SPEAKER 01 : 0:08

Welcome to the Flatline with your host, Rick Hughes. For the next 30 minutes, you’ll be inspired, motivated, educated, but never manipulated. Now, your host, Rick Hughes.

SPEAKER 02 : 0:23

Good morning and welcome to the Flatline. I’m your host, Rick Hughes, and for the next few minutes, please stay with me. It won’t be long, just 27 minutes, essentially, of some information about No motivation, no solicitations, nothing like that, but information, information that will help you verify and identify God’s plan for your life, if in fact you’re even interested. And if you are, then you can orient and adjust the plan once I give you the information. It’s up to you, because God gave you a free will. God did not make you a robot. He gave you two ends. That’s right, two different ends. One of them you sit on and one of them you think with. And success in your life will depend on which one of those ends you use. You’ve heard the phrase, heads you win, tails you lose. Well, that’s the way it goes. That’s why the Bible tells you in 2 Peter 3.18, you are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And that is a main verb, grow. That’s an imperative command in God’s Word. Nobody ever grew up spiritually by singing songs. It only comes through studying to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 2 Timothy 2.15. The whole idea of this radio show is to seek out and find those of you that are interested in growing, those of you that recognize you’re not where you need to be spiritually in your life. Maybe you’re already a believer. You’ve already accepted Christ as your Savior, but you’re not growing, and you know it. You must get under a well-qualified pastor that can teach you the Bible so you can grow, feed on the Word of God every day. And I hope that we can encourage you to do that. I want to remind you of our printed material that is available through our website, rickhughesministries.org, rickhughesministries.org. And there you will find some of our latest books called, like for example, Practicing Your Christianity, A Crash Course in Christianity. You’ll find Bible Promises and Principles available to you. You’ll find transcripts from every year back all the way through 2018, 19, 20, 21. These are the verbatim words that I said, transcribed, and put into a book. The reason we did that is we recognize the written word lasts forever. The electronic word may not. So there may come a time when you lose your electronics and you can’t listen, you can’t use your phone, can’t use your computer, can’t use whatever, but you can always read. So we put these Flatline shows into transcripts for you. So when it comes time, you can open them and read them. And every one we’ve done since 2018 is printed all printed in a nice book for you, and all you have to do is ask. Everything’s free. We don’t sell anything. Unlike some ministries, we don’t try to justify it by saying we’re just trying to pay for the cost of posters, brother. We’re not doing that. We know if God’s in it, God will pay for it. It’s always been our faith that we operate upon that style. And so if you want it, just write and ask for it, and it’ll come to you. So please consider that. We also have tons of bookmarks online. that you can put in your Bible to remind you of certain promises on the flat line. We also have all sorts of material available for you. I’m trying to think what else we have available on the website. It’s just all sorts of stuff. So anyhow, take a look at it. And if you want to order something, go ahead and give us an order. Drop us a note. rickhughesministries.org. If you need to call us, you can do that at 800-831-0718. Let me remind you of something, please. I’m not a counselor. I’m not here to tell you how to handle your children. I’m not here to tell you how to handle your marriage. I’m here to tell you what the Bible says about your very own personal spiritual life. If you need a counselor, find somebody that’s trained in that. That’s not me. I’m an evangelist, and I’m looking for those of you that are hungry to grow, hungry to learn God’s Word, and willing to get with the program. Now, here we go. I want to talk to you today about the road to ruin. The road to ruin. And we have to start off with understanding there’s always rules. Rules, and then rebellion, and then ruin. The three R’s. Not writing, reading, and arithmetic. Rules, rebellion, and ruin. You know, as we watch our country descend into chaos, it’s pretty apparent that unless something calls us back to order, unless something brings resolution to the many grievances that citizens are expressing, we’re not going to survive the seismic shift that’s causing hatred and animosity across this great nation. The one stabilizing factor that steadies that ship and calms the storm is always authority. There has to be authority. and that establishes the rules we live under. Without authority, there’s no rules, and that authority represents the power, and the power is what politicians fight to control. Whoever has the authority sets the rules, right? So it’s clear that the rules exist for everybody, but not everybody is willing to play by the rules, you know that. The privileged think the rules don’t really apply to them since they have the money and the power. So did you know that God also has rules? God also has rules? Let me go and show you here some of the first rules ever given by God. The first rule I could find in the Bible that God instituted was given in Genesis 2, 15 through 17. