Allen Jackson - Breakthrough... Looting Interrupted - Part 2
And so, I’m concerned about our generation and what we’re doing. I made a list of some things happening. Looting has become so prevalent, I think we’re almost immune to it. I think we’ve accepted as a normal way of living. I’m not talking about some recent administration. This has been happening for some decades now. Both political parties involved. I’ve arrived at a place up until recently, I’ve just thought of it as a uniparty. It’s kinda like a Globetrotters game. And everybody rides the same bus to the game, they put on different uniforms, and they split the gate after the game.
I wanna be clear, I’m not suggesting to you that the ransacking of a grocery store or a drugstore is the heart of this problem. I think it’s far more profound than that. I think it’s happening on a national basis in a far more widespread way, but I think it’s being expressed in micro ways, in that, things that we used to would have considered to be reprehensible, we now kinda shrug our shoulders at and go, «Yeah, it’s unfortunate». We’ve got a whole new vocabulary for it. Smash and grabs now become a description for an evening out.
Somebody asked me, one of our volunteers asked me recently if we cared if people took things from the next chapter. And I said, «Yes, we do». You should stop them. It’s not okay. Something has happened to our hearts and our attitudes. I just sat down and made a list of some things that I think have contributed to this. And some of these are contributive and some of them are expressions of the looting that’s taking place. Globalism, this move towards a global economy and currency. The diminishment of nationalism where we shouldn’t be proud of our country, we should be embarrassed of it. Causes us not to value the things that are valuable to us as a people. That diminishment of nationalism is associated with the demonization of colonialism. And into that discussion they roll in missional activities.
I’m talking about discussions at the most celebrated academic institutions in the country. Academia often teaches that Christian missions are a reflection of an antiquated view of people and culture. That we shouldn’t presume to have a message of salvation which needs to be shared. And in order to discourage people from embracing that and please understand they’ve been telling your young people in our universities for decades now, that the idea of missions is inappropriate, it’s wicked, it’s evil, condescending. And they’ll cite the worst examples they can find of cultural, missional activity. We try to convert people’s clothing and not change their hearts. They tell us Christian nationalism is wicked. It’s become a derogatory term.
Language has been manipulated to suggest that a love of country combined with an awareness of the sovereign intervention of God in history is not only inappropriate, it’s dangerous. We should be investigated, monitored, watched. Christian Zionism gets dumped in that same bucket that’s the Christians who believe God has given the land of Israel to the Jewish people. We were recently included in the Jerusalem Post as one of the leading expressions of Christian Zionism in the world. I took it as a complement. But I can give you some expressions of the looting of America. And one of them is the intentional marginalization of a biblical worldviews.
Folks, that’s our heritage. That’s our heritage. Imagine denying the heritage of the indigenous people of this nation, the Native American people, tell 'em that the way they worshiped should not be remembered. We should be eliminated. We should find the worst examples of how it affected behaviors. You wouldn’t think of it, but they’ve taken our Christian heritage. So, now we see apostasy within the church. And we see assaults upon our faith from without. You understand, I hope that Marxism requires the diminishment of faith. Marxism is not a mystery, it’s been practiced now for, well, over a century and wherever they come into authority, wherever they gain power, one of the first things they do is close the churches, eliminate the leadership and the voices.
The movement of manufacturing away from our nation is a plundering of our nation. I mean it’s been going on. It started in a very significant way, in an intentional way in the 1970s. Moving manufacturing overseas, offshoring. There’s a lot of statistics and a lot of numbers. I’ll give you some high view stuff. As a result, the US currently has a deficit of goods and services of over $500 billion a year. We don’t make things anymore. We don’t even wanna go to work anymore. We don’t even wanna go to the office anymore. We wanna work in our pajamas. It’s become a national infection. But we didn’t get to this point in a day or a week. It’s not the result of a current administration, folks. This has been coming on us sequentially for quite a season. The devaluing of work and effort.
Let me give you a list, Converse shoes, Gerber baby food, Schwin bicycles, craftsman tools, Under Armour, sports clothing, and shoes and gear, York Peppermint patties. How many of those you think are still manufactured in the US? None of them. None of them. Gerber baby for the rest of 'em I can tell you where they’re manufactured, but Gerber doesn’t disclose its manufacturing sites. Nestlé, the owner of Gerber just states that they have 418 factories in 86 countries. But they don’t make any of it here. I’ll give you another component of the looting of America, the refusal to use American energy sources. We spend billions of dollars annually spending it with other nations depriving US companies and citizens of the revenue and the jobs.
We are looting our country. Terrorism. The targeting of civilians, and acts of violence and war, and we won’t say it. We relabel. We don’t wanna create angst towards anyone. And if you dare to say some people group sponsor terrorism, you’re xenophobic or some other phobic. We watched it in spades on 9/11. Airplanes were weaponized. Terrorism on our planet is not exclusively an Islamic issue, but it has been a predominantly Islamic issue. Trillions of dollars spent to try to make us safe. The loss of thousands of lives. They are looting our nation. Targeting civilians, men and women and children. And we are reluctant to say it. We are so addled, so confused. They tell us we deserve it. And we pay for our children to sit in the classrooms where that is taught.
