Sitting on the porch, a peaceful place, a peaceful time. The air is torn apart with the sound of barking. Into this quiet morning, the dogs are going to protect me from the terror that is at hand. One is growling and barking, the other is parking that loud, harsh, mean bark meant to drive away anything that hears. They are focused. They wish to keep me safe, to protect me and the house. The porch is not meant for such terrifying things to attack.
What is it that they are protecting me from? A flight of killer robins that are streaming in one after another, seeking to carry away me and everything on the porch? Perhaps rabid squirrels who have been turned into zombies and are seeking to eat anything that is still alive? Maybe it is the life threatening jogger who is attempting a run by? What could this be that has caused them to place themselves between it and me?
In fear, I look out the direction they are looking as they are barking and growling. What I see takes my breath away. My heart races. Never in all my days have a I seen such a sight. Never have I felt so threatened as I did sitting there on the porch in the quiet of the morning. How could this happen in this quiet little town in southwest Iowa? I could see if this was in cities. Maybe where we came from. We might see this on the news in some far away place, but here? How is this happening? Why is it happening? Save me...
...from the terror of a red desk chair. Yes, the thing that was causing such a commotion in the quiet on West Main St was a used desk chair. It was sitting on the curb, waiting for someone who might think that they needed such a chair. It must have escaped from the office or study of someone on this street. Or maybe it has migrated from another part of town. Could this terror have really come from this part of town? Maybe it was migrating from another town or even another state. Oh my! The terror of it all.
I sat and watched Zeb and Wrigley barking at that chair and wondered, "What were they seeing?" It was a chair on the side of the road, for anyone who had need of it. How could they see this as something that needed to be guarded against?
And I thought, "How often does that happen to me?" How often do I see something mundane as a terrible, awful attack upon me and my life? Do I get caught up in things that don't really matter? Do I spend my time fighting the chair at the side of the road?
Instead of actually keeping my eyes and soul open for those things I should be on guard against. The devil is after my soul. He seeks to devour me. He wants to tear me away from the Lord Jesus Christ. He does what he can to attack me, and do I see it for what it is? Do I see those temptations to sin as something that could really cause me real spiritual problems? Or am I so busy barking at the chair at the side of the road that I don't see how those temptations are much more deadly for me in my life?
Makes me wonder. Why don't I actually fight the real battles instead of the pretend ones? I should speak up concerning racial injustice (not the systemic stuff that is thrown out there but the real racial issues that need to be addressed), or life issues such as abortion, the murder of innocent unborn babies, or the abuse of spouses and children, or the wrongful sexual actions taken by so many in society (such as living together outside of marriage, heterosexual activities outside of marriage, homosexual activities, and all the other sexual sins that society wants us to accept as normal), and a whole host of other atrocities that are perpetuated in our world today.
Instead, I bark at the chair. It is much easier to address. It doesn't cause me to have to do anything. But our Lord calls us to stand up and be counted. We are called to live the Christian life, in all areas, not just the ones we like. That is a challenge. And me, and you also as well as the whole Christian community, need to live our faith, profess our faith and act to begin to make changes in this world.
Yes, sitting there calming the dogs down, the Holy Spirit nudged my conscience. Lord, help me to answer that call.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
I believe in the Triune God.
This last Sunday was Trinity Sunday. The sermon theme was "The God We Believe In." This Sunday gave us the chance to stop for a moment ask the important question: Who is your God? Who do you believe in? Who is it that you worship?
Let it be said that I believe in the God of the Bible, the Triune God. This is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One God, three persons. Three persons, one God. (Before someone jumps in and says that the words "Triune" and "Trinity" are not in the Bible, stop. You are right, the words are not. But the teaching is. Just back off from that argument. It is a red herring that is meant to get your eyes off the real issue - who do you believe God is?) We used the Athanasian Creed, a creed that is loved by all and desired by many. OK, so maybe that is a stretch. It is a Creed that is useful when it comes to confessing the Triune God. I cannot say that I "enjoy" using the Athanasian Creed, but it resonates within my very being as I confess my faith using it. It is a powerful statement of faith that tries to explain the Trinity and while it does a great job, it still falls short. Why? Because we cannot explain the majesty of God or the wonder of the Trinity. Maybe we should use it as our confession more often. (I can hear the voices now saying, "please, no" or something like that.)
