Melanie

The Treasure Trove of Christmas

My brother, Mark, is a writer, too! While you visit his blog, look around at the artwork. Enjoy the beauty of God’s creation!

https://mpphotog.zenfoliosite.com/truth-studio-blog/bp/merry-christmas?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1FP9xBvOpmAgiZQAkwkSlh4_Bz-DUH52Dhfhbf2cNDmlncwQmLh3Sgjzo_aem_uRSmQss4lLu1poszr84IoA

While he’s moving forward with his website, Mark subtly gives his big sister a push back to the typewriter.

During these days rolling up to Christmas, remember our beautiful Reason for rejoicing! Be thankful over God’s gifts, imparted without wrapping paper or bows but provided to bring us to heaven, to perform His work here, and to share the good news of salvation to all those who hear our voice.

Jesus came to earth with the main purpose of dying for the sins of mankind, He was three days in the grave, and He arose from the dead, ascended into heaven for those who believe on Him for rescue from sins.

Would you trust Him this Christmas believing He died, was buried, and rose again for your rescue from eternal death? Would you become one of His disciples today?

May you seek the meaning of Christ’s birth as the shepherds did; may you find the Wisdom of the Ages as the wisemen did, and may you proclaim His royalty and right to reign as the angels did.

Merry Christmas!

Melanie

S.D.G.

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Thanksgiving Day and the 1777 Congressional Inaugural Proclamation

Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving, 1914, The Pilgrim Hall Museum

Today, we gather with family and friends to discuss significant and insignificant events of the year. One question arises at most Thanksgiving Day Dinners; What are you thankful for this year? Almost always, we give thanks for what God has done for us. This year, we will ask the same question, but with more direction; this year what did God do for you, deserving of praise?

In 1777, the United States Congress resolved for the President or the legislature to declare a solemn day of thanksgiving to God. The document is not lengthy, but the contents can provide a prayer for the day.

“Thanksgiving Proclamation 1777 By the Continental Congress The First National Thanksgiving Proclamation IN CONGRESS November 1, 1777 FORASMUCH as it is the indispensable Duty of all Men to adore the superintending Providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with Gratitude their Obligation to him for Benefits received, and to implore such farther Blessings as they stand in Need of: And it having pleased him in his abundant Mercy, not only to continue to us the innumerable Bounties of his common Providence; but also to smile upon us in the Prosecution of a just and necessary War, for the Defense and Establishment of our unalienable Rights and Liberties; particularly in that he hath been pleased, in so great a Measure, to prosper the Means used for the Support of our Troops, and to crown our Arms with most signal success: It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive Powers of these UNITED STATES to set apart THURSDAY, the eighteenth Day of December next, for SOLEMN THANKSGIVING and PRAISE: That at one Time and with one Voice, the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine Benefactor; and that, together with their sincere Acknowledgments and Offerings, they may join the penitent Confession of their manifold Sins, whereby they had forfeited every Favor; and their humble and earnest Supplication that it may please GOD through the Merits of JESUS CHRIST, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of Remembrance; That it may please him graciously to afford his Blessing on the Governments of these States respectively, and prosper the public Council of the whole: To inspire our Commanders, both by Land and Sea, and all under them, with that Wisdom and Fortitude which may render them fit Instruments, under the Providence of Almighty GOD, to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human Blessings, INDEPENDENCE and PEACE: That it may please him, to prosper the Trade and Manufactures of the People, and the Labor of the Husbandman, that our Land may yield its Increase: To take Schools and Seminaries of Education, so necessary for cultivating the Principles of true Liberty, Virtue and Piety, under his nurturing Hand; and to prosper the Means of Religion, for the promotion and enlargement of that Kingdom, which consisteth “in Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost.” And it is further recommended, That servile Labor, and such Recreation, as, though at other Times innocent, may be unbecoming the Purpose of this Appointment, be omitted on so solemn an Occasion.”

My solemn prayer is, as believers, we would return to our Creator and bless His name for His bountiful favor and unexpected kindness to us.

I pray that your day is joyful, full of thanks, and peace.

Maranatha,

Bolo Bouncer, Discipline and Improvement Revisited

When I was a child, my brother, Mark, and I asked for a toy called the “Bolo Bouncer.” Now this plaything’s only purpose was to bounce the elastic-string attached rubber ball on the small racquet.

