The Curse… The Bricks Are Fallen Down, But We Will Build With Hewn Stones
Isaiah 9:10 (KJV) The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with
hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into
cedars.
The day after 9/11 Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle in his Floor
Statement on a 'Joint Resolution of Condemnation for the September 11,
2001 stated the following…
But there is a passage in the Bible from Isaiah that I think speaks to all of us at times such as this:
'The bricks have fallen down, but we
will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we
will replace them with cedars.'
That is what we will do. We will rebuild and we will recover.
The people of America will stand strong
together because the people of America have always stood together. And
those of us privileged to serve this great Nation will stand with you.”
As I pointed out, God is not a respecter of persons, but He does honor the office of responsibility.
I
say this because I have gotten emails from people stating something
like " Ray, George Washington was a Freemason, he wasn't a Christian. He
prays to the gods of Freemasonry, not God the creator. So he did not
dedicate America to Jehovah God, but to Freemasonry."
What a person's beliefs are just that, the individuals. The office of
Responsibility is ordained by God. So it does not matter what that
"person" believes, it is the office with which that person holds that is
important.
I know that it is hard for people to separate the two, but there is a
difference. There is the person and then there is the office.
God deals with the office of responsibility. This is why it is so
vitally important that when we elect people into positions of
responsibility that we put God fearing, God loving men in those offices.
Man can only serve one master. That master is either Jesus Christ the
Creator, or it is Lucifer also known as Heylel ben Shachar.
Those are the only two choices.
Now a lot falls under choice number two, Lucifer, but if one is not serving God, they are by default serving the enemy of God.
There is no grey area, middle of the road, fence sitting on this fact. It is one or the other.
That is why it is so important that our leaders are God fearing men,
because it is their "worldview", be it Biblical, Humanistic, Atheistic,
Hindu or Muslim, that will dictate their actions when they are holding
that office of responsibility.
This is why it does not matter if George Washington was a Freemason
or not. It also does not matter if our president is a Muslim either,
which I believe he is.
It is the office of responsibility that the Lord honors, not the person.
In the days that followed much was said by our leaders.
But what was said was not a call to humble ourselves before the Lord seeking His help and mercy.
Instead, it was a spirit of defiance and proud uttering that "we will rebuild", cursing us over and over again.
Senator John Kerry stated in speech on the Senate Floor on September 12, 2001
"I believe one of the first things we
should commit to - with federal help that underscores our nation's
purpose - is to rebuild the towers of the World Trade Center and show
the world we are not afraid - we are defiant." (1)
New York City Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani said on the day of the crisis:
"We will rebuild: We're going to
come out of this stronger than before, politically stronger,
economically stronger. The skyline will be made whole again." (2).
New York State Governor, George E. Pataki said the following in his
speech dedicating the building of the "Freedom Tower" on the 4th of July
2004:
"Today we build the Freedom Tower.
... Let this great Freedom Tower show the world that what our enemies
sought to destroy, our democracy, our freedom, our way of life -- stands
taller than ever." (3)
The Bricks Are Fallen Down, But We Will Build With Hewn Stones
When one looks at the destruction caused by the events on 9-11, all
one could see was a pile of rubble. There has been no event in America's
history compared to the destruction that came from the 9/11 terrorist
attacks.
In fact I find it interesting that in my research Richard Pyle, an Associated Press journalist wrote an article titled "Changes continue at World Trade Center site as visitors get more of a glimpse into wreckage."
In this article he stated…
“For three months, the 16-acre site had the look of post-World War II Berlin with its buildings skeletonized and reduced to piles of bricks.” (4)
The bricks have in fact fallen down for this nation. But instead of
calling upon His name, seeking His face, we have risen up with a fist
shaking at heaven shouting that "We Will Rebuild"!
This spirit of defiance was to the terrorists and the world making claim that we do not need anyone's help.
We will come back bigger, stronger and more powerful than before.
This was a solemn act of defiance by our leaders who held offices of
responsibility, and therefore they spoke on behalf of "we the people."
They not only declared this prideful defiance to the world and our
enemies, they were also declaring this to Jehovah God, the only one who
could help us.
"We Will Build With Hewn Stones" this is the second part of the curse, rebuilding with hewn stone.
But what is "hewn stone"?
