Reflections, Contemplations and Thoughts

As I sit and contemplate things for the sermon this week, which is out of the Old Testament, I am reminded again and again of the situation we face in our country today. Christians everywhere in the USA are feeling the fall away from the things of the Lord in our culture to the godlessness of self. We watch as our fellow countrymen stomp on everything our brethren who came before us fought, bled, and gave their lives to build and protect. We continue to hand over our freedoms to corrupt politicians, all while saying it's in the name of progress.

The Old Testament Hebrew nation continually waxed and waned when it came to following the Lord. Whoever the leader of the nation followed as god, the people did too. Unfortunately, there were more bad than good. Up to this point in the history of the U.S., we've been lucky to have more good than bad. But as God worked to bring His people, Israel, back to Himself, Israel failed to see God working. God brought His people back to Himself by trial and persecution. God used captivity and other nations to preserve a remnant that was faithful to following Him. Now, don't get me wrong, the U.S. is NOT the new Israel. Israel is Israel and from what I understand in Scripture, God will be using Israel again in the future. However, the U.S. is a nation that was built on biblical principles (most of the Founding Fathers were deist). Now that we've started falling away from those ways, what I see happening scares me half to death. Angry? Maybe a little. But more scared for what lies ahead. I see a nation about to crumble under the weight of it's own sinfulness. I see a nation on the verge of a divide, worse than the Civil War split. I see Christians in a nation who've lost sight of what it truly means to be the church; who've grown soft and apathetic and only now have wakened to the reality of our actions...or inactions. We insist on sweating the small stuff and fight to hold on to the dominant power in the country to force Christian rules and laws on our society, all while pushing those who need the Gospel further away (we should stand up for our faith, vote appropriately and so on, but being mindful of the ramifications of our actions nonetheless). We've become haughty, arrogant and prideful. And by the way, I have been guilty of it too. We all have. What I see happening? Romans 1:18-32: (HCSB courtesy of www.biblegateway.com)

18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

24 Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

26 This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 The males in the same way also left natural relations with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error.

28 And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. 29 They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. 32 Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.


We are simply being handed over to our own lusts. God is lifting His hedge of protection from around us and letting us experience the natural consequences of our actions and inactions. Our nation is in freefall. The great country of the United States is not what it once was. However, all is not lost. Perhaps we've lost control of being the dominant governing power. But, who's to say that's a bad thing? Who's to say that God isn't using this to draw people closer to Him? The Church in America has begun to awaken from it's slumber. The true Christians are waking up and realizing that although we may have lost the power over the country, we can still influence our section of the world. We can still preach the Gospel and save one person at a time. We stand up in the face of adversity, as Christians have done for centuries, and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Trust me, you can't keep Jesus down. He will save people. The Jews tried to squash the Christian movement. They couldn't stop it. Those opposed to Jesus will not be able to squash the message of Christ...He does His best work in adverse circumstances.

So my fellow Christians, have faith. Be strong. Live a righteous life washed in the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Stop fighting the fruitless battles (but continue to pray for our country and leaders) and preach the Gospel of Christ instead and watch people come flocking to Him. Everyone is missing a Jesus sized puzzle piece and we're all trying to make other things fit in His place. Share the Gospel with them and then sit back and watch Him work in them. Remember...you weren't perfect when you came to Christ for salvation either. No one is perfect this side of Heaven. We all have our faults and sins...hence the reason we all need Jesus as Lord & Savior. We don't ever stop needing Him. May God help us be who He needs us to be...right where we're at.

(I have more on this topic and answers to the problem written in my book The American Discipleship Problem: The Lukewarm Christian Epidemic found here...https://www.createspace.com/4503834)

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