Once the string snapped or the ball pulled loose, the entertainment value disappeared. But to our chagrin, my mom and dad discovered another use for the flat balloon-shaped paddle. This wood racquet could double as a paddle to apply discipline to the seat of correction.

Contrary to widespread belief, my dad spanked me as a child when I acted in disobedience to a command. The Bolo Bouncer would suddenly appear to administer a few well-placed whacks on the bottom to realign my behavior with more socially accepted norms. I lived in fear of the Bouncer; I would do anything to escape the humiliation and pain instigated by my rebellious behavior!

Spanking produced obedience in me which pleased my father and mother. The correction molded my behavior to reflect our family values: respect, submission to authority, and my parents’ modeled behavior. I learned to represent our family well and protect our reputation by doing what was right.

Normally, the parent administers discipline through spanking, removing privileges, or insisting on other remedial activities to protect the child. In the same way, God acts to discipline His children who disobey His standards found in Exodus 20. In Hebrews 12:7-10, the Scripture states:

^“7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? ¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.”

Further, the Most High corrects nations who rebel against His authority. Before Moses died, the new generation of Israelites recited the blessings that would come to them if they kept God’s word, and curses if they failed to do so.

Through the centuries, God’s prophets warned Israel and Judah of the consequences if they didn’t seek their God. But they failed to heed the warnings. Another prophet, sent by God, Amos, a shepherd by trade, pronounced the judgment against Israel and Judah for their rebellion and disobedience. In Amos 2:4-16, Amos announces the coming punishment to the people, and states

“This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Judah, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they rejected the Law of the Lord
And have not kept His statutes;
Their lies also have led them astray,
Those which their fathers followed.
⁵So I will send fire upon Judah,
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”

⁶This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they sell the righteous for money,
And the needy for a pair of sandals.
⁷These who trample the head of the helpless to the dust of the earth
Also divert the way of the humble;
And a man and his father resort to the same girl
So as to profane My holy name.
⁸And on garments seized as pledges they stretch out beside every altar,
And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

⁹“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,
Though his height was like the height of cedars
And he was as strong as the oaks;
I also destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.
¹⁰And it was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
And led you in the wilderness for forty years
So that you might take possession of the land of the Amorite.
¹¹Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets,
And some of your young men to be Nazirites.
Is this not so, you sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.
¹²“But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
And you commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’
¹³Behold, I am making a rut in the ground beneath you,
Just as a wagon makes a rut when filled with sheaves.
¹⁴Refuge will be lost from the swift,
And the strong will not strengthen his power,
Nor the warrior save his life.
¹⁵The one who grasps the bow will not stand his ground,
The swift of foot will not escape,
Nor will the one who rides the horse save his life.
¹⁶Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.

What had Israel done wrong? God said, they:

Sold the poor into slavery to gain wealth.
Silenced the humble’s message.
Removed righteous principles from the land.

Further, God said, Israel removed Him:

from the public square and quashed any prick of conscience or rebuke; and
committed abominable adultery; and
profaned worship by their drunkenness and performing of lewd acts before God’s.
Her sister Judah’s sins increased over a longer period. God listed her crimes as:

Establishing traditions in place of God’s law which resulted in disobedience and rebellion to His commands; and
Adopting customs of the pagans and refusing to be different and separate from other nations; and
Believing and repeating lies about God; and
Following blindly their fathers’ traditions.
Let us review God’s analysis of Israel with the parallels to America. Are any of these things happening in America?

human trafficking
Suppressing truth by removing Bible reading and prayer from the public arena.
Sexual immorality
Abominable practices: mocking God in the re-enactment of the Last Supper at the Olympics Opening Ceremonies, exaltation of pride, drag queens reading to children, indoctrination of children in transgender ideology and scheduling surgeries for children, etc.
When analyzing Judah’s behavior, we see parallels to the church:

Practicing traditions rather than obedience to God’s word, such as celebrating holy days that are not God’s holy feasts, rejecting a day of rest that God inaugurated at creation, etc.
Bringing the culture into the church in worship practices, such as a casual approach to worship, performing bands with strobe lights, unreasonable amplification, and repetitive lyrics to the neglect of the Scripture reading and prayer.
Telling lies about God, such as, God is love and will not judge sin; the teaching that God created and withdrew from His creation, leaving it to progress on its own; the Bible is not trustworthy but is only a book of moral stories or myths; God does not care how we approach Him; etc.
The church does not think analytically but blindly follows traditions held from earlier times.

