Friday, September 2, 2016


Brooksyne took this photo in our backyard.

"Forgetting God"

Message Summary:  "Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God."

Listen to this message on your audio player.

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them" (Deuteronomy 4:9). "Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you this day" (Deuteronomy 8:11). "You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth" (Deuteronomy 32:18).

Alexandr (correct spelling) Solzhenitsyn was a Soviet dissident who was an outspoken critic of the Soviet Union and its totalitarianism. He was primarily instrumental in raising global awareness of the Gulag forced labor camp system. He lived to see the day the Soviet Union collapsed and passed away in 2008. Born only a few months before my father, yet he lived a drastically different life.

I came across an interesting observation Solzhenitsyn made later in life which was published in the now defunct "Eternity" magazine. "Over a half century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of old people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: 'Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened.' Since then I have spent well-nigh 50 years working on the history of our revolution; in the process I have read hundreds of books, collected hundreds of personal testimonies, and have already contributed eight volumes of my own toward the effort of clearing away the rubble left by that upheaval. But if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some 60 million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat: 'Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened'."

The tragedy of the Soviet Union is not the only country where there's great wisdom in that statement. It can be applied to any people and to any individual. I find it very insightful to apply it to modern America and our many troubles.

There are also many parallels between modern America and apostate Israel such as the motivation of ease and economic gain, a disregard and rejection of divinely imposed moral restraints, the ungodliness of leadership (sin is scoffed at and even approved). False prophets spoke against the plan of God. Today we have many weak churches and powerless pulpits that have succumbed to liberalism and accommodation to the world.

Erwin Lutzer observes, "Hate speech laws and recent court rulings seek to restrict our right to believe, preach, and practice one’s religious convictions (hate speech, someone said, is simply whatever the leftists among us hate to hear!). The supposed line of “separation between church and state” means that God must stay on His side of the line in our country’s education, politics, law, science, and workplaces. Beware if you live out your religion in the so-called public square, because you just might find yourself slapped with a lawsuit." *¹

Our local Bible College just had a smear article in our local paper due to its faithful stand regarding morality. Thank God for leadership like Peter Teague, the school's president, who is standing faithful. *²

Today's texts are a warning and a prophetic portion given in Moses' final sermon before his death. Although Israel, under his successor Joshua's leadership, would have a time of faithful service to the Lord, Moses warns against and predicts a time of falling away, which Bible history records as happening.

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." Now that's a verse that we all should memorize and put into daily practice!

Throughout Lancaster County, and this part of the country for that matter, we often pass farms and rural houses with a small sign declaring a Scripture text or inspirational saying. A good verse to have on these signs would be this one: "Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God."


Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father of all nations, we're grateful that, as believers, our citizenship is primarily in heaven and we share this glorious citizenship with our brothers and sisters all over the world. We want to remember You foremost in the midst of our prosperity and seek to keep Your commandments. We pray for a massive worldwide revival where people will humble themselves, seek Your face, pray and turn from their wicked ways so that we will hear from Heaven and You will heal our sin sick land. Until that hour we will remain faithful and unwavering in our commitment to follow Your Word while we eagerly await our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

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"Heal Our Land"  Video  Michael Card

"Heal Our Land"  Video   Wayne Watson

*¹ "The Demise of Religious Freedom in America"  Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer Article

"WHEN A NATION FORGETS GOD"  Short Video clip   Erwin Lutzer

*² Article in Lancaster newspaper smearing Lancaster Bible College.