the glory of Christ and being active for the glory of Christ in this nation that Abraham won't even have to bargain God down to 50 or down to 40 are down to 30 are down to 10 still be hundreds of us and thousands of us in this nation.

Living that way. And you know what God said.

He said if that's the case I'll show mercy to that nation.

Because of let's be kind godly remnant this nation so desperately need more Jesus we would not be truthful if we said that America didn't have serious sin issues your site more Jesus these things that we've talked about that are going on in our country.

They offend us, and were not holy beings like you are. I can only imagine how they offend you, Lord. We understand that you are God of justice. We understand that your justice cries out for these things we talked about to be dealt with but Lord, we we are so great.

Glad that you are also God of mercy, and that you show mercy to nations when there is a godly remnant that is active and faithful in those nations.

And so, Lord Jesus, may we be that godly remnant. May we raise up another generation of godly remnant in this land more Jesus in your incredible mercy. May you show grace to this nation or Jesus. We love this country with all of its flaws, and thank you that even with all of its flaws.

This nation is having an impact on the world for the glory of Christ. And so, Lord, show us your mercy. Be kind and gracious to us, Lord, even though we don't deserve it and help us to make an impact on this nation's capital McLean Bible church that we might see revival sweep this nation starting right here in Washington DC. Lord, we pray these things and thank you for your mercy on us and on our nation. We pray these things in Jesus name God's people said they met in listening to sale 11. Dr. Lon Solomon said land is an outrage level on Solomon ministering to listen to today's message, or for more information visit our website. Lon Solomon ministries.org. Thank you for your support. If you would like to contact us, please visit our website or call us at 866-788-7770 and you will join us next time in line to answer one of life questions