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HOW TO HEAL YOUR NATION-Not Through Half Repentance
By Steven Garofalo, May 20, 2024
May 20, 2024

HOW CAN WE HEAL AMERICA-Not Through Half-Repentance. Today, I am going to show you that America, like much of the West has been sinning, following false idols, and only half-repenting. When we put away as opposed to eliminate the things in life that distract us from God, we become “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly"- (Proverbs 26:11)

NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN 3000 YEARS

Like Proverb 26:11, we find Israel, in the book of Judges returning over and over to their sin and judgement. The book of Judges was written over 3000 years ago between 1050-1000 B.C. Today we are going to look at Judges chapter ten as one of many examples of Israel’s relapsing found in the Book of Judges.

Below, starting in verse 6, I provided a sample of the many times that God’s people forsook God, repented and repeatedly went back to their sin of Baal worship before being judged by God and crying out for His help-starting the sinful cycle all over again. In judgement, What is God’s judgment? It means that God gave or “sold” them over to their enemies. Better yet, God allowed them to buy their own destruction. You can’t forsake God and expect His blessing, provision and protection anymore than you can buy a car on credit without having to make payments. Let’s jump right in and read for ourselves, picking up in verse Judges 10:6.

“6 The people of Israel AGAIN did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lordand did not serve him. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilea” (Judges 10:6-8).

GOD’S PEOPLE-THE ISRAELITES REPENT…KIND OF

13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” 15 And the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel” (Judges 10:13-16).

GOD OFTEN GIVES US WHAT WE ASK OF HIM

In verses 12-13, God gives the Israelite what they asked for in that that worshipped false gods-so go to those gods and ask them to help you. I find this most interesting. Why would God’s people the worship false gods and then come to the real God of the universe to save them? The answer is that God’s people more often than not want it both ways-they want to live life with their man-made idols and still lean on God as an escape button. Not too long ago, I had a friend whose wife was having an affair on him and wanted to keep the marriage going while she was having the affair. She wanted it both ways. This example is an excellent analogy of the infidelity to the bride and groom we find in the Bible speaking of God’s people and Jesus as bride and groom.

SAME STUFF-DIFFERENT DAY

Today, we are basically in the same situation. We want to keep all the false gods of materialism and spiritual idols while receiving God’s protection from other hostile nations and His blessings upon us for a great economy. This insatiable lust on our part to feed our passions and desires while going to church with God as a side note as opposed to living our faith biblically and visibly in a fallen world is no longer being tolerated by God. This is why we are suffering and why we will suffer even more-until we repent, call upon the Lord, and learn to live within the lines of Word and ways of God. Capitalism is the best system-only when lived out in accordance to the Word of God.

Looking ahead to verse 15, the Israelite confess that they have sought false gods and asked God to do whatever HE SEES fit to do but to please deliver them from their enemies. I find this ironic in that to ask for what God sees fit to do or give to them was already at hand-and to deliver them was quite the opposite in that it would not be what God sees fit in delivering them once again.

THE KICKER-WHY DID THEY SIMPLY PUT AWAY THEIR FOREIGN GODS?

16 “So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel” (Judges 10:16).

Why did the Israelites only “put away” their idols? This perplexes me. Does the alcoholic in rehab simply put his or her liquor away in the cabinet or thrown it out? Here, the Israelites failed to burn and destroy their idols! They simply “put them away”. I don’t know about you, but when I want to eliminate something sinful from my life, I get totally rid of it. When I want to “return” to something or retrieve it later in time, I store it on a shelf, in a closet or in a drawer. God is a loving God in that “He became impatient with their suffering”. The Israelites ought to have completly destroyed, melted down or burned their false god-idols.

IN APPLICATION FOR YOU AND I

I believe this why God is allowing America and the West in general to experience loss of freedom, free speech, value of the U.S. dollar as the world default currency and U.S. military dominance. WHY? Because we have only “put away” our idols and false gods. Looking in the rear-view mirror it becomes clear that we are guilty of manufacturing a self-sustaining self-made god like outlook on life. W find God’s warning signs in and through the September -1, 2001 attacks, through the financial crash of 2008, godless national leadership, from the president to congress, and the list goes on. So now, God will strip us of the very things that have given us a false dependence on the temporal things that have no real power in life or eternity.

