Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Something’s Happening Here, What It Is Ain’t Exactly Clear

All our enemies Have opened their mouths against us. Fear and a snare have come upon us, Desolation and destruction. My eyes overflow with rivers of water For the destruction of the daughter of my people. My eyes flow and do not cease, Without interruption, Till the Lord from heaven looks down and sees. My eyes bring suffering to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city. — Lamentations 3:46-51

The title to this devotion is actually part of a line from a song by Buffalo Springfield, For What It’s Worth. It goes on with .. “there’s a man with a gun over there, telling me I’ve got to beware. It’s time we stop children, what’s that sound? Everybody looks what’s going down.”

I don’t often make commentary on current events.  A pastor in the church we attend read from Lamentations Sunday, in light of the shootings in Texas and Ohio. As a culture, our country has turned its back on God. In the name of “freedom to choose” people are turning away from the Truth to what is right in their own eyes.

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” – Proverbs 14:12

We are a violent culture – just look at what we call entertainment – nearly all of it has an element of violence and death.  Nearly all of it promotes the very things that the Bible speaks against. If you speak against what is happening you are labeled intolerant, yet those condemning you are showing the very intolerance you are accused of.  The media fuels the country’s penchant for violence in its glamorization of heartache and death.

So, what to do? Will God bring an awakening? Only He knows.  We would like to think that God would not give this country over to its immorality.  Christians are coming under persecution. How could that happen. It is quite simple, actually. Our culture is going the way of Europe.  Rejecting God and turning to its own designs and definition of what is right and acceptable. Then wondering why people are acting so badly toward each other. They will not accept that the problem lies in their life choices and rejection of the Creator God.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, [n]maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” – Romans 1:28-32

Sounds bleak doesn’t it. So what are we Christians to do? Well, that is also simple actually. Let your light shine in the darkness.  Will the culture like it? No! But Does the culture need it? Yes! Don’t expect to be praised by the culture for taking a stand for Jesus and the Gospel.

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me [Jesus] before it hated you.” – John 15:18

Listen, I believe we are at the beginning of what will become worse.  Sin loves the darkness and shuns the light. To quote an Elgin-axiom, if it is possible to quote myself, “The darker the night, the brighter the light.”

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

Soli Deo Gloria

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