Prejudice is an ugly thing. As we've seen in recent days it can lead to abrupt actions that make no sense whatsoever. It harms. It insults. It ostracizes. No one likes or deserves to be on the disliked side of it.
So the question is why can't we stop it?
I think prejudice can't be stopped because it's been around for so long that it's ingrained in us. You may think it started during the years of the slave trade. Or shortly after the Civil War when the slaves were free, but I'm here to speak to a different time.
Open your Bible and you'll find that the Philistines, or Sea People, were a hated group of people. All nations disliked them, not just the Israelites. On the other hand the Jews were disliked by all the nations around them because they fought and won wars in quite a variety of ways, when they were in right standing with God.
But then the Jews had their own prejudices. None of them liked the Samaritans, descendants of Abraham who refused to acknowledge Jerusalem as the Holy Place. The Jews didn't speak to them and they didn't speak to the Jews. Knowing that makes the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) and Jesus speaking to a Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) even more significant. Sadly, it doesn't end there. Galileans were also despised by non-Galilean Jews. Why? Because they tried to keep the peace with the Romans and tried to speak Latin and Greek. Today we could compare it to a backwater-hillbilly trying to speak Chinese or Arabic to appease the modern language demands of a foreign captor.
Did it stop there? Of course not.
Through the centuries European countries fought over boundaries which lead to likes and dislikes of neighbors or fellow Europeans. Having lived there I know this. Some of these prejudices are held for fellow countrymen and some are for other nationalities. And because the countries are old the dislikes are often based on actions taken by a country or region many centuries ago. I could list who doesn't like who but that might not serve any real purpose other than to divide.
And, let's not forget what's happening in the Arabic countries today. Those factions that are fighting are all rooted in the same faith. Ouch. They're fighting each other. They're so dead set on having everyone follow their "faction" that they're willing to destroy cities and people to do it. They are so blinded by prejudice that they'll bring harm to anyone not with them.
Sadly, it's not too different from what we've seen in this country. People fighting for a supposed victim and in their rage they destroy the property and lives of their neighbors to make a point. Blinded action making no sense at all when you step back and ask the question, "Why did they do that? What purpose did that serve?"
The truth is, if you stop and think about it every culture, every nation can find someone who dislikes them. And they can find someone they dislike. No one is free of a prejudice. It's sad but it's true. If only we could see that we are all different, with various ways of taking on life.
Our enemy is not in the people who are different from us. Our enemy is the one who wants us to think we need to destroy others because they are different or because they don't like us. Our enemy is the prejudice instigator whom we cannot see. And as long as we give into it, prejudice will continue to exists.
How do we individually make a difference? We need to ask God to help us tolerate and work with those we have a hard time understanding or living around. We need to ask God to let us see others the way He sees them. Attitudes will change.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Thursday, May 14, 2015
The Word For Safety in Hebrew
Weeks ago I wrote a post about warning. I don't want to seem to be fixated on this topic but there is scripture, Ezekiel 33, that speaks of the watchman sounding the trumpet to warn the people. Let me just say I am not the main watchman, but I feel a certain responsibility to inform you of one of the watchmen. Listen to his alarm and sounding of the trumpet.
I know you're thinking the media makes things sound bad enough as it is and you don't need or want to hear about anything else. To this I say, "Just hear me out." For those of you thinking there is nothing to take warning over then I have two books for you to read, The Harbinger and The Mystery of the Shemitah. Thanks to my sister I have read both of Jonathan Cahn's books.
These books are a bit prophetic but not in a "this is what will happen out of the blue" kind of way. Cahn looks at our past as he warns of the path our nation is taking. Both books look at 9-11 as being part and key to what lies ahead for this nation and the world.
When 9-11 occurred I remember hearing the media report how religious leaders were shouting that the attacks happened because of God's judgement on the sins of the nation - with the leaders always pointing to the nation's current immoral acts. But Cahn doesn't bring these under scrutiny. He comes from a totally different perspective.
