"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord." Proverbs 16:33
The last 4 years has seen an increase in everything anti-Christian and anit-family; abortions, homosexual agenda, persecution of any who oppose those two, and an overall pandering to the religion of Islam..which is a dangerous thing. In addition, there has been increasing pressure on Christians to just get along and stop being so picky about issues. Of course you wouldn't know most of this unless you are tuned in to the right sources. I listen to a lot of American Family Radio and Christian news, which helps me to stay informed. Unfortunately most Americans don't..even most Christians.
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9
As the campaigns unfolded, leading up to the election, it was a tight race....which shouldn't have been the case. The saddest thing about the campaigns to me was that it was focused on the economy. Social issues weren't even discussed that much and for Christians those should be top priority. We have a president who said that he didn't want his children 'punished with a baby' if they made a mistake...and that should have been brought up by every pastor in America, encouraging his congregation to vote FOR the unborn. The day or two before the election, all of the conservative 'big wigs' were predicting Romney would win. I was a bit relieved but somewhere in the pit of my stomach I felt like it just wasn't going to happen.
"For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and udnerstand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them." Matthew 13:15
Tuesday came and that evening Dalton and I went to do our civic duty and vote. I've always loved voting. I feel such pride and responsibility when I do, and I so enjoy seeing all of the others come out to vote as well. It's one of the few ways that we are all unified; voting brings people from all walks of life and all areas out to do the same task. We voted, went out to eat and headed home to watch the coverage. We were watching Glen Beck at the time of the announcement and I must say the shock on his face was evident. Actually, the shock on everyone's faces and in everyone's voices was easy to see/hear. I couldn't believe what had happened. How could people vote for a president who had made the economy worse, the social values worse and even lied about a foreign disaster? I went to bed a bit depressed and scared. I had bad dreams.
"God reigns over the nations. God is seated on His holy throne." Psalm 47:8
The next morning I woke up with a weight on my shoulders. We listened to AFR and got the Biblical perspective, which really isn't that much more comforting. You see, we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God is sovereign and that nothing happens without His knowledge and consent. So we know that He allowed Obama to win a second term. This scares me more than comforts, as Bryan Fischer said. Why? Because I'm afraid that God is using Obama to judge the nation. Judge it for allowing 50 million babies to be aborted (I'm sick just typing that). Judging us because we've let the true Biblical family be distorted. Judging us because we have taken God out of schools, holidays, and much more. Judging us because we've turned to our idols of money, sports, comforts, status, the American dream instead of turning to Christ and living for His kingdom and His purposes. Judging us because our churches have become so weak that they don't even stand up for what's right and urge their congregations to vote for specific issues. Judging Christians and the churches for not holding believers to the high standards that Jesus set in the Bible...people cannot be true followers of Christ and vote pro-choice; it's just not possible/scripturally sound.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made....my frame was not hidden form you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me...." Psalm 139:13-16
"The Lord said it is not good for the man to be alone. I will create a helper suitable for him....'this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh'...that is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife and they become one flesh." Genesis 2:18,23,24
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
Are you good and depressed yet? Well, there is a positive side to all of this. Now is the time to stand up, prove that we are Christians and fight the good fight of faith. We must repent of our idos and TURN from them. It's time to devote ourselves to the Kingdom, not the country. I believe God is using this president and this culture to start separating the wheat from the chaff (Luke 3:17), the goats from the sheep (Matt 25:31-46), the real believers from the lukewarm in heart and spirit. And for some reason this encourages me because now the confusion and hypocrisy in the church can be addressed.
"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16
Yes, I'm terrified of what may come...I know Christian persecution is coming...its' here but it's going to increase. But I'm excited to get to have my chance. To prove to God that I will love Him and will serve Him and will obey Him even when my life is hard. The American Dream has protected us for too long and I think that we are going to have a great opportunity to stand in the gap and be Christians whether it's the 'cool' thing to do or not.
"If you insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you." 1Peter 4:14
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15:18-19
So what does this look like? I think it looks like believers sharing the Gospel often and with everyone...something I'm guilty of not doing. It looks like standing up to the educational system, including the university system, that has started indoctrinating students with liberal and anti-Christian ides (as an example: 157 empoloyees of Yale contributed to campaigns; 152 to Obama and 2 for Romney..a janitor and visiting professor); there are many more examples. If we are sending our kids to school for 8 hours a day they should be learning about God and the values that matter eternally and that is not currently the case. It looks like showing the government that we don't need them to take care of hurting people by doing what we should as a Church and looking after the widow and the orphan. It looks like praying every day, raising our children to become believers, and living for Christ daily Deut 6:7. It looks like seeing all other religions as they really are, counterfeits of the true Gospel and learning about them so we can inform others about the truth....there is only one path to Heaven and it is a narrow one.
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2
I could go on and on because God is showing me more and more each day how this looks and where I'm lacking. The bottom line is that we can no no longer straddle the fence between this world and the eternal world. I've seen this as a theme in Christian blogs and shows I've been following. God is drawing an eternal line in the sand and we must stay on the right side.
"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."Luke 9:23-26
The first step we must take is to devote ourselves to prayer...if we aren't in communication with the Father, how can we have a deeper relationship and know what he wants us to do. Pray often, pray hard and pray sincerely. And don't forget to pray for Obama...a great glory could come to God if he repents and turns to Christ.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
The second step is to get in the Word! The Word is our only offense against the evil of this world and the next. We must know our scripture so that we are prepared for those difficult conversations.
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword..." Hebrews 4:12
The third step is to join together with other believers for accountability.. if we are going to be the salt and light we must have help keeping ourselves salty and bright. Take a real assessment of our lives and see where God's calling us to change; are we honoring him with the way we spend our financial gifts..look where we're spending our money (I confess I spend too much on junk at Walmart); are we honoring Him with what we watch and listen to "Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place..." Eph 5:4; are we honoring Him with how we dress and present ourselves; are we honoring Him with our words to each other "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear" Eph 4:29. As I write this I'm convicted myself. I know I have many things to change in myself, but I'm committing to work on it..well to let the Holy Spirit work on it in me.
"So then each of us will give an account of himself to God." Romans 14:12
The final step is critical...we must LOVE others as we share with them, call them to repentance, live with them and strive with them. And we must love other believers as they call us to repentance and take to heart what they have to share with us.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but I have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal...if I give away all I have and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing....So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 12:1,3,13
So go out there, share the Good News about Christ...our knight in shining armor, take care of the orphans, widows and those in need, teach your children the true values to live by, love the sinners but address the sin, be advocates for the unborn, families, children and Christian values, and live for Christ alone!
"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15
I don't know about you, but now I have enough things to do with my own life thad I won't have time to be depressed and angry about Obama being reelected.
"All kings will bow down to Him and all nations will serve Him." Psalm 72:11
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
No comments:
Post a Comment