American The Beautiful, Part 2 January 9, 2011

Continued From Part I

One of the things that has been difficult for me to change is how I see America. I’ve always known the United States as a Christian nation. I can’t honestly say that America has this distinction anymore. What the United States once was is not the case today. I look around, read news articles, watch on TV how every belief system imaginable is given a pass and excused for its transgressions against society—except Christianity. Islam can openly spew hatred on our campuses, in their mosques, and in public settings, and it isn’t politically correct to question them while they are exercising their free speech rights. Yet even a child doesn’t dare decide to say a silent prayer on the steps of one of our government buildings, or even on the property! They will be treated like criminals. I’m not interested in picking on one faith over another in this post, but I do want us to see how hypocritical this really is.

How is it possible that religious organizations that are known for extremism as well as their absolute intolerance to anyone or anything that does not agree with them, are not only allowed to verbally threaten America, while wearing clothing that symbolizes jihad, are given a pass when Christians cannot even hint that they belong to a Christian organization, Bible study group, or Christian book club on our campuses? Christians at the same institutions that allow these attacks, don’t dare even hint that they are Christians? In fact, it has happened documented hundreds of times, if not a lot more, that Christians will suffer a lower grade, if not outright failed for even bringing Christianity into their comments or papers that they turn in? What has happened to the America we grew up in? It’s a complicated subject but I’d like to bring a few things to the forefront for us to think about. We need to do this, no matter how painful, boring, or time-consuming because the road we are on is swiftly leading to catastrophe.

Biblically, I think it is pretty easy to see what has happened. We find that Israel’s story, including all of its highs and lows are much like those of America. I just want to get to a portion of it though. Our nation started by trusting God—for everything. As you can see by the quotes I included in the first part of this post, the founding fathers knew that this nation was going to need God, not only so that it could survive, but so that it would continue fulfilling the purpose that God had for it. As said earlier, the Pilgrims made a covenant with God. They knew that God would hold up His end of the bargain, and they knew that God expected them to hold up their’s as well. That covenant has been kept by God throughout all the years since America was founded, but America has been rejecting the notion that they need to fulfill their part; in fact, our country is swiftly kicking God out of the nation entirely. Like I said before, there is still a large percentage of the population that is Christian, but this percentage has for the most part fallen asleep. THE CHURCH HAS FAILED! If that were not the case, we would not be in the process of being strangled economically, being “dumbed down” in our schools to the point to where our educational ranking in the world is embarrassing, facing enemies who’s military has been gaining on our former superiority at hyper speed, and our nation seen around the world as a dying empire. Empires and powerful nations have come and gone throughout world history, but America is dying a miserable death primarily because of its rejection of God, and it has to do with the failure of the nation to live up to its covenant with God at the very beginning. God is very loving, patient, and full of grace, but He’s no fool, nor will He allow Himself and His Word to be mocked. America is mocking God and His Word today, and has been for some time now. The consequences are hitting us already, and are getting ready to get much, much worse! Please hear this old guy’s heart, because I don’t live one day without it bothering me day and night…

Some of the decline began happening back a century ago now, but let’s only take a look at what has happened since the 60’s. The social revolution came in like a storm and was not a good thing! America was ripe for it, and its effects were catastrophic when one looks at the whole picture. I don’t know if it is fair to use Woodstock by itself as an example here, but for many people this event and everything around it symbolized the changes in society that had begun. I remember a line from a song by one of the musical groups of the time that had these words: “If you’re not with the one that you love, then love the one you’re with.” It doesn’t take much imagination to catch the implication.

I don’t want to come across as an arrogant condemning prude, but many of the basic principles of normal decent life came under attack during that time, and have ever since. Look at the attack against marriage today. We can see that the social revolution empowered something that was going to have its effects for many years to come. There is a powerful movement today doing everything it can to remove the sanctity of the institution completely. This is not a political issue! It is one that has to do with God’s laws, which by the way, keep a society from become immersed in the sewer that hell would like to sink the human race into—while hell sits back and laughs at our stupidity! There are more and more people today that think that relationships are right, no matter how they look. It doesn’t matter if the partners are of both sexes, one sex, transgendered sex, multiple partner sex, or as liberal as one wants the relationships to be. Where is the limit? Once a society travels down this road, the degradation only continues as someone being caught in a whirlpool. This leads to death! How far away do you think “bestiality” is? You think not?? Watch! You might think, “OH, SICK!!” But take a careful exploratory journey on the internet, and see how it is already there. It is also on U-tube!! Our kids watch U-tube folks! I can prove it to you if you like. Do be careful if you wander into that world very far. The viruses are abundant, and that is not the worst problem with them…I won’t go any farther. There is a reason why I say this and I’ll explain, when it fits into what I’m writing. There have always been these things in our society but it has escalated, multiplied, and taken unbelievable hold in the mainstream of our society. More and more it is being accepted as “normal”, and the demand for equality will be raised. It’s a given; this is already happening with some of what is going on. Enough of that for now…