Webster's 1828 dictionary defines Hewed or Hewn as the following..
HEW'ED, pp. Cut and made smooth or even; chopped; hacked; shaped by cutting or by a chisel.
Simply said, hewn stone is stone that is quarried, or cut from the mountain.
Let me remind you that on September 11, 2004, then Democratic
Candidate for Vice President John Edwards spoke the same curse upon
America using the same verse while at the prayer breakfast for the
Congressional Black Caucus
Here is what he said…
"Good morning. Today, on this day of remembrance and mourning, we have the Lord’s word to get us through. 'The
bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the
sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.'
... And let me show you how we are building and putting cedars in those three hallowed places - the footprints of the Towers, the Pentagon, and the field in Pennsylvania. ... Walk with me through this day.
And you will see that while those bricks fell and the sycamores cut down, our people are making those cedars rise. ... Each time that bell tolls, it calls us to a greater purpose. It calls us to never forget.
It calls us to do the Lord’s work here on
earth. And it calls on us to always remember that when we walk through
this day together - the cedars will rise, the stones will go up, and this season of hope will endure." (5)
We will do this, we will do that, we will raise the cedars, we will
rebuild. The stones will go up we will put cedars in their place.
The stones did in fact go up. The first stone used in the construction of the Freedom Tower was the hewn stone
from New York granite which was lowered by crane in a ceremony on July
4, 2004. Governor George Pataki said this at the ceremony:
"Today is indeed, a momentous day. Today we take 20 tons of
Adirondack granite -- the bedrock of our state -- and place it as the
foundation, the bedrock of a new symbol of American strength and
confidence. Today, we lay the cornerstone for a new symbol of this city
and this country and of our resolve in the face of terror. Today we
build the Freedom Tower."
What did they lay?
None other than a hewn granite stone cut from the mountains of New
York's Adirondack mountain range, cut, polished just as Israel did in
defiance when they rebuilt after being attacked by Assyria (the original
terrorists)
As many of you know, the first stone laid when building a new
building is always the most important. It is that stone that all the
others are set upon. It is the foundation, and the buildings strength
that stone is also called "the cornerstone." In Hebrew this is also
called the "Gazit" stone which means "hewn stone."
When a new building is erected it is the laying down of the cornerstone that begins the whole process erecting the building.
It’s not only an important act in beginning the building, but in many
cases it is also a symbolic act. Think about it, how many times have
you heard of some construction on a building about to start and they
seem to always have a ceremony in laying the cornerstone?
Our leaders have stated / vowed "We Will Rebuild" and "We will be
stronger than before." They have proclaimed that "The bricks are fallen
down, but we will build with hewn stones."
Like ancient Israel, we have fulfilled the curse.
They quarried the stone from the "bedrock" of the state of New York.
Carved the stone into a massive 20 ton block, and airlifted it to the
ground of destruction. They then laid it in the very place where "the
bricks have fallen"… Ground Zero.
Leaders gathered, the ones who occupy the offices of responsibility.
The mayor of New York City, the governor of New York State, the governor
of New Jersey, officials tasked with the rebuilding, as well as
corporate leaders, special VIP guests and the spectators.
On July 4, 2004 all these leaders and people were focused on a single object—the cornerstone / Gazit Stone.
The massive 20 ton rectangular block of cut granite rock, that was laid on the holy ground from which our nation was founded.
Ground, bequeathed by royalty ordained by God so that the chapel of St Paul could be built.
Ground that our first president, senate, congress, our fore fathers, dedicated our nation to Jehovah God.
That ground today known as Ground Zero.
They laid that hewn stone on the ground, a stone representing our leaders vow of "we will rebuild."
This stone that was named "the freedom stone" also represents the stone of defiance, our defiance in the face of God.
I am reminded of the following found in Exodus…
Exodus 20:25 (KJV) And if thou wilt make
me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou
lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
Why is the stone that is hewn for the alter polluted?
It is because it represents the works of man and we know that the works of man are polluted due to sin.
By having a stone not hewn, it is stone created and formed by God.
Man cannot make any claims to the cutting, polishing, changing the stone in any manner.
The stone is as it is by the hand of God. It is not defiled by the
sin of man, nor his pride in saying "look what great work I have done in
the hewing of this stone."
