Whether you agree or disagree with Israel Folau, the serious lack in Australia’s intellectual and emotional capacity to engage with deep theological concepts, as are found in Israel’s controversial November sermon, is in itself a judgement on how far we’ve let educational standards fall in this country.
As Editor in Chief, Ben Davis, said on Monday, “with all of the criticism he’s copped, most of which is pure emotional vomit, so few seem capable of interacting with Folau’s comments in any meaningful way.”
You’ve all probably heard the mainstream media’s butchered to death, paraphrased version.
Here’s the original. All 12 minutes worth.
Transcript, Israel Folau sermon at The Truth of Jesus Christ Church, November 17, 2019:
“Good afternoon Church. First of all I’d just like to acknowledge and give all glory and praise to the one true living God that we serve, Jesus Christ for bring us all here together in the house of the Lord; and to be able to worship Him, and continue to strive for holiness, as He says to us in His word.
The message that I want to speak about today is mainly for the people that are outside within the world. I’ve been looking around at the events that’s been happening in Australia this past couple of weeks, ah with all the natural disasters; the bush fires; the droughts and all these things that are currently happening.
And the message that I want to share today, I hope and pray that God may speak on my behalf, and to those that are able to listen to this, their hearts may be opened to receive this word.
I’m not doing this out of; I’m doing this out of love, for the people to be able to hear this message and hopefully receive with open hearts, and they may come to know the truth of his word.
If we can turn to Isaiah 24:5 & 6, and it reads,
I just want to take a line out verse 5, it says “because they have transgressed the laws. They have changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.”
I just want to say the events that’s happening here in Australia, just in the last couple of years. God’s Word says for a man and a woman t be together; one man and one woman in the covenant of marriage to be together.
Now the world, and speaking to Australia, right now. They come and changed this law. So they changed the law, they changed the ordinance. They’ve changed that law, and now have legalised same-sex marriage. Now those things are okay in society; going against the laws of what God says. Abortion, it’s okay now to murder and kill infants; unborn children – and they deem that to be okay.
This here, this scripture here is talking to Australia, which is what God’s speaking to those that are listening, that they may open their hearts to receive this. You have changed the law and ordinance of these things.
Look at how rapid these bush fires, these droughts, all these things they’ve come in a short period of time. Do you think it’s a coincidence or not?
God is speaking you guys, Australia, you need to repent, turn, take these laws and turn it back into following what is right by God, what God says in His word.
It’s says “therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.”
What you see right now out in the world, it’s only a little taste of what God’s judgement’s comin’. It’s not even a big thing and now the news are saying that these bush fires are the worst they’ve ever seen in Australia. The worst.
They haven’t even seen anything; we look back at what God done to Sodom and Gomorrah, and rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed that city because of the sin that they were living in.
God is speaking to us. Speaking to you; those that are able to listen, to repent and to turn away from their sins. As a Christian in society today, the world will look at you, and look at something different, if you speak the truth, they will try and shut you out. Exactly what’s happened today.
If you turn to Isaiah chapter 5 verses 20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
Exactly what’s happening right now: same-sex marriage, in the eyes of God it’s evil. In society today, it’s good. Abortion, in the eyes of God it’s evil, in society today, it’s good.
To be a Christian and stand up for the truth seems like it’s a criminal act, compared to people who go out and do drugs, sexual assault, go and murder, the world will accept you, accept you right back in.
As soon as you stand up, and stand for the truth, and proclaim the truth, they will try and shut you out. Don’t let that, any of that stuff hold you back from speaking the truth, we must be bold to continue to stand up and share the truth.
This is what people are thinking in today’s society, this is how they think. They might not say that they would, but in their mindset that’s how they think; that’s how they are.
Turn to Job chapter 21 verses 14-15.
“Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways…”
This generation is full of arrogance and full of pride. They want to turn their back on God. They don’t want to know who God is. They don’t want to know one bit of who God is because they are so immersed in their sinful, evil, wicked ways. That is why they don’t want to know who God is.
We all know the scripture that says in Hosea chapter 4 verses 1 and 6.
God is speaking to you Australia. He has a controversy with you. Why? Because there’s no truth nor mercy – nor knowledge of God in this land; why? Because they want to reject it; it says in verse 6, “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge.” They don’t want to have a bar of it. Not one bit.
Like it says in Job 21; they don’t want to worship God, they don’t want nothing to do with Him. This is why. Doesn’t Jesus say in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.” So we know that Jesus Christ is the truth.
John chapter 3 verse 19, it reads:
It reads “the light has come into the world” – Who is that light? That light is Jesus Christ. He’s come into the world – “And men loved darkness, rather than light, because their deeds are evil.”
They’ve rejected Jesus. They don’t want anything to do with Him. Why? Because they love darkness, rather than light; because their deeds are so evil.
Australia, you need to listen to what God is saying to you, you need to repent. All these natural disasters are happening, is no coincidence, certainly no coincidence at all.
The solution to this is if you soften your heart and receive this; the solution to all this that’s happening is in 2nd Chronicles chapter 7 verses 14.
[Reads 2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV]
It says “if my people will pray, and turn from their sins, then I will heal their land…” That’s the solution to what’s happening right now in Australia. Not even with the natural disasters but with anyone that’s not even born again in Christ, listen to that, it says “my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves.” So many people are hard-hearted; don’t want to open their hearts and show humility for the Lord to come into them and change them. Too hard, their hearts are too hard.
The Lord is telling us here “to humble yourselves and pray, seek my face, turn from your wicked ways” – meaning repent! Repent, and the Lord will hear you and forgive your sins, and will heal their land.
That is the solution to what’s happening right now within this nation. To those that are not in the faith, not born again, this scripture is speaking to us as well. We need to open our heart and listen; show humility and listen to what the Word of God’s saying. I’m talking about the natural disasters out there, but this message is for the edification also for the church, for the brothers and sisters in Christ, here that are sitting today.
We need to wake up as the messages we’ve heard the last couple of weeks. Don’t be asleep. Don’t be spiritually asleep. They will miss everything that is happening right now. We need to stay sober and vigilant. Always stay awake with everything that’s happening around us.
I hope and pray that this message may go forth and that people may receive, and open their hearts to receive this word. We’re only doing this out of love and nothing else. We’ve got nothing to gain. There’s nothing to gain by sharing this message, but you won’t see anyone up in this pulpit [unclear] at any message, as it says in Isaiah 58, we’re lifting our voices like a trumpet and showing what God says, showing why people and their transgressions; that’s what we’re here to do. You know that as a Christian we’re going to face persecution and all that. Right, that’s what’s written in the Word and we gotta continue to stay faithful to what God says.
May the Word of God continue to go forth, and may God be with us all.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
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