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. That’s his job, work it, take care of it. And the Lord commanded the man, you are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For if you eat from it, you will certainly die. There was a rule. Anything in here you can eat. It’s all wonderful. And you’re a vegan. You can have all these wonderful foods, but do not eat anything from that tree. Well, it’s evident that Adam and Eve violated the rule of law. And it’s evident that the result is now we are all born under condemnation due to Adam and Eve’s violation of that rule. Romans 5.12 tells us this. Therefore, just as sin entered into the world through one man, that’s Adam, and death through sin, that’s spiritual death, In this way, death came to all people because all have sinned. We’re all related to Adam. We all get Adam’s original sin when we’re born. It’s imputed to us, and we are born spiritually dead. Spiritually dead. That’s why we have to be born again or made spiritually alive. There’s only one way to do that. That’s through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the finished work on the cross that he did for us. That’s why the Bible says, he that believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. And he that believeth not, the wrath of God abides on him forever. Now, another rule that every American citizen is under is a rule from God critical for the orderly survival within our very nation. Let me read it to you, Romans 13, one through five. Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities. For there are no authorities except that which God has established. The authorities which exist have been established by God, and consequently whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, then be afraid. For rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath, to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.” Wow, I know that’s a lot to read, five verses, Romans 13, one through five. Well, let’s go back to this first part, be subject to governing authorities. Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities. This is not a request, this is a rule. It’s a divine mandate for the believers that Paul wrote in the book of Romans. What authorities is he talking about? What does he mean, be subject to governing authorities? Listen to the next statement. There are no authorities except that which God has established. That which God has established. They’re only there because he allowed it. If you were God, I’m going to ask you a serious question. If you were God, would you have appointed this president we have today? If you were God, would you have appointed the president we have today? And of course you’re saying, well, if I was God, you are dead wrong. Don’t ever say that. God appointed the president we have today. God allows these people to be in control, and it’s always for a reason. And when the Bible says be subject to the governing authorities, whether you like them or not, you are under their authority, and you’re not to violate that authority. If you don’t like it, vote them out of office. But you’re not allowed to be a rebel without a cause. You’re not allowed to sow discord. You’re not allowed to do so many crazy things that some people try to do. The authorities are established by God. I’m reading it to you. Listen, there is no authority except that which God has established. You think you could do better than God? You think you could have put the right one in there and everything would have been perfect? God allowed this man to be our president and it’s for a reason. God established it. So let’s go to the next verse. Whoever rebels against the authority God placed is rebelling against God. So in this case, God sets the rules for us to maintain law and order. And no nation can survive without the rule of law and order. And if you break the laws, you are sinning as a Christian. If you break the law, you’re sinning as a Christian. So remember that. I know you say the speed limit’s 55 and I ran 60, did I sin? Come on, give me a break. The police don’t even enforce that. But if you’re on the interstate and the speed limit is 70 and you’re running 90, you’re going to get a ticket, and rightfully so. But they always are gracious and give you a few miles an hour over the required speed limit to keep up with the flow of traffic. We know that. But rules, when we have rules, privacy, property, rules, those are to maintain order in the nation. And this is one of Satan’s big deals. It’s to convince rebellious people rules do not apply to them. That’s what he likes to do, to convince rebellious people that rules do not apply to them. And so if the rules don’t apply to them, then they can do whatever they want to do. Rebellion occurs when God’s rules are ignored. I have a question. Have you been ignoring the rules of God? The arrogant and the inadequate always ignore the rules of God. We call it AI, not artificial intelligence, arrogant and inadequate. They justify why they don’t have to play by the rules. And the sad truth is this, those types wind up self-destructing. Proverbs 1, 32 and 33, gullible people kill themselves because of their turning away. Fools destroy themselves because of their indifference. Verse 33, Proverbs 1, but whoever will listen to me will live without worry and he will be free from the dread of disaster. It’s the fool that rejects God’s word, and that is rebellion. Now, if you’re gonna live by God’s rules, you gotta learn how to play by the rules, and the first place that that starts is at home. The first rule that any child must learn, children, obey your parents in the Lord, Ephesians 6, one through three. This is the right thing to do. Honor your father and your mother so that everything may go well with you and you may have a long life on this earth. This is an important commandment with a promise. So here’s a rule number one. These verses are God’s mandate for children who live under the authority of their parents, whether they like them or not. Obey your parents. That Greek verb is the word pronounced hupakouo, hupakouo, H-U-P-A-K-O-U-O. And it means to heed to, to conform to, command or authority, means to submit. This is the same test that Adam faced. He disobeyed God’s authority. And the question is, will you obey the authority that God placed you under? And it’s not too bad when