In America, both the church and nation are falling short of God’s standard, and the result could end in God’s indictment on us. The church has stayed silent on many of these issues because the above actions are deemed political rather than spiritual. However, the Bible teaches that these activities are spiritual and will be punished as sins against God Almighty if we refuse to take a stand

The people of the ancient world did not possess a copy of the Word of God but heard a passage read each week. Today Christians have multiple copies of the Bible, yet we do not seek His wisdom or answers to modern dilemmas. We have easy access to the written word and are without excuse for disobeying and rebelling against the Almighty God.
If God said He would not pardon but discipline Judah, Israel, or the surrounding nations, how much more would these same sins bring down God ‘s judgment upon the church and America?
Judgment is coming but the timing may be altered if believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of pride, rebellion, and selfishness. I Chronicles 7:14 tells God’s people to repent, not those who are not His.
As God postponed judgment during the Old Testament kings’ reign in Judah, so He might relent concerning our country’s day of reckoning. In Noah’s day, God waited 120 years; in our day, He continues to wait because He does not desire anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9)
When will we fall prostrate before Him confessing our sins? We are like Judah and Israel in our inability to evaluate our lives by God’s commands. We limit the extent of the commands to only the strict interpretation of “Thou shalt not…” found in Exodus 20 and have disobeyed the weightier part of the law seen in justice, kindness, and humility (Micah 6:8).
We are apathetic and lethargic. In our hearts, we desire to act, but we are hindered and slow to do so because we lack the focus, drive, strength, or sufficient interest. As Francis Schaeffer said in How Should We Then Live?, we desire to be left alone to enjoy our comforts and live in solitude. But Jesus Christ commissioned us to get out of our cocoon and be salt and light to a generation.
What is required to return to our God?
The church needs to hear God’s convicting voice through preached messages of warning, and then go to those who don’t know Jesus Christ sharing the message that Jesus came to save people from their sins.
Second, we need to confess our sins against God and one another. We need to show true humility and submission to God.
Third, we need to Fully Rely on God (FROG) to live out our purpose of serving our Creator each day.
Fourth, we must treat others as more important than ourselves and not consider ourselves better than we are.
The answer is to seek the LORD and pray to Him for forgiveness. We must approach God in humility, confessing our sins and calling on Your Name, the Holy One, to deliver us from our wanderings.
Praise You Most High for You are a forgiving God who desires Your people to return to You. You are all-powerful, all-wise, and everywhere present with Your children. Only You can move Your church to purity, faithfulness, and humility, creating a desire to serve You only.
Instill in us a desire for You alone rather than the charms of planet Earth; we offer gratitude with joy in praise to You, the LORD of Hosts and Almighty God who forgives and does not remember sins.
Come and fill us with yourself so we may follow Your commands and walk in Your path, sharing the joy of knowing You with others.

Until next time, Maranatha,

Planning, Anticipation, and Realization

In the 1970s, a television commercial pictured a young boy waiting for his ketchup to slowly inch out of the bottle. The background music plays “Anticipation” by Carly Simon emphasizing the positive of waiting for good things.

Over the last few months, we have been planning a trip to New England and Canada, investigating hotels, transportation, and restaurants, and making reservations for our vacation along the Eastern Seaboard.

While waiting, we sometimes watch a countdown clock, an exercise similar to watching grass grow! However, the day finally dawns; we travel via plane to our destination and start our adventure.

Often obstacles impede reaching the destination: delayed flights, missed connections, etc. The flight to Dallas began with a delay, then another delay, but finally, the plane was ready to board. Once the delays were over; we were on our way to our special vacation.

Plans fulfilled are wonderful things, but we had little control over those schedules. We make plans hoping everything falls into place without a hiccup, but invariably, something pops up that changes the schedule or activities available.

God has made plans for all mankind but in contrast to our ideas, His plans will be carried out. God’s timeline began before Creation.

When God created the heavens and the earth, placing all living things on the earth, fish, birds, animals, and man, He gave man charge over the earth to subdue and tend its gardens. But the first woman and man (Eve and Adam) chose to disobey God by desiring to become their own god. For this, Adam and Eve and their descendants were given a nature that continually strove to exalt itself over others, causing disagreements, strife, and even murder. See, Genesis 1-11.

But God had a plan, from the beginning, He knew He would send His only Son, to be born of a virgin, to become like man, live a perfect life, die on the cross for humanity’s pride, spend three days in the grave, and hell, and on the third rise from the dead (Genesis 3:15). This is incredulous if God is not the Creator of everything, but God is superior to all created beings and natural laws. To carry out a comprehensive rescue plan for humanity is not difficult for God because nothing is impossible for the God of all creation (Luke 1:37).

