A Message for America and Its Cultural Religion — Carter Conlon

Praise God. If you'll turn please in the Old Testament to the book of Hosea. If you find Ezekiel, the next book is Daniel. Next one is Hosea. I think Hosea is About eight or so books to the right of the book of Psalms.

Praying for Understanding in Perilous Times

Hosea go to chapter 14 we'll start there and then we're going to go backwards from there father. I thank you God with all my heart. For the anointing of the Holy Spirit, I would never attempt to speak this Holy Spirit if you didn't come and animate me.

I Need you Lord to form your heart within me. I Need to speak God the thoughts of your heart and I need to speak them with the intonations of your voice. Lord, I'm asking God for you to overshadow me grip my heart in my mind.

Unlock the incredible truths and secrets of your word. And let them be known as they're spoken in simplicity. Help us to understand the time we're living in. Deliver us Lord from childishness. Make us men and women of understanding.

You said through the Prophet Daniel that There would be an understanding in the last days that you would unlock. That you would give to your people. Lord we want to know where we live in. We want to know what lies ahead.

Now thank you for this in Jesus mighty name. I've entitled this a message for America and its cultural religion. You know beloved we're going to be in the. We're going to be in the streets of New York Times Square on September the 20th.

There seems to be a recognition In many people throughout the world that this is a momentous time. Although many people may not fully understand why? Hundreds of churches coming together. Other countries entire congregations many I think there's as many as 76 now are going to be gathering together.

They're going to be screening this event live. They're going to be praying with us. But you and I need to pray with an understanding a lot of prayer events in the past. Are just simply their gatherings and prayer is a good thing and I'm not ever downplaying that.

But this is not a carnival. This is not a gathering together to shout into the air and wave a few flags and walk away saying God has changed the world. No, this is much deeper than that. This is a call of the Holy Spirit.

Gathering his people to a specific location. Outside perhaps because there's no other venue where we would all get together. Over 300 churches are anticipated be it in attendance in Times Square in two weeks for the specific purpose.

Of coming to God and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit praying this simple prayer Lord forgive us. But forgive us for what is the question? What have we done as a nation that is causing? God to gather us into a specific central location.

Beaming it out to over 80 colleges high schools youth groups churches various states in various countries. What what have we done? That the Lord would say I want you to pray this way Lord forgive us if we don't understand this we're going to just go out with a generic Lord forgive us for whatever and We're not going to walk away.

Having found something that God wants to give us as a people. Wants to do something very profound in you and in me and I do believe in all those that are praying. But we need to have a right perspective.

We need to understand some things. I Want to ask you in Christ's name to bear with me through this message. The Lord wouldn't let me write this down. I tried a Few times to write it down and the more I tried to write it down the harder it became.

And he said no you've been fasting you've been praying you've been seeking. I want to speak now. I want to speak to my church. I want to speak to my people. Let's start it in Hosea. Please chapter 14 now in order to understand this Book of Scripture we have to understand who's that Hosea was he was a prophet son of God to the northern kingdom, which was the numerically Larger number of people after the kingdom of Israel split under the leadership of Rehoboam in the northern kingdom started on a progression of Continued spiritual declension until eventually it was swallowed by a Syria dissipated among the nations and realistically ceased to exist and Hosea is a man who's He he had a wife that was not faithful and Because of this he understood the heart of God he understood where this nation was going and God sent this man to plead for them to turn back again.

And the one voice That a society and spiritual declension will not listen to repeatedly is the voice of the prophet. You see it all the way through scriptures when God sends the voice of the prophet. They technically usually will put them in a dungeon.

Will mock the prophet of God will send them away into another place. We'll push that voice completely away. The one of the Kings in the Old Testament tore up the words of Jeremiah and threw them in the fire.

There's there's something about a society that has come to a flashpoint of judgment. Really? That's what it is when society has hit that point when we've crossed the line. When we've we've gone beyond The warnings of God where we can't hear anymore and I'm talking now collectively as a society we can't hear anymore.

