Yeah, maybe I should have just stayed in bed.
I was so incredibly discouraged. It feels like we, as Christians in America, seem to be taking hits left and righ.... well, hits from the left anyways.
Sometimes I want to just throw in the towel and say, "Enough of this, let's go somewhere else and do our own thing." I also hear other Christians who say, "It'll only get worse from here."
All of this is what I, and many others feel. And I don't blame (me/us), this stinks, like all sin and darkness stink. But I feel called to point out some things that I know to be true, despite what I feel.
Just Because Things Are Bad, Doesn't Mean They Won't Get Better.
Yes, I have read Revelation, and no, I don't pretend to be any kind of an expert on it. I know that at some point in the earth, there will be widespread suffering in the end of days. Whether we Christians will be taken up before or after that time, I don't really know. Sure, it is possible these could be the end days, again, I don't know. None of us really know for sure, we are just going to have to wait and see.
But something that I would like to point out is this: history repeats itself.
What do I mean by that?
Take a good look at your history book, or at the Bible. What do you see? I see periods of great darkness and suffering, but I also see periods of righteousness and prosperity where nations were honoring the Lord and flourishing.
Conclusion: It probably felt like the end of the world was happening when Sennacharib had Jerusalem surrounded and was threatening King Hezekiah and the people of Judah. But you know what? God took care of it, He actually sent an army of angels to go kill nearly 200,000 Assyrians in their own camp.
It probably felt like the end of days when Christians in Rome were being hunted down and murdered in horrific ways. We still have Christian brothers and sisters who are even now being hunted down and martyred for their faith in Jesus. But even that horrible fact doesn't mean that we are in the end times and nothing will get better.
It probably felt like the end when Hitler's horrific blitzkrieg was sweeping across Europe at the same time that the Japanese were gulping up islands in the Pacific and entire nations in Asia. But guess what? We're still here and I am writing this post in English, not German or Japanese.
There Are Giants In the Land, But Our God Is Bigger
Yes, we have our work cut out for us, we have the frighteningly huge task of taking back America. The Church has grown lax, it has grown lukewarm, and the Enemy has created massive breaches in our walls. He is prowling around our towns, our cities, our homes, and our government offices, seeking to kill and destroy. And today, he is crowing over the fact that he just messed with the most sacred covenant in human life, marriage.
There are giants in the land called The Media, The Supreme Court, The Oval Office, Congress. There are giants in the land called Liberal Education, Lies, Lust, Deceit, Fear, Intimidation, and Immorality.
Whew, do you feel nervous? BecauseI sure do. But you know what, my God is bigger than all of those things put together. My God holds this world in the palm of His massive hand.
I start to worry that we (the Church) won't be able to take back our country for the Lord. That our land is too far gone. I start thinking about how much time, effort, spiritual warfare, and how many people it will take in order to bring the country back to God.
But that's not my job. My job is to follow God and with His help, spread the light of Jesus in my land. I don't have to have a master plan in mind, I don't have to have a blueprint. He can see everyone and everything, from the beginning of time until the end. And I know I haven't been on this earth for very long, but I have been around long enough to learn a very important fact about God.
He's surprisingly good at what He does.
"For My ways are not your ways, nor are your thoughts my thoughts, says the LORD, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)That's His way of saying "Chill out, I got this."
It May Take Years, But It Will Be Worth It
Change rarely happens overnight. Building, or redeeming anything takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But just like the godly men and women who built this nation on a foundation of godly principles, I know that it will be worth it. And we will all be stronger in our faith because of the journey.
My Hope Is Not In The USA, My Hope Is In Jesus
The only constant in the universe is God. Everything else in this world will change or let me down. My ultimate allegiance is to God, not to my country. I can rest in the fact that the One, Unchanging Being in the universe is my King, and I can trust in Him.
As Long As God Exists, There Is Always Hope
"I would have lost heart, if I had not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13 (NKJV)This, coming from a man who's own son turned against him in a coup, and drove the king away from his capital city. I do believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. This is the same God who has been here for us from day one, and God is hope.
What We Need To Be Doing As The Church
It's getting harder to straddle a fence post about what you believe. Lines are definitely being drawn. And there are going to be people who are forced to ask themselves the question, "What do I believe is true?"
We (the Church) need to stand firm right now. We cannot back down from what is true, even if that means ridicule, intimidation, and harassment. Even if you feel like no other human being is standing in your corner, know that you are not alone.
I and my peers need to step up to the plate as the next generation and begin the difficult job of transforming our culture. We need to enter every arena, business, politics, law, media, the arts, education, and most importantly, we need to create and raise families that will love and honor the Lord.
We (the Church) need to be going forward constantly on our knees. We need to be praying for redemption and mercy for our nation, which has strayed so far from God. We need to be praying for revival in the United States of America. And we need to be praying for wisdom and guidance to know how to proceed.
We need to be praying for those who are in a gay/lesbian lifestyle. My own humanity strikes me in the face on a regular basis, and I know that temptation is strong. But I also know that love and grace are stronger. My prayer is that thousands of individuals who are living this lifestyle will discover the same thing.
The hashtag sweeping the Internet right now is #LoveWins
I looked at that last night and smiled. Yes, yes it does. The person who came up with that hashtag had absolutely no idea of the profound statement they had just made. The stale, moldy bread that they think is love doesn't even begin to compare to the rich, and delicious pastry that is God's love. But before many lives have ended on earth, I have a feeling that quite a few will discover that indeed, LOVE WINS.
God is love, and God will win. He is I AM, and because of that simple and yet earth-shattering fact, I have hope.
No comments:
Post a Comment