April 17 2015 not a day of silence for me
It may be considered by some people to be about a socio-political agenda, but for me it will be another day of declaration. A declaration that there is one God and one way to Heaven and that is through the saving grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
In my prayers that day, I will spend some time asking God for a spiritual revival in this great country. It is no longer the country I grew up in. Social and moral values have changed and our very freedoms are threatened by a growing tide of liberalism and godlessness.
No need to be surprised. We knew it would eventually happen in America, I just never thought in my lifetime.
But, I’m over that.
Now that this growing tide of godlessness is here, we can remember that, in the Bible, God’s inspired Word, we’re told not to be afraid. That’s not always easy, especially when the persecution of Christians is on the rise.
So, what can we do?
We Can Pray
We can pray for a spiritual revival as previously mentioned. God hears every prayer. He knows our hearts and He knows all of our fears and concerns.
Ask God For Mercy
We can ask God for mercy for our own souls and for the lost. It’s not just the godless who sin. We ALL fall short and are in need of forgiveness. The Church is not and should not be a gathering of “holier than thou’s.” It’s a hospital for sinners and we do well to keep that in mind. Everyone should feel welcome in the pews, as long as they are respectful and they come with a sincere heart to seek God and forgiveness. God convicts the heart.
Teach Our Children Who’s Really In Charge
We can teach our children that, no matter what is going on in our world, God is always in control. It’s not easy to be strong and courageous in such a dark world, but we are not (and have never been) in a world where God is not on His throne. Jesus promised us that He would be with us always. If He didn’t mean it, He wouldn’t have said it.
He can not lie.
*From Matthew 28:18-20:
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
We Can Turn Our Fears Into Prayers
You can do it!
“Lord, please help me. I’m feeling anxiety about this situation. There seems to be no clear cut answer and I don’t know how to handle it.”
It’s not weak to say that. It’s an honest petition to God.
As Christians, we will face mockery and name-calling for staying strong in our faith.
*From 1 Peter 3:13-17:
13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.”
Defend The Faith, But…
No one should be a bully, no one on either side of the political and social spectrum.
We can and should stand up for our faith when asked, but please be kind. Just because we know, by our faith, what God calls sin, that does not warrant harming another person. We can remain steadfast in our faith and pray for those unbelievers who mock us. Don’t compromise the truth of the Bible just because someone else talks louder or shouts you down. Hold onto your faith and God will honor that.
Please Vote
We can vote for political candidates who believe in God and the Bible. You will know by their actions and record what they support. We can also pray for them, in fact we’re commanded to pray for our leaders, even though it’s hard. It hurts me to my very core to pray for someone who supports abortion (the murder of babies), but I do.
God knows our hearts are hurting when political laws change that mock His word, but we can pray for strength. We can also pray that the eyes of those people defying God’s Word will be opened to His truth. Hearts can be changed through Divine intervention. Remember the Apostle Paul in the Bible? Formerly known as Saul, he was a persecutor of Christians. Through God’s grace, Saul’s eyes were opened and he became Paul – one of the most memorable defenders of the faith.
Believers Should Pray For Each Other Also
During times of trial we can ask for support from fellow believers and we can also give that prayer support when a suffering friend reaches out to us. We need each other and we can pray for each other.
We Can Read The Bible
In Genesis 9:12-16, God clearly gave us the rainbow as a sign of His covenant with man. He hasn’t forgotten. Trying to change it or redesign its meaning is an act of defiance that God will judge one day.
I believe that the Bible is 100% true…every single word.
Why would a perfect God give us anything less?
He wouldn’t.
God didn’t say to the gospel writers: “Hey, I will give you my inspired Word, write it down, and I’ll just let mankind guess how much or which part is true.”
No one should say there’s a lot right in the Bible, but there’s wrong too. That doesn’t even make sense.
Either It’s All True Or None Of It Is
It’s as simple as that.
Anyone preaching or teaching otherwise is doubting the Word of God and that becomes yet another example of mankind deceptively trying to fuel doubts in Him.
Why?
Because, ultimately, mankind does not want to feel convicted…about anything.
Keep that kind of watered down, false doctrine and false teaching away from me.
Here’s one sad example. We hear that at least one well known musician doubts portions of Scripture (including Genesis). Because this person is famous and/or some like his music, we’re supposed to label the Bible a myth because some imperfect, modern day, doubting Thomas says so?
Nope, nada, no thanks.
We’re all imperfect. There is only One who is perfect – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
God’s Love Letter
The Bible is God’s love letter to us and it is absolute Truth. The so-called inconsistencies are explainable to anyone who has doubts and desires to seek the truth. The resources are available. If you have doubts, have you taken the time to research it? Read Josh McDowell’s “Evidence that Demands a Verdict.” There are so many evidential materials available, you have to take the time. Please don’t ruin your witness for Christ by discouraging others with a disclaimer on the Bible.
There may be parts of the Bible that continue to be puzzling, but there’s no harm in saying that you don’t know what something means. None of us are perfect. We all have a lot still yet to discover of the richness contained in God’s Word.
For so many years, I never read the Bible because I didn’t grow up as a Christian. Once I was saved though, it was like a light bulb turned on and I couldn’t get enough. I have never felt so loved in my life as I do when I study about the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I pray your April 17th will be a day of peace and one of remembrance for the One who gave His life for your sins. This is the same God who gave us the rainbow, a symbol of His promise.
Shine Your Light
There will always be disagreements and strife in this world, but we can pray, persevere, and shine the light of Jesus Christ to those around us who do not know Him.
Your race, gender, or beliefs don’t disqualify you if you start earnestly seeking after our one true God. All can be saved, but it will only be through Him.
It is the best feeling in the world to come to know Him. I am living proof.
We will all continue to sin, but believe me, the Holy Spirit will work in your life. You will seek to put aside your sinning ways and follow Him. When you screw up, He is there if you truly seek His forgiveness every time.
You will be a new creation.
*From 2 Corinthians 5:17 –
17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
*All scripture verses courtesy of: New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
There are so many distractions that can take our eyes off Christ. A job, a mortgage, frustrating people in our lives, health issues – all of it can overwhelm us at times. There are so many concerns in our lives and in our world, and yet, Jesus is there. He is unchanging. He is always ready to welcome us back when we realize that we’ve lost our focus on Him.
