Obsessed with Sex

Fred R. Coulter—June 27, 2009

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This week was quite a week, and I think it emphasizes that the world is obsessed with sex. And to see another government leader, in the way that he did, the governor of South Carolina—Sanford—really emphasize in my mind the great problems that face people when the whole society is obsessed with sex. It reminds me of the pall that hung over Germany, that hung over China with Mao Tse-tung and Stalin with Russia, and what's happening down in Venezuela with Hugo Chavez, there is a pall of deception. There is a pall of, like in the case of the Chinese revolution under Mao Tse-tung, there was a pall of destroying everything that meant anything because of the revolution with the little book. And the young people went around and they destroyed books, buildings, libraries; mostly knowledge.

In the case of Stalin, it was just a pall of oppression. Everyone was oppressed and if you didn't do what Stalin wanted, you were…. So in order to set up the Soviet Union and enforce all the things that they enforced, and we're seeing a good measure of that here in United States today from the political scene, fifty-million people were killed, just for the sake of one man, the hierarchy, and the people who ran it; same way with Germany. A pall came over the whole German nation as if they were possessed of the devil. And the first reaction that people have, and we're seeing it here in America today, they turn off. They don't to hear anything, they don't want to see anything, they don't want to do anything. They just want to survive. So same way that's happening here in America, politically.

So we have many of the government leaders and the population obsessed with sex, and we have the whole government run by those who should be in the insane asylum. Now how did we get that way? How does that happen? Well, it doesn't happen all at once. It happens step-by-step-by-step-by-step. I think Dolores made a good comment when we were watching something on the news concerning what the doctors were doing with their experiments, and all of this sort of thing, she said, 'All that we fought the Nazis over and all their terrible experiments and things, medical ones that they were doing, etc., we're doing in America'—everything that they were doing. And now following that comes what? The same kind of oppression.

So here we have the governor of South Carolina having the gall to ask his wife permission to go to Argentina to continue his affair with this woman. And yet several years before that, he instructed his four boys, 'Now don't do it.' Today if you do anything like he did, they've got all the emails. Someone kept all the emails of his infatuation with this woman from Argentina and released them. In those sexual sins, there are the equal and the more equal. If you belong to a certain party, 'Hey, that's cool.' If you belong to a different party, 'You're a hypocrite.' So everything is upside down and crazy. How does this happen?

Right in the middle of that, Michael Jackson died. Now Michael Jackson and his family started out really well, with their singing, with their dancing. I saw some of the history that they were playing on television about it. It was wholesome, it was good, it was fine. Once he got really famous and notorious, let me just put it that way, all of his music became a symbolic sexual orgy. They now have the music that can so hypnotize people that they just break out in tears when they see him. He started out fine, but he ended up corrupt, he ended up drugged, he ended up 400-million dollars in debt, and yet he brought in 700-million. No, he sold 750-million CD's. Of course, there are a whole host of other problems that go along with Michael Jackson, and the whole entourage. But isn't it interesting? The world will go after someone like that and say, 'Oh, what a wonderful man he was.' However, if Jesus Christ would walk the streets, or someone would condemn those kind of activities, 'Oh, you're judgmental, you're harsh, you're evil.'

Several factors brought this whole thing about:

• The law that was by the Supreme Court that what two individuals do in the privacy of their own home hurts no one. That opened the flood gates.
• Then the examples of the politicians down through—some know that there is hardly a politician in Washington, D.C. that is not absorbed in this kind of thing.

So once this gets going, then it comes down through the population. So here we have a nation now that has been teaching sex education for the last twenty years, and they wonder why the teenagers get involved in sex, and teachers with their students. Even in Washington, D.C. it's legal for a female teacher to have sexual relations with her students if they're over eighteen. That's the law in Washington State. So we're obsessed with sex. We see it everywhere. So what does this lead to? Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, male and female, pedophilia, husband-wife swapping, bestiality, everything that the Bible says do not do.

God gave the laws for our benefit and good so that we could live. And yet look, Michael Jackson died at fifty. And Michael Jackson is only one of how many that die before their time because of their lifestyle and how they live, and the way that society has taught them how to live. So the education trains them. Now we're in the third or fourth generation of sex education in the schools and so what do they have? They have twelve-year-old girls and boys taking cell phone pictures of their private parts and emailing it to each other.

You look at the media. Everything has got to have some sexual overtone, especially when it comes down to advertisements. If you look at the soap opera things, it's all about sex or sexual overtones, and so forth. And we have television, entertainment, sports, movies, and I mentioned the cell phones, and then the text messages, and the publications. When I turned 59—because they have the demographics and they buy these mailing lists, and I got advertisements for sexual enhancement for males. Not just one, there was a time I was getting them every other week, sometimes twice a week. I imagine all the other men were. You watched the news, say, 'Okay, Fox is good news.' So you watch Fox News and what do you see? Erectile disfunction ads all the time. We are obsessed and possessed with sex. How did we get that way?

When we abandon God, turn our back on Him, because Satan has deceived the whole world. And he's the one that brings these things on. He is also the prince of the power of the air, so this is how he keeps it coming. Just grinding out, grinding out, more and more and more, and becoming more obscene in everything. You can go on the internet and there's pornography all over. Go on the internet and you can text message for pedophilia, men text messaging boys and girls. You have the whole thing of prostitutes. With cell phones and email and text messages, business has never been better. You can check into a hotel and you can download all kinds of pornographic things—you pay a fee for it—called adult entertainment. You go someplace like Las Vegas and Reno, everything is nothing but sex and gambling, and smoking and drinking, no morals at all. So here we are. How did that come about?