So who is your God? Or should I say "god"? I fear that we create many false gods and idols. We are guilty of worshiping someone or something other than the Triune God. This happens in the Church as well as in our personal lives. I have seen some congregations that worshiped their church buildings, making the building their god. I have seen some worship a part of the ministry. I myself have often created my own gods.
In this world today, I see that happening. We elevate people to the level of God. As I listened to things said at a recent funeral, it was said of the person, "He is the cornerstone upon which change is built." And again, "He is the one who will lead us to change in our lives." And I wondered, "Really? Is this deceased person really our Savior? Is he really the one who is going to change our lives? I thought only Jesus did that." It was idolatry. The deceased person was made into this demigod who is there for the wonder of changing all our lives. Changing it for what? To make it into what he wanted? Or to make it into what someone else wanted? What about making our lives into what the Lord wants? The problem we have is that we decide what is good and right and we remove the true God from the equation. And when that happens, who has the say in what is right or what is wrong? Society is filled with a whole host of people with differing opinions and views. Which one is right? Which is wrong?
We have seen what happened to the god of sports. It was destroyed when organized sports was removed. People were shocked, appalled that their god was no longer there. Is your god money? Is it race? A certain race? Is it harmony? Harmony with what? What defines the harmony? Is it climate control and change? Is it a political party? Is it an ideology in the party? Is it a person in that party? (Let it be known that I do not worship Pres. Trump nor Nancy Pelosi. Do not accuse me of that for they are nothing more than you or me, sinful people who need Jesus Christ.)
Who do you believe in? What god is your god? I challenge each one of you to ask yourself that question. How can you answer it? Use Martin Luther's explanation of the 1st commandment (you do know the 1st commandment don't you? You shall have no other gods before Me.) That explanation is: We should fear, love and trust in God above all things." What God? The Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Is there any god that you place before God?
When I think of this or teach this it goes this way:
1) God
2) whatever you put next
3) whatever you put next.
and so on. God gives us family. Love them. God gives us material possessions. Use them for His glory and the good of others. He gives us our job. He gives us our feelings. He gives us all that we have in this life. In themselves, they are not evil. (Take money. Money is not evil. Remember what it says, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Money itself is a gift and a blessing. But it can become a god.)
So as you make your list, what is #1? What is numero uno? What is the first? What tops everything else? And if it isn't the true God, then, my friend, you have a false god. You have set something or someone, some ideology or philosophy, up as your god.
I confess my sin of idolatry. I confess I have had my false gods. Dear God, forgive me for Jesus' sake for this sin. I also still place God first in my life. He is the one who is my God. He alone is my God. He is the One I believe in, confess, and follow in my life.
I believe in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. True God. Let my confession be made!
Let it be said that I believe in the God of the Bible, the Triune God. This is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One God, three persons. Three persons, one God. (Before someone jumps in and says that the words "Triune" and "Trinity" are not in the Bible, stop. You are right, the words are not. But the teaching is. Just back off from that argument. It is a red herring that is meant to get your eyes off the real issue - who do you believe God is?) We used the Athanasian Creed, a creed that is loved by all and desired by many. OK, so maybe that is a stretch. It is a Creed that is useful when it comes to confessing the Triune God. I cannot say that I "enjoy" using the Athanasian Creed, but it resonates within my very being as I confess my faith using it. It is a powerful statement of faith that tries to explain the Trinity and while it does a great job, it still falls short. Why? Because we cannot explain the majesty of God or the wonder of the Trinity. Maybe we should use it as our confession more often. (I can hear the voices now saying, "please, no" or something like that.)
So who is your God? Or should I say "god"? I fear that we create many false gods and idols. We are guilty of worshiping someone or something other than the Triune God. This happens in the Church as well as in our personal lives. I have seen some congregations that worshiped their church buildings, making the building their god. I have seen some worship a part of the ministry. I myself have often created my own gods.