The voice of the prophet will still be there because God will be faithful to warn. But sad to say most of the nation will no longer be able to hear. I fear in my heart That in this society we've come to this point.

We're long past it. The voice of the prophet is a mock voice now not. May be entertained for a little while several years maybe a decade or two back but no longer listen to. Just considered another railer on the street corner with with another viewpoint of the country and of God and of the future.

How it must break the heart of the Lord? When people that he loved. When people that he gathered from all over the world people who long for freedom. And they came and they were given in in a certain land as in Hosea's day.

They were brought out of captivity and they were brought by the power of God into a nation. And in that nation they were given freedom to worship. They were warned in that nation. That you must turn away from the gods of the people who have previously occupied these places because if you don't if you don't make it clear break from them.

You're going to find you're going to eventually go in that direction and the gods of the nation are going to so interweave themselves with the worship of the Lord Jehovah as it was in the Old Testament.

But eventually it'll no longer be discernible that it really is God there'll be such a mixture in it and that mixture will produce a powerlessness and A blindness and a mysterious inner blindness that even though the clouds of judgment may be right on the horizon.

The people will be still talking about wonderful days ahead in the house of God. They'll be talking about increased and never-ending prosperity. Not aware. Think about Belshazzar for a moment took the holy things of God and partied with them in Babylon.

And Daniel stood before Belshazzar and he said Belshazzar you knew you knew the history. You knew That God judges even in your own house. He said your own father was that came under judgment because he played with the holy things of God.

He said Belshazzar you should have known. You've taken the holy things of the temple and you've made a party out of it. And you've sat there and you've drank to the gods of gold and silver and stone and wood.

Things made with men's hands and Daniel stood there and said now Belshazzar the Lord has numbered your kingdom and he's finished it. It's over. But such a blindness was upon that particular generation that even though the Word of God was pronouncing the end of this kingdom that seemingly had ruled the world for many many years and even though there's a Pronouncement that it's over Belshazzar commands them.

It says come to Daniel put fine robes on him. Put a gold chain around about his neck and make him third ruler in the kingdom. The spiritual blindness. I don't know if there's a and an evidence or indication of greater ignorance than that.

When people are standing in the presence of the living and the Holy God and unaware of the precarious situation that they're in. The Lord wants us going into the street with understanding. We have to know the hour that we're in.

We're not children that are just looking for a good time. We have to understand. This is a perilous moment we have to know that as Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24 that People will be preoccupied in the last days Just prior to the coming of Christ with buying and selling and marrying and giving in marriage.

It will it will it will so grip a society. They won't be aware of what's happening. They won't be aware when danger is right at the door and especially if God himself even has set his hand To bring about a correction.

Hosea’s Call to Return to the Lord

They'll not be aware of it chapter 14 verse 1 of Hosea. Oh Israel Return unto the Lord thy God. For thou has fallen by thine iniquity take with your words and turn to the Lord and say to him take away all iniquity and Receive us graciously and so will we render the calves or that means the praises of our lips.

Usher will not save us will not ride upon horses. Neither will we say any more to the work of our hands. You are our gods for in thee the fatherless find mercy. I Will heal their backsliding. I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him.

I Will be as the dew unto Israel. He shall grow as the lily and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the olive tree and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return.

They shall revive as the corn and grows the vine. The scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say what have I to do any more with idols? I've heard him and observed him. I'm like a green fir tree from me as thy fruit found.

Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them. For the ways of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fall therein. In other words Hosea is saying there'll be a very clear word there'll be a very clear revelation of God and those that are just those that God can't speak to.

Those that can approach unto the Lord and say God. I'm not here to have you fit into my agenda. I'm not here to use you as a vehicle To become what is in my heart to be? But God. I am here for the sole purpose of yielding my life to you and To say God forgive me.

For everything I've embraced for everywhere. I go for everything I do. That is not representing you among men in this generation. I yield to you Lord. I yield to your purposes and The scripture tells us very clearly that those who choose to walk this way will return.