Let's come to Isaiah 5. We are suffering from the results of casting away God. So the first thing you do is get rid of the laws of God and you change the moral standards. That is called: defining deviancy down. Now to give you an example of defining deviancy down, they even had a really risqué billboard ad by Calvin Klein where they actually showed three men and a girl. One of them had his fly open and the others were doing bodily contact and kissing and licking in sexual overtones toward each other. I think they finally got them to take it down. But remember what happened when Michael Jackson's sister at the Super Bowl; they were dancing and all of a sudden, pulled back, and one of her breasts popped out? They decided, 'Well, we can't have that.' So they took them to court and it went all the way up to the Supreme Court, and there's virtually nothing that they can do about it. Defining deviancy down. How does it start?

Isaiah 5:20 (pg 507): "Woe to those who call evil good… ['Oh, we can't have those Ten Commandments. Those are old, those are outdated.' I remember Al Dershowitz saying right over television, 'Greed is good. That's what capitalism is built upon. Greed is good. The commandment you shall not covet is outdated.' Well, look at Wall Street today because of 'greed is good.' Would you say Bernie Madoff is good? Would you say the banks are good?] …call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!" (vs 20-21). Because they become a law unto themselves, and everyone who becomes a law unto himself or herself then is lawless in their character and their behavior and their thought; and everything becomes expedient, and what they desire to do, through lust or greed, they do. Now we'll see what happens when you have a whole civilization that gets wise in its own eyes; what happens to them.

Verse 22: "Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink… [You could just add in there: drugs, all kinds: prescription, legal, illegal—add all of that together.] …Who justify the wicked for a bribe… [And that is so rampant in Washington, D.C., and in other political things, it is unreal. And here's what they do if someone stands up and says, 'Well, you shouldn't do that.' What! You mean you live a life by what the Bible says?You've got to be crazy.] (Here's what they do): …and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!…. [They don't want you to have that standard.] …Therefore as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame burns up the chaff; their root shall be like rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up like dust because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel" (vs 22-24).

Now just to show you how bad that is, let's understand this: All the laws and commandments of God are like the law of gravity. They are in effect upon everyone all the time. If you have other gods before you, you suffer the penalty of it immediately. If you have idols and statues, you become superstitious and infested with demonic-type religions, and things like this. If you take the name of the Lord in vain—and as we covered the biggest ones are those who are from the pulpit; likewise with the Sabbath; likewise with honoring your father and mother—and boy, I tell you, that's broken all around the world today. You can't even discipline your children. Those who bring that out know very well that if you don't discipline your children, they're going to rule over you. So we see spoiled brats everywhere. So it's going to come against them.

"Therefore, the anger of the LORD is kindled against His people, and He has stretched out His hand against them, and has stricken them… [That's what's going on in the nation today. That's why we have the economic downturn, because of the moral decay and corruption and deceit that is going on.] …and the hills trembled, and their dead bodies were as filth in the midst of the street…. [And that's coming.] …In all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still" (v 25). And that is for more correction against them.

Let's come to the book of Hosea 4:1 (pg 662). Here's what happens. You do that to God, God's going to do something to you. Here's where we are coming. If you expect a turn around in the economy, don't look for it, because it's not going to happen. If you expect things to get better, don't look for it, unless there is a mass repentance of people. And don't expect that either. So here's the warning that God gives: Hosea 4:1: "Hear the Word of the Lord, children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land… [And as we have seen, God judges every nation according to how they do, as well as every individual.] …'There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.'"

Because truth is what ever you believe, for yourself, is right. Truth is relative. People no longer believe in absolute truth. Since we're talking about sex, God says, 'You shall not commit adultery.' And then there are many laws in the Bible which say 'you shall not have incest with father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle. You shall not lay with mankind as with womankind.' And also they have the laws there that if you 'cause your daughters to become whores, the land is going to filled with violence' (Lev. 19:29). Has that happened? No knowledge of God.

Now recently I did a radio program. A lot of them were startled to hear the Truth for the first time. They were shocked. Now notice, daily living: "'By swearing, and lying… ['The heart is deceitful above all things. The carnal mind is enmity against God'--and that means an enemy of God--and is not subject to the law of God and neither indeed can be.'] …lying, and killing, and stealing, and the committing of adultery they break out… [In other words, there is an obsession with sex.] …and blood touches blood'" (v 2).

Now what happens? You cannot have a situation where what you do in the privacy of your home affects no one else.

• It affects the two people involved.
• If there is family and children, it affects them.
• It affects the society, because your moral standard has been eroded.

Now you multiply that over and over and over again by the thousands and millions, and then you have defining deviancy down, defining morality down, until you legislate it out of existence. Because so many people are involved in those kind of activities, that you might as well have no law because no one pays any attention to it. And that's about where we are.