In The Harbinger, Jonathan Cahn compares the U.S. to Old Testament Israel. The scary part is the identical paths taken by both nations. It'll give you chill bumps. The Harbinger is an easy read and not only compares what happened on 9-11 and the aftermath to ancient Israel, but also to George Washington's inaugural day activities. If you ever doubted that one could have anything to do with the other you should read this book.
The Mystery of the Shemitah takes a different approach. I found it to be a more difficult read because of the detail and form of warning. In this book Jonathan Cahn does a marvelous job of taking past events and what we as a nation have experienced financially, including 9-11, placing them on the Jewish calendar and showing their correlation to our neglecting God's year of rest. You may think there's no connection, but I'm here to tell you there is. In fact, this book takes you from chill bumps to hair raising.
So when news or books like this scare you, what should you do? Pray, right? Well, Anne Graham Lotz has issued a call to prayer for our nation, May 15-23, which is also mentioned by Joel Rosenberg in his blog. All of us attend different churches which vary from each other in superficial values but we all believe Jesus died for us. Let us stand united on this front and bow our knees asking God to guide us in bringing our nation to Him.
Remember there is always hope.
To this statement I have one final comment that I hope will uplift your spirits. Near the end of The Mystery of the Shemitah Cahn shared an interesting tidbit of information. In Hebrew the word for safety is yeshua. If it sounds familiar it's because it is. This is the root word for Yeshua... the Hebrew word for Jesus. Every name has a meaning, but I never wondered about the name of Jesus and it's meaning... safety. No matter what comes our way in future judgements for our nation or world, we can find safety in Jesus. Have you sought Him? Or, become right with Him? Yes, then you are saved from worry over any coming calamity.
I know you're thinking the media makes things sound bad enough as it is and you don't need or want to hear about anything else. To this I say, "Just hear me out." For those of you thinking there is nothing to take warning over then I have two books for you to read, The Harbinger and The Mystery of the Shemitah. Thanks to my sister I have read both of Jonathan Cahn's books.
These books are a bit prophetic but not in a "this is what will happen out of the blue" kind of way. Cahn looks at our past as he warns of the path our nation is taking. Both books look at 9-11 as being part and key to what lies ahead for this nation and the world.
When 9-11 occurred I remember hearing the media report how religious leaders were shouting that the attacks happened because of God's judgement on the sins of the nation - with the leaders always pointing to the nation's current immoral acts. But Cahn doesn't bring these under scrutiny. He comes from a totally different perspective.
In The Harbinger, Jonathan Cahn compares the U.S. to Old Testament Israel. The scary part is the identical paths taken by both nations. It'll give you chill bumps. The Harbinger is an easy read and not only compares what happened on 9-11 and the aftermath to ancient Israel, but also to George Washington's inaugural day activities. If you ever doubted that one could have anything to do with the other you should read this book.
The Mystery of the Shemitah takes a different approach. I found it to be a more difficult read because of the detail and form of warning. In this book Jonathan Cahn does a marvelous job of taking past events and what we as a nation have experienced financially, including 9-11, placing them on the Jewish calendar and showing their correlation to our neglecting God's year of rest. You may think there's no connection, but I'm here to tell you there is. In fact, this book takes you from chill bumps to hair raising.
So when news or books like this scare you, what should you do? Pray, right? Well, Anne Graham Lotz has issued a call to prayer for our nation, May 15-23, which is also mentioned by Joel Rosenberg in his blog. All of us attend different churches which vary from each other in superficial values but we all believe Jesus died for us. Let us stand united on this front and bow our knees asking God to guide us in bringing our nation to Him.
Remember there is always hope.
To this statement I have one final comment that I hope will uplift your spirits. Near the end of The Mystery of the Shemitah Cahn shared an interesting tidbit of information. In Hebrew the word for safety is yeshua. If it sounds familiar it's because it is. This is the root word for Yeshua... the Hebrew word for Jesus. Every name has a meaning, but I never wondered about the name of Jesus and it's meaning... safety. No matter what comes our way in future judgements for our nation or world, we can find safety in Jesus. Have you sought Him? Or, become right with Him? Yes, then you are saved from worry over any coming calamity.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Be A Light
The first weekend in May I attended the Gateway Women's Conference, Pink Impact, in Fort Worth. What an incredible time of worship and teaching I experienced. I want to share how the teachings from a variety of speakers (including Kari Jobe, Jimmy Evans and Missy Robertson) came together.
