A Famine On The Land by Dr. Dave Madenberg

Since the mid-1880's, the United States has been the wealthiest nation in the world, possessing more tangible goods, economic and military might, natural gas, farmland, and religious freedom in the history of the world.

The US has also sent the most missionaries of any country into the world to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

America has been blessed by God with an abundance of food, clean water, rivers and lakes teeming with all types of fish, delicacies fit for royalty, and socio-economic stability.

I recall growing up in the 50's and 60's, and how good those days were to be alive.

--On Sunday mornings throughout the 1950's, TV offered wholesome, family-friendly content such as religious programming, shows like Howdy Doody, Captain Kangaroo, Romper Room, Woody Woodpecker, and Westerns with Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.

--And nothing was open on Sundays with the exception of an occasional pharmacy or 'greasy spoon' diner.  In those days, the Sabbath was honored by most people.

-- In the early 60's,  Sunday morning TV was a mix of  religious programming, educational shows, animations like  Davey and Goliath  funded by the Lutheran Church in America.  And more  westerns  came into being  such as  Gunsmoke  and  Bonanza.  

Then, on Sunday  nights, many families would sit together and watch shows like: The Wonderful World of Disney, Wild Kingdom and The Ed Sullivan Show.

TV content on Sundays in the 50's and early 60's was generally clean and wholesome, honoring God and the Sabbath, and prepared families for church.

But, then, in the mid to late 60's, things began to change.

Morality started its decline, becoming  low brow and  trashy.   WHY?   

**Maybe it was President Kennedy's assassination in 1963  when America wept,  that society began to lose its innocence.

**Or, reciting the 'Pledge of Allegiance' was no longer a ritual for students to  recite with  hand over  heart  first thing in the morning.

**Maybe it was because prayer was taken out of the public schools due to a  Supreme Court decision declaring prayer in school was 'unconstitutional.' 

That's when  the expression, 'Separation of Church and State,' became a popular mantra for atheists and God-haters  especially on college campuses.

And more recently, reading the bible in school is frowned upon but reading the Koran allowed.

**The Vietnam War  that was protested so vehemently by the baby-boomers   became the catalyst for:  'Flower Power,'  'Free love,'  'Woodstock,'  and burning of the bra and draft card. 

**Did morality begin to decline because of the 'communist indoctrination'  that was slowly introduced into the educational system?

**Was it because abortion was legalized in 1973 by the US Supreme Court, touted by society as  'progressive'  and a  'leap forward?'

**Did things begin to change when parents eased their restrictions by allowing their kids to use profanity in front of them?  Or, purchase cigarettes and alcohol for their kids so they wouldn't be referred to as  'old fashioned?' 

(I remember when it was time for me to enter high school, my folks told me if I ever decided to smoke, to let them know and they'd purchase cigarettes for me.) 

**Did morality begin to tumble when TV content turned smutty? 

Nudity, foul language, shows glamorizing drug and alcohol use,  shows  suggesting it was acceptable to cheat on your spouse, or cheat on an exam at school in order to continue playing on a sports team, or sitcoms and Hollywood movies ridiculing God and portraying Christians as uneducated imbeciles, using the excuse ... 'Well, it's just comedy.'  (Yeah, try doing that to Muslims!)

**Did morality plummet when rock music turned out songs with suggestive lyrics   played repeatedly on the radio?  (exs. Rhapsody in the Rain and Louis, Louis)

The truth is, all the above likely contributed to the  'moral decay'  prevalent in today's society. Filth was then exported to the rest of the world through Hollywood movies, the music industry, and unethical business practices  designed for  investor profit rather than  concern for people. (Ex. unethical food processing)

The US has been and remains the greatest purveyor of filth to the world.

Nahum 3:19 says of Nineveh (and also America):  "For upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?"

A  'famine'  began  to take hold,  not only in this country,  but around the world.