But notice what happens, and I want you to think about it: "'Therefore shall the land mourn… [Do we have upset weather? Do we have problems in agriculture? Do we have problems with drought, flooding? Yes!] …and everyone who dwells in it shall languish, with the beasts of the field and with the birds of the heavens. Yes, the fish of the sea shall also be taken away…. [They cancelled the salmon fishing this year in California and Oregon—not enough fish. There you have it.] …Yet let not man strive, nor reprove another, for your people are as those who strive with the priest…. [In other words, they're striving against God.] …And you shall stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother'" (vs 3-5).

Now here's where we have come and here's our standing before God today as a nation, and as a people, and we can say, in every other nation of the world that does the same thing; but more importantly us, because we are the descendants of Israel. "'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…. [Now let me stop and just emphasize this: Even though this is absolutely true, there's an average of four Bibles in every home in the United States of America. So they have the knowledge, but they won't use it.] …Because you have rejected knowledge… [You don't want any of God, you don't want anyone telling you want to do, you're going to do your own thing. If you're set to commit adultery, you're going to do it. And in the case of the governor, even asked his wife, 'will support me when I go to Argentina and I want to continue the affair.' And there was an occasion some time before this that he gave a very strong speech on morality. So look at the hypocrisy in it.] …you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being as a priest to Me….'" (v 6).

America and Britain were to bring the Word of God to the whole world, so they could live by the Word of God as well. We were to be a priestly nation to bring this to God, and God set us so to do it, and what has happened?

• We have been corrupted by the world.
• We have been corrupted by Satan.
• We have been corrupted, because we reject the knowledge and cast away the law of God.]

"'…Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being a priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children…. [And who's suffering more than anything else because of this? The children.] …As they were increased, so they sinned against Me. I will change their glory into shame'" (vs 6-7). And that's what you're seeing happen to the United States of America and Britain today. Their glory, as the greatest nations that the world has ever seen, is being turned into shame and ignominy.

"'They eat up the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And it has become, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings…'" (vs 8-9) Who's also a big violator of sexual sins? Priests, pastors, evangelists. And we were personally, formally associated with a church where the leading evangelist, who was the golden voice of that organization, admitted to committing adultery with over 200 women, and yet they didn't get rid of him because it was his golden voice that brought in the money. That set the demise and downfall of that organization.

There's also something that is true: what happens to the Church, will follow and happen to the nation. That church no longer exists. Stop and think what's going to happen to us? As I mentioned on the radio program last night, be prepared. We're going to become a third-world nation. You might as well make up your mind that that is going to happen, and figure out how you're going survive. The only way you're going to survive, I'll tell you this, is first be right with God. If you're not right with God, you're going to suffer worse.

Verse 10: "'For they shall eat and not have enough…. [Look at this poor nation, the health of this nation, what they've done to the food supply with genetically-modified foods. It's an awful situation. Sickness, disease, and right now they're ready to pass a health care thing—1500 pages—and they don't even know what's in it. They just passed in the House of Representatives a bill for 'cap and trade'—the biggest tax that has ever been. I know why they want to do that, because that's going to give the government trillions of dollars to do whatever they want to. So they don't care about people. They care about themselves, they care about power, they care about sex, they care about bribes. And it's like I said at the beginning, the insane asylum is running Washington, D.C., and nobody has enough sense. Why? Because when you get rid of God and you're mind becomes corrupt, you have no way of having any standard for morals. Those who claim to have standards, whatever party they belong to, are just kind of weak, little wimps. They are more interested in their hairdo and their suits, than they are in doing what is right.] …They shall commit whoredom and not increase because they have stopped taking heed to the LORD.'"

Verse 11: "'Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart…. [Add into that drugs, and so forth. That means you don't have right affections, you don't have right thinking, you don't know how to act in a way that is correct.] (So here's what the people do): …My people seek advice from their wooden idols… [Be it whatever it is. They don't go to God, they don't open the Bible. Oh, yeah, their lives are all messed up because they're all obsessed with sex and they go to shrinks, psychologists and psychiatrists, to try and figure out what's wrong with them, and it would be very simple if someone would say, 'Look, the problem that you have is that you are obsessed with sex, and you better start following God's laws.'] …and their rod declares to them… [In other words, whatever the message comes back.] …for the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to go astray… [The spirit of whoredoms is the obsession with sex in the whole society.] …and they have gone a whoring away from under their God'" (vs 11-12).

Then it says here's what they do: "'They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains… [That sounds an awful lot like a lot of these rock concerts.] …and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms because its shade is good…. [Because their works have to do in darkness.] …So your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your brides shall commit adultery. Will I not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, or your wives when they commit adultery?.... [We can add in there your husbands when they commit adultery.] …Even the men themselves go aside with whores, and they sacrifice with temple prostitutes. The people who do not understand shall fall'" (vs 13-14).

So God gives a warning. I tell you, what a perfect description of what's going on in America today—right? Absolutely! "'Though you, Israel, play the harlot, yet do not let Judah become guilty…'" (v 15)—and so forth. Now let's continue on and see what else here. He talks to the priest, too.