What did Governor George Pataki say?
"Today is indeed, a momentous day. Today we take 20 tons of Adirondack granite -- the bedrock of our state -- and place it as the foundation, the bedrock of a new symbol of American strength and confidence. (emphasis mine)
Pataki stated this 3 years after God's warning judgment on 9-11.
We did not heed the warning after 9-11, and we did not heed the warning july 4th 2004.
In fact we are still standing in defiance.
The Inaugural Address given on January 20, 2009 by newly elected
President Barrack Husain Obama reiterated the vow to rebuild, to begin
anew and rise from the ashes on our own and without the collective
prayers and sanction from God.
Instead he reiterated that "WE WILL"
“…Starting today, we
must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of
remaking America. … For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.
The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift. And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We'll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do…
Like many that night, I remember watching this in our own home. This was history being made and it was “The Moment.”
But I also was troubled as a Christian recognizing the unrelenting pride and determination when President Obama stated…
…We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense. And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken -- you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you…
Tracye and I were watching as this leader who was given the power of
the office of the President of the United States, an office of
responsibility said those words.
My stomach sank and a moment of dread came over me. Do the American people realize what this man just said?
What this man did was "prophecy" our doom due to the position and
office from which he holds. A position of responsibility that is
ordained by Jehovah God that over sees a nation that is dedicated to
Jehovah God, Creator of All.
Looking back then with what we know today, we know that this was not
only a statement to our enemies, but knowing this man and who he is
today, it was also a clear cut act of defiance in the very face of God.
Israel went into captivity; and now America has been warned.
But what are we doing, are we heeding this warning?
Back when Israel was delivered into captivity, God allowed a remnant
to remain. These were people who were still loyal to Him, kept His ways
and still occupied the land.
Like then, I believe that God is calling out a remnant. There are not
many of us, maybe a million, possibly two here in the US. I honestly
believe that we are being called to return to Him and His true ways.
What are those ways you may ask?
Well to be honest, if you are one who is also feeling the prodding of
the holy spirit to prepare, you probably already know that answer deep
in your heart.
Some have submitted to the call, but there are some of you who have heard the call, but possibly are not heeding it fully.
What is that call?
Romans 12:1-2 (KJV) I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what
is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
We are being called to live a holy and acceptable life unto Him.
Now I am not saying that this is how one gets to heaven, it isnt.
What I am saying is that if you call yourself a Christian and you have
given you life to the Lord, You have responsibility to serve Him. Paul
calls it "Your reasonable service" because Christ died for you. Can you
repay that? No never, but none the less your responsibility still
stands.
What is that responsibility? To "always be ready to share the Hope
that is within us" and to "Occupy Till He Returns." Something that has
been forgotten these last several generations.
Many of you know that I talk about a "Coming Storm." I even named my book this title "Survive The Coming Storm."
Once the storm does come, and it will, and once it has performed its
destruction, and it will; I believe it will be the remnant who will have
the chance, that is if we have prepared properly, and stood boldly
against the battle, I believe that it will be us who will be key to
rebuilding this nation.
It will not be easy. Just as the remnant that was in Israel, it will not be easy with us.
But we have something going for us, that is God's Grace. We are
reminded over and over again that His Grace is sufficient for us and
that He will never leave us nor forsake us. That is His promise to His
children, and those of us who have Jesus Christ as our Savior, makes us
His Children, His People.
What might happen? All we can do is look to scripture. A good example
is when Nehemiah, the Persian king's cup-bearer inquired about the
state of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 1:3 (KJV) And they said unto me,
The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in
great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken
down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
What is interesting is that I have peace in my heart about this.
Why? Because we read the following what it is that we need to do…
Nehemiah 1:4-11 (KJV) And it came to
pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned
certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of
heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for
them that love him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and
thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I
pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy
servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have
sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
7 We have dealt very corruptly against
thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the
judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that
thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will
scatter you abroad among the nations:
9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my
commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the
uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and
will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine
ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy
servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy
servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I
was the king's cupbearer.
God's promise to His people, and we are His people, is that if we
keep His Word / commandments (Romans 12:1-2) that He will restore His
people to the land dedicated to Him.
Scripture says…
2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) If my people,
which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek
my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Are You One of His?