Many bible scholars believe  'Mystery Babylon'  in the Book of Revelation refers to America.  And Rev 18:2-3  speaks of Mystery Babylon's  future fall  from grace: 

"Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!"  "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."

And here we are today, living in the stench of  the moral decay  beginning  well over 60 years ago. 

--Today, we're witnessing many people living in depravity, calling LGBTQ an 'acceptable alternative lifestyle,'  acceptable to God and man.    

Truly,  there's  'A Famine in America'  and  the entire world. 

Q: But, how can anyone say, there's a  'famine' in America when food closets in homes are filled, shelves at Piggly Wiggly and Pick N' Save are stocked with food, people are being helped by food pantries across the country, and there's no lack of clean water to drink? 

--The prophet Amos wrote about this famine thousands of years ago. God spoke this  through him  in  Amos 8:11-12,   

"Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord."  "They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it." 

(1)  There's a  famine of  God's truth  coming  from  pulpits.

There have been, and still are, 'wolves in sheep's clothing'  standing behind  the pulpit  whose mission is to lead people astray;  to divide the people of God. 

They mislead God's people  by  preaching false doctrine  'opposing' what the bible teaches.  These  'disseminators of false doctrine'   pick and choose or even twist  verses of scripture  trying to  convince people they're speaking truth. 

But, they omit verses contradicting their false claims. They skillfully manipulate God's word  in an attempt to deceive, even if possible, God's elect.  2 examples:

(Ex1)  A preacher may say this to a  flock he's trying to fleece: "If you donate  $200  to this ministry, God promises He will give it back to you sevenfold!"

Sounds good to those who don't know the word. And there are many verses of scripture where God promises to bless our giving such as in 2Cor 9, Lk 6, Mal 3 and Prov 3. But what God really tells us about returning 'sevenfold' is in Joel 2:25, 

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten (stolen) ..."  And in Prov 6:30-31, "People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.  Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold ..."

God promises He will bless the seed we plant but does not promise He will give back to us sevenfold.  He promises to restore sevenfold what was stolen from us, not give back 'sevenfold'  a donation  we  handed over to a charlatan preacher.

(Ex2) There's a man running for office in Texas, who said in one of his YouTube videos, 'Jesus would be insulted'  by not allowing immigrants to come into this country illegally, possibly separating them from their children.

He even made a blasphemous comment that Jesus is binary (both male and female). And those who don't know God's word might be sucked into this lie.

He attempts to instill guilt in our heart, even though what these immigrants do by crossing the border illegally is against our immigration laws. They choose to break US law.

And this "deceiver" makes other comments in his video as to why  'Jesus would be insulted.'  His words  'twist'  the meaning of what's written in scripture.  But,  those who know God's word are able to detect such false statements.

Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:15-16: "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits".

In Acts 20:29-31, the Apostle Paul says:  "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also from among yourselves  men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. (Draw away those who follow Jesus by saying, 'Hey, I'm from among you.  I'm an ordained minister of the Gospel,' in an attempt to gain our trust  and  lend themselves  credibility.)  Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."

And in 2 Peter 2:1-2 we read:  "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 

Their lies  cause people to  turn from God's truth  through lack of knowledge as to what's written in God's word.  So, we  believe what these  wolves espouse.  Yes, Jesus would be insulted by false preachers and teachers spewing lies in His name.

Q:  Don't these false preachers who speak words to tug at our heartstrings consider what Jesus said in Matt 22:21,  "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

--Immigration laws have been established by Caesar  (the government)  and must be obeyed until or unless Caesar changes them. We can't just pick and choose which laws can or can't be broken, or chaos ensues as what occurred in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

--Purveyors of false doctrine  spread their lies with a smile and a look of great concern. They speak smooth, gentle words that even their father Satan, the 'father of lies,' might believe as being true. 

--They speak words that appeal to those wanting to hear only  'pleasant things'  to make them  'feel good,'  rather than opening their heart to God's  sometimes  'hard truth,'  but that leads us  onto the path God wants us all to walk.