Let's come down here to Hosea 5:1: "'Hear this, O priests… [Every minister, evangelist, teacher, pastor, deacon, priest, cardinal, bishop, hear this:] …and hearken, O house of Israel. And give ear, O house of the king… [So that means the President, the Supreme Court, all of Congress, listen up.] …for judgment is toward you because you have been a snare for Mizpah and a net spread over Tabor…. [Now those were cities that God had to punish.] …And revolters have gone deep in slaughtering, and I chasten all of them. I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from you, for now, O Ephraim, you committed whoredom; and Israel is defiled…. [That's the United States and British Commonwealth.] …Their doings will not allow them to turn to their God; for the spirit of whoredom is in their midst, and they have not known the LORD…. [Possessed of sex, so much so that you can't even say anything against homosexuality. You have free speech for everything but that. You can't have someone stand up and preach the Word of God and say that's wrong, yet radical homosexuals can beat the doors down and come in and do things to you. Or drag you before the courts, because they say, 'Oh, my little soul was offended.' I tell you what, God says tell them. God says preach it. That's what I'm doing.] …And the pride of Israel testifies to his face… [No repentance, no changing.] …Therefore Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them'" (vs 1-5)—etc.

Verse 7: "'They have acted treacherously against the LORD, for they have begotten strange children….'" Is that not true? You look at the occult-embracing of kids. Unreal! They pierce their nose, pierce their tongues, pierce their lips, pierce their ears. I saw one woman, she must have had fifty little earrings on each ear. Now the thing is, you put in these things in your earlobes and you gradually stretch out your ears, so you can become like the aboriginal Africans in East Africa. They even have some who split their lips and put it in and stretch out their lips—all degenerate things, strange children.

Let's continue on and see some more here, because this is something. We will see also how to avoid all of this and what God shows that we ought to do. Let's come to Jeremiah 6. Here's another description of what's going on. Now as I read this, what I want you to do is think about all the parties on Friday night, all the goings on, all of the dancing, all of the drinking, all of the drugs, all of the illegal sex, all of the pornographic movies. Women get all upset that men ogle after naked women and pornography, but you have to look at it the other way, too, it takes two to be guilty. Why are there women who are willing to degrade themselves and pose for pornography and commit live-sex acts so people can watch on movies and television. You're all guilty!

Let's come to Jeremiah 6:10 (pg 558): "'To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear?.... [Who's going to listen? Jeremiah was a lonely man. The only one he had was Baruch his secretary. He was from a priestly family from Anathoth and the men of Anathoth, being priests wanted to kill him. He had a terrible, terrible, lonely, lonely life because he had to preach and warn, and they didn't listen.] …Behold, their ears are not circumcised, and they cannot hearken. Behold, the Word of the LORD is to them a reproach; they have no delight in it…. [Don't speak to me those words anymore, because it makes me uncomfortable. We want to have God's blessings with our sins. Jeremiah says, 'No, it's not going to.'] …Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in; pour it out on the children in the street, and on the assembly of young men together. For even the husband with the wife shall be taken as well as the aged with fullness of days. And their houses shall be turned over to others… [Is that not happening? And it's going to happen even more.] …together with their fields and wives; for I will stretch out My hand on the inhabitants of the land,' says the LORD…. [Here's the reason]: … 'For everyone from the least of them even to the greatest of them is greedy for gain… [Add into that, not only illicit business practices, lying, cheating, and con games, but add in state-sanctioned gambling.] …and from the prophet even unto the priest everyone deals falsely'" (vs 10-13).

Now let me just tell you again, and I'll say it over and over again, every time you go to church on Sunday, you're going to listen to a liar in the pulpit and you yourself are a believer of lies, because nowhere does the Bible ever sanction Sunday. And you fail to read the Old Testament, because you've been told in the pulpit how many times, 'Well, all that's done away and fulfilled.' Not so, hasn't been done away and fulfilled.

Verse 14: "'They have also healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace…. [Everything's going to be good, don't worry about it. Your 'loving, savior' president will send you a check.] …Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?.... [That's what God thinks of all these behaviors.] …No, they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush; therefore they shall fall among those who fall. At the time that I punish them, they shall be cast down,' says the LORD…. [So God gives a warning here]: …Thus says the LORD, 'Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk in it… [That means according to the commandments of God.] …and you shall find rest for your souls…. [You'll be able to sleep at night, you won't have depressions, you won't have anxieties, you won't have hang-ups, you won't have to worry about sexual-transmitted diseases, you won't have to worry about ruining your life with drugs, you won't have to wonder who is going to be helping you, or whatever.] …But they said, "We will not walk in it"'" (vs 14-16).

I wonder what would happen if the city or state said, 'Listen, everyone, we're going to cut our taxes drastically, but everyone is hereby now required to read the Bible and set your morals aright. We can cut our welfare in two-thirds, we can cut our police force by sixty-percent. We can cut our hospital costs by ninety-percent.' Oh, read the Bible, separation of church and state, you can't do that, you can't force us to do it! That's exactly what they'd say. 'We will not walk in it.' Yeah, they would say, 'Oh, you're making all these people unemployed.' No, God would bless you and there'd be plenty of employment.

Verse 17: "'Also I set watchmen over you, saying, "Hearken to the sound of the ram's horn"…. [That is in today's language, we may have a war with terrorists, watch out, they're going to kill us. Now we have an administration that says, 'We won't hearken, it's a foreign overseas event.' Therefore, here's God's sentence. If you've never heard this before, you better listen up.] …Therefore hear, you nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them…. [So this also a warning for the Church.] …Hear, O earth… [Is the earth still here? You betcha.] …behold, I will bring evil on this people… ['Oh, why should God do that, how can God do that" That is mean, that is terrible.' No, read on.] …even the fruit of their thoughts…

• What do you think on?
• What goes through your mind?
• What is your obsession?
• Is it sex?
• Is it television?
• Is it drugs?
• What is it?
• Is it fun?
• Is it sports?
• What is it?
• The fruit of your thoughts.
• Do you have hatred?
• Do you have bitterness?
• Do you have murder in your heart?
• Are you a liar?
• A cheat?
• A thief?
• An adulterer?
• Homosexual?