Today’s world wants to reject the fact that there is a Creator God. The reason is this: If there is a Creator God, then there is someone greater than us!! That means that I might need to answer to someone else! Mankind does not like to be told that he is wrong. Many young men do not go into the military because they don’t want to be in a position where someone else is going to tell them what to do. I’ve heard men say that myself. Human nature is pretty ego-centric and egotistical and finds it hard to bow the knee to God, even though He has Absolute Power! This is the God that can change the critical balance of oxygen and nitrogen in our air that we breathe—and then we wouldn’t survive! We live on HIS planet, use the natural resources that were put here for our survival, and for developing our world. He keeps the planet spinning at a constant speed, as well as keeping the tilt as constant as needed. He sees to it that we have our seasons. He has provided an atmosphere that filters damaging rays the sun puts out, like ultra-violet rays so that we can live. The earth is placed at a distance from the sun that makes life possible for us. He engineered the system that provides our fresh water, and keeps the oceans from swamping the continents. Think about it, the largest percentage of human life is on the coastlines or up the river valleys, or surrounding inland lakes. Do we really think that it all keeps itself in order? Ridiculous!! We humans think we are so wise, and in the end show ourselves to be fools.

How about the cosmos? If we had any idea of all the ways that life could be snuffed out while we are commuting to our jobs–if we are blessed enough to have one, we would die of heart failure! In fact, the Bible says that the time is coming when men’s hearts really will fail them for fear of what is happening with the oceans. NEWSFLASH: We are on the brink of that today! The Bible speaks of nature groaning for the revealing of the true sons of God—those that love and obey the only true ALMIGHTY who created it all. There is only one! It’s not Allah! Allah is a god of great hatred and brutality. It’s also none of the other millions of gods that cultures have created themselves over the centuries. It’s hard for most of us to understand how one can worship something that their own hands created. There’s no arguing that point, whereas the God I serve was willing to step into the skin of a man and let His own creation murder Him in the most brutal of ways to provide the way for mankind to be free. If you haven’t seen Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion”, you should. It is hard to watch in places, but as brutal as some of it is, from what history tells us, even the version that has such an affect on people, was a toned down version of what a crucifixion was really like historically. The Romans were known for their extreme brutality.

One of the things that is aiding the downfall of America has to do with homosexuality. Now I want to make sure that one point is very clear right from the start. I have no hatred toward gay people, and Christians have no business mistreating or displaying hatred toward people that have different life-styles than we do. I can love a person as Jesus requires me to without accepting how he or she lives. If people around us can’t see the love of God in us, what makes us any different than religious groups that kill or destroy in other ways? Jesus was around people that lived despicable lives, yet they were comfortable around Him in spite of the fact that He taught about a lifestyle totally opposite of their’s.

Back to the point though. in the New Testament, the Book of Romans makes some strong statements in the first chapter. In fact, they are explicit enough that they have to be read carefully in front of small children. It speaks of homosexuality, and possibly says some things that many have not seen. In verse 18 it says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from Heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who surpress the truth.” In the rest of verse 18 and 19, Paul the writer says that God has made Himself abundantly known through His creation. In our educated world, and with the abundance of research that we have been able to do in the last few years, it’s quite amazing how many scientists of all fields are coming to the conclusion that the design of the creation we live in and are part of is so complicated and works so very well, that there isn’t a chance it could have happened on its own.

Yet, there is still a very large number of those who refuse to recognize what they are seeing. God addresses this in verse 21 and 22: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools…” In verses 24 & 25 it says: “…therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—Who is forever praised.”

As one reads the rest of this chapter, it becomes rather explicit in its description of what happens to human beings when they reject the obviousness of God’s creation. In this chapter it speaks of creation in general but also addresses sexuality. It spells it out in pretty graphic language that when mankind rejects the obvious of God and His creation that He will give them over to a “spirit of delusion”. The delusion is so great that women leave having normal physical relationships with men to having sexual relationships with other females. It also says that men end up preferring physical relationships with men rather than women. The design of God’s creation when looking at the physical characteristics of the male and female bodies make it pretty clear that the plumbing is designed for sexual relationships between males and females. Anything other than that is an affront, or abomination to the One who created it all. It is becoming more and more common place. I saw a new article the other day from England that had to do with Elton John and his husband. Those very words were used and even though I know what is happening, it still left me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

One reason I bring all of this up here is because of a comment I heard from one of my favorite Bible scholars. He said this: If there is one thing that our Creator God is more jealous of than “redemption” itself, it is His creation. Throughout history, God’s judgments have been quite severe when His Creation is messed with, and insulted. God has always judged homosexuality and it is found well documented. What upsets God even more than the act of homosexuality though is when a society condones it. There have always been what we now call gays, and that is the case with our America. What has not been the case before though is it being condoned by our society and protected by our laws. The law of the United States of America is going to give homosexual unions the same recognition and rights as heterosexual ones. It is swiftly becoming law that one can’t say anything derogatory about homosexuality–even in sermons. We would have to cut several places out of our Bibles in order to avoid God’s strong condemnation of the lifestyle, both in the Old Testament and the New.

Folks, that is only ONE reason why our beloved America is in trouble! But…if you’re settled with the Coming KING, you can with confidence,

Keep Looking Up!

Jake