In this world today, I see that happening. We elevate people to the level of God. As I listened to things said at a recent funeral, it was said of the person, "He is the cornerstone upon which change is built." And again, "He is the one who will lead us to change in our lives." And I wondered, "Really? Is this deceased person really our Savior? Is he really the one who is going to change our lives? I thought only Jesus did that." It was idolatry. The deceased person was made into this demigod who is there for the wonder of changing all our lives. Changing it for what? To make it into what he wanted? Or to make it into what someone else wanted? What about making our lives into what the Lord wants? The problem we have is that we decide what is good and right and we remove the true God from the equation. And when that happens, who has the say in what is right or what is wrong? Society is filled with a whole host of people with differing opinions and views. Which one is right? Which is wrong?
We have seen what happened to the god of sports. It was destroyed when organized sports was removed. People were shocked, appalled that their god was no longer there. Is your god money? Is it race? A certain race? Is it harmony? Harmony with what? What defines the harmony? Is it climate control and change? Is it a political party? Is it an ideology in the party? Is it a person in that party? (Let it be known that I do not worship Pres. Trump nor Nancy Pelosi. Do not accuse me of that for they are nothing more than you or me, sinful people who need Jesus Christ.)
Who do you believe in? What god is your god? I challenge each one of you to ask yourself that question. How can you answer it? Use Martin Luther's explanation of the 1st commandment (you do know the 1st commandment don't you? You shall have no other gods before Me.) That explanation is: We should fear, love and trust in God above all things." What God? The Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Is there any god that you place before God?
When I think of this or teach this it goes this way:
1) God
2) whatever you put next
3) whatever you put next.
and so on. God gives us family. Love them. God gives us material possessions. Use them for His glory and the good of others. He gives us our job. He gives us our feelings. He gives us all that we have in this life. In themselves, they are not evil. (Take money. Money is not evil. Remember what it says, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Money itself is a gift and a blessing. But it can become a god.)
So as you make your list, what is #1? What is numero uno? What is the first? What tops everything else? And if it isn't the true God, then, my friend, you have a false god. You have set something or someone, some ideology or philosophy, up as your god.
I confess my sin of idolatry. I confess I have had my false gods. Dear God, forgive me for Jesus' sake for this sin. I also still place God first in my life. He is the one who is my God. He alone is my God. He is the One I believe in, confess, and follow in my life.
I believe in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. True God. Let my confession be made!
Monday, June 8, 2020
Kneeling before the Great Golden Idol
Will you kneel? That is the new way to show that you are in solidarity with those who are talking about systemic racism. You must kneel to show what you are in agreement that systemic racism is a problem that needs to be fixed. We watch as protesters kneel in the streets. We watch as police kneel before the crowds of people who stand ready to attack them if they do not kneel. We watch as leaders in cities kneel at the demand of the mobs of people. We watch as leaders in our nation's capital kneel in order to show that they support those who are making the demands.
I have several questions. I know that as I write this I will be told that I am part of the problem. I have shown systemic racism by even asking the question. First, what the heck is this systemic racism? Does it mean that just because of my skin color I am guilty of be a racist and need to repent of this sin? Wait a moment, isn't that a racist thing to say? If I am being judged by my skin color, are you not doing the very thing that you claim is being done to you? When I hear "white privilege," I hear that I am being judged by my skin color. Just because I am white, you assume that I am part of the problem? Is not that racist?
You see the problem with trying to make these grand and glorious statements is that the ones making the statements become just as guilty as those they are trying to condemn. I am condemned because I am white. Is that any different than being condemned because you are black? But you can never know what it is like to be black, it is said. Why? Because you have a different skin color. Wait, is not that a statement based not upon reality but upon skin color? You don't know what it is like to be white. Wait, you will say, that is a racist statement. Wrong for me, right for you? Something is wrong with that thinking.
The reality is, one person cannot know what it is like to be the other person. The situation of life, the emotions of the person and so much more go into making that person. It is like saying you know what someone is going through when they are grieving. You really don't. You can have a feeling of what grief is like for you, but you can't know what it is like for the other person.