…because they have not hearkened to My words, nor to My law, but have rejected it'" (v 19). See what happens when people reject it? Bad news, very bad news, yet we're still a religious people—aren't we?

Jeremiah 7:l: "The Word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 'Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house… [Now this should be from every pulpit, everywhere in every church, in every synagogue across this nation.] …and proclaim there this Word, and say, "Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah… [We can say all America, all Britain.] …who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD."' Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place…. [We're going to face terrible consequences that are going to come on this land that if I told you all of it in one sermon, you couldn't handle it, but it's coming!] (So here's the warning. You want things to go well with you?): …Do not trust in lying words, saying "The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these"'" (v 4). See, they trusted in the temple. We trust in the American spirit, and we trust that we are such good people that God could not possibly conceive of punishing us for our sins.

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God always offers repentance. Now in offering repentance, God means real repentance. You repent to God with all your heart, you confess your sins to Him. Now hold your place here in Jeremiah 7 and go over to Joel 2 (pg 669) and here right in the middle of the judgment that God is bringing He says Joel 2:12: "'Therefore even now,' says the LORD, 'turn to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Yes, rend your heart and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He repents of the evil'" (vs 12-13).

Now back to Jeremiah 7:5, God says: "'For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings… [Now that's what that means. You cease committing adultery, you cease committing homosexuality, bestiality, you cease lying, you cease cheating, you cease coveting, you cease taking drugs, drunkenness, gambling, all of the current lifestyle that is widespread within America. Then you have to turn around, you have to do the other thing.] …if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor… [You've got to change the way that you behave toward the people around you, as well. I wish Washington would listen to this.] …If you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your hurt…'" (vs 5-6). Every time you break the commandments of God it's to your own hurt.

Then He says, v 7: "'Then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, forever and ever…. [So what is the choice? Repentance is a choice. Repentance is something that each one has to do individually to God. God isn't going to make you repent. You do it voluntarily of your own free will. But since they won't]: …Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit'" (vs 7-8).

What lies do you believe? Well, let's just start out with the lies and offences against God. I already mentioned Sunday; that's a lie; Easter is a lie; communion is a lie. God says the Passover. That means also Halloween, Christmas—Jesus wasn't born anywhere near it and all of the things that go on with Christmas are an abomination to God, because you're doing it for yourself, to yourself, and for your family, and you're doing nothing for God—it is a lie! 'Well, it's for the children.' You approve of lying to your children, have you told them that Santa Claus brings these things? Have you been dumb enough to take your children down to the local department store, like my mom did when I was a kid, and I was so stupid I didn't put two and two together. I sat in the lap of Santa Claus, big fat old man with a fake beard on, and I had to endure his bad breath while sitting there. 'Well, sonny, what do you want for Christmas?' Why is Santa in the department store? I finally had to figure that out later and I told my mom, 'Isn't that a lie?' Oh, well, it's a white lie. You think God is pleased with white lies? You're lying to your children and then you tell them, like I told my mom, 'But you told me don't lie. And when I did you made me go out and get my own switch and if I didn't get the right one, I got more switches.' I always tried to get the thick one, because they didn't hurt so much. But she made me go out and get the thin ones, you know, nice and flexible, get right around the calves of your legs. Whack! Whack! Do that today? You can sue your parents [transcriber's correction] for child abuse.

"'Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit…. [How many lies do you believe? What about your own individual manufactured reality, through television, through games, through music.] …Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know… [And then have the gall to do this]: …and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, "We are delivered to do all these abominations"?…. ['we have grace.'] …Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it,' says the LORD" (vs 8-11). So God knows what's going on, without a doubt. He says, 'I want you to learn a lesson.'

Verse 12: "'But now go to My place which was in Shiloh… [That where the tabernacle was first put there. And God means His own Word, because He had them build a tabernacle and come there to worship Him. If they didn't worship Him in Spirit and in Truth and in the right way, God took it away. Same way with the temple. Did not God destroy the temple that Solomon built? Destroy the temple that they built after coming out of the captivity from Babylon? And then that temple was improved by Herod the king, half Jew/half Edomite. Yes, Jesus said, 'There won't be one stone left upon another.' Because if you don't come to God, and if your heart is not right, and if you don't repent, and you haven't set your course to love God and keep His commandments, He is going to destroy the place that He consecrated to put His name there. He says, 'You go see what I did.] …where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My people Israel…. [So God judges the people.] …And now because you have done all these works,' says the LORD, 'and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking… [That is through the prophets.] …but you did not hear; and I called you, but you did not answer; therefore I will do to this house, which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, the whole seed of Ephraim'" (vs 12-15).