They will revive they will grow. There will be a sweet savor of Christ flowing through them in these last hours of time. They will cast away their idols. They will come to Christ and they will find him to be a green tree abounding in fruit.

The glory of the Lord will be the portion of his people in this last hour of time. I know it with all my heart. I know it as surely as I stand here the glory of the Lord and it will not be Circumstance dependent.

It won't really matter if a thousand are falling at this side and ten thousand on that side. It won't really matter if the trumpet is blowing and all kinds of alarms are being raised in the nation. No God will have a people.

Their eyes will be fixed and the ways and the works of God. Their hearts will be gripped By the passion and the power of God. Their steps will be ordered in the work of God. Their hands will be about the tenderness of God.

Their voices will be directing those that are terrified to where the power and the provision of God is found. Oh, yes. Oh, yes, my friend. God will have a people in the earth. Praise be to God praise be to God praise be to God.

He will have a people in the earth. We ought not to be afraid to say Lord help us cause us to return to you. Forgive us Lord where we've failed you. Forgive us God for where in our hearts we have embraced the ways of a fallen society.

God Almighty Forgive us. I'm gonna be among the chiefest of those there crying out to the Lord said God forgive me Lord for the things I see. For the things that don't see. For what I know for what I don't know.

I am part of the Church of Jesus Christ. I'm part of this testimony that you wanted established in the earth in this generation and God Almighty I'm asking you to get out of my heart everything Lord that has stood in the way of your life.

Everything God that hinders your the expression of your heart to this human vessel to this generation. Everything God that renders the testimony of your resurrection power. Powerless coming out of this human vessel.

Repentance and the Church’s Testimony

God, please Lord take these things out of my life. God give me the courage of Daniel to open my window and face Lord face God the failings of your people and face God what we've done and Face who we've become and unashamedly turn to you Lord and say God I'm coming to you today because you're a God of mercy.

Lord when you established the temple you wrote a song about yourself. And that song said praise the Lord for he is good and his mercy endures forever. So Lord, I'm coming to your mercy today. I'm coming God believing Lord that you are the God who can restore.

You're the God who can heal. Lord, you're the God who will have a testimony in spite of what happens to the nation's. Now go to chapter 13, please. Hosea is speaking about what happened to the testimony of Israel.

Why was God going to judge his own people. Why would God bring a people out of bondage and into a nation. Call it by his name and then judge it and literally let it be overwhelmed by its enemies intermingled and Dispersed among the peoples of the world.

What could be the reason? Why this kind of a thing could happen to God's own house and his own people. When Ephraim that's Israel, that's another chapter 13 verse 1 when Ephraim spoke trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, but when he offended in Baal he died.

When my people honored me when there was conviction in my house, I Believe there America's not had a perfect religion. All you have to do is look back in history a hundred years and you can see the glaring inconsistencies.

But there has been an underlying Seeking of God. There have been times in society Where there've been great moves of God when people could be confronted when they could be turned back. When when the voice of God could be lifted in his house, and there was a trembling there was an awe.

There was a reverence of God. There was a sense of God's holiness. Men had enough sense to know that God's ways were right and men's ways were wrong. And there was a time in this country when I'm sure you would walk in the house of the Lord.

And if you were living in willful sin, you would tremble. You would tremble. Preachers preach now. They may not have always had it right. They may have been a little heavy on the legal side or they may have focused a little too much on certain things.

But there was a trembling. There was a time in this country when you walked in the house of God and you knew if you were living in sin. You were going to be confronted. There was a time when sinners were not comfortable in the presence of God.

There was a trembling there was a word. There was a time when old-fashioned preachers left the plow. They didn't have much education. But they went in the prayer closet and God touched them and they stood in Pulpits and when they stood in pulpits the glory of God came.

They didn't they massacred the Kings English half the time and they didn't even know how to pronounce things in the Bible. But they knew who God was and they knew who men were and they could speak into the heart.

There were seasons and times when tent meetings throughout this country the sawdust meetings when people would come in and the glory of the Lord. Would be so in these places that people would fall on their knees and fall on their faces before a holy God.