But this is systemic racism. What is systemic racism? It is a great phrase but what is meant by it. Each one that says it means something else. It changes and morphs with each passes person and day. It is the buzzword of the day. And if you want to stop the other person from talking about what is going on, you just tell them, "You are just showing that you are part of this systemic racism." And bingo, you have won the argument because there is nothing that the other person can say in response to it. Everything said after that is just showing that great sin, systemic racism.
It is like "intolerant" from a year or two ago. The big thing in discussion was that if you wanted to get the upper hand on the other person, you just had to accuse them of being "intolerant." The moment that happened, all discussion ended because nothing the other person said could be accepted because they were intolerant. Anything that went against what you said or did, was considered intolerant. Don't agree with a person's sexual perversion, you are intolerant. Don't like what the other person said about religion, you are intolerant. Don't like how a person is living, you are intolerant. Bingo - conversation is over. You just won. And (I am going to make a sweeping statement here that will probably be because I am intolerant and filled with systemic racism) the first person to make that claim tended to be the one that was on the liberal side, wanting to change culture, beliefs or actions. In most discussions, it is not the conservative person who made that claim against the other person. I say this because as a conservative, I do my best not to cause the other person offense. I do my best not say things that are offensive or use the "buzz word" that will set a person off. And yet, I am the intolerant one because I don't agree with the other person.
Anyway, I have been rambling. Sorry about that. But you should know that I ramble when I blog.
I will not kneel. I just put that out there. I will not be forced into kneeling before the god of this world at this time. Those who are calling for people to kneel, are generally saying to the white person, you need to kneel as a way to show that you are sorry for all the racism that you have caused and allowed to go on in our society. Those who kneel are saying that they agree with the mob that is saying, the real sin here is that you are white. As a white person, you are guilty of all the sins of the generations that have come before and you are guilty of all the white sins of this generation and you will be guilty of all the white sins of the future generations. It has become the original sin, the sin of the nation. Whiteness is a sin, a terrible sin of which you must repent and accept that by being white, you are the reason for systemic racism (I had to get that phrase back in here).
Therefore, kneel you sinner! Kneel before the protesters. Kneel before society. Kneel before those who demand that you repent of your sin of whiteness and systemic racism. And if you do not kneel before us, then you are going to be branded as a threat to society and part of the problem.
I will not kneel before this demand. I will kneel before God and confess my sins to Him. Is my sin being white? No. No more than it is a sin to be black or brown or yellow or red or green or blue or whatever color someone's skin might be. I am sinner before God and will kneel before Him alone. I will not listen to any government or people who demand me to kneel before them to show that I accept what they say. I will not kneel before Pres. Trump, before Black Live Matter, before an angry mob or a peaceful mob, before another person. I kneel only before God. And I confess to Him my sins. Is it systemic racism? No. Why? Because no one really knows what that means. How do you confess a sin that no one knows what it really is? Do I confess that I have thought or said racial things? Yes. I am wrong for that. I sinned. Forgive me God. I would defy anyone, any single person, no matter what culture or ethnic background, to say that they have never said, done or thought some racist thing. The only One to never have a racist thought or action was Jesus Christ.
Am I guilty of slavery that was in the US? No. Am I guilty of keeping people down because of their skin color? No. Am I guilty of what took place in the unrest of the Civil Rights era? No. Am I guilty for all the sins that have been committed by people of any race in the US? No. To kneel, says I am. I refuse.
I know that in today's climate, this is not popular. I watch politicians wearing scarfs from a different culture while making statements about racial issues and I think, how sad. You are not part of that culture. To wear that scarf is placating a different culture and not supporting them. It looks forced. And yes, as a judgmental statement on my part, looks like that politicians is actually talking down to that culture because he/she has no desire to be a part of that culture. It must is a great photo op. And the same ones judge Pres. Trump for standing in front of a church with a Bible as a photo op. Why is one right and the other wrong?
Back to where I began? Will you kneel? I will not, not to the current god of this moment, this movement. It is a false god.