God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, revealed the next step of God’s plan at His Last Passover when He instituted what we call the Lord’s Supper. At that meal, Jesus spoke to the disciples about leaving them to go build a home for them in heaven. The disciples recognized this statement as a proposal by a bridegroom to a bride. Jesus promised that as the disciples’ Bridegroom to build a home and return for His bride (the church) and take her to their wedding feast in heaven where He would cement a permanent relationship with those who believe. He would be our Bridegroom with a loving, listening, compassionate, and intimate relationship.

Let me explain why this marriage proposal of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is so important, and what the words of John 14:1-6 mean.

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ²In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. ⁴And you know the way where I am going.” ⁵Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” ⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

In the Galilean wedding ceremony, the groom would offer his intended bride a cup of wine. If she drank it, the marriage contract, ketubah, was signed by the fathers, and the couple was engaged. The groom would tell the bride he would construct a house attached to or near the father’s house and return for her so that they could be together forever.

In most Jewish weddings the date was set for a year later. However, in Galilee, the date was only known to the Father. He would tell the Son when the house was ready and the Groom could retrieve His Bride for the wedding to be performed.

At any point, believers (the Bride of Christ) will see their Bridegroom returning to take them to their new “house” in heaven. Are you ready for this event or are you still trying to decide whether to accept His betrothal offering, the gift of eternal life?

Why did His Son, Jesus Christ, agree to die and become engaged to those humans who believed? He died because He loved mankind. His love drove Him to be our substitute and pay the penalty for all sin, defined as separation from God to a solitary tortuous confinement in hell.

This offer of salvation is extended to you. Mankind can be divided into two groups one has believed God and received His free gift of eternal life. The other has not accepted the gift of eternal life but may deny God’s existence or think he or she is a “good person” and doesn’t need God’s salvation gift. We each have a choice to make.

Do you believe in God and accept the gift of eternal life, or will you refuse to accept that God exists?

God has said, “There is a way that seems right unto a man but the end thereof is death (Proverbs 14:12). Wide is the way that leads to destruction but narrow is the way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14).” Will you choose life, the narrow way? Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me (John 14:6).”

The Apostle Paul stated … “Now, is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).” Don’t put off your decision. Time is running out!

Maranatha!

Royalty Scarlet Dye Color Discovered in Judean Cave

Patterns of Evidence reported on the textile finds at the archeological dig in the Cave of Sculls. A rare red dye required the collection of many insects to gather the excretion needed to create the liquid concentrate.

Biblical ‘Scarlet Worm’ Dye Found in Judean Desert Cave of Skulls

No More Time

Melanie

Running, rushing, busyness
It seems there’s never enough time;
So many jobs to finish,
So many things to do.
Family, friends, work and home
There just isn’t the time.

On Sunday morn I stop.
I hear the Pastor teach;
It seems I’ve forgot
Souls are lost we need to seek.
Someday indeed for them and me,
There will be no more time.

For you there’s no better time
To decide to believe,
Jesus Christ gave His life,
He died on a tree, was buried, and rose;
Christ ate and was seen by 500;
Then ascended to His Father’s House. So
Now I ask for you to reach out and receive
The precious gift God has given.

For me there’s no more time
To reach out to friends, relatives, loved ones,
to convince of the choice for eternity,
To encourage others toward the narrow path.
To pray for God’s opening blind eyes, deaf ears,
So lost ones would see, hear, and believe.

As meteors burn out, so time will expire.
Only the choices made while life remains
Will serve us in eternity.
But I pause and reflect
On this thing called time
For at present I’m sad
That there’s not expanse enough for me
To impress on all the consequence of a wrong choice.
For closely comes no more time.

But someday gladness will flow
As millions shout Hosannas
In honor of the worthy and holy God.
His people exalt to spend a million lifetimes and beyond
With Christ Jesus, my Bridegroom and Lord.
Never to be separated, never sent away,
I’ll see those from earth who loved Him, too.
When there’s no more time.

But today is the day for your choice to be made
For you and I have no guarantee
Of additional days, minutes, or hours.

Do you know Jesus?
Have you asked Him to pardon you?
Because He first loved you, He’ll cleanse you today,
no matter what.
Ask Him, now, before there’s no more time.