The subject was light. We need to be a light to others, but also we need to allow God's light to shine in the dark places of our inner being. If we allow God to shine His light inside our inner man we will find a freedom from whatever was previously held as an embarrassment. And the best part is enjoying a better relationship with God.
Two presenters spoke of emotional/mental healing taking twenty-one days of mental exercises to change your perspective on life and attitudes. The key is remembering that the mind is separate from the brain and it is the mind that leads the way for the brain to change how it reacts to life. While it would take too long to cover all the initial steps I will say that blessing your enemies and the people who hurt your feelings is a major part of that. And when you are done you will find you are a unique wonderful person with a clear mind filled with clear thoughts. If you're interested in this you can go to the following websites: Jimmy Evans and Dr. Leaf
But if you think you can't be used of God until you're perfect, you're wrong. God uses everyone in any way He chooses. You don't have to do something extraordinaire before you impact others for the cause of the kingdom. In fact, as Missy Robertson put it, "God uses the ordinary and broken to do the extraordinary." If you don't believe her look at some of the heroes of the Bible.
It's important to keep our eyes on our current battles and not start worrying about future battles or seasons of life. If we take our focus off what God has for us today, in this moment, then we might lose some of the promise God has for us. Take courage and stay put, stay the course, God's still working.
A Biblical example of this was found in the book of Esther. Esther's Uncle Mordecai made himself available to her by staying at the gate wherever Esther was, first at the gate of the harem then at the king's gate. Years later when the king realized he never honored Mordecai for saving his life, the king knew exactly where to find Mordecai. Don't give up on the course God has placed you on or you may miss the opportunity of change that He will bring your way.
And when life gets even crazier than it already is, don't worry that God has forgotten you and your needs. He didn't forget about the widow and her son or the prophet Elijah in 1Kings 17. First, God has ravens bring bits of food to feed the prophet then He extends the meager food supplies of the widow. God doesn't need much to work with, He just needs something to work with. Keep doing what God has shown you to do. God can't act on earth until his people do something.
To drive that point home Pastor Tim Ross pointed out the randomness of how Elijah raised the widow's dead son back to life. Verses 17-24 tell us this story. Elijah, after praying to God and receiving no specific directions, lays on top of the widow's dead son - how random and awkward is that? The point made was that God doesn't do something on the earth unless He does it through us. In this instance, God used the random act of Elijah which resulted in the revival of the son. All because Elijah did something.
I would like to end with the prayer example Jimmy Evans gave us (I tweaked it slightly).
The subject was light. We need to be a light to others, but also we need to allow God's light to shine in the dark places of our inner being. If we allow God to shine His light inside our inner man we will find a freedom from whatever was previously held as an embarrassment. And the best part is enjoying a better relationship with God.
Two presenters spoke of emotional/mental healing taking twenty-one days of mental exercises to change your perspective on life and attitudes. The key is remembering that the mind is separate from the brain and it is the mind that leads the way for the brain to change how it reacts to life. While it would take too long to cover all the initial steps I will say that blessing your enemies and the people who hurt your feelings is a major part of that. And when you are done you will find you are a unique wonderful person with a clear mind filled with clear thoughts. If you're interested in this you can go to the following websites: Jimmy Evans and Dr. Leaf
But if you think you can't be used of God until you're perfect, you're wrong. God uses everyone in any way He chooses. You don't have to do something extraordinaire before you impact others for the cause of the kingdom. In fact, as Missy Robertson put it, "God uses the ordinary and broken to do the extraordinary." If you don't believe her look at some of the heroes of the Bible.
It's important to keep our eyes on our current battles and not start worrying about future battles or seasons of life. If we take our focus off what God has for us today, in this moment, then we might lose some of the promise God has for us. Take courage and stay put, stay the course, God's still working.