They would repent of their sins because there was a reverence. There was an awe of a holy God in spite of the mixture that is always part of every society. There was still a reverence for God in much of his house.

When Ephraim spoke trembling exalted himself when when there was this awe when there was this reverence of God. The church the testimony of the church was held in esteem in the nation, but when he offended in Baal.

Prosperity Worship and the Loss of Conviction

Now Baal was the Canaanite God of the surrounding territories. Baal is the God that people without God worship. Baal is the God of provision. He's a God who sends crops into the field. He's the God who fills your cupboard and as long as the cupboard was full then people would could worship Baal.

When we worship God. There was a trembling at his house but folks America has made a tragic mistake. The worship of Baal has come into the house of the Lord and the God of prosperity. Has become the God that much of the church of this age, which is a cultural church.

In a sense, it's it's it's in the culture that that part of the country that's without God to worship prosperity. And as long as the church stood. As a contrast to this not to say that God's people should be poor but the prosperity that God gives should have a proper focus.

In the alleviation of the suffering of the poor in the in the relieving the oppressed and using the resources of God. To bring the kingdom of God to those who have no helper. But it all changed and suddenly it became about us it became about individual people and When this came into the house of the Lord the testimony of God died died folks.

The testimony of God is almost dead in this country. Just because 50 ,000 people attend some church somewhere does not mean that God is even there any longer. If there is no conviction of sin. If there is no burden to let go of the things of this world and to walk with the Holy God.

I'm telling you the Holy Spirit is not there. I Don't care how many people attend. I don't care how fancy it is. I don't care how much money it has it. God is not there when there's no conviction of sin.

When sinners come in and they're not challenged to turn from all of the pursuits of the natural life and heart. The Lord has left the place. And Now he says they sin more and more verse 2 and have made them molten images of their silver and idols according to their own understanding all the work of craftsmen.

And they say that let it let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves. In other words. There now it's all the work of craftsmen. Have you noticed? Much of American religion today is always crafting some new image of God.

Always crafting always fashioning always looking for some new thing because they've really abandoned the cross. And they say to the people constantly they're not called men of God. They're not holy men of God.

They're not they're not separated men of God. They're not men who challenge the people of their behavior and their lifestyle. No. They just fashion these constant images that are palatable to the masses and they say come now.

Worship this the brand-new image of God and let's call him Jesus. Let's worship him never confronts your sin doesn't require holiness of you. Doesn't require that you take up your cross and follow him will prosper.

You will give you a great destiny. Will make you into an important person and etc, etc. Verse 3 says therefore shall they be as the morning cloud and as the Early dew that passes away in the chaff that's driven with the whirlwind out of the floor and as the smoke out of the chimney when Difficulty comes and folks.

We're heading into some incredibly stormy waters. People will run to them because they promised The drink of God as it is. But the clouds will have passed away. They promise weight or weightiness but adversity will drive them out of the house of God.

They promised the fire of God, but they're just no more than smoke coming out of a chimney. Driven by the wind and will be dissipated. I See much of what calls itself the Church of Jesus Christ in this country will be soon driven to the wind by adversity.

He said in verse 4 yet, I'm the Lord your God from the land of Egypt. You shall know no God but me for there's no Savior beside me. I Knew you in the wilderness in the land of great drought. How it must break the heart of God.

How it must break his heart. All the people that came to this country. So many were persecuted a lot of people were persecuted in their own lands. Because if they wanted to believe in God and walk with God and he says I saw you in the wilderness in the place of great drought and I brought you here and Verse 6 says according to their pasture.

They were filled and their heart was exalted and they forgotten me. I Brought you to this place Where you were free to pursue life and liberty and happiness. You were free to worship me and I blessed you here, but you forgot me.

What a tragedy to be living in such a time. What a heartbreak? Therefore I'll be unto them as a lion and as a leopard by the way, I'll observe them. I'll meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps and will rend the call of their heart and There will I devour them like a lion and the wild beast shall tear them.