Illegal immigration. American taxpayers spend more than 150 billion, and these are conservative numbers, on immigrants illegally in the United States in 2023 alone. $150 billion. Illegal is the key word. If we wanna change the immigration system, if we wanna change, it’s okay, we can do that. You and I would go to prison for making illegal withdrawals from the bank. We call it stealing. When people come to our country uninvited, intentionally avoid the immigration process, and consume our services of education, of health care, our social services, they are overwhelming us. It is looting our country. And we’re so addled as a nation we have trouble saying it. We have sanctuary cities. Major American cities, some of the most celebrated American cities that refuse to obey federal laws, but demand federal funding. Looting this nation, taking money from people who pay their taxes, and refusing to enforce the laws that we have agreed to yield to.
I’ve been considering declaring myself a sanctuary person. Do you suppose I could avoid the IRS that way? Probably not. We’ve used our military as a social experiment. Looting our nation. Diminishing the ability of our fine men and women who voluntarily raise their hands to do the two things they’re supposed to do in the military, defend our country and defeat our enemies. And we’ve watched them be turned into a DEI experiment. We’ve watched them turn them into an LGBTQI2 and whatever number they had this week. And they’ve rendered them ineffective. They’ve mocked them. They’ve hunted down people in the military who had a strong biblical worldview and have expelled them. They are looting our country. And what do the Christians say? «Oh, we don’t wanna talk about that. Could we do a Bible study on the Pharisees».
Folks, I believe in studying the Bible, but the point of that is to be salt and light. The list goes on. We’ve defunded the police. You know, the ultimate outcome of all of this, if the looting continues unchecked, I’ll tell you where it’s going. There’ll be a complete absence of any leadership from churches. Will simply be asked to be cultural voices. Not to be advocates for a biblical worldview. We’ll just be asked to repeat whatever the mantra is of whoever happens to have authority over us. That’ll be the only way to maintain our status, you’ll have to deny your faith. You better use your freedom while you have freedom to be an advocate for a biblical worldview. There’s another outcome. It doesn’t take any imagination.
This is not prophetic, folks. We’ll be bankrupt. We are currently, they say $36 trillion in debt, but that’s really a tiny expression of the total debt that we have. If the numbers are so far beyond imagination, the interest payment on our debt for this year is projected to be $892 billion. If you don’t know, that’s more than we spend on our entire defense budget. And it’s almost a third higher than the interest payment on our debt in 2023. It is not sustainable, they are looting our country. Lawlessness will grow rapidly. What you saw in the little video is an hors d’oeuvre. Widespread violence is growing. Our children are being preyed upon and they’re not being educated well. They’re seen as profit centers in the healthcare community while they’re mutilated. Biological sex is not confusing, they are looting our homes. The health care system as we have known it, will collapse. We will watch an unbridled pursuit of pleasure. Hedonism. I could go on. I think you get a sense.
I’ve got just a few moments. I wanna give you a response. I wanna go back to the biblical notion for a minute. What happened when the Babylonians burned the temple? Didn’t happen because Nebuchadnezzar got up one morning on the wrong side of the bed. It didn’t happen in a day or a week. It was the result of years of the people of God saying, «We don’t intend to listen. We want to do what we wanna do». Some of us don’t wanna pay attention 'cause we’ve done pretty well while the looting is taking place. We’ve gotten some of the loot. So, we’ll just keep looking straight ahead, acting like we don’t notice. It’s going to take courageous change from the people of faith.
The most hopeful thing I have seen in a season was the response of the election, not because of the people that were sent, but the millions of people across this nation in flyover country that raised their hands inexplicably. They haven’t done it in a long, long, long time. It was a historic response. They said, «We think we’re going the wrong direction». So, here’s my suggestion. You’ve got some notes for this. I believe we are at a pivot point. We can choose the Lord with a new heart and experience freedom, or we can continue to imagine we’re capable of solving our own problems and we’ll face greater expressions of judgment. The Babylonians are not our problem. A political party, a political adversary is not your problem.
China is not our problem. They are a problem, but they’re an expression. Isaiah chapter 1, God said, «Come now, let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; and though they’re red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you’re willing and obedient, you’ll eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you’ll be devoured by the sword». That didn’t happen the next day. It didn’t happen the next week. It didn’t happen the next month. So, people that heard it thought, «That’s not serious business». But the kids that were born in Babylon, when they read it, they thought, «I wish they would have listened».
I’m tired of all the banter about how much you care for the children and you persist in your ungodliness. You don’t give a hoot about the kids or you’d begin to honor the Lord. We are ravaging the generations coming with our ungodliness. «Well, they’ll change. They’ll find a way, God is faithful». But they’ll look at us. In James chapter 4, we’re given a prescription says, «You adulterous people». James is writing to people of faith, he’s not writing to pagans. «You adulterous people, don’t you know»? And when the Bible says, «Don’t you know,» what’s the answer? Probably not. «Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God».
