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Greetings everyone I’d like to welcome you to the April 2nd edition of The Apostle’s Corner podcast. The title of today’s podcast is the moral divide. Let me first address exactly what we’re Speaking of when we say a moral divide.
Morals are defined as being of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior or simply put, ethical standards.
There was a time when we did have principal standards of right and wrong. But in today’s world, the truth has come to be whatever we perceive in our own minds. We have come to a place in time where we no longer even consider the explanation of clarity that’s right in front of our faces. Because the only thing that matters this our own opinion.
We have come to a place where the moral compass of seemingly good people is easily swayed in the presence of their mental concepts. And the already misled compass of evil men has empowered them to commit even darker works than before.
As of today, our nation has had 130 mass shootings this year alone. And with each one, we continue to ask the same question, what is going on here? Our nation’s legislature is constantly making every attempt to find a solution to issues where they have not addressed the root element.
I remember going through a period in my life where I was dealing with some kind of problem in my left leg. Before going to a doctor, I did everything that I could to address the discomforts. But little did I know there was no problem with my leg at all. The problem was an issue with my left shoe.
The point that I’m making here is that too often we try to solve problems from a superficial perspective. But when you fix something from the top, it’s going to rise back up from the bottom.
If we trust scripture, we know that God said that things would be the way that they are, but it’s still important that we be able to understand the root elements by which these conditions have come to be.
Getting to the root cause of any problem is not hard at all, the issue comes with getting past our intellectual perspective of what’s going on. We don’t even have to get into a major explanation of spiritual things. All we have to do is rationalize the reality of what is truth and what is deception.
This place of confusion begins within us. Let’s consider the age-old image of a man with a devil on one shoulder and an Angel on the other, a depiction of how we battle within ourselves over the competition between darkness and light.
You know I truly believe that the heart of man does desire what is good. And the evidence of that is God said he made man in his own image. So why do we end up in such a conflict over foundational principles and morals?
Well, let me say that all things in the physical are manipulated by the elements of the spirit realm. And all spirits are given authority through the subjectivity of a man’s heart. When the spirit of anger comes upon you, it’s your choice if you will be subject to it.
And in today’s world, we seem to have become a people who search for every opportunity to have the right to be angry. The elements of your spiritual environment are just like your arms.
If you go to the gym and you consistently exercise one arm, it’s going to get stronger. And as for the other arm that’s getting no exercise, it’s going to weaken.
Therefore, the spirits that you manifest the most in your life, are the ones that are going to have the most authority over your intellectual perspectives.
We walk in a physical realm, so the first elements of the spirit to have precedence in your life are going to be of the realm of darkness because it serves the flesh.
The second is a realm of light that caters to the light of God’s spirit. Did you notice that I said darkness first? That’s because that is the realm that is more common to the understanding and lust of a man’s heart. For there is no good thing in the flesh for the flesh is enmity against God who is of the realm of light. The walk of one who embraces the elements of light easily manifests the following.
Galatians 5:22-23 says
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23 Meekness, temperance: against such, there is no law.
There was a time when these things were a common part of our daily lives. So what happened, when did the depth of our endeavors as a whole change?
It’s fair to say that all these attributes listed in these verses of Galatians are things that we should naturally desire in our lives. But accept that we walk by the spirit none of these things are accessible because these are not the attributes of the flesh.
Galatians 5:19-21 says
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envying’s, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Let’s face it, we have become a turned-up nation. Somewhere along the way, the people of God lost focus on his will and instead allowed themselves to be configured to the ways of the world. Years ago, many of us can remember that if mom wasn’t the one that kept the family anchored in spiritual things grandma did.
The reality of it is that today most fellowships have no variance of the spirit whatsoever. This has come to fruition because the church now configures itself to the ways of the world. Rather than upholding the things of the spirit and being an example of a change in the world.
We have become a nation where everything that we do is about getting what we want. And that concept of getting what we want begins with God. But there is a moral divide.
Not all of us are on that side of compromise. A remnant of us has demanded that we remain in the foundational principles that warrant the fruits of the spirit in our life.
Where there is a void in the hearts of men that should desire the things of God, there is a gateway by which the enemy will bring every level of destruction possible.
It’s like I said earlier we look for the right to manifest every work of the flesh rather than the fruits of the spirit.
Some of us have held true to what we know is best not just for us but for all those around us as well. And through this, we proclaim a blessing on the land by which we stand.
But we have to remain faithful in our endeavors so that those around us might someday come to desire the changes that they’ve seen in us.
I can honestly tell you by the revelation of the spirit that there is soon to come a time when the proclamation of Revelation 22:11 will stand before us.