Oh Israel you've destroyed yourself. But in me is your help. The Lord says out come to you like a bear that has lost her greatest treasure. The Lord doesn't judge. Because there's any delight in his heart.

But he looks down and he sees what was supposed to be his heritage and says I can't let this go on any longer. I Can't let this farce that calls itself the temple of God go on any longer. I can't let these people.

I Can't let them any longer pursue this path that is going to lead them into hell. Folks just shortly just a few weeks ago in a major city in this country. There was a huge meeting of Christian leaders gathered together and In this enough to almost fill a stadium and in this particular gathering I'm not aware of one born-again Bible believing speaker that spoke to these pastors.

I got a letter from a pastor that was there and he said my heart was broken. My heart was pounding and he said oh my god. Does anybody around me see what's happening to us? Here we we put men in the pulpit that are headed for hell and that we're putting them up as role models of success in the Christian Church.

Because they have power and influence and authority. Try to tell me that the Canaanite culture is not in the house of God in our generation try to tell me that we've not fallen to the idols of this of this society that Where people just lust after power they lust after recognition and fame and money and don't care what it takes to get there as pastors.

Sit there Mesmerized listening to unsaved men teach them the principles of success in the kingdom of God. Men who are headed for hell are teaching the church folks. You destroyed yourself. He said Israel.

Judgment, Idolatry, and Cultural Religion

But I was there to help you all along. I Your cities and your judges of whom you said give us give me a king and a prince. I Gave you a king in my anger and I took him away in my wrath. The iniquity of a frame is bound up.

His sin is hid. In other words. It's gotten so deep now That no reasoning will take it out. The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him. He's an unwise son. He should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.

Another translation says it this way. He's so entrenched in his way of doing things that even though I bring upon him the pains of labor He will not come forth into new birth. So stubborn so set on his view of God.

His is legitimate right as he sees it to this pursuit of himself. So stubborn that though I cause pain. Though I Clearly speak though the heavens though the earth though everything around begins to shake.

He will not come forth. Because he has so entrenched himself in stubbornness against the ways of God. Verse 14. I'll ransom them from the power of the grave. I'll redeem them from death. Oh death. I'll be thy plagues.

Oh grave, I'd be thy destruction now. This is not really a good translation in the King James because what it really says. When you read other translations, I would have ransomed them from the power of the grave.

I would have redeemed them from death. I would have stayed your plagues. I would have destroyed the grave. But now repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. Though he be fruitful among his brethren an east wind shall come.

The wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness and his spring shall become dry. His fountain shall be dried up. He shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels. Samaria shall become desolate for she's rebelled against her God.

And they shall fall by the sword their infants shall be dashed in pieces and their women with child shall be ripped up unthinkable to the people of that generation. And they'd be sitting there like you're sitting here today saying who is this man that he dare speak to us this way.

Who is this man? That he speaks such words when we are at the zenith of prosperity. Which they were when Hosea began to prophesy that we have formed political alliances that are guaranteeing us security in the future.

We seemingly have it all together. We've got a plan to get out of every situation. We find ourselves in who is this man now to stand here and tell us that such calamity is coming into our society folks he said your children are going to be an overcome and.

And the women with child shall be ripped up and if that doesn't speak about abortion and Selflessness so gripping a nation that a river of blood now is flowing. Don't think for a second. God doesn't see this.

Don't try to tell me that women with children are not being ripped up By the thousands now every day. And don't tell me that there's not an accounting for this. There's no delight in the heart of God in judging a place that was precious to his heart.

Corporate Repentance and the Church’s Mission

When we stand before the Lord on September the 20th Hosea said Oh Israel return to the Lord your God for you've fallen by your iniquity. Take with you words and turn to the Lord and say to him take away all iniquity.

You and I have to stand before the Lord. And folks it's now not about necessarily saving a nation now, it's about the church. It's the testimony of the church is at stake now. And that testimony is in a body it's that testimony is in your life and it's in my life and you and I've got to stand there and Really?

The tenure of the permitting will be set by this congregation whether You understand that or not the tenure of it will be set by this Congregation and you and I have to stand there and say Oh God Almighty take away all iniquity.