A Biblical example of this was found in the book of Esther. Esther's Uncle Mordecai made himself available to her by staying at the gate wherever Esther was, first at the gate of the harem then at the king's gate. Years later when the king realized he never honored Mordecai for saving his life, the king knew exactly where to find Mordecai. Don't give up on the course God has placed you on or you may miss the opportunity of change that He will bring your way.
And when life gets even crazier than it already is, don't worry that God has forgotten you and your needs. He didn't forget about the widow and her son or the prophet Elijah in 1Kings 17. First, God has ravens bring bits of food to feed the prophet then He extends the meager food supplies of the widow. God doesn't need much to work with, He just needs something to work with. Keep doing what God has shown you to do. God can't act on earth until his people do something.
To drive that point home Pastor Tim Ross pointed out the randomness of how Elijah raised the widow's dead son back to life. Verses 17-24 tell us this story. Elijah, after praying to God and receiving no specific directions, lays on top of the widow's dead son - how random and awkward is that? The point made was that God doesn't do something on the earth unless He does it through us. In this instance, God used the random act of Elijah which resulted in the revival of the son. All because Elijah did something.
I would like to end with the prayer example Jimmy Evans gave us (I tweaked it slightly).
Dear God, Thank you for honoring my efforts
and letting Your light to shine from me to others.
I need the Holy Spirit in my mind today.
And if something is coming my way give me
the emotional grace and spiritual grace I will need.
Lead me in all truth as I put on a garment of praise.
Thank you. Amen.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
We Can Die?
Everyone has heard the story of Adam and Eve. They sinned by eating the fruit from the one tree God told them to avoid. As a result they realized for the first time in their life they were bare and had unique characteristics in their appearances. Feeling the need to cover up these differences they made clothes out of fig leaves.
But when God returns to the garden and sees them in their fig leaves He knows what happened. He just needs them to confess their ill-taken step. And they do. But what He does next was probably not what they expected.
In Genesis 3:21 we read that God hands them clothes made out of the skins of an animal. Let's talk about this concept.
Adam and Eve lived in a garden where food grew on its own and the animals walked among them. Everyone has favorites, so they must have had favorites too. Favorite foods and favorite animals. Whether they gave the animals pet names or not is neither here nor there, but they would have loved them all the same. Just like many people view their pets in today's world, some of these creatures must have been like children to them. They were family and spending time with them on a daily basis was a joy. The idea of losing one of them was not something they feared nor even gave much thought to.
Then God hands them an animal skin. As far as getting the skin off an animal is concerned, either you kill the animal as you're removing the skin or you kill it first and then remove the skin. The background of this verse can be overlooked and missed in the reading of it. This is the first death mentioned in the Bible. And, because it is from an animal we can surmise that this is the first sacrifice and example of the shedding of blood connected to the forgiveness of sin. But where did God get the animals for the sin sacrifice?
From among the animal family that Adam and Eve knew.
Can you imagine their expressions and thoughts when God hands them the skins of the newest lamb offspring? Up until that point they never knew the end of a life. What a concept to have to experience - something being alive and breathing one minute then no longer there. They ate fruits, grains and vegetables. The killing of animals to eat was not a concept they had or it would have been mentioned in the first two chapters.
And what a reminder that must have been. Everyday they wore the animal skin clothing they were reminded that they acted against God's directions and now paid the consequence of it. Everyday they were reminded that God is serious when He gives directions. And, that a sacrifice must be made when sin is committed.
Today we know we can die, so the concept is not new. However, today we have the advantage of knowing that when we sin we have a Savior we can turn to for forgiveness because his blood sacrifice is everlasting and covers all sin. And the next time we put on a cross necklace we can use this not only as a symbol of being a Christian but as a way to remember the sacrificial death that was made for us.
But when God returns to the garden and sees them in their fig leaves He knows what happened. He just needs them to confess their ill-taken step. And they do. But what He does next was probably not what they expected.
In Genesis 3:21 we read that God hands them clothes made out of the skins of an animal. Let's talk about this concept.