No more time. No more time.
Jesus has come, my Beloved,
No more tears; no more sighing,
Together forever, rejoicing in heaven.
Hallelujah, there’s no more time.

Hallelujah! To Be with Christ!

Maranatha,

The poem is a first for me; I know it’s not a masterpiece. But, I’m hoping you’ll check your standing with the Lord. Below are a series of verses that will guide you through knowing whether you are or aren’t on the narrow road that leads to Christ’s home in heaven.

All the below verses come from Paul’s book of Romans. Read through the series; pray over the passages; believe what God has said; confess your new found faith to someone else. I’d love to be one of those you tell of your trust in Jesus Christ. Thanks for reading today.

Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9 – that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

Romans 10:13 – for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 8:1 – Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:38-39 – For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Life from the Ground

Living in Idaho, I thought spring would come later in May; much to my surprise, the daffodils, tulips, and forsythia began to bloom in mid-March! The colors of light and joy appearing everywhere. Buds were on the trees and pushing forth leaves. Once again, the creation was awakening from its winter sleep.

All my neighbors had things sprouting leaves, but my trees and plants were still dormant. At one point, I wondered if my plants would ever revive. But the timing of sprouts varies from genus to genus. The axiom that “Patience is a virtue” springs to mind and so it was. My yard began to show signs of life a month late and is quickly catching up with the neighbors.

At this time of year, we have a few holy days (holidays) commemorating life and new beginnings: Easter and Passover. Last week we hosted a commemoration of Passover at our home our small group from church during which the bread, wine, Seder plate symbols were explained from Scripture.

It was a joyous time celebrating God’s love for His people and His provision of the Lamb to remove the sins of the world. In Genesis, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his one and only son, the promised heir, as a sign of obedience to follow God in everything.

When Abraham and Isaac arrived at the mountain, on the steep ascent, Isaac asked about the lamb offering. Abraham’s response was that God would provide, and as he was ready to slay Isaac, God revealed the substitute ram in the thicket, saving Isaac from certain death.

This history of the patriarchs was a precursor to what God was going to do with His Son who died on the cross in place of me and everyone who chooses to believe God’s Word. God tells us in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 6:23 tells us that there is a cost to sinning; the sentence is death. But God intervened and offered His sinless Son in our place. We no longer need to die spiritually and spend the future after physical death in hell. A way has been provided for us to spend our future with God the Father and His Son.

To receive this free gift, we must believe God and what He says about our sin, His remedy, and that He keeps His promises. Ephesians 2:8, 9 “For by grace are you saved through faith, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast…”

Believing God is exercising faith; faith is trusting God to be who He says He is. Hebrews 11:6. In this life, we do not have exhaustive knowledge of God, but what we do know, we believe because He is true and does not change.

First John tells us that God loves us. I don’t know about you but having someone love me when He knows all about me, sins and all, is stunning! The Father’s unconditional love gives me the desire to know Him more and to believe the Way He has provided.
Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no man can come to the Father but by Me.” But not everyone travels via Christ’s road which is narrow and leads to eternal life; the broad, smooth, and easy path is well traveled but it leads to eternal destruction.

Further, the apostle John set forth the logical argument for Jesus being truly man and God who could live a sinless life. This perfection fulfilled God’s requirement for a blemish free Lamb to be sacrificed for the sins of all mankind.

If you believe God’s word, and accept Jesus as your substitute for your sins, confess your sinfulness to God, request His salvation, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). Good deeds will not save you only trust in Jesus will deliver you from an eternity separated from God.

Will you trust Him today? If you have made this decision, please contact me through the comments section. I would be glad to help you find the resources to assist you in the development of your new life with the Father and Jesus Christ.

Until Next Time,

Maranatha!

Comments on a Letter to the American Church by Eric Metaxas

or the Modern Laodicean Church of Revelation

Summary

The title of this book harkens back to the letter to the Seven Churches of Revelation wherein The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Lord Jesus Christ proclaims His assessment of the Laodicean church.

The Head of the Church tells this local body that they are spiritually bankrupt, living in poverty; He calls them to wake up out of their daydream, leave their lethargy, and look at reality.

The Laodiceans think they are spiritually wealthy without any need for assistance due to their accumulated bounty, but in reality, they have become idolaters.

This church is fixated on materialism believing, their wealth or power will save them from destruction. Since those possessions could be no more than a wisp of their imagination, the slightest problem could cause their foundation to collapse.