Now we're going to come to this point, so you need to be prepared for this, too. Verse 16: "'Therefore… [God tells Jeremiah] …do not pray for this people, nor lift up cry nor prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.'" How close are we to that point? Well, you read the rest of it, and it's all because of false practices. The only thing God wanted the children of Israel to do was obey His voice. Same way today. All God wants people to do today is:

• obey His voice
• obey the voice of Jesus
• obey the teachings of the New Testament
• follow the things that God has taught

You can't throw away half the Bible, and you can't accuse God that He is evil, and He as the Lawgiver has now agreed with your lawlessness and abolished the law, when Jesus said, 'Don't even think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not do that.' So the choice is up to you. What are you going to do? What is your life going to be? All these things can be put in the past, just like Jesus told the woman who was caught in adultery, though they didn't bring the man. So it's rather strange how they can catch her in adultery. But He told her, 'Go and sin no more.' God expects us to go and sin no more.

Let's come to Jeremiah 23:9. Jeremiah knew what was going on. Jeremiah understood what it was. Now this is Jeremiah speaking, because there were a lot of prophets around in his day, a lot of false ones just like there are today, saying, 'Oh, well, everything's wonderful, everything's fine.' Jeremiah 23:9: "As for the prophets my heart within me is broken; all my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome because of the LORD and because of the words of His Holiness…. [That he had to preach this message and yet, look]: …For the land is full of adulterers…. [They were obsessed with sex.] …Because of swearing the land mourns; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and they wield power unjustly…. [So, yes, your private acts done, in a closed room in your own property, affect the whole society and the environment. The land was full of adulterers, just everywhere, a pall of sexual obsession. Who did it affect?] …For both prophet and priest are ungodly… [And that's the whole goal of secular Christianity. Christianity without Christ. A religion of nice thoughts, rather than the harsh Words of God to lead you to repentance.] …yea, in My house I have found their evil,' says the LORD. 'So their way shall be to them as slippery ways in the darkness; they shall be driven on, and fall in their way; for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their judgment,' says the LORD" (vs 9-12). So it's coming! It is coming!

Let's look and see what Jesus said about the human heart. Come to Mark 7. So you ask yourself the question, 'How do all of these things come about?' When you take away

• the laws of God
• the commandments of God
• the fear of God
• the love of God
• the Truth of the knowledge of these things
• love one to another
• love the husband and wife
• love of father and mother for their children
• love of neighbor
• love of self

—and you just let human nature rule the roost and you think your mind, 'Well, human beings are basically good,' if human beings are basically good, how did this society become this way? Because you need to understand the human nature.

Here's why. Here's why there are the laws of God and the commandments of God. This is why there is repentance that is required. This is why if you really want to worship God in the Spirit and Truth, you've got to repent and be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit of God. Here's the nature that resides in every single one of us. And why when the whole society and the religious teachers bring defining deviancy down and defining that God's law are done away, and that adultery is okay, that lying and cheating and stealing is okay—then here comes the evil of the human heart.

Mark 7:21: "'For from within, out of the hearts of men, go forth evil thoughts… [Notice what's listed next.] …adulteries, fornications… [Now 'fornications' means sexual immorality of all kinds, sexual obsession, which then leads to:] …murders, thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, guile, licentiousness [lawlessness.] an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evils go forth from within, and these defile a man'" (vs 21-23).
Now let's see what happens when the whole society runs amuck. And here we will see how it comes about, because we're talking about living laws. Let's come to Romans 1:18; this is quite a chapter, and we're going to read to the end of it. Here's the indictment of our society. Remember, God holds out repentance. If there is repentance, God will be favorable and grant relief. But here's how it starts. Just like Isaiah said, 'Your leaders have caused you to err.' So all the things that we have discussed all come together for a whole society, and this case now, even the whole world.

Romans 1:18: "Indeed, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the Truth in unrighteousness… [And that's what they want to do. They don't want anyone to teach the Word of God, preach the Word of God, condemn sin; and they want to have Christian religion to reside only in the recesses of your mind and heart while you sit at home. Here's what's happened. You can go back and think about all the leaders who have caused this to be done: to get rid of God, to bring in the theory of evolution, to bring in other religions, to bring in deviant practices, and so forth.] …Because that which may be known of God is manifest among them, for God has manifested it to them; For the invisible things of Him are perceived from the creation of the world… [Yet we have atheism running amuck today.] …being understood by the things that were made—both His eternal power and Godhead—so that they are without excuse" (vs 18-20). So you cannot have plausible deniability with God, because He knows the heart.

"Because when they knew God… [And there was a time when they did know God, and there was a time when this nation also knew God.] …they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but they became vain in their own reasonings, and their foolish hearts were darkened…. [Whenever you become vain and lifted up in your own self and your own projects, and the things that you do, you begin to stifle your ability.] …and their foolish hearts were darkened. While professing themselves to be the wise ones… ['Oh, we know. We have the degrees, we have the universities, we have the religion, we have all of these things.'] …they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed creatures, and creeping things" (vs 21-23). Now when you reach this stage, God does something. You leave God; He leaves you.

Verse 24: "For this cause, God also abandoned them to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to disgrace their own bodies between themselves, who exchanged the Truth of God for the lie… [They believed Satan; believed his lies.] …and they worshiped and served the created thing more than the one Who is Creator, Who is blessed into the ages. Amen…. [Trusting in humanism and what's coming back now? Witchcraft, wiccans, earth-worship.] (Now notice what happens, again, second time): …For this cause… [God draws further away.] …God abandoned them to disgraceful passions; for even their women changed the natural use of sex into that which is contrary to nature… [So we now have homosexual marriages, male and female, an abomination to God.] …And in the same manner also the men, having left the natural use of sex with the woman, were inflamed in their lustful passions toward one another—men with men shamelessly committing lewd acts, and receiving back within themselves a fitting penalty for their error" (vs 24-27). And they have more sickness and disease in the male homosexual community than any other proportion of the population, and it's because of what they do. Yet they don't like to hear that, but then deny the Center for Disease Control reports about your lifestyle.