they’re 7 or 8 or 5 or 6, but when they get to be 15 and 16, they want to set their own rules, and they think this doesn’t apply to them any longer. Parents represent the authority of God, and arrogant children justify why they do not have to be obedient to their parents. And this self-justification is the same arrogance, the same trait that Eve used in her decision to disobey God’s mandate and go ahead and partake of the fruit that the devil offered her. But no parent is absolutely correct all the time. The command still stands, though, even though they may not be perfect. The rule of law in the home may even be unfair sometimes. And an unfair decision is a good way to learn because when your parents or when the parents of a teenager make an unfair decision, that decision can be rejected or even respected. Rejection leads in reaction, but respect results in response. So let’s say a child gets a rule. They don’t like it. They’re going to sneak out the door. They’re going to climb through the window. They’re not going to lie about something. They are reacting to the rule of authority, and that’s called rebellion. Proverbs 620, my son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake the law of your mother. Proverbs 30, 17, the eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures. Well, that’s a metaphor for a very horrible death, alone and forgotten, for that person who’s in total ruin because of rebellion and not obeying the rules. The Bible speaks of a four-generation curse, and I may have to come back and teach this sometime. a four-generation curse in Proverbs 30, verses 11 through 14. And it comes on any nation whose children disrespect parental authority. Proverbs 30, 11 through 14. Here’s verse 11. There is a generation that curses their father and does not bless their mother. That is straight rebellion. So we have rules and then we have rebellion. And in that first generation of rebellion, authority is rejected. That moves into the second generation of the fourth generation curse and they become self-righteous. They justify what they do because of their own arrogance. And that takes them into the third generation where they get locked in arrogance and they don’t see themselves as they really are. They see themselves as they think they are. And then into the fourth generation where they have inordinate ambition and lust for power. That fourth generation is the most corrupt of all. having accumulated all the sins of the past generations plus their own sins. Now that doesn’t mean that you’re going to be suffering because of that. You can always break out of that if you obey the word of God. But if you don’t obey the word of God, if you continue to be rebellious towards the word of God, then you through four generations can guarantee the destruction of a free nation. Few people ever recover from total rebellion against their parents. Did you know that? Few people ever recover from total rebellion against their parents. Rebellion to legitimate authority is a pattern of a destructive action in a client nation such as ours. And so we have rules, police, law and order, the principal, the pastor, Whoever it is, you’re under that authority, your parent, and you can’t handle that authority. You don’t like that authority. You rebel against that authority. You’re ruining your life. Rebellion to legitimate authority is a pattern of destructive action in a client nation, just like ours. So the mental attitude of resentment of authority will ripen eventually into open rebellion. And that rebellion is fueled today and encouraged today by social media misfits who appeal to lonely, confused people, especially lonely and confused teenagers. So from rebellion comes ruin. Any believer who gravitates to a life of fulfillment of lust and arrogance has used their free will to ruin their lives. Young people who resist the authority of their parents have developed a habit which will eventually destroy his or her life. Proverbs 19.3, a person’s own folly ruins his life, and yet his heart rages against the Lord. So the rebellion leads to ruin. Again, a person’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord. It’s very typical for a fool to blame God for his own misery and his own bad decisions and the consequent discipline he’s under from the Lord. Here’s something you might not be aware of. Rules for believers in marriage are in a business partnership. I’ve seen that. 2 Corinthians 6.14, do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship does righteousness have with lawlessness, and what communion has light with darkness? This is telling you if you’re a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, do not marry an unbeliever. This is telling you if you’re a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, do not go into a partnership with an unbeliever. That’s what it’s telling you. Without understanding these rules, you will ruin your life before you even are finished living it. because the rebellious rule breaker is a worthless person. He has no respect for any authority and this results in a soul scarred up with scar tissue. Proverbs 10, eight and nine, the wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. One who walks in integrity will walk securely. but one who perverts his ways will be found out. So the wise heart will receive mandates, rules, but a babbling fool, the rebellious person, will come to ruin. Now listen, it’s never too late to recover from your rebellious attitude. It’s never too late to recover from your ruinous lifestyle. You may ask yourself, would God actually forgive me for all the rebellion that I’ve committed? Well, the answer is yes. I mean, look, take a deep breath. Are you still alive? You say, well, you don’t know where I am. I’m in a broken home, a broken marriage. I’m incarcerated, whatever. You’re still alive, aren’t you? I mean, if God was through with you, you would be a greasy spot. You’re not. You’re