Adam and Eve lived in a garden where food grew on its own and the animals walked among them. Everyone has favorites, so they must have had favorites too. Favorite foods and favorite animals. Whether they gave the animals pet names or not is neither here nor there, but they would have loved them all the same. Just like many people view their pets in today's world, some of these creatures must have been like children to them. They were family and spending time with them on a daily basis was a joy. The idea of losing one of them was not something they feared nor even gave much thought to.
Then God hands them an animal skin. As far as getting the skin off an animal is concerned, either you kill the animal as you're removing the skin or you kill it first and then remove the skin. The background of this verse can be overlooked and missed in the reading of it. This is the first death mentioned in the Bible. And, because it is from an animal we can surmise that this is the first sacrifice and example of the shedding of blood connected to the forgiveness of sin. But where did God get the animals for the sin sacrifice?
From among the animal family that Adam and Eve knew.
Can you imagine their expressions and thoughts when God hands them the skins of the newest lamb offspring? Up until that point they never knew the end of a life. What a concept to have to experience - something being alive and breathing one minute then no longer there. They ate fruits, grains and vegetables. The killing of animals to eat was not a concept they had or it would have been mentioned in the first two chapters.
And what a reminder that must have been. Everyday they wore the animal skin clothing they were reminded that they acted against God's directions and now paid the consequence of it. Everyday they were reminded that God is serious when He gives directions. And, that a sacrifice must be made when sin is committed.
Today we know we can die, so the concept is not new. However, today we have the advantage of knowing that when we sin we have a Savior we can turn to for forgiveness because his blood sacrifice is everlasting and covers all sin. And the next time we put on a cross necklace we can use this not only as a symbol of being a Christian but as a way to remember the sacrificial death that was made for us.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Leaving Fear Behind
Fear is one emotion most of us don't have to work hard to get. Especially nowadays when the news is filled with so much information about wars, nations readying for war-like action and terrorist attacks. Then there are multiple blog posts out there to tell us essentially that the Biblical book of Revelation is unfolding before our eyes. If you don't believe me check out these two blogs Running From Babylon and Cindy by the Sea.
The first emotion that ran through my body after reading these posts was fear. Then sorrow followed, but I'm not sure who the sorrow was for. Was it for me or for the many who don't see the mess our world is in? The writer of Running From Babylon is not the only one to compare the U.S. to Babylon. And even though I see some similarities, I don't believe it is a full match. But, I've got news for all those who agree with this comparison - Babylon is utterly destroyed in Revelations 14 - 18. A better description of America, I think, is found in Ezekiel 31... Assyria sounds so much like America it's freaky - God destroys that place too.
But wait! We can't let these things scare us. Remember there's hope.
So what is this fear that's being stirred up within us all about?
It's about death. If you have no idea where you're headed when you die then there is plenty to be fearful of. If you know who Jesus is and believe He died so you personally can go to heaven, then when it all boils down you have nothing to fear. You will be walking into paradise the millisecond after you leave the world behind you.
If you live through any destruction that might come our way, God will bring you through it. The Bible is full of scripture that talks about God rescuing His children. (Note: He can't rescue His people and children if there is nothing to rescue them from.)
He will not forget us whether we die and meet Him at the pearly gates of heaven or whether we live to be an evangelist for Him among survivors. He will never leave you alone or abandon you to fend for yourself. (Hebrews 13:5; Deuteronomy 31:6) And remember His words — "My peace I give you..." (My translation from John 14:27) — are especially for troubled moments in life. He told this to His disciples right before He was arrested and their world fell apart.
No matter what life throws our way, or what news story brings fear remember this — God wins in the end. And if you're on His side, you win too.
The first emotion that ran through my body after reading these posts was fear. Then sorrow followed, but I'm not sure who the sorrow was for. Was it for me or for the many who don't see the mess our world is in? The writer of Running From Babylon is not the only one to compare the U.S. to Babylon. And even though I see some similarities, I don't believe it is a full match. But, I've got news for all those who agree with this comparison - Babylon is utterly destroyed in Revelations 14 - 18. A better description of America, I think, is found in Ezekiel 31... Assyria sounds so much like America it's freaky - God destroys that place too.