In the New Testament, the word world talks about this present world order, the systems in place, the means of engaging, the activities. He said, «To be a friend with this present world order means you’re an enemy of God». Or do you think the scriptures say without reason that, «The spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely»? But he gives us more grace. That is why the scripture says, «God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble». And then we’re given a response. «Submit yourselves, then to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you». The first step is what? Submit to God. Bend your knee. Decide that Jesus is Lord, that he’s not just a sinner’s prayer. I believe in conversion, but the point of conversion is so that Jesus can be Lord. Begin for yourself. Don’t say, «I’ve said that prayer and I’ve been baptized».
Is Jesus really Lord? Are you submitted to God in your life or do you tolerate ungodliness? It’s a very important question for every one of us to answer. The next statement is, «Resist the devil». Now, we can get some momentum around that, but folks, your powers, it’s foolish, it’s useless to try to resist the devil if you’re not submitted to God. «Come near to God and he’ll come near to you». So, that’s the next invitation, we wanna come nearer to God. Well, how would we do that? We already wanna park closer to the building. Does that count? «Come near to God». He gives us three very practical ways. James is so practical. He said, «Wash your hands».
Don’t leave dirt on your hands. Don’t leave unforgiveness on your hands. Don’t leave resentment on your hands. Don’t leave bitterness or hatred or anger. Wash your hands. How do you wash your hands? With repentance. The change of thought and a change of behavior. «Purify your hearts from double-mindedness». James says to us, «If you’re double-minded, if you’re inconsistent,» he said, you’re unstable in every way, «You shouldn’t imagine you’ll receive anything from God». «Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom». It’s a serious time when you recognize that the judgment of God is unfolding.
When the layers of the exile have begun, it’s a serious time. Doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, it doesn’t mean you can’t recreate, but you better not be chasing that as your life goal. It’s a time to reevaluate priorities. And then the last thing he gives us is in verse 10, he said, «Humble yourselves». You know, there’s no place in the Bible that God says he will humble you. There are many, many places he invites us to humble ourselves. If God has to intervene, it’s humiliation. You can humble yourself, or you can be humiliated before the power of God. But the invitation they were given throughout scripture is to humble ourselves. Doesn’t mean we have no value, that we have no worth, it means we understand ourselves in God’s economy that there’s a God and it’s not us. It’s not saying I don’t have any abilities.
You do, God’s given you abilities. He’s given you influence, he’s given you talents and gifts. Use 'em for him. Humble yourselves before the Lord. And then look at the outcome. He will lift you up. Doesn’t matter who the enemy is. It doesn’t matter how dark the circumstance. You see, we don’t have to have a majority, folks, there is an authority in the truth of God. God is moving in the earth. I’ve never been, I don’t believe I’ve ever been more excited. I don’t think I’ve ever had a greater sense of anticipation. I don’t think I’ve ever recognized a greater season of opportunity. I’m reordering my schedule. And I’m not dialing it back. I’m saying to the Lord, «Whatever, however, you show me, I’ll go. Let’s do this. Let’s make an impact». You can do that too. We can do this. We’re salt and light. God will help us. He will stop the looting. You ready for a breakthrough? Let’s stand, we’ll pray. You better join hands with somebody. This is a team sport.
Lord, I thank you for your word. I thank you for the insight you bring. For the clarity that you give us. Lord, I thank you for your great mercy. That you don’t respond to us as we deserve that you respond to us with kindness and compassion. That you’re patient and long-suffering. I thank you that you have begun to awaken us, to give us eyes to see and ears to hear. I thank you for every person that has stood and said, «We won’t redefine marriage, we won’t sacrifice our children to convenience. We won’t teach our children immoral things». I thank you for every person and I pray now that you’ll give us the wisdom to continue to say, «Yes,» to you. To yield to you as we’ve never yielded to you before. They will have the courage to resist the devil, to say, «No,» to ungodliness.
That we will stop overlooking it and we will begin overcoming it. I thank you for it. Holy Spirit, show us each place where we need to cleanse ourselves. Whether it’s forgiveness, or a change of behavior, or a change of attention, Lord, whatever it is, we present ourselves to you. We choose to humble ourselves. To acknowledge you as our Lord and our redeemer, our Savior. I thank you that we stand in your strength. Lord, I pray that you will begin to lift us up. Lift us up above the attacks of the enemy. Lift us up above the hatred of your adversaries. Just lift us up above the demonic torment. That we might see with clarity what you’ve called us to in this generation. So that our children and grandchildren might know freedom and liberty. And have the opportunities that we have known. We thank you for it in Jesus’s name, amen.
That we will stop overlooking it and we will begin overcoming it. I thank you for it. Holy Spirit, show us each place where we need to cleanse ourselves. Whether it’s forgiveness, or a change of behavior, or a change of attention, Lord, whatever it is, we present ourselves to you. We choose to humble ourselves. To acknowledge you as our Lord and our redeemer, our Savior. I thank you that we stand in your strength. Lord, I pray that you will begin to lift us up. Lift us up above the attacks of the enemy. Lift us up above the hatred of your adversaries. Just lift us up above the demonic torment. That we might see with clarity what you’ve called us to in this generation. So that our children and grandchildren might know freedom and liberty. And have the opportunities that we have known. We thank you for it in Jesus’s name, amen.