Many of us wonder why divorce, abortion, teen violence, pornography, and such are so common today. We feel hurt with we or our loved ones are victimized. And we talk about how terrible the devil is and how evil seems on the increase.
But, you know what? The devil didn’t arrive yesterday. The enemies have been around for centuries. God hasn’t been giving them more power. They haven’t suddenly become more hateful and deceitful. The only difference here in America is the change in the character of Americans in allowing this to go unchallenged..
Home of the Free and the Brave? Really?
We were once called the home of the free and the brave, but now we’re the home of the coward, the unfaithful, the sloth, the hopeless, the apathetic, the faithless, the unmotivated, unloving, and insincere Christian.
Where are the free and the brave? “Over there”? Always “over there”? Never “over here”? If only a tenth of a percent of all citizens are free and brave, there will always be someone “over there” to point a finger at. When you can ask at random and find someone quickly who can answer truthfully, “That’s me”, then this land becomes truly the home of the free and the brave
Lessons to Learn Before Prayers are Answered.
Often we get into trouble and cry out to God for help, but much of the time God wants us to accomplish more than just answering our prayers straight away. If our marriage is wrecked, then perhaps He wants us to let us feel the betrayal and unfaithfulness just long enough for us to know what He feels when we are unfaithful to Him. It’s not that He wants revenge, but that He wants you to experience just enough of the pain He feels so you can know how much He sacrifices for you and me every day of our lives so that you and I could know how very much He loves us.
The Pain of Betrayal
When you and I are betrayed, we feel the pain He felt on Calvary, but only a little. He had to go though an eternity first anticipating this pain with perfect knowledge of what it will feel like and then remember it with perfect memory of what it felt like just as if he were on the cross at every moment in time. You and I only have to suffer a little for a season.
Not only that, but Christ died on that cross knowing there would still be those who would rather go to hell than to trust Him and live with Him for all eternity.
The betrayal we suffer from our spouses is nothing in comparison to what Christ suffers every day from our unfaithfulness. The people we will never have courage or faith to bless or share the Gospel with. The way we’re ashamed to be known as Christians in some circles. Think of how you feel when your friends are embarrassed to be seen with you. That’s how Christ feels. Does He deserve that?
Asleep at the Wheel
Think of the way we say we are pro-family or pro-life but will not lift a finger, will not lead a protest, will not participate in a protest, will never write our senators or representatives, and will instead make every attempt to separate ourselves from association with those who do.
That’s not only apathy; its cowardice.
The fundamental reason babies are slaughtered in the abortion clinics and families of little children are destroyed in the divorce courts is that you and I do not fight the good fight. We’re not even courageous enough to be worthy to be called wimps.
Regarding porn, we say we’re anti-porn, but we probably spend much more of our money paying some actor to sin against God on the screen so we can watch and be titillated than we will spend to fight pornography or give to save the family or work to save the innocent and unborn from being murdered.
This will not change until you and I become truly the home of the free and the brave. Until then, we should not fly the flag, we should not celebrate the 4th of July, and we should not say the pledge of allegiance--not until we are ready to honor our vows.