THE GOOD NEWS

Is there really any good news? Of course there is. When we return to God, He will restore us to a new way of life that is much lesson clouded by the artificial things of this world. Right now we mourn the loss of material wealth and national power that is quickly eroding in America. It’s important that we own this as a nation in that the consequences of our sin is of our own making. We departed from God a very long time ago and we now scratch our heads, wondering why He has abandoned us and why he has taken His hand of blessing and protection from us, allowing us to literally be taken over by our enemies.

OUR HOPE

God eventually restored Israel and God will eventually restore America in one form or another. Let’s focus on becoming what God wants and not wanting what was in our sinful ways in recent past.

CONCLUSION AND WHERE WE CAN START

Let’s not be like the dog depicted in Proverbs 26:11. “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly"- (Proverbs 26:11). Remember, NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN 3000 YEARS. Like Proverb 26:11, we find Israel, in the book of Judges returning over and over to their sin and judgement. Where can WE start in helping turning things back around and right side up? By opening our drawers and closet and destroying the idols of over abundance, distorted affluence if it has misled us, and the self-dependence that has led us astray from God to begin with. Verse 16 tells us what to do: “So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel” (Judges 10:16).

By being in God’s Word daily, and living our lives in accordance with God’s ways through Prayer, Bible reading and fellowship with authentic Christians willing to take action and not just talk about the state of the country and world in apathy. Lastly, by repenting our own, honest sinful idols that have added to the problem as opposed to help resolve it. We are all affected if honest. Once we do this, God will hear our cries and become impatient with our calling out to Him. And at that time, He will restore us, our nation-His people.

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When I was in seminary, the question was raised as to if pets or animals in general go to heaven. Our professor, Dr. Norman Geisler said this: “Jesus Christ came to earth and died on the Cross for the human race, not animals.” I was working out at the gym one day when one of the regulars, who had just moved to Charlotte, NC from California told me that one of her beloved dogs died; and would that dog go to heaven. I have her the same answer. But, was that the whole story? That’s what we are going to look at today.

In a peace by Michael Housman, Founder of GotQuestions.Org, Housman wrote that “The BIble does not give any explicit teaching on whether pets or animals in general have souls, or spirits, or whether pets and other animals will be in heaven.

His answer was short but the animals not having souls maybe up for debate.

We can use general biblical principles to develop some clarity on the subject though Housman wrote. The Bible states that both man (Genesis 2:7) and animals (Genesis 1:30; 6:17; 7:15 and 22) have the “BREATH OF LIFE” that is, both man and animals are living beings. Furthermore, the primary difference between human beings and animals is that humanity is made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27), while animals are not.

Being made in the image and likeness of God means that human beings are like God in some ways; they are capable of spirituality; they have a mind, emotion, and “will”; and part of their “being” continues after death.

If pets and other animals do have a “soul” (or spirit or immaterial aspect), it must therefore be of a different and lesser “quality”. This difference possibly means that pets and other animal “souls”  do not continue in existence after death.

Another factor to consider regarding whether pets will be in heaven is that animals are a port of God’s creative process in Genesis. God created the animals and said they were good (Genesis 1:25). Therefore, there is no reason why there could not be pets and animals on the NEW EARTH as described in (Revelation 21:1). 

In the end, there will most definitely be animals during the millennial kingdom (Isaiah 11:6; 65:25). It is impossible to say definitely whether some animals of these animals might be the pets we had here on earth. We do know that God is just and that when we get to heaven, we will find ourselves in complete agreement with His decision on this issue, whatever that turns out to be.

So, there you have it. I think that’s the best answer on the subject in all honest. Please remember to SUBSCRIBE to our channel and check out StevenGarofalo.Com for exclusive content and early release of our two weekly podcast.

Until next time, I’m your host Steven Garofalo, and this is your reason for truth for today.

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AN ETHICAL ECONOMY IS GOOD FOR ALL
By Steven Garofalo, May 2, 2025

WHAT MAKES A GOOD ECONOMY

Government corruption comes to the advantage of a few-but at the expense of many if not all the rest of society. Today, I am going to show you through Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 that vanity and wealth, if not kept accountable, will devour one’s honor and the honor or the nation in whole. Let’s get started.

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor is an interesting subject in light of wealth, corruption, and the human heart. This subject effects many things, including what makes a good economy. 

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 5, verses eight to nine, Solomon says the following:

Ecclesiastes 5:8-9
“8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.”