I have several questions. I know that as I write this I will be told that I am part of the problem. I have shown systemic racism by even asking the question. First, what the heck is this systemic racism? Does it mean that just because of my skin color I am guilty of be a racist and need to repent of this sin? Wait a moment, isn't that a racist thing to say? If I am being judged by my skin color, are you not doing the very thing that you claim is being done to you? When I hear "white privilege," I hear that I am being judged by my skin color. Just because I am white, you assume that I am part of the problem? Is not that racist?
You see the problem with trying to make these grand and glorious statements is that the ones making the statements become just as guilty as those they are trying to condemn. I am condemned because I am white. Is that any different than being condemned because you are black? But you can never know what it is like to be black, it is said. Why? Because you have a different skin color. Wait, is not that a statement based not upon reality but upon skin color? You don't know what it is like to be white. Wait, you will say, that is a racist statement. Wrong for me, right for you? Something is wrong with that thinking.
The reality is, one person cannot know what it is like to be the other person. The situation of life, the emotions of the person and so much more go into making that person. It is like saying you know what someone is going through when they are grieving. You really don't. You can have a feeling of what grief is like for you, but you can't know what it is like for the other person.
But this is systemic racism. What is systemic racism? It is a great phrase but what is meant by it. Each one that says it means something else. It changes and morphs with each passes person and day. It is the buzzword of the day. And if you want to stop the other person from talking about what is going on, you just tell them, "You are just showing that you are part of this systemic racism." And bingo, you have won the argument because there is nothing that the other person can say in response to it. Everything said after that is just showing that great sin, systemic racism.
It is like "intolerant" from a year or two ago. The big thing in discussion was that if you wanted to get the upper hand on the other person, you just had to accuse them of being "intolerant." The moment that happened, all discussion ended because nothing the other person said could be accepted because they were intolerant. Anything that went against what you said or did, was considered intolerant. Don't agree with a person's sexual perversion, you are intolerant. Don't like what the other person said about religion, you are intolerant. Don't like how a person is living, you are intolerant. Bingo - conversation is over. You just won. And (I am going to make a sweeping statement here that will probably be because I am intolerant and filled with systemic racism) the first person to make that claim tended to be the one that was on the liberal side, wanting to change culture, beliefs or actions. In most discussions, it is not the conservative person who made that claim against the other person. I say this because as a conservative, I do my best not to cause the other person offense. I do my best not say things that are offensive or use the "buzz word" that will set a person off. And yet, I am the intolerant one because I don't agree with the other person.
Anyway, I have been rambling. Sorry about that. But you should know that I ramble when I blog.
I will not kneel. I just put that out there. I will not be forced into kneeling before the god of this world at this time. Those who are calling for people to kneel, are generally saying to the white person, you need to kneel as a way to show that you are sorry for all the racism that you have caused and allowed to go on in our society. Those who kneel are saying that they agree with the mob that is saying, the real sin here is that you are white. As a white person, you are guilty of all the sins of the generations that have come before and you are guilty of all the white sins of this generation and you will be guilty of all the white sins of the future generations. It has become the original sin, the sin of the nation. Whiteness is a sin, a terrible sin of which you must repent and accept that by being white, you are the reason for systemic racism (I had to get that phrase back in here).
Therefore, kneel you sinner! Kneel before the protesters. Kneel before society. Kneel before those who demand that you repent of your sin of whiteness and systemic racism. And if you do not kneel before us, then you are going to be branded as a threat to society and part of the problem.
I will not kneel before this demand. I will kneel before God and confess my sins to Him. Is my sin being white? No. No more than it is a sin to be black or brown or yellow or red or green or blue or whatever color someone's skin might be. I am sinner before God and will kneel before Him alone. I will not listen to any government or people who demand me to kneel before them to show that I accept what they say. I will not kneel before Pres. Trump, before Black Live Matter, before an angry mob or a peaceful mob, before another person. I kneel only before God. And I confess to Him my sins. Is it systemic racism? No. Why? Because no one really knows what that means. How do you confess a sin that no one knows what it really is? Do I confess that I have thought or said racial things? Yes. I am wrong for that. I sinned. Forgive me God. I would defy anyone, any single person, no matter what culture or ethnic background, to say that they have never said, done or thought some racist thing. The only One to never have a racist thought or action was Jesus Christ.