“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
I’m saying that the time will come when God says, fine go ahead and be exactly who you want. I would prefer to be in a place of Godly acceptance at the moment when all things are empowered for what it is.
The end of that verse said, and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Holiness is not perfection, it’s simply desiring what is right with God. That’s not a hard accomplishment for most of us.
But we’ve got to get back to our foundational principles. The foundational principles of this nation declared the things of God that would bring us peace and clarity.
We need to find a pathway for returning to where we once were in our moral principles.
And here’s the pathway by which we must accomplish this.
What we need to recognize about the word of God is that it’s not only a declaration of what he had to say, but it’s an indicator of things to come. As well as the effects of obedience or disobedience to his directives.
The following scripture is the biggest indicator that he knew the state that we would be in at this point. And in his omnipotent wisdom, he gave us the instructions for getting back on a path of hope. Lets look at2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Let me begin by saying that without a doubt our land is in a state of sickness and severe need of spiritual healing. The first step to the healing of any sickness is to recognize the root element of the problem.
A diabetic is instructed to take insulin, but if they don’t manage their diet properly, the foundation of their problem only worsens
The afflictions of wickedness that have overrun our nation has a root element in spiritual manifestation. You cannot battle the spiritual through the physical, but you can manipulate the physical from the spirit. And here is the formula that we were given in the foundation of time. Even for a time such as this.
Step 1.
If my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray.
We as a people have become so engrossed in the promises of God that we believe that God owes us. In retrospect to that we will come before him with an arrogant, demanding state of mind. No honor, no respect, and no exaltation.
The scriptures say to come before him in boldness, not arrogance. The time has come for us to approach the throne of God with reverential fear and respect. Not just coming for our petition but coming to hear his directive.
But notice that the scriptures say humble themselves and pray. We must first change our self-endeavored intents, allowing humility to reign in our approach.
The next point in the scripture is to seek my face. When we were children, if we were about to do something that we knew we weren’t supposed to, the first thing we would do is look to see if mom or dad was watching. That’s because even though we knew our intent was wrong, we would do it anyway unless we saw them watching. This is the same attitude we should have with God. We will never look to see if he’s watching and not see his eyes on us. And just as we did when we saw our parents looking straight at us, we must learn to turn from our wicked ways.
I remember us having a family of foster kids and the youngest one of this particular family was named Raymond. At the time Raymond was 5 years old and had been exposed to a very bold spirit of thievery.
We would stand in line in the grocery store and Raymond would look up at you out of the corner of his eye. And while watching you he would slowly move a candy bar from the shelf to his pocket
All the while looking you right in the face as you’re watching him. I recall my wife saying, Raymond, I’m looking right at you. And he would express his unbridled anger as he put the candy bar back.
What are some of the things in your life that you know you’ve demanded the right to walk in? In this season where there has become such a split down the middle of our moral compass, which side will you be on?
The side that retains all that we once knew to be right? Or that side that’s right because you say it is.
Let me tell you something. This message is not about the people who have decided to compromise the foundation principles in their lives.
This message is about how many of us are willing to retain all that is spiritually good and perfect. In the hopes that we might be able to offer a visual hope of change to them that have not seen the big picture.
If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways. Then will I hear from heaven, then will I forgive sin, then will I heal their land.
Our land is sick with the dross of sin, denial, deception, thievery, and self endeavor. In the face of tragedy and destruction we have no problem calling out to God. Because in the face of pain is humility. But when things are just as we desire them to be it is our preference that God will stay out of our face and let us do what we want to do. There’s not a wife on the planet that will honor every desire of A husband That only considers her need when he wants something.
The same goes for our workplace relationships and our social relationships. We will not make a deposit where we’re not getting some kind of benefit. As a nation we have literally made the choice To embrace elements of darkness. Until it gets too dark for us.
And as far as we’re concerned it’s never dark enough as long as we still have and effectual spirit of competition in the face of whatever it is that we don’t want to accept.
We’ve been divided by many things through history. We’ve been divided racially And religiously. But for every divide there is always a moral standard that keeps things reigned in to a certain level.
But once we reached the point of moral divide, we are now in disagreement of the foundational things that would keep us intact.
The Wall Street Journal conducted a poll to see Americans view of religion and faith and how important it was to us. The polls showed that in 1998 sixty 2% said that faith and religion was important. But now in 2023 only 39% say that faith and religion matters to them. This is the greatest indication of the fact that we have gotten away from our core values.
The remnant that remains, but the nation as a whole has turned away from the things of God because of a lapse and morals. And a house divided against itself cannot stand.
