Articles

INTER-FAITH IDOLATRY AGGRAVATES DROUGHT CRISIS

inter religious leaders and the mayorThere is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way of death” Proverbs 16:25

How to Prolong a Drought

On 25 May, Cape Town mayor Patricia De Lille organised an inter-faith prayer service for rain on Table Mountain. Buddhist, Baha’i, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Animist religious leaders participated in this ceremony supposedly for rain.

Idolatry is the Most Condemned Sin in the Bible

Apparently the City of Cape Town municipal leaders think that God is impressed with religious activities and ceremonies. In fact, throughout the Bible, commandments and warnings against idolatry are the most repeated of all. There are more denunciations of idolatry than of any other sin in the Bible.

“They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger. They sacrificed to demons, not to God…” Deuteronomy 32:16-17

“‘Do they provoke Me to anger?’” says the Lord. ‘Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?’ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place… And it will burn and not be quenched’” Jeremiah 7:19-20

“That the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s Table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” 1 Corinthians 10:20-22

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them…” Exodus 20:4-5

“Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves moulded gods: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:4

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘Repent, turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations. For anyone… who sets up his idols in his heart… I the Lord will answer him by Myself’.” Ezekiel 14:6-7

“…keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21

Spiritual AdulteryWater crisis a local disaster

Christians cannot worship before the adulterous altar of pluralism, multiculturalism and the inter-faith movement. Jesus Christ is “the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father” except through Him (John 14:6).

Hating God

The Second Commandment is the only Commandment where God implies that those who break it, hate Him. To worship a false God, any sort of image, or attempt to worship God through some kind of statue, image, or false religion, is defined in the Second Commandment as hating God.

The Biblical Response to Drought

The Scripture makes it clear that the only correct response to drought is sincere, wholehearted Repentance before the Lord. “When I shut up Heaven and there is no rain… if My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:13-14. If we want God to heal our land, we need Him to forgive our sin and hear our prayers. The Lord makes it clear that if we want Him to hear from Heaven, to forgive our sin and to heal our land, we who are His people need to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways.

National Repentance

I distinctly remember when our country was in a severe drought in 1978, that the President called for a National Day of Repentance, Humiliation before God and Prayer. On the appointed Day of Repentance, I saw crowds streaming into the churches of Cape Town, which were packed to overflowing. As a new Christian, I was impressed by the repentance prayers from the assembled congregations and sincere, heart-rending calls for the Lord’s mercy and grace. I remember clearly how the drought was broken just two days later with country-wide rains.

Humble Seeking of God's Grace

It was impressive to join the masses of people pouring out of the work places during lunch hour and filling the churches in central Cape Town to overflowing. It was the first time that I had ever experienced such an intense time of earnest heart-searching prayers of repentance. When the rains came, just a couple of days later, I was awestruck!

Praying for rain - Religious leaders gather at Table MountainFailure to Call the Nation to Repentance

Yet, it is a sad fact that despite some serious times of drought experienced at different times over the last 27 years, none of our last four presidents have seen fit to call for a National Day of Repentance. Crime, corruption, pollution, violence, murder and abortion have escalated while society has become more secular and the government more godless.

Secularism Hardens Hearts

My Father, who fought all six years of the Second World War, remembered that King George VI called the people of Great Britain and the Commonwealth to days of prayer and repentance six times in six years. Yet sadly, his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in over 60 years as Queen of England, apparently has not called for a National Day of Prayer. Apparently the last time Britain and Australia had days of prayer was during the Second World War!

 

A Call to Repentance

Biblical Repentance involves: Conviction, Contrition and Conversion. A change of mind. A change of heart. A change of life. Repentance involves a change of lifestyle and a change of behaviour. “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7

Dr. Peter Hammond

Gospel Defence League

P.O. Box 36129

Glosderry 7702

Cape Town South Africa

Tel: 021-689-4480

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www.gospeldefenceleague.org

www.frontline.org.za

www.ReformationSA.org

 

See also: National Repentance

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