COMMENTARY: There are two things king Solomon is saying here within the theme of the vanity of WEALTH and HONOR. Wealth and honor are two different things, as one can have wealth with or without honor or honor with or without wealth. That being said, let’s look at verses 8 and 9 independently to see the simple message God provides us today through Solomon.

BREAK DOWN
Ecclesiastes 5:8-9

THE ABUSE OF AUTHORITY & WEALTH
 “8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them." 

COMMENTARY: Verse 8 clearly illustrates that there is a corruption at every level of government, with higher level oppressors plundering the equally oppressive lower-level magistrates. This perhaps explains the st state of America and the world. With blackmail running. Rampant and the public sector unchecked, they have been robbing the everyday citizen of their hard earned money. As a result, the system became insulated and division between the haves and have nots became more defined. When the high level government officials rob and abuse those below them, someone above that person robs and abuses the higher level person himself.

In America, where we print money out of thin air for the world, in this short period of history, there is little need to plunder those under one authority because there is so much to steal that those in authority can simply pay them off or blackmail them; whichever is most convenient. Either way, Solomon makes abundantly clear that when there is nobody minding the ship, evil perpetuates to the point of overtaking the government in whole. As a result, we end up with a 2024 government, riddles with corruption, immorality, blackmail, lawlessness, and all other things evil due to the lack of God-ness which equates to “goodness”. 

Economically speaking, when this happens to a country, its own economy begins to decline into debt due to their insatiable desire and emotional need for more money and resources. When resources are stripped and money is squandered, the elite few are smart enough to collect those resources and money and we end up with a U.S. Stock Market where only 5% holds up to 80%  of the entire market wealth. 

WHAT IS THE ANSWER?
The answer and solution is to keep to return to the system we created in the first place which is free market capitalism that allows those who desire to work hard, to have a fair chance at success, making money and turning a fair profit. This is called “honor for everyone”.

HONOR FOR EVERYONE
"9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.”

CONCLUSION:

Government corruption comes to the advantage of a few-but at the expense of many if not all the rest of society. Vanity and wealth, if not kept accountable, devours one’s honor and the honor or the nation in whole. Solomon (Qohelet) considered goverment to be frustrating becuase it was a necessary evil, something deply flawed but indespsnsible. On the one hand people sould "not be shocked" when they see OPPRESSION and injustice in a governmental province (v.8). After all, bloated government bureaucracy tends to frustrate justice (v.8b). On the other hand, government has it advantages (v.9). Many hold to the belief that this verse continues the negeative assessment of government. Others see this passage better understood more positively since it fits with Qohelet's normal pattern of "on the one hand, on the other.." way of teaching. 

Even a corrupt government is better than anarchy, which devastates a country, it's culture and in Solomon's time, an agrarian economy that would lead to starvation. Keeping to God's ways is the only solution to man's sinful nature; especially in governmental rule. In the end, a king who devotes himself to developing the resources of the land ushers in a systems that brings the opportunity for profit to all, not just the corrupt few.

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SOLA SCRIPTURA
A Protestant & Catholic View Comparison

I grew up Catholic and now go to a Protestant or non-Catholic church in Charlotte, NC. Michael Houdmann, Founder and CEO of GotQuestions.Org writes that a major difference between the two boils down to believing in the Bible alone as God's word verses believing that God's word plus man's input as the divine inspired word of God.

WHAT DO PROTESTANTS BELIEVE?

A major difference is the issue of sufficiency and authority of Scripture. While Protestants believe that the Bible alone is the source of God's special revelation to mankind, it also speaks to everything we need to understand as necessary for our salvation from sin.

Protestants view the Bible as the STANDARD for Christian morality and ethics which governs our behavior. This is called sola scripture and is one of the five Solas in Christianity. (Solas meaning "alone" in Latin. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 makes clear that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (ESV).

WHAT DO CATHOLICS BELIEVE?

Catholics do not believe in sola scriptura hence do not believe that the Bible alone is sufficient. They see both the Bible and sacred Roman Catholic tradition as equally authoritative and binding on the Christian. While not all Catholics hold to doctrines such as purgatory, praying to the saints, worship or veneration of Mary, etc., the Catholic doctrine hold to them even though they have little or no mention or basis in the Bible. In truth, these doctrines are based on Roman Catholic traditions based on the Catholic Church's insistence that the Bible and tradition are equal in authority. The problem with this is that it undermines the sufficiency, authority, and completeness of the Bible. The view of Scripture is at the root of many, if not all, of the differences between Catholics and Protestants.

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