I
know for a fact that people are being called out, just as the wheat is
separated from the chaff, just as the shepherd calls out his sheep from
the flock.
God is calling out His remnant.
You may be one who just knows that something is happening. The air is
so thick you can cut it with a knife, but you don't know what to do.
You feel like you need to get your life "right" but you do not know where to start.
Like the people of ancient Israel, they had to come to a point knowing that they were not "right" and they had to correct it.
If you are one of these, God is calling you to repentance. He wants
you and He loves you. He has great things in store for you in your life,
but until you submit your life to Him, you will always feel "lost."
Why? Because you are lost and in fact you will continue to be lost till you do one thing.
That is accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior.
You need to come to the realization that you are in fact lost. Just
as 2 Chronicles 7:14 states, until you humble yourself and pray, seeking
God's Face and turn from your wicked ways, and believing upon Him to
forgive you of your sins, you will remain lost.
In being lost you will continue to walk the path of life with that
empty feeling, having a "God shaped" hole in your heart that nothing can
fill except for Jehovah God himself.
It is pride and defiance that is destroying this nation.
It is that same pride, defiance and sin that will ultimately destroy
you. That is unless you believe upon him and come to the saving grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is what scripture says…
Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 6:23 (KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 John 1:9 (KJV) If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.
Finally…
2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) If my people,
which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek
my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
I Am One of His, What Do I Do?
As I have stated, I strongly believe that God is calling out His
remnant. I am a "prepper" also known as a "survivalist." To be honest I
have no idea why I have had this huge burden in my heart to prepare for
some "coming storm" which I have no idea what it is.
That is until recently.
Now
I want to make very clear that I am not a prophet nor a son of a
prophet. I am a watchman on the wall and I have been warning of this
coming storm for 6-7 years now.
I believe that when the dust finally settles that we will have a
chance to make a difference in this nation. How that will come about, I
do not know.
Maybe we will help bring back bible preaching and teaching churches.
Maybe return God to the classroom, maybe even help in bringing a truly
God fearing man to the office of The President of the United States.
I do know that one of the key things that will need to take place is
the sharing of the gospel, the blessed Hope of our Lord Jesus Christ. It
is that hope that people will need in the coming days. Days which I
believe that God will escalate His Judgment against this nation. Not
because He hates us and wants to destroy us; no, it is judgment because
He loves us and we are His people, a nation dedicated to God.
Like Israel of today who has lost her way, we to have lost our way.
We are both the only nations dedicated to God, His Word and to the Lord
Jesus Christ the Messiah of the World.
But to do all this that is before us, we need to "Always Be Ready." (1 Peter 3:15)
Always means just that, always. That means to Always be ready in good times and in bad.
God did not drop the ark out of the sky for Noah.
God did not magically fill the grain silos for Joseph either.
We are not on a trek out from Egypt and God is not going to rain manna from heaven.
What God did give us was two hands to work with and a brain to think
with. He has provided for us, it is up to us to be good stewards over
what He has provided for us.
Like the good stewards talked about in Luke 19, God has given each and every one of us a duty and responsibility.
If we are good stewards we will grow and enrich what the Lord has given us.
God is calling the remnant, those of you out there who have heard
this can testify to this fact. Those who have not heeded the warning,
well I do not know what to say except are you ready to survive the
coming storm?
The storm is coming but I believe we still have a short amount of time to "build our arks."
In the next of my series I will be presenting some incredible
evidence pointing to not only 9-11, but also the financial demise of our
country. I believe that God has warned us not once, but twice and I
believe that if the cycle continues, He will send yet another warning
worse than the previous two.
More To Follow…
By Ray Gano
By Ray Gano
End Notes
How many of you listen to talk radio? I was in the car listening to the local DJ and something, peaked my interest. What caught my attention was the topic; they were talking about dealing with finance, oil, the future, ect.
According to recent press reports, a number of Wall Street senior executives were highly compensated before their companies began failing including Bear Stearns CEO, ($35 million), Lehman Brothers CEO ($40 million) and AIG's CEO ($47 million).
We have been trained to serve Mammon by getting a job, working hard, saving money, our house is an asset and investing in the long term in a well diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds and mutual funds.
But back to ERISA…
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