2Tim 4:3-4  speaks to the times we're now living:  "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

And in Hosea 4:6  God says:  "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

(2)  There's a famine of godly preachers and teachers serving in godly churches, standing behind the pulpit preaching God's truth  rather than man's opinion.

And again, those unfamiliar with scripture become prey, being led astray because they didn't take the time to study God's word to learn His truth.

Hosea 4:1 says: "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land."  

And how many people do we know, or even ourselves, have little or no interest in learning about God,  His truth, or His ways?

People who don't know God's word are being manipulated into turning to the left and to the right, rather than walking the straight path leading to the cross and eternal life.

When we deviate from the  path God intends us to walk, when we do things  'our way'  because  'it seems right'  rather than  'God's way,'  Isa 30:21  tells us:

"Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left."

God promises us  His Holy Spirit  will guide our steps back onto the  path He wants us to walk.  But only believers are given the gift of God's Holy Spirit to guide them.

(3)  There's a famine of  justice and obedience  to the law. 

Judges deciding cases, not based on merit or case law, but based on their own opinion and political bias.

Elected officials making laws based on what benefits them rather than benefitting the people who elected them, and based on how God commands us to live.

(Ex)  Sanctuary cities and corrupt judges  release criminals from  jail giving them a third and fourth chance or more. So, they proceed to commit more crimes, even murder.  And these officials still protect them from deportation by ICE.  Judge Dugan from Milwaukee found guilty of exactly this and stripped of her judgeship.

Micah 7:2-3  declares:  "The faithful man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net.  That they may successfully do evil with both hands -- The prince asks for gifts (politicians), the judge seeks a bribe, and the great man  (globalist elitists) utters his evil desire; so they scheme together ..." 

And Isa 10:1-3 says:  "Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, who write misfortune, which they have prescribed to rob the needy of justice, and to take what is right from the poor of My people (increase already exorbitant taxes), that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless.  What will you do in the day of punishment? ..."(As they stand before the Throne on Judgment Day?)

(4)  There's a famine of  belief in the One true God  of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Ps 53:1 tells us:  "The fool has said in his heart there is no God."

How many false gods are there in the world causing deception, coming from Satan's altar of deception?

Muslims  worship Allah.

Buddhists  revere Buddha and various enlightened deities who show Buddhists the path to enlightenment.  

Wiccans  worship the moon, the earth, nature and more.

Hindus  worship many gods, where Brahman is considered to be their creator.  They also have what they call their trinity:  Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), and Shiva (destroyer), along with many other false deities.

And now, Chrislam,  a religion where Christianity and Islam have been combined,  teaching  the  God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob  and Allah  are one in the same. This  blasphemous  belief  was endorsed by the last pope who died recently.

AI overview  estimates there are  4,000  religions worldwide, with  anthropologists  identifying  at least 18,000  false gods  worshipped  throughout  the centuries.

Q: Guys, where did all these false gods come from, turning people away from worshipping the one true God of Israel, our Creator? 

A:   Satan is  the  'great deceiver' in the Bible. He's the 'father of lies' who deceives the entire world  leading people away from God.  He's also identified as the 'serpent' in the  Garden of  Eden and  the  'adversary'  who uses men to preach his lies. 

Rev 12:9 says,  "So the great dragon was cast out (of heaven), that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world ..."

But, the bible also tells us in the end, the Lord Jesus will foil Satan's plans and is already victorious over sin, death and the grave  by what He did for us on the cross.

And this is another example  of why it's so important to  know what's written in God's word.  If  not, we'll be influenced by a 'wolf', spewing false doctrine  or preaching a watered-down version of the Gospel. 

Since the Exodus, God has been revealing Himself to humanity by His word: 

In Deut 4:35, Moses reminded the Israelites (and us):  "To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.  Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire (pillar of fire leading the Israelites by night), and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire."

