Any talk about changing the families in America and saving our children from the pandemic destruction sweeping their lives must begin at the foundation. Not even a righteous father or mother can change their home or save their children if the foundation has been destroyed. They must first repair the foundation; put their house in spiritual order; and clean out the witchcraft and snares of destruction. Then, and not before, they can see their children delivered and totally changed.

This Scripture, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" is an emphatic principle that the Holy Spirit has provided for our spiritual understanding. Trying to repair our own lives or the home must begin by rebuilding the foundation. Lot, the nephew of Abraham, learned this principle too late to save his family. He had first pitched his tent toward Sodom (Genesis 13:12). A short time later, the Scripture shows that he dwelt in Sodom (Genesis 14:12) and then his family became a part of Sodom's lifestyle. While he remained at least a marginally righteous man, his family was swept up with the good life and was compromised by the big city sins.

When destruction was eminent, the angels sent Lot to get his family. "And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law." (Genesis 19:12-14). It was too late.

Lot's family was destroyed, except for two daughters who had so learned the ways of Sodom that they continued the shame of wickedness. He could not save his family because the foundations had been destroyed.

Rebuilding the Foundation
There is a famine of the Word of God in our present day church world. It has escaped us that a Christian life or home must be built squarely and carefully upon the one and only foundation. Jesus addressed this very issue. "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:46-49).

Absolutely nothing can stand the ultimate test unless it is built upon a sure foundation. Satan hates the home. His first challenge against man was in the home. When a man and woman establish a God ordained family and house, Satan starts scheming to overthrow that house. It is a challenge to his authority. The family that intends to survive must build the foundation on the Word of God. Every lifestyle that is contrary to truth must be denounced and kept out of a godly home. Entertainment, toys, or games that have been created around themes of witchcraft and biblically contrary ideas must be eliminated.

Purifying the House
This truth of purity in the family was addressed at the early beginning of the New Testament church. It is no mystery why the early church literally turned the world upside down. Pure families in a pure church are far superior than the powers of Lucifer to destroy. Here is what happened when revival and reformation came in the book of Acts. "And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." (Acts 19:18-20).

Notice the results of this house cleaning, "So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." When the unveiled truth of Scripture and the blood of sprinkling are unleashed in a house of believers, the result is a visitation of spiritual life. We have a very simple task in accomplishing this breathtaking victory. We must apply Holy Scripture to our lifestyles and stand on the Word of God in all its wonderful expressions of righteousness. But we say that we have no power to act in this fashion, and we are right. That is where the blood of Jesus is our victory. We will conclude this chapter by showing how the blood of Jesus is our cleansing and deliverance and not our own good works.

Warning of Evil Influences
The families of God have always lived in the midst of corruption and evil influences. It is impossible to escape the presence of sin and satanic powers as long as we are living on this side of the resurrection and final redemption. When Jesus prayed his pastoral prayer for the disciples, He framed that prayer to show our vulnerability. "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." (John 17:11). "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:14-16).

We are in the midst of absolute filth. Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). Our families stand in victory only when we live out this prayer in the above paragraph that Jesus prayed. We are in the world but not a part of it. There is absolutely no other way to build our Christian home, but by constantly standing vigil over the foundations and principles. As the children of Israel were traveling toward the Promise Land through the wilderness, the Lord warned them of these evil influences and what they would do to the houses of Jewish families. "The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing." (Deuteronomy 7:25-26).

The families of the Lord must learn to abhor every semblance of evil and wickedness reflected on the ungodly side of the world system. When we translate the terms of the above Scripture into modern language, it paints a very clear picture. "Graven images of their gods" easily reflects the gods of rock music and the vulgar dress that reflects the rock culture, plus that same idea on many levels. The sports culture has permeated the American lifestyle until we tolerate sports figures that are absolutely moral perverts and stadiums that are nothing but big beer and gambling party houses. We tolerate the utter desecration of the day of the Lord, the day Jesus was resurrected and established as our Sabbath, and most people treat it as a holiday. This powerful warning in Deuteronomy stated that the abominations of the world will make your home a cursed thing and would create a snare to your family. Ministries like Bill Gothard's, mine, and many others have documented how children and young people have been snared and led to rebellion by the presence of evil in the home. Rock stars' pictures on a bedroom wall; toys, games and entertainment that has witchcraft influences; decorating or dressing in the attire of godless people; etc., will snare the lives of those who live under these abominations. You cannot take fire into your bosom and not be burned.