Am I guilty of slavery that was in the US? No. Am I guilty of keeping people down because of their skin color? No. Am I guilty of what took place in the unrest of the Civil Rights era? No. Am I guilty for all the sins that have been committed by people of any race in the US? No. To kneel, says I am. I refuse.
I know that in today's climate, this is not popular. I watch politicians wearing scarfs from a different culture while making statements about racial issues and I think, how sad. You are not part of that culture. To wear that scarf is placating a different culture and not supporting them. It looks forced. And yes, as a judgmental statement on my part, looks like that politicians is actually talking down to that culture because he/she has no desire to be a part of that culture. It must is a great photo op. And the same ones judge Pres. Trump for standing in front of a church with a Bible as a photo op. Why is one right and the other wrong?
Back to where I began? Will you kneel? I will not, not to the current god of this moment, this movement. It is a false god.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
A Wednesday morning rant
Let it be said at the outset: What those 4 police officers did in Minneapolis (yes one did the action but the other 3 allowed it) was illegal, immoral and against God's law. They should be prosecuted according to the law of the land. What the rioters and looters have done in Minneapolis, New York City, Des Moines, Omaha and countless other cities is illegal, immoral and against God's law. They should be prosecuted according to the law of the land.
There, it is said. This is not about racism. Out of the 4 officers, only 1 of them was white. There is no moral outrage when a black officer shoots a white or Hispanic person. There is no moral outrage when a black officer shoots a black person. There is no moral outrage unless a white person does something to a black person. Why is that? Because of slavery. No? It is because we have been fed a lie that says that this is racism if it is white on black. It isn't racism if it is any other way. And we have believed that lie.
My friends, is there racism? Of course. Every one of us has some racism in us to some degree. Yet not every one of us acts out in violent ways with that racism. What is happening in the cities is that there are malcontents and godless people who are using this as a way to exert their sinful desire to destroy and hurt people. Don't blame racism. Call if for what it is. This is anarchy. It is what happens when media, politicians, Hollywood types and others want to destroy what they don't like. We are being lied to time and again. When a news reporter tells you that it is all right for them to act this way because of years of pent up anger and bitterness, they are just as guilty as those doing it. They should be tried for inciting riots.
This is wrong. It shows you what happens when God is removed from society. We have been doing that for years. It began many years ago, ramped up in the 60s, was fed by free sex and living in the 70s, was incited by the me generation of the 80s, was built upon by the narcisstic 90s and finally completely crushed by the godless 2000s. We have been removing God from everything - from schools, from society, from Hollywood, from government, from families, from individual lives and then, and this is the worst, from churches. Yes, churches. There are "Christian" churches who refuse to believe the Bible. They refuse to accept that Jesus is the only way to salvation. They support and applaud murdering unborn infants. The godless churches are finally guilty of letting all this take place.
God is no longer promoted in our society. How many Christians do you know that don't feel the need to worship and receive the Lord's Supper? How many parents have their children baptized and then don't bring them back to church till confirmation (if they even do that)? How many adults do not see the need to live Christian lives? How many Christians curse the name of God, spit on people that attend churches and call them hypocrites? How many Christians sit by idly and do nothing to fed their faith, to grow in Christ, to live as a child of God? Yes, we are Christians are very guilty of letting all this happen. We have fed it. We have built it. We have destroyed Christianity with our selfish attitudes that say "I don't need to go to church to be a Christian." We say we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and then push Him to the background, only pulling Him out if we feel the need for Him.
We are a godless country. Yes, there are good, Christian people in our country. There are many good Christian people. But when we allow godless activities to take place because of "separation of church and state" and sit idly by as our leaders pass more and more laws that take God further from the life of this country, how can we not expect to have these wild, destructive, sinful nights in our country. What has stopped them before. They have happened through the years and we allow them. We blame the police. We blame race. We blame our history.
And the problem is us. Do you live your faith? Do you worship your God? Or do you make excuses, let your life of pleasure and self-centeredness take over and push your faith to the background?
