No one can doubt that we live in very unsettled times. As a nation, America is divided as it has not been since the Civil War. We now question everything that comes from the mouths of our politicians, the media, advertisers and even the church. Truth has become hard to come by leading to conspiracy theories and a general suspicion of everything we hear. Violence is widespread with drug gangs even infiltrating smaller, rural communities. Crime is rampant with the police and courts seemingly powerless to do anything about it. Churches and entire denominations have abandoned the Word of God and now proclaim a spurious gospel that will appeal to a "woke" generation. Immorality is rampant with legislative bodies and the courts now legalizing behaviors that were considered immoral throughout recorded history. Our education system is in ruins. Parental rights are being taken away slowly but surely by the courts and schools. Children too young to vote, too young to drink alcohol, too young to have a driver's license, even too young to enter grade school are being allowed to choose their gender. We could fill an entire book with all that is wrong with today's society, but this should be enough to convince anyone that we live in very difficult times.
While I am not a conspiracy buff, I do not think this is all accidental. When you think of all the negative changes that have taken place in our world in the past few years, it's hard to not believe there is a power, a force, behind it all. I sometimes feel I am living in a magic show where the magician draws our attention elsewhere while he or she works his or her "magic." I can only wonder what's next as our nation, and world, moves even further from God.
There are some things we can do. Certainly, we can pray that God would send revival to turn our world back to Him. With elections coming up we can vote for persons who seem to support our values and moral beliefs. It is amazing to me that Congress has an approval rating of under 10 percent, and yet we keep electing the same people who have created much of this mess back into office. I would like to see every Christian vote in the next election and vote every incumbent running for office out. That would send a message to those who are not up for election that we are fed up with what they have done to our nation, and if changes are not made, they will be the next ones who will have to find an honest job outside of politics. BTW - this is not limited to national politics. We need to do the same thing with school boards, local politicians and anyone who is supposed to represent the people.
We can advocate for the truth of God's Word. There is One far above the President, Congress and the Supreme Court who has the final Word. It is His Word that must be followed and obeyed. The three Hebrew captives refused to bow down to the political powers and announced that even if they were cast into the fiery furnace, they would not deny their God. Instead of the church compromising the Word of God in order to get along in our current society, we need to be speaking truth to power.
The most important thing we can do in these unsettled times is to be sure of our Christian faith. Let me ask the reader a very simple question, are you a Christian? If you were to die today, do you know for certain that you would go to heaven? This is important...you are not a Christian because you attend church sometimes, or that your parents were Christians, or you have been confirmed or even baptized. You are a Christian because you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. You are not a Christian because your good works outweigh your bad deeds. You are not a Christian because you belong to a church. It is by faith you are saved. Jesus said He was the way, the truth and the life, and no one could come to God except through Him. There are no other roads that lead to God but through Jesus Christ.
I am convinced that even more difficult times are coming, and only those who have trusted in Jesus Christ for their salvation will be able to endure these times. Do you know that you know that you know that you are a Christian? If not, please contact me or a pastor of a Bible-believing church in your community. Eternity is at stake.
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