Since God is just, notice: "And in exact proportion as they did not consent to have God in their knowledge, God abandoned them… [That's the third time, right? v 24 one; v 26 two, v 28 three.] …God abandoned them to a reprobate mind, to practice those things that are immoral… [That's what happens. This has happened to the religious leaders, the political leaders, and to the general population. They don't know how to think, they don't know what is right and wrong, so here's what happens:] …being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality… [This is the headline of your evening news—correct?] …wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, guile, evil dispositions; whisperers… [Sounds like the movies, too—correct? Yes.] …Slanderers, God-haters… [The gospel of hate.] …insolent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things and practices; disobedient to parents, void of understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable and unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who commit such things are worthy of death, not only practice these things themselves, but also approve of those who commit them" (vs 28-32).

The comment was made, man has always been evil, and even the children of Israel had a big sex orgy before the golden calf while Moses was getting the judgments and statutes of God up on Mt. Sinai. But now we have more people, and it's more widespread and we're getting to the point of the Gen. 6 'that the heart of man is evil continually before God.' And never forget, it's because all that evil that there was the Flood. The only reason there isn't going to be a Flood is because God promised never to bring another flood. But He's going to bring something worse than a flood, the tribulation and the return of Christ. It's going to shake the heavens and the earth.

Let's see some admonitions for everyone here back in the book of Proverbs, chapter five. Now here's an admonition that God gives so that your life won't be entangled in these problems. I couldn't help but thinking of this when I saw Governor Sanford try to explain why he did what he did. And they even had pictures from the security cameras at the airport seeing him pull his own suitcase out so he could catch a late flight to go to Argentina to be with his elicit lover.

Proverbs 5:1: "My son, attend to my wisdom; bow your ear to my understanding; That you may keep discretion, and that your lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of a wanton woman drip as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil… [Once a woman gives herself over to that, men just fall into the trap.] …but her end is as bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword…. [Especially if you get a sexual-transmitted disease.] …Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on the grave. She does not ponder the path of life; her ways are unstable—you cannot know them. Now therefore hear me, O you children, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Remove your ways far from her… [Because you have to flee fornication, that's what Paul said. 'Run, get out of there.' And Joseph was the only man in the Old Testament that refused to lay with a wanton woman. And Job said, 'No, I don't look upon these maidens. I've made a covenant with my eyes, not to do so.' So that's departing, to keep it far from you.] …Lest you give your honor unto others… [As one commentator said about what do they think about him continuing as governor, he said, 'He's toast.' Someone called in from South Carolina and said, 'Down here we call them biscuits.'] …Lest strangers be filled with your wealth… [Got to have attorneys now to defend you—right?] …and your labors be in the house of a stranger; And you moan when your end comes, when your flesh and your body are consumed…. [You lie there in your pain and agony] …and say, 'How I hated instruction, and my heart despised correction'" (vs 1-12).

Too late! 'I know it was a dumb thing, I know I shouldn't have done it.' How many times have we heard it? I congratulate his wife for not standing there with him, like some of these other women were forced to by their profligate husbands. Like in New York, they got rid of Spitzer and the lieutenant, first thing he did he had to say, 'Well, I committed adultery, too. I want you to know it up front.'

Verse 14: "'I was almost in utter ruin in the midst of the congregation and assembly'… [So God says, just like Paul, to avoid sexual immorality, let every man have his own wife and every woman her own husband. That's God way!] (So here it is reaffirmed): …Drink waters out of your own cistern and running waters out of your own well. Let your fountains be dispersed abroad as rivers of waters in the streets. Let them be only your own, and not strangers' with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. Let her beas the loving deer and pleasant doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times, and be ravished always with her love. For why will you, my son, be ravished with a strange woman and embrace the bosom of a stranger?" (vs 14-20). And look what happened. And that's repeated over and over and over and over and over, millions of times over. You need to understand this, you're never going to get away from God.

 "For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He ponders all his paths. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins. He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall breathe his last" (vs 21-23). And that stain and shame will never be removed from anyone who has done it.

There's quite a bit in here concerning problems with sex, because God knows how people will be, and become obsessed with sex if they do not have the laws and commandments to guide them and show them where to go. Proverbs 6:23: "For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life… [And you never forget it. To what?] …To keep you from the evil woman… [And we could put there the evil man.] …from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman [or man]. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart… [And you probably heard some of the emails read over the news about how the governor was infatuated with her beauty and wrote her and told her that.] …nor let her seduce you with her eyelids, for by means of a harlot a man is vanquished to a piece of bread; and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life" (vs 23-26). I wonder how long she worked on him to make it work.

"Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent. They do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; yet if he is found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the goods of his house. But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding… [What's the first thing they say, 'Well, it was done, it was stupid.' What does that mean? You lack understanding.] …he who does it destroys his own soul He shall get a wound and dishonor; and his shame shall not be wiped away" ( vs 27-33). Unless he belongs to the liberal element of the political wing of American politics, then he will be exalted. That's what God says.