Hosea 13:4, "Yet I am the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but Me; for there is no savior besides Me."

In Isa 43:2-3, God says:  "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you, when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you (Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego).  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior ..."  

Isa 43:10-12, "You are My witnesses, says the Lord ... That you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He.  Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me.  I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior ... Therefore you are My witnesses, says the Lord, that I am God."

Isa 44:6,  "Thus say the Lord, the King of Israel (Jesus), and His Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts (God, the Father):  I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God."

Isa 45:5,12:  "I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. ... I have made the earth, and created man on it. I- My hands- stretched out the heavens (stars and planets), and all their host (angelic beings) I have commanded."

And there are many more verses in both the Old and New Testaments describing God as God.  (which I encourage all to read)

I'd like to end this message  with a true account of what happened in Romania to pastor Richard Wurmbrand  and some of his fellow prisoners. These men were being starved at the hands of the cruel communist regime. They were imprisoned solely for their faith in Jesus.

These cruel guards ate potatoes while giving the starving prisoners the potato peels they made into soup.  The guards kept taunting them with a second cup of  soup  if  they denied their faith in Jesus.

These men of God, though starving, refused to deny Christ. They encouraged each other to imagine themselves seated at the marriage supper banquet table in heaven, feasting with Jesus and all the patriarchs and saints who went before them.

And as they grew hungrier, they encouraged one another to imagine they were fasting for Jesus.

So, not only did they not deny their faith in Christ, they refused that  second cup of  potato-peel soup  because they were  'fasting.'  

These men would have rather died feasting on God's word, holding onto the hope of eating with Jesus at the banquet table being prepared in heaven for all believers to partake.

Jesus tells us in  Matt 16:26,  "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"  Denying Christ for a cup of potato peel soup?

What can be more devastating  than to stand before the Judgment Seat of God and hear the Lord Jesus tell us:  "Depart from Me. I never knew you." 

Jesus never 'knew us'  because we didn't make the effort to  'know Him.'

And our only possible response  to Him might  be: 

"Lord, I didn't have the time or interest to read Your word. I didn't think it was

  important at the time."

"I wanted to watch the game on Sundays, or golf, or fish."

"I slept in Sundays because I'm usually out late on Saturday nights with friends."

"I read too slowly. It's frustrating to read the bible." 

"I couldn't understand the verses and didn't take time to ask questions of someone more knowledgeable than me."

What can be more devastating  than to hear Jesus tell us face to face He's not allowing us into heaven.  And when we ask Him  'Why Lord?,'  His response to us might be words such as these:

-You allowed Satan to deceive you through the words of men into believing certain things are acceptable to God, when My word says they're unacceptable.

-You turned to the left and to the right rather than walking the straight path, following the dictates of your own heart and the lies told to you by men. 

-You had little or no interest in reading God's word that could have kept you from being deceived.

-You took greater interest in pursuing the  pleasures of this world   rather than   what's  important to  your  eternal  future.  You  pursued  unimportant things that can't forgive sin;  that can't save you from the Pit or Lake of Fire;  that  can't  raise you from the dead at the resurrection.

But the good news is:  As long as our heart beats and there's breath in our lungs, we can change course.  How?

1. We can study  the word of God  to learn what God requires of us.   Jas 1:5 tells us:  

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

And Prov 19:8 says: "He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good."

2.    We can repent, confess our sin, ask God for forgiveness, then turn our back on that sin once and for all.   1John 1:9 says,

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

3. We can reject false narratives, false doctrines, false statements and watered-down versions of the Gospel taught by  'wolves'  who  twist and distort  God's word of truth.  We can  reject these lies  by understanding what's written in the word.  (And to do that, we have to read it)

Then, on that day, we'll hear Jesus say to us,  face to face: 

Well done, My good and faithful servant.  Come and enter My rest (heaven).

AMEN.