But wait! We can't let these things scare us. Remember there's hope.
So what is this fear that's being stirred up within us all about?
It's about death. If you have no idea where you're headed when you die then there is plenty to be fearful of. If you know who Jesus is and believe He died so you personally can go to heaven, then when it all boils down you have nothing to fear. You will be walking into paradise the millisecond after you leave the world behind you.
If you live through any destruction that might come our way, God will bring you through it. The Bible is full of scripture that talks about God rescuing His children. (Note: He can't rescue His people and children if there is nothing to rescue them from.)
He will not forget us whether we die and meet Him at the pearly gates of heaven or whether we live to be an evangelist for Him among survivors. He will never leave you alone or abandon you to fend for yourself. (Hebrews 13:5; Deuteronomy 31:6) And remember His words — "My peace I give you..." (My translation from John 14:27) — are especially for troubled moments in life. He told this to His disciples right before He was arrested and their world fell apart.
No matter what life throws our way, or what news story brings fear remember this — God wins in the end. And if you're on His side, you win too.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
There Is Hope
Last week I mentioned that there must be a greater good that will come for the Kingdom of God in all the terrible, deadly, terrorist activities. Since then I have read two blog postings that point in that very direction.
The first one is written by my niece. The blog is titled Building the Bridges and you can find the post here. How wonderful it is to hear that God is using the displacement of people of the Muslim faith to hear from and experience the love of God from His people.
I think of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Daniel 1) who after being taken to a foreign country demonstrated to the leadership who the Almighty God in heaven is on more than one occasion. Through their actions the people of Babylon came to know of and on a few occasions worship the one true God. Guess what? God is doing it again, only in reverse. He has taken these persecuted homeless Muslim people out of their country to a land and people where they can find the truth about the God of Abraham.
The second posting is written by Joel Rosenberg and you can find it here. He talks about the newly published book by Tom Doyle, Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It's Not Safe to Believe.
While I haven't read the book, I like what the blog post says about it. The ISIS people hunt down Christians then video tape the executions only to find out there are more Christians to hunt down. I know this may sound awkwardly cock-eyed, but isn't that awesome!? Christians are multiplying! The ISIS terrorists have become the greatest tool of evangelism for Jesus since the Roman Empire.
You remember the Romans. They captured, tortured and then had Christians killed by lions in front of crowds, just for sport. They never ran out of Christians. In fact, Christianity continued to grow to become the major religion of the world long after the Roman Empire dissolved.
These terrorists and their ally countries may think they have the upper hand; that they can control who lives in peace and who lives in fear, for that matter who lives and who dies. But they do not factor in the man who is ultimately in charge of how things are going to finish. He is using all things to work for good for His Heavenly Kingdom. And that my friends cannot be stopped by human hands no matter how hard they try.
The first one is written by my niece. The blog is titled Building the Bridges and you can find the post here. How wonderful it is to hear that God is using the displacement of people of the Muslim faith to hear from and experience the love of God from His people.
I think of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Daniel 1) who after being taken to a foreign country demonstrated to the leadership who the Almighty God in heaven is on more than one occasion. Through their actions the people of Babylon came to know of and on a few occasions worship the one true God. Guess what? God is doing it again, only in reverse. He has taken these persecuted homeless Muslim people out of their country to a land and people where they can find the truth about the God of Abraham.
The second posting is written by Joel Rosenberg and you can find it here. He talks about the newly published book by Tom Doyle, Killing Christians: Living the Faith Where It's Not Safe to Believe.
While I haven't read the book, I like what the blog post says about it. The ISIS people hunt down Christians then video tape the executions only to find out there are more Christians to hunt down. I know this may sound awkwardly cock-eyed, but isn't that awesome!? Christians are multiplying! The ISIS terrorists have become the greatest tool of evangelism for Jesus since the Roman Empire.