We must not stand in smugness. We must not stand thinking we've achieved everything or that we know it all we don't. We don't. Are the sick being healed when you lay hands on them. Is every devil fleeing now when you open your mouth.

Are we not sore to the glory of God as well? Is there not a thing or some things in you and in me that might be hindering the power of God? We've got to go before the Lord say God take away iniquity. Lord where I've embraced something where I have a view of myself.

That's not in line with the kingdom of heaven. Where I have pursuits God that are bringing weakness where I've where I'm something hidden under my tent. That is bringing weakness into the camp of Israel.

God Almighty take away iniquity. Forgive me Lord. Forgive me God because I should be standing and when I stand People's knees should be bending. The glory of God should be in my life and that's you too.

Not just me all of us corporately in this city. The glory of the Lord should be flowing through his church again. Take away iniquity and receive us graciously. God help me to understand grace. Help me to understand that I can come like the prodigal son.

I can come even if I'm far away. I can come God. I can't come into your presence. I'm invited to your throne. You told me to knock. You told me to seek. You told me to ask. I am invited.

I'm here by legitimate right through the blood of Jesus Christ. Oh.

God take me to that place of grace. Take me to that place where I'm changing into the image. And the glory of God is being revealed and released in my soul and through my life and Oh God there I will praise you there I will lift up my voice there God in spite of what's going on on the left or the right a hand of me.

Oh God, I will give praise to you. The Lord says I'm looking for this when I gather my people to pray. I'm looking for this. It's not all about the land folks. It's about you and it's about me now. It's about the testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Verse three says Asher will not save us. In other words, no political process. No plans of man. Nothing nothing nothing of this world or this society will save us. We will not ride upon horses. In other words, we're giving up our own plans.

We're not going to walk in pride. We're coming humbly before you God. Neither will we say any more to the work of our hands. You are our gods for in thee the fatherless find mercy God I've needed your mercy and Lord as you touch me with mercy.

I now understand that I am called in this world to be an ambassador of this mercy to others. I'm called Lord to pick up that that nobody else wants. I'm called Oh God. I'm called father. Remember the Prophet Malachi said in the last days God will come through the Prophet Elijah or that that anointing that Elijah type anointing and turn the hearts of the fathers back to the Children again and the children to their fathers Lord.

I'm not called to live this life for myself. I'm not called to be self-consumed. I'm not called just to seek out some comfortable place in this world and ride out the storm until I get to heaven. I'm called to go to the fatherless folks.

Children should not suffer in this world. It's not right the children suffer. Folks that isn't right and you and I've got to do everything in our power to make a difference. We I thank God. We're not feeding four thousand five hundred children every day as a congregation.

But that's only the beginning of what God wants to do in thee the fatherless find mercy. Praise be to God praise be to God. Praise be to God as you and I the body of Christ begin to reach out to the oppressed and the afflicted and the Addicted and those that have no helper as we look away from ourselves and begin to look to what the work of God in the Earth really is.

He says I'll heal their backsliding. That's God's part. My part is to come and say God forgive me. God's part. It says I'll heal their backsliding. I will love them freely and my anger will be turned away from him.

I'll be as the dew to Israel and he will grow as the lily and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. The Lord says the beauty of Christ will be upon you. Your roots will go down deep and in spite of whatever storm comes to this nation.

You will be able to stand as the trees of righteousness the planning of the Lord that he might be glorified. His branches will spread and his beauty shall be as the olive tree and his smell as Lebanon.

They that dwell under the shot his shadow shall return. They shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine and the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. The Lord says I'll put I'll put the scent of my presence upon you.

Praise be to God praise be to God folks. You understand today. It's about the church now. It's about the church now. It's about the testimony of Christ all else may fail. But the testimony of Christ cannot be shaken.

Only that which cannot be shaken the scripture says is going to remain. Ephraim shall say what have I to do anymore with idols? I've heard him. I've observed him. I'm like a green fir tree. For me is thy fruit found no more.