America's Greatest Need
This morning I read the heartbreaking account of a Texas teen, Bridgett Frisbie, 17, murdered "execution style" by Alexander Olivieri, 19.* This murder was part of an apparent cover-up for a previous drive-by shooting that was committed by Olivieri at the behest of Frisbie. (This all happened in April of this year.) Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the story is reflected in Olivieri's mugshot. It was said of him during his trial, "He tries and fails to hold back a grin."
The irreverent countenance of this teen killer is reminiscent of 24 year-old James Holmes, as he stood trial for the recent shootings in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater. Holmes, like Oliveiri, displayed no remorse for his crimes, but rather a distant, entranced expression. Stories such as these, and many others, are symptomatic of America's greatest problem today. No, its not Iran's nuclear weapons initiatives, its not the struggling job market, its not even same sex marriage-- the greatest problem facing Americans is that we are a people without a conscience. Or a more biblical way to put it, America needs the fear of God.
Proverbs 16:6, "Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided."
Hosea 4:6a, 14b, "...My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge... a people without understanding will come to ruin!"
"Most Christian to Post-Christian"
The United States is, by and large, a post-Christian nation. That is to say, there has been a regression from post-WWII days when Billy Graham Crusades aired on national television and "In God We Trust" was first printed on currency in 1957-- a time when America had somewhat of a "Christian golden age".**
From that time on-- somewhere between the 1960's Counterculture, coupled with with the Sexual Revolution, which gave rise to the Feminist and Gay Rights movements; somewhere between prayer being removed from schools and the Ten Commandments removed from courthouses and other public places; somewhere between the popularization of Eastern religions and relatvisim creating for religious pluralism, which values tolerance over truth; somewhere between Catholic Priests molesting young boys and Evangelical leaders stealing money from their people-- we as Americans went from most Christian to post-Christian.
The following is a breakdown of how these changes have shaped the average American mindset:
- Our identity is derived from New Age / Eastern religions that tells us we are God.
- Our ethics are founded on secular humanism / naturalism that tells us there is no god and we are merely evolved primates, the outcome of a cosmic accident.
- Our worship is directed at the gods of entertainment who present us with more sex and violence than we can shake a stick at.
Romans 1:21-23, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles."
Do you see a pattern here? In rejecting God's Word, we have disintegrated our foundations of truth, morality, and the value of human life. Is it any wonder that a James Holmes can walk into a crowded place and shoot with no regard as to whether he is killing someone's husband, mother or child? Granted, not nearly everyone is a James Holmes, but the rise of senseless violence in our nation is undeniable. I said all of this without mentioning the rates of divorce, STD's, drug use, depression, white collar crime, and fatherless homes. Behind all this is the underlying issue: America has a God problem.
Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction."
Finding the Real Problem
Conservative Christians are often accused of majoring on the minors. It is said that we are so obsessed with whether gay people marry or whether or not women choose to abort their children, as if those things have any bearing on the struggling economy or the threat of nuclear war. And, while I'm sure there can be arguments made for the correlation between those things, I appeal as a person of faith to this one premise: God will not bless what He promised He would curse.
Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people."
God cannot smile on a people who have slaughtered over 50 million of their own young. God will not wink His eye while gross immorality is broadcasted on prime time television and is the theme of so much top selling music. God cannot impart wisdom or peace in schools and courtrooms where He has been evicted. I believe Anne Graham Lotz said it well in an interview on CBS' "The Early Show" shortly after 9/11:
"I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we’re sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it."***
If we are honest with ourselves, with the facts, and with God and His Word, we must admit that we as a people deserve God's wrath. In fact, it is evidence of God's huge mercy that we haven't suffered complete economic collapse, that Iran has not yet nuked us, and that the Gospel is still being preached here.
Where Does Your Hope Lie?
As a Christian and a Chicagoan, I was very hopeful a few months back to hear that Mayor Rahm Emanuel had been meeting with pastors on an ongoing basis, and that he'd even attended the churches of some of those pastors. My hopes were deflated, however, when Emanuel recently opened his mouth, rebuking a Christian wanting to do business in his city, saying that "their values do not reflect Chicago's values." But that should not have come as a surprise, after all was I really hoping in a liberal politician to bring about godly change in our city?
Let's look at another example of misplaced hopes. When Barack Obama was elected to the presidency in 2008, many black Christians and leaders were outspoken that he would be fulfillment of Martin Luther King's "dream." In point to fact, black communities are still struggling with the same setbacks they had during Bush's presidency. In point to fact, Obama has done more to abort black babies than any other president before him!****
Well, Mitt Romney surely is not Obama. He identifies himself as being Conservative and having strong faith values, but is Romney what America needs? That remains to be seen. What I can tell you with confidence, however, is there is no such thing as a political savior.
Listen, I love Reagan as much as the next guy, but Reagan didn't bring revival! And nobody is saved in the name of Reagan! Who are really looking to?? Jesus! And guess what? Jesus did not run for office, nor He did not kiss up to Pilate, and He didn't lobby with the Pharisees and Sadducees! Jesus came as a Servant and when He was on trial by this godless world He said:
John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
As a practical exhortation, I would encourage the reader to exercise their rights to vote and to free speech in the political arena. But know that the battle for a nation is fought on our knees! This nation needs nothing more and nothing less than a move of God! Let us appeal to Him who is sovereign, wise and merciful to heal our land!
Proverbs 29:26, "Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice."
In closing, I will leave you with Leonard Ravenhill's "Ten Commandments of Revival" that he adapted from Joel 2:15-17,
- Blow the trumpet in Zion
- Sanctify a fast
- Call a solemn assembly
- Gather the people
- Sanctify the congregation
- Assemble the elders
- Gather the children, and those that suck the breasts
- Let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet
- Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.
- Let them say, "Spare Thy people, O Lord."
Endnotes, Works Cited:
*Article taken from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/30/alexander-olivieri-killing_n_1721127.html?icid=maing-grid7|maing6|dl1|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D186249 on July 31, 2012.**That is not to broad brush this era as though absolutely perfect and without turmoil. It is duly noted that the 1950's saw racism and segregation at a fever pitch, the Cold War, and other controversies.
*** Quote taken from an atheist web site which called Lotz an "insane preacher." They by no means represent the author's point of view. Taken from http://francoistremblay.wordpress.com/2006/07/29/piece-of-propaganda-1-ann-graham-lotz/ on July 31, 2012.
****It is well documented that the vast majority of abortions take place in black communities. Also Obama's voting record reflects a strong pro-abortion stance. For more info visit: http://blackgenocide.org/black.html
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