It is impossible to name all the many items, expressions, images, etc. that have come to represent the works of demon spirits in our culture. Secular television is saturated with the filth of immorality and pagan influences. A good part of recent Hollywood productions has used themes from varying religious ideas and heathen cultures. In the third and last section of this book you will find documentation of dark powers in several recent entertainment successes. You cannot bring these snares into your home without consequence.

God's warning to the Children of Israel, as we recounted, is certainly a modern warning to our lives today. Satan's techniques have not changed. We are approaching his last effort at world control and are going to see evil manifested in an unparalleled fashion. Our homes must become places of spiritual light. Truth must be an open book so that our children are protected. Satan is like a cockroach, he hates the light and flees when it is made manifest.

Spiritual Light is Foundational
The Word of God -- the Holy Bible -- is the foundation of our lives and our houses. Over and over in this book I expose the home to the light of Scripture. My opinion is of little value, but the Word of God is foundational. Jesus Christ stated this in many ways. In John we read, "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them." (John 12:35-36).

The Son of God and the Word of God are totally integrated. They are one, He is the living Word (John 1:14) and the Scripture is His written Word. If we build our houses on this "light" (the Word) and in this "light" (the Lord), they will endure the storms. We will deliver our children from the evil one and each of our families will bring light and deliverance to many other families. There is an incredible searching for help by a multitude of present day parents. They are extremely concerned and ready for good advice. The Word of God is a "Planned Parenthood" handbook.

Let the world call you old-fashioned as you take the Bible literally and build your house on every truth. Jesus stated, ". . . Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4). All Scripture is the literal Word of God and must be obeyed. Your friends will look at your family down the road and will respect the results of your choice.

The Blood of Sprinkling
A harlot woman in Jericho invited the Israeli spies into her brothel for their protection. She hid them under the thatch of her roof and protected their whereabouts. When they were ready to escape, she expressed her faith in their God and asked for her and her father's household's safety and deliverance. Their message and her safety was a very simple matter.

Her request is beautiful. "Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death." (Joshua 2:12-13).

Her request sounds like the cry I hear from mothers and fathers all across America. We want our families saved. We want our children living clean and pure. This is the heart cry of a thousand past generations as well.

Here is their powerful advice to this harlot named Rahab. "And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him." (Joshua 2:17-19).

A scarlet cord was to be hung out her window. Her entire household was to remain inside her walled apartment. The house and its inheritance would be protected, not because they were better than the rest of Jericho's citizens, but because a scarlet cord was in its proper place. There was obedience required because anyone who was outside the house was destroyed. But their safety was in the scarlet cord.

That scarlet cord represented a type for the blood of Jesus Christ. The entire meaning of this biblical story is the protection and deliverance of the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. Our obedience in building our homes on the Word of God is expressed in the command to remain in that house where the scarlet cord was manifest. But our safety must never be thought of as our works of obedience. Our families should be told over and over that after we have been obedient, kept our house free of snares and evil, saturated our minds with the Holy Bible, then our trust is secure only by the blood.

Saved by Grace Alone
One of the major problems in the church of America is that we have played down the effect of sin. The church world has done this in the name of grace. Since we are saved by grace and not by our righteousness, then sin is considered of little consequence. The modern way is to talk about grace, love, and positive things and leave off sin and the dark side of life. Satan loves this kind of thinking.

While we have watched the church world play this little game, sin has infiltrated our schools, our culture, our homes, and our churches. Just like Lot in Sodom, the righteous will survive and ultimately escape the impending judgment, but the web of evil that has ensnared our houses, our children, and our youth will still be in place. Those lives caught in this web (like Lot's family) will be the crowd that will not hear the warning of the judgment to come.

Let's sprinkle again our houses with the blood as we remind our families that they must remain in the house to be protected. How do we sprinkle this blood? By faith! The First Testament worshipper used a hyssop branch, but we live and act by faith. That blood is sprinkled as you trust Him only and cling to His cross with abandonment. We bring nothing to the altar of His sacrifice except total trust. Declaring ourselves helpless, we trust only in Him. We must teach this trust to our families over and over again.

The Foundation is Back in Place
When your foundation is back in place, your house will begin to change. Respect will grow and love will increase. Be patient and make prayer and fasting a lifestyle. Every victory must be secured by prayer and waiting at the altar. Now, let's look at the absolute promise that a biblical family will be an unbroken circle in the day of His revelation.