Similarly, in the Introduction to The Letter to the American Church Eric Metaxas issues a call for the American church not to fail in its duty as the German church did in the 1930’s. His premise for writing to the American church is found in the Introduction, “So if God has chosen us for some task, we must do all we can to shoulder that task, and must know more than anything that unless we lean on Him and acknowledge Him in all our ways, we are guaranteed to fail.” (Page xi).

God’s Purpose for the Church

God’s purpose for the Church is to maintain a bright beacon which will guide the world to a path of safety in Jesus Christ. But if we don’t wake up, our light will go out, and our witness will disappear. Soon it could be as though we never had done anything for the cause of Christ’s Kingdom. If we fail to stand in the gap to hinder or prevent evil, we will be found to be aiding and abetting its spread.

The Remedy

Is there anything the American Church should be doing to stop the spread of evil?

First and foremost, we need to assess our own spiritual condition and repent from putting anything else in front of our Father God. How do we know if we put other things first?

We need to ask ourselves the following three questions:

1 What do we spend most of our time thinking about?

2 What do we invest our time in doing?

3 How serious are we about telling others of God’s precious gift of salvation?

Second, we need to ask ourselves, “how are we impacting our culture with the goodness of Jesus Christ?” Is my life a sweet smelling aroma to others or do I create a stench when I interact with others? Would people say that I know the Lord? If there is a crisis in a neighbor’s life, would I be someone they would call for help?

Third, how can we be salt and light to our nation? Or how do we live out what we believe? Are our actions consistent with what we believe? Do we follow through on promises? Do we love others as we love ourselves?

Finally, how do we act as the Watchmen on the wall to warn of the impending danger? Are we only concerned about ourselves? Do we not know we will be held accountable for not taking the opportunities to speak truth not just to the United States, or the Western culture, but to those whose culture is different from ours?

How Did We Get Here

The national fabric is in tatters as an old standard battered and worn. It’s not much to look at compared to the former days of old. There is decay evident everywhere.

But what about the Church, why has it not kept the rot at bay? The disintegration began when Christians withdrew from the public square. Christians began to huddle because the truth was no longer popular.

The Scopes trial was won by the creationists. Although according to the headlines, it appeared the Christians had lost the day, and evolution had been proven as fact. As a result of fabricated evidence, Christians became the routine foils or villains in movies, and for the culture.

We lost credibility with our communities, we backed away from public office, and were content spending our time with other likeminded individuals.

The society had us where they wanted; we no longer were exercising any influence in the public square.

1950-Present Church History

In 1954, Sen Lyndon Johnson sponsored an amendment banning nonprofits from commenting on “political” subjects. Somehow the church didn’t balk at this proposal but silently agreed to this loss of their freedom of speech.

When government decided the Scripture, prayer, or Bible reading were not to be present in school, the church silently agreed and continued on.

This process of withdrawal from the society continued through the 70’s to today. The church successfully swung at one of the symptoms of this degenerative slide. After 50 years, she achieved one small victory. But there is much critical work still to be done.

When child abuse of the living and unborn, went unpunished and even promoted in the government’s policies, the church did act. However, the response was directed to the symptom of a much deeper problem.

The Root Problem

What is the root problem? We have abandoned the Lord as our God. We have placed other things in His rightful place. There is a lengthy list I could make, and I am just as guilty of these as anyone else. We seek entertainment, prestige, power, success, etc., etc. It boils down to the fact that we’ve chosen personal peace, affluence, and indifference over rejection by society for taking a stand for the truth, failing to be generous to missions and others around us who are in physical and spiritual need, and failing to fulfill our commission to make disciples.

Many years ago Francis Schaeffer asked How Shall We then Live? in a series on Western Culture. The question rings louder and truer today as a challenge to the church.

Where Do We Stand

Another question to be asked has been part of the church’s hymnology for over a century: “Who is on the Lord’s side? Sometimes I wonder are we really on the Lord’s side or is this life for our sole comfort?

The lyrics to Frances Havergal’s poem call believers to remember the task involves conflict with the future outcome certain against evil. These words call us to His service:

“Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord’s side? Who for Him will go?
By Thy call of mercy, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!”

The Challenge

In conclusion, as Mordecai said to Esther, “who knows if you have not come to the throne for such a time as this” (Esther 4:13-14). Who knows why the Lord has us here, but He has asked us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).

When He returns, let Him find us doing what He has asked.

Today’s verse of encouragement:

Joshua 1:7-9 “⁷Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. ⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Maranatha,