I know that I don't always live as I should. I don't say that to soften the blow. Yes, we are all sinners. Yes, we all struggle. But when we allow, more than that, when we push Christ out of our lives by the way we live, what do we expect? "God help our country!" we cry. We sound like the people of Israel in Judges. We sound like the people of Israel during the divided kingdom. We cry to God only when we feel like we need Him. Then we push Him away because it is too much to live our lives focused on Him and not on the pleasures and immorality of this world.
Let's not blame racism for these riots and this destruction. Let's not blame racism for the actions of these police officers. Let's not blame racism for what is going on in Washington D.C. or in our own state capitals. Let's put the blame where it belongs. We have turned our back on God and have made sin our god.
See what it gets us?
There, it is said. This is not about racism. Out of the 4 officers, only 1 of them was white. There is no moral outrage when a black officer shoots a white or Hispanic person. There is no moral outrage when a black officer shoots a black person. There is no moral outrage unless a white person does something to a black person. Why is that? Because of slavery. No? It is because we have been fed a lie that says that this is racism if it is white on black. It isn't racism if it is any other way. And we have believed that lie.
My friends, is there racism? Of course. Every one of us has some racism in us to some degree. Yet not every one of us acts out in violent ways with that racism. What is happening in the cities is that there are malcontents and godless people who are using this as a way to exert their sinful desire to destroy and hurt people. Don't blame racism. Call if for what it is. This is anarchy. It is what happens when media, politicians, Hollywood types and others want to destroy what they don't like. We are being lied to time and again. When a news reporter tells you that it is all right for them to act this way because of years of pent up anger and bitterness, they are just as guilty as those doing it. They should be tried for inciting riots.
This is wrong. It shows you what happens when God is removed from society. We have been doing that for years. It began many years ago, ramped up in the 60s, was fed by free sex and living in the 70s, was incited by the me generation of the 80s, was built upon by the narcisstic 90s and finally completely crushed by the godless 2000s. We have been removing God from everything - from schools, from society, from Hollywood, from government, from families, from individual lives and then, and this is the worst, from churches. Yes, churches. There are "Christian" churches who refuse to believe the Bible. They refuse to accept that Jesus is the only way to salvation. They support and applaud murdering unborn infants. The godless churches are finally guilty of letting all this take place.
God is no longer promoted in our society. How many Christians do you know that don't feel the need to worship and receive the Lord's Supper? How many parents have their children baptized and then don't bring them back to church till confirmation (if they even do that)? How many adults do not see the need to live Christian lives? How many Christians curse the name of God, spit on people that attend churches and call them hypocrites? How many Christians sit by idly and do nothing to fed their faith, to grow in Christ, to live as a child of God? Yes, we are Christians are very guilty of letting all this happen. We have fed it. We have built it. We have destroyed Christianity with our selfish attitudes that say "I don't need to go to church to be a Christian." We say we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and then push Him to the background, only pulling Him out if we feel the need for Him.
We are a godless country. Yes, there are good, Christian people in our country. There are many good Christian people. But when we allow godless activities to take place because of "separation of church and state" and sit idly by as our leaders pass more and more laws that take God further from the life of this country, how can we not expect to have these wild, destructive, sinful nights in our country. What has stopped them before. They have happened through the years and we allow them. We blame the police. We blame race. We blame our history.
And the problem is us. Do you live your faith? Do you worship your God? Or do you make excuses, let your life of pleasure and self-centeredness take over and push your faith to the background?
I know that I don't always live as I should. I don't say that to soften the blow. Yes, we are all sinners. Yes, we all struggle. But when we allow, more than that, when we push Christ out of our lives by the way we live, what do we expect? "God help our country!" we cry. We sound like the people of Israel in Judges. We sound like the people of Israel during the divided kingdom. We cry to God only when we feel like we need Him. Then we push Him away because it is too much to live our lives focused on Him and not on the pleasures and immorality of this world.
Let's not blame racism for these riots and this destruction. Let's not blame racism for the actions of these police officers. Let's not blame racism for what is going on in Washington D.C. or in our own state capitals. Let's put the blame where it belongs. We have turned our back on God and have made sin our god.
See what it gets us?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)