Let's come to Deuteronomy 32. Why as a nation have we done this to God? God brought us into the greatest land that there ever was. He made it the best land in all the world and put the modern descendants of Israel in it. Now here is God speaking to the children of Israel through Moses. Notice what it says. How many times does God call upon the heavens and earth to witness for Him? Are we still on the earth? Yes. Are the heavens still above us? Yes. Deuteronomy 32:1: "'Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My teachings shall drop as the rain… [Bibles everywhere.] …my speech shall drop down as the dew, as the small rain on the tender plant, and as the showers on the grass because I will proclaim the name of the LORD, and ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock; His work is perfect for all His ways are just, a God of faithfulness, and without iniquity; just and upright is He'" (vs 1-4).

Now notice compared to the prophecy of the children of Israel: "'They have corrupted themselves: they are not His children; it is their blemish; they are a crooked and perverse generation. Is this the way you pay back to the LORD, O foolish and unwise people?.... [With all the blessings that God has given.] …Is He not your Father Who bought you? Has He not made you and established you? Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; your elders, and they will tell you...'" (vs 5-7). But no longer, because they've given up on God.

Now let's look at the perfect example here in Ephesians 5 in the New Testament. I was reading that this morning in the latest proofing to send the Bible off to China for the second edition. I thought, isn't that something! We're seeing all of these things unfold right before our eyes. I thought that's a perfect description of what we've done as a nation. How have we rewarded God for all His good that He's done to us? Well, we've lied, we've cheated, we've stolen, committed adultery, and all of those things, and then we sit back and say, 'Oh, why do we have all of these problems?' Well you do because the whole nation is running itself that way. In that, a lot of us feel like poor Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah—right? Yes.

Now let's see what God wants us to do. Just think for a minute, if the whole society could do this. That's why the Kingdom of God is coming when Christ returns, for the whole world. Ephesians 5:1: "Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children… [Isn't that something? Wouldn't that be fantastic if there were a society where everyone loved God, followed His way, kept His commandments? That day is coming in the millennium when Christ returns.] …and walk in love… [Not in lust, not in adultery, not in covetousness and stealing.] …even as Christ also loved us, and gave Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor" (vs 1-2).

Yet, what always happens when they get caught, they look to God to forgive them when they have no intention of really repenting. But notice the admonition here in the Church, v 3: "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness… [And all you religious leaders in whatever denomination or cathedral or synagogue, listen to this]: …but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, do not permit it even to be named among you, as is fitting for saints; nor filthiness, nor foolish talking or jesting, which are not becoming; but instead, thanksgiving. For this you know, that no fornicator [immoral person.] or unclean person, or covetous person, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Do not let anyone deceive you with vain words; for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be joint partakers with them. For you were once darkness; but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, (Because the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and Truth;)… [Which then allows you to do what?] …Proving what is well pleasing to the Lord; And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" (vs 1-11). And that's what we are to do. We are to cry aloud and spare not in the time when these things come about.

"For it is shameful even to mention the things being done by them in secret. But all of these things being exposed by the light are openly revealed…. [So even for the Church.] …Therefore He says, 'You who are sleeping—wake up, and arise from the dead! And Christ shall shine upon you.' So then, take heed that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as those who are wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. For this reason, do not be foolish, but understanding what the will of the Lord is… [That you live by it, that you walk by it, that you do it, and that is the standard of your moral behavior.] …And do not be drunk with wine, in which is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit" (vs 12-18).

Now let's come down to v 22. Here is the marital estate. "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord… [Marriage is always a two-way street and it's not fifty-fifty. It's a hundred percent plus a hundred percent, a hundred percent by the husband, a hundred percent by the wife.] …For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. For even as the church is subject to Christ, in the same way also let wives be subject to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your own wives… [Don't two-time them.] …in the same way that Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it…. [So you are help, you are to up-build, you are to increase.] …So that He might sanctify it, having cleansed it with the washing of water by the Word; That He might present it to Himself as the glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it might be Holy and without blame. In the same way, husbands are duty-bound to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself" (vs 22-28).

Now if that were followed, there wouldn't be any adultery. There would be no need for it. God's way is the way that works. God's way is:

• the way that it is right
• the way that you build life
• the way you build families
• the way that God wants it to be

That way then there doesn't have to be agony of sin and the obsession of sex which destroy lives and families and children and brings dishonor, not only to the man and the woman, but to the whole society. Can you imagine how the people in South Carolina feel today, or whenever it happens, how they feel?

So that's what God expects. That is the way we should live our lives. So I hope we understand why this nation is obsessed with sex and where, if there is not repentance, it's going to lead.

Scriptural References:

• Isaiah 5:20-25
• Hosea 4:1-15
• Hosea 5:1-5, 7
• Jeremiah 6:10-19
• Jeremiah 7:1-4
• Joel 2:12-13
• Jeremiah 7:5-16
• Jeremiah 23:9-12
• Mark 7:21-23
• Romans 1:18-32
• Proverbs 5:1-12, 14-23
• Proverbs 6:23-33
• Deuteronomy 32:1-7
• Ephesians 5:1-18, 22-28

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Leviticus 19:29
• Genesis 6

FRC:lp
Transcribed: 7-14-09
Formatted: bo—7/28/09