I wake up every morning to the same old television broadcasts on the morning news. Murder, abductions, theft, corruption, deception and lies, injustice and cries. As I watch the downward spiral of our society today, I wonder at what point is this powder keg going to explode. I look at the failing morals of our nation. What is the world coming to? Every day is depressing. Every day is another battle. Every day is filled with more struggles, and every day brings more stress. Enough is enough!
Enough is enough! The world today is polluting our minds until every thought and imagination is of evil. The movie industry is corrupting our values, television is defiling our homes, and video games are teaching violence. Hostility fills the earth. If America is not judged, is an apology not owed to Sodom and Gomorrah?
People today do not realize how ripe the world is for judgment. We need God now more than ever. The world may acknowledge their belief in God, but they live as though God does not exist. There is a total lack of fear of a holy and righteous and jealous and just God.
It appears history repeats itself. God has been tested time after time again. At some point God has to say, enough is enough!
Let’s go way back and look at the fall of Satan.
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. -Isaiah 14:12-15
Satan fell from heaven because of pride. He desired to be God, not a servant of God. Satan was likely the highest of all angels, the anointed cherub, but he was not content in his position. Satan desired to replace God, to essentially remove God from His throne, and take over and rule. Then God said, “enough is enough!” A fall is not an accurate description of what happened to Satan. God cast, threw, hurled, evicted Satan and a third of the angels who followed him out of heaven.
Genesis chapter 6 tells us what was going on in the days of Noah. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. I noticed that scripture said the thoughts of his heart, not only was God aware of their actions but their thoughts also.
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he… -Proverbs 23:7
The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.Mankind continued to overstep the limits God had placed on them. Their increasing disobedience caused God to say again, “enough is enough!” The consequence of widespread corruption was the great flood that ended all but a remnant of life on earth.
Genesis chapter 18 describes a tale of the destructive cost of sin in a place called Sodom and Gomorrah. These were cities notorious for their flagrant and grievous sin.
The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. –Genesis 13:13
Abraham asked God if He would spare Sodom if He could find fifty innocent, godly people. God reassured Abraham that if He found fifty righteous people, he would spare the city for their sake.
Abraham then asks about a lesser and lesser number until he got down to ten people as God answers, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” There were not even ten. God said, “enough is enough!”
Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; -Genesis 19:24
We have disappointed God time after time again and again. Satan has influenced mankind from the beginning, starting with Adam and Eve, and he continues to influence mankind today. It started with Satan and it will end with Satan. But, not just Satan. All of those who follow Satan will accompany him to his fate.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: -Matthew 25:41
Why hasn’t mankind learned from its past mistakes, the behavior of the wicked, and the evil that men do? The world today is no different from the days of Noah or Sodom and Gomorrah. The devil, Satan, that old serpent is deceiving and influencing mankind today just as he did with Eve in the garden.
This world still has not changed because this world is still under the influence of Satan and his demons. His influence is great and those who give in to it will meet the same fate as the devil and his angels.
One of the most frequent arguments against a loving God is the presence of wickedness and suffering. It is assumed that if God is a God of love as the Bible teaches, He would do something to stop the evil in the world.
But God has done exactly that. He has intervened throughout history and stopped the suffering. He has observed the increase of human sin, and the depths of human suffering caused by that sin, and when that sin and that suffering became so great, He stopped the suffering. God’s actions were an act of judgement as well as love.
God will act, either globally or locally, to end the sin and the suffering by an act of extreme judgement. Noah announced the impending judgement for one hundred and twenty years, giving room for repentance. Afterwards, God drowned everybody. Abraham interceded with God to prevent the judgement if as few as ten righteous people could be found in the city. Afterwards, God burned up everybody in the city. In both instances, the responsibility was clearly in the hands of the people. All they had to do was turn from their wicked ways.
If mankind repented of its sins, the suffering caused by that sin would cease. If mankind refused to repent, then God would bring the suffering to an end by getting rid of those who caused extreme suffering to others.
God has amazing patience. All our sins are offensive to him, and all sin attracts his judgement. Though our sin causes others to suffer, God is slow to anger and is of great mercy. He delays the judgement, giving us time to hear his call to repentance. God is not slow to act as some understand slowness. He handles it all in His timing.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. –2 Peter 3:9
There is a point at which God clearly says, ‘Enough is enough!’ That’s the point where the sin, the evil, and the suffering, has reached its limit. That is when the judgement must and will fall.
There is a space between God’s announcement of judgement, and the time at which the judgement falls. In this space God gives us time for repentance. Also, in this space, sin, and suffering increases. Yet again, that is when God will say, “Enough is enough!” The judgement will fall, and the suffering will end.
In the past when the judgement fell, as in the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah, it was a temporary fix. We know it was temporary because here we are today still in a wicked, evil, and sinful place. That is because Satan still rules. However, the next judgement will be the final judgement. After this judgement, there will be no more suffering, no more pain, or even death.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. –Revelation 21:4
Until then, we ourselves must learn to say, “enough is enough!” We do not have to let the state of this world influence us. We do not have to let the state of this world still our joy, our peace, our sanity. Even though at times we get weak and we worry, and we wonder how we are going to make it. But there is hope.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. -2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Life is sometimes characterized by challenges and assaults from the enemy. Does God delight in the suffering of His Children? Absolutely not.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. –Jeremiah 29:11
So why then does God allow us to have to deal with the wicked and its influence in the world? We are in this world, but we don’t have to be of this world. Maybe it is for the trial of our Faith, or maybe to make us stronger, or maybe even to bring us back to Him.Can a lifestyle of righteousness and purity experience satanic harassment?Yes indeed. God sometime permits it. I previously delivered a message titled, “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People. I spoke about Job, who was a man perfect and upright, who feared God, and avoided evil. After Job went through his trials, he had a newly found relationship with God and a better understanding of God.
Enough is Enough! It is time for a change. You may not be able to change the situation, but you can change how you handle yourself in the situation. You are probably familiar with the Serenity Prayer.
Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. But you may not be familiar with the rest of the prayer which was written by Reinhold Niebuhr.
It continues with this.
Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.
You do not have to give in to the demands, temptations, or obligations that the world wants you to accept. Reject the tricks and lies offered by this world. You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago. Transform your life. Renew your mind.
I’ve had “enough” discouragements, I’ve had “enough” disappointments, I’ve had enough rejections and betrayals, I’ve had enough misery and shame. Enough is Enough!
When Satan whisper that you are not going to make it, tell him what the Bible says:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. -Philippians 4:13 4 … greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. -1 John 4:4 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper… -Isaiah 54:17 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28
“The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear; whom shall I be afraid.”
Get thee behind me Satan, get thee behind me depression, get thee behind me fear, and doubt, and frustration, and defeat. I am more than a conqueror. Enough is enough!
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. –Psalm 121:7-8
Be encouraged. Remain faithful. Rest in the assurance of the Lord. Enough is enough.
Tune in next week. The message will be Your Best Life Later. I haven’t written it yet. I just received the title this morning. You won’t want to miss it.
Peace be with you. God bless!
Transformation Ministries 