You remember the Romans. They captured, tortured and then had Christians killed by lions in front of crowds, just for sport. They never ran out of Christians. In fact, Christianity continued to grow to become the major religion of the world long after the Roman Empire dissolved.
These terrorists and their ally countries may think they have the upper hand; that they can control who lives in peace and who lives in fear, for that matter who lives and who dies. But they do not factor in the man who is ultimately in charge of how things are going to finish. He is using all things to work for good for His Heavenly Kingdom. And that my friends cannot be stopped by human hands no matter how hard they try.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Danger Ahead
I believe the Lost In Space robot would be flailing its arms and rolling toward us at the top of its volume setting with the words, "Warning, warning..." In reading Joel Rosenberg's blog two weeks ago my worst fear seems to be coming to light. (His more recent one is more comforting.)
The U.S. is bringing upon itself the curse of not being on Israel's side. This is scary. I don't want God's wrath on me or the land I live in. But, if our leadership doesn't wake up and stop the country from going down the road we are on that's exactly what will happen.
My question is where is the Christian voice? Where is the American Jewish voice? Do we not see the importance, like it or not, of being an ally to Israel? Are we complacent about who does or doesn't like us because we don't have to fight daily for what we believe? Do we have rose-colored glasses on because we stay in our church clique so that we are unaware of what's happening in the world around us? Or do we really not care because the unrest is happening on the other side of the world and not on our home turf?
We need to remember that our country has the reputation of being a Christian nation and stands out above the other countries that once held that title. I wish I could say my country is strong in their faith in Jesus. How much better would it be if our country was known for doing kind actions, whether it's feeding the poor or fighting terrorists, because we love Jesus and want to show others His love?
But we don't.
I'm sad because this country thinks better of itself than it should. I don't want my country to suffer because then I would suffer. It's a pretty selfish fear-filled thought, I know. If I could think about the threat of being on the wrong side of God's wrath with the expansion of heaven in mind, I'd remember that only when we go through struggles and hard times do we turn to God. Only when there is no way out and hopelessness reigns does man finally put his trust in Jesus.
If going down this unfortunate path will bring millions more to heaven's way of thinking then maybe it will be worth it. Still, wish our leadership would wake up and halt the terrible turn we're about to make. But it's important to keep in mind that as many times as Israel had to suffer for their wayward ways, God did not abandon them. He kept them ever in His mind. Then I have the hope that He will do that for all us Gentile believers who have fallen down on the job.
The U.S. is bringing upon itself the curse of not being on Israel's side. This is scary. I don't want God's wrath on me or the land I live in. But, if our leadership doesn't wake up and stop the country from going down the road we are on that's exactly what will happen.
My question is where is the Christian voice? Where is the American Jewish voice? Do we not see the importance, like it or not, of being an ally to Israel? Are we complacent about who does or doesn't like us because we don't have to fight daily for what we believe? Do we have rose-colored glasses on because we stay in our church clique so that we are unaware of what's happening in the world around us? Or do we really not care because the unrest is happening on the other side of the world and not on our home turf?
We need to remember that our country has the reputation of being a Christian nation and stands out above the other countries that once held that title. I wish I could say my country is strong in their faith in Jesus. How much better would it be if our country was known for doing kind actions, whether it's feeding the poor or fighting terrorists, because we love Jesus and want to show others His love?
But we don't.
I'm sad because this country thinks better of itself than it should. I don't want my country to suffer because then I would suffer. It's a pretty selfish fear-filled thought, I know. If I could think about the threat of being on the wrong side of God's wrath with the expansion of heaven in mind, I'd remember that only when we go through struggles and hard times do we turn to God. Only when there is no way out and hopelessness reigns does man finally put his trust in Jesus.
If going down this unfortunate path will bring millions more to heaven's way of thinking then maybe it will be worth it. Still, wish our leadership would wake up and halt the terrible turn we're about to make. But it's important to keep in mind that as many times as Israel had to suffer for their wayward ways, God did not abandon them. He kept them ever in His mind. Then I have the hope that He will do that for all us Gentile believers who have fallen down on the job.
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