The Devotional - USA03

Comment: The United States of America has the highest rate of incarceration within the civilized nations. Annually there are 2.5 million people in the prisons of our land. In Connecticut where I live there are over 12,000 men and women incarcerated at this time with sentences longer than 3 years. Another 3 to 5k are in jails for sentences of less than 3 years fluctuating rapidly. These numbers are a serious blight on any nation. People from the age of 1 day to the age of 90 plus, are victims of crime, crimes ranging from abuse to murder. Who are these plus 2.5 million criminals, the national crime charts providing this information claim that these criminals range in age from 6 years old to well into their 90’s. Some years ago I went as an EMT in my town to a place called the Joshua Home where children from the age of six to sixteen were incarcerated for crimes, even murder, where the boy of 7 years old informed the two of us that if he had a knife he would use it, it had just been taken from him by the State Police. He meant it too as you can see this sort of thing in the intent of the ones eyes.

Also let me point out something that may be foreign in our thinking. Sixty-five years ago our nation removed the Holy Bible from public education. Five years later our nation removed the Ten Commandments as well. Since that time (1950 and 1955) there has been an ever increasing advance to replace the Wisdom of God with the wisdom of the world, secular wisdom. I have volumes more to say about this, but will come later. Shall I blame the NATION? No! I blame “We the people” since we allowed this to happen, we should be ashamed!

Challenge: So here is a challenge to you regarding my comments. By the age of thirty-four everyone you know including you will have thought to commit some crime. And over ninety percent of these people will have done so. The remaining ten percent have not reached the age of six years old yet, but their day is coming. So just what is crime?

ALL CRIME is SIN – DO you know the Ten Commandments? It may be that you have heard of the fifth and sixth Commandments which reads like this in Exodus 20:13-14. (5) You shall not MURDER (6) You shall not steal. If these statements are true and they are, then we should read two of the final 10 verses of the Holy Bible. “Blessed are those who do His Commandments that they may have the RIGHT to the Tree of Life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But those outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practice a lie.” – Revelation 22:14-15. This statement alone includes all TEN Commandments.

Did you get that? Joyful will be those who DO His Commandments, they will have access to the everlasting tree of life, they also will enter heavens gates. BUT those who are outside are dogs (human but animalistic or brute beasts), sorcerers (including those who abuse drugs and alcohol). Sexually immoral (A major sin of lust and passion). Murderers, (murders that are premeditated ways to take one’s life including suicide) and if this is not enough, those who worship false gods and finally those who love to tell a lie which is their coveted conduct of life.

Humanly speaking we have all practiced, planned or participate in living in these things that keep us out of God’s Kingdom. Why because we fail to live according to the Commandment of God, we have as a nation; given up on godliness and traded His Righteousness for foolishness. Earlier in this conversation we saw that NO ONE can keep from committing crimes/SIN, even if we knew of the Ten Commandments we would still fail the Righteous Standards of God. Society today in our country is like living inside an unflushed public toilet. Sadly many of us today seem okay with that. So is it the Ten Commandments that are keeping us out of the Eternal City and away from the Tree of Life? In just the reading of Exodus 20:1-13 we would say, is there any hope? We are all doomed! We do have HOPE, but it will not be found in our filthy and foolish righteousness, Isaiah 64:6-7.

Blessed are those who DO His Word! Romans 10:4-13. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them." But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' "(that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' "(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."