What an interesting Scripture!
Jesus said that the city of Sodom wouldn't have been destroyed with
fire and brimstone if they had seen the SAME mighty works as Capernaum.
"Mighty works" here is the Greek, dunamis, which means "power,"
i.e., God's power. Jesus came to this earth as God in the flesh (1st
Timothy 3:16), i.e., the Word of God became incarnate (John 1:1-2).
Jesus is the Living Word of God (Revelation 19:13). The Gospel is the
greatest POWER on earth, which can save men's souls from eternal damnation...
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the POWER OF GOD
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the
Greek" (Romans 1:16). The Gospel of Christ was preached in Capernaum, unlike
Sodom. The inhabitants of Sodom had no Bibles or preachers. Lot
was a Christian (2nd Peter 2:7) who lived in Sodom, but he hid his candle from
the lost, and didn't care about winning the lost to Christ. Old
Testament Christians were familiar with soulwinning. Solomon said in
Proverb 11:30... "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that
winneth souls is wise." Sadly, then as now, most believers were
selfish and self-centered, not caring about the Lord's work. Lot was one
of them.
A People More Wicked Than Those of Capernaum... Americans!
How does America today compare to Sodom, or to Capernaum? Jesus said that Capernaum was more wicked than Sodom, because of their refusal to repent in lieu of the mighty works done in their city, primarily the preaching of the Gospel. The lost sinners of Capernaum beheld the Savior Himself, their Creator (John 1:10), and yet received Him not. Yet, the people of Capernaum had no printed Bibles, no Christian radio stations, no Christian TV, no Christians magazines, no Christian books, no preaching cassettes or CDs, no MP3 sermons all over the internet, not even Gospel tracts!!! How much more wicked is the world today, than the Christ-rejecting people of Capernaum? Woe unto Christ-rejecters today--who are blessed with an abundance of Gospel preaching! We enjoy a level of splendor today that couldn't even have been imagined centuries ago. Modern medical is a miracle in itself. God has blessed us so much! Never before have people had the truth more readily available at their fingertips than now. Yet, the average person today is woefully ignorant concerning the truth. Oh!, how hot Hell will be for those today who say "no" to the Savior's free gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23; 2nd Thessalonians 1:8). Hell hath enlarged herself in these last days of apostasy... "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it" (Isaiah 5:14). Surely, any enlargement of Hell in Isaiah's time is dwarfed in comparison to the mammoth expansion of Hell today!... "For some are already turned aside after Satan" (1st Timothy 5:15). Have you turned aside after Satan?
"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." -Romans 2:5
Turned Aside After Satan
Interestingly, take a look at 1st Timothy 5:14 (the verse before)... "I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully." The context in which the Bible makes the statement "some are already turned aside after Satan" is primarily in reference to disobedient and selfish wives who fail to be proper mothers and wives. A wife who shames her husband, and causes people to speak evil of him is turned aside after Satan. A wife who takes her husband to divorce court is turned aside after Satan. A women who fails to properly care for her children is turned aside after Satan. A wife who refuses to kiss her husband or be honest with him is turned aside after Satan. Tragically, many wives today have turned aside after Satan, and are living in sin. Biblically, a wife is to be a "helpmeet" to her husband (Genesis 2:18). A wife who leaves her husband alone, refusing any longer to be his help meet, is turned aside after Satan. Divorce is a sin!
Many today have turned aside after Satan. The Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) industry has turned aside after Satan, following the Devil's music! The public school system has turned aside after Satan, eliminating teacher led prayer and Bible reading. Zondervan Publishers and the American Bible Society have turned aside after Satan by corrupting the infallible Words of God. Many Southern Baptists have turned aside after Satan by joining the occult Freemason organization. Christianity Today has turned aside after Satan by promoting Harry Potter's demonic witchcraft. Martin Luther King Jr. turned aside after Satan, denying the deity of Christ, and is burning in Hell this moment. His wife, Coretta King, was also turned aside after Satan, promoting rights for homosexuals. Many women today have turned aside after Satan by adhering to feminist philosophies, which is why women are TWICE as likely to file for divorce in America than men. Oh, how so many today are turned aside after Satan!
Many people have turned aside after Satan by following the damnable Catholic Church, which is NO church at all. From the cradle to the casket, Catholicism offers a complete package of religious ceremonialism; but they go about to establish their own righteousness, and not the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:3-4). Catholics commit idolatry by bowing to statues (Exodus 20:4-5). 1st Timothy 2:5 states, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." So then why are Catholics told to confess their sins to another sinful man, a priest? It is wicked! Who forgives the priest's sins? Oh listen friend, Catholicism is a prisonhouse of religion--void of Biblical Truth--and filled with manmade traditions... "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition..." (Mark 7:13). The Assumption of Mary is one prime example, a false doctrine not found anywhere in the Scriptures. Did you know that the Vatican removes the 2nd Commandment from their Catechism to deceive you?
A book could easily be
written addressing all those who have turned aside after Satan nowadays; but
the big question here, now, is, have you believed a lie? Have you
already turned aside after Satan?
Wisdom Crieth in the Streets!
America is far worse than Capernaum, which was far worse than Sodom. Proverb 1:20-22 state... "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?" How long oh Americans, will you remain as fools who hate knowledge? How long oh Europeans, will you remain blinded to the truth? How long oh world? How long? Truth crieth in the streets and from the rooftops, but who will hear? The inhabitants of Capernaum heard the Gospel (i.e., good news) of Jesus Christ and knew that God's power was present, working amongst them; but they rejected Christ, and chose to remain in darkness. The people of Sodom had no soulwinners to care about them like Capernaum did. Oh how blessed America has been with Bible-believing churches and soulwinning Christians who love the Lord. Yet, America continues to plunder into the abyss of apostasy, as more and more of it's people reject the Word of God. Woe unto America!
"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city." -Matthew 10:14,15