alive. You’re here. Can God forgive you for the rebellion you’ve committed? Yes. Yes. But you must recognize the source of your misery. He did not abandon you. You walked away from him. And the source of your misery is your very own volition. Volition. God gave you volition. You must choose who you want to obey. You’re tempted to disobey God by the world, the flesh, and the devil. The lure of the world is a very strong lure because it tells you that happiness is dependent upon people and circumstances. It’s very hard to ignore that attraction. And then the flesh tells you that the happiness depends on fulfilling the desires of your flesh. And not everybody has the same lust pattern. Some people lust for sex. Some people lust for money. Some people lust for power. Some people lust for just attention. We have lust patterns of the flesh. We have the lure of the world. And then we have the evil lust. of Satan and his main way of thinking is a liar. He’s a liar, he will lie to you, he will tell you something that’s not true. And so listen, if you can possibly admit your rebellion to God’s rules, then you need to do exactly what David did in the Bible. David was a mighty man of God, a king that God ordained and put in power, and he made a horrible mistake. He fornicated with Bathsheba, another man’s wife. He eventually had another man, that man put to death in combat and tried to cover up what happened to him. And it was a horrible thing. In Psalm 32, one through five, he finally comes clean with God. He knows he can’t hide it from God. And you can’t hide your rebellion from God either. God knows what you did. So here’s how you deal with it. Psalm 32, one through five. How blessed is he whose wrongdoings are forgiven, whose sin is covered. How blessed is the person whose guilt the Lord does not take into account, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent about my sins, my body wasted away through my groanings all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me. That’s discipline. My vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. But I did acknowledge my sin to you. I did not hide my guilt from you. I said I will confess my sins and my wrongdoings to the Lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin. One of the bad things about ruin is guilt. A lot of people have a hard time living with guilt. The guilt of what they’ve done and looking back and so ashamed of it. You don’t have to live that way. Don’t do that. That’s just what Satan wants you to do. He wants you to feel sorry for yourself. So you made a mistake. So you did something dumb and stupid. You’re not the first person that’s ever done that. Go to God if you’re a Christian and admit your sin. This is the first problem-solving device called rebound. If we confess our sin, he’s faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That will allow the Holy Spirit to gain control of your life and help you subdue the lust of the flesh, to help you overcome the lure of the world and help you see the lies of Satan. So if you’ll stay filled with the Holy Spirit, you have a chance to actually glorify God with your life. You may have done something in the past where you broke the rules and you got into rebellion and now your life is in ruin. You think, can I glorify God now? Yes, you can. You can glorify God in prison. You can glorify God in a divorce. You can glorify God in an addiction if you admit your sin and turn away from it. Nobody can do it for you. You have a volition. You have to choose. As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is, the Bible says. You are a product of your volition, your decision-making process. And this passage I just read to you in Psalm 32, one through five is for the Christian who’s under divine discipline. Now, if you’re not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you’re not a Christian, there’s only one solution. That solution is to go to God and tell him you wish to be saved and that you’re willing to receive Christ as your savior. It’s a simple act of faith and it will seal your eternal destiny and it will open the door to all of God’s assets for you in time. Living life in the devil’s world requires some spiritual provisions, and they are readily available to believers. John 1.12, but as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in his name. That’s a wonderful asset. As a child of God, you have all those imputed blessings to you, and you can live the life you should have lived to start with. Have you made that decision? Have you accepted Christ as your Savior? If not, I encourage you, I beg you to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Simply go to God in prayer and tell him you would like to receive Christ as your Savior. You believe he died on the cross for your sin and you’re willing to put your faith in him. The words are not important, but it’s the attitude of your heart that’s important. Do you believe Christ died for you? Then tell God, yes, I believe and I’m willing to receive him as my Savior. Have you learned something today about rules, rebellion, and ruin? That’s what we’re facing in this country. I pray this has encouraged you. I pray this has given you some insight to understand what’s happening. So until next week, this is your host, Rick Hughes, here on the Flotline, inviting you to come back, same time, same channel, same city, and let us know if you’re listening. Drop us a note and say, hey, we hear you loud and clear in our city. Because our contracts are coming up and we have to reorganize our contracts. So we’d like to know who’s listening. So thank you. Appreciate you being here. I pray God would bless you today. In Christ’s name we ask it. Amen.

SPEAKER 01 : 27:40

Thank you for listening to The Floodline with your host, Rick Hughes. If you’d like to contact Rick, please write to him at P.O. Box 100, Cropwell, Alabama, 35054, or online at www.rickhughesministries.org.