Are we Christians gutless wonders?

I have been reading a book that has stopped me in my tracks as different issues are being brought out. It has practically caused me headaches in that it has made me think so hard about what we as Christians have allowed to take place in our society.

Even though the book is a novel, parts are backed up with scripture, it has touched on areas that cause me to suck in my breath, stop reading, and meditate on. There are some areas that we as Christians have not only allowed to happen but continue to allow and to grow. It makes me think of the years when I was growing up. How it was so much more simple than what we adults face today and what our children face and will face in the future.

As Christians we are supposed to be Christ followers. Not “religious,” not “pew warmers,” not Easter and Christmas Christians. We are to follow the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and we are to pass those teachings on to others. Okay, some do. But on a whole do we speak out and stand up for what is right in the eyes of God? I don’t think so!

Before you start screaming at me think about how it was when you were growing up. Particularly if you’re over 50. With our hand over our heart we stood before the American flag and said the Pledge of Allegiance before school classes began. Now, it’s a legal battle to be able to do that in our schools today. Why? Because we did not stand up to those organizations that declared it was wrong!

Think about prayer. Back then we could pray wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted, and as loud as we wanted, and many times others would join in on our prayers. Laws are being passed by the dozens now that we cannot pray in school, Christian groups are being banned from being a school activity, if a prayer group is organized in a nursing home by the elderly the A.C.L.U. is there threatening lawsuits. A child is not allowed to talk or write about their belief in Jesus Christ and many Christmas programs are being cancelled because of the name of Jesus. The old “church versus state” garbage! Read the constitution! We’re being deceived and we’re keeping quiet about it!

Schools have replaced “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays” on their marquis signs. Instead of “Christmas break” its now called “Winter Break.” Nativity scenes aren’t allowed on various properties and stores have become “politically correct” by refraining from displaying “Merry Christmas” or playing Christmas music through their P.A. systems. They say they, “don’t want to offend anyone.” Well folks, they are offending 86% * of Americans!  Why are they getting away with it? Because we Christians have sat back, shut our mouths, and let them!

Pastors are now being threatened and as a result some are toning back on their sermons. They’re afraid of being sued or the government coming after them. I won’t say they are compromising the truth, they are just scared to tell it all. It’s easier to tell people what they want to hear than rattle their cages with a bit of confrontation about their sins.

What about the news media? We have allowed the radio stations, T.V. stations, and newspapers (what’s left of them) to spout the rhetoric of government bull to change what we always thought was right to what is now absolutely and totally wrong in God’s eyes. Christian programs have been cancelled, sex scenes, dope smoking and same-sex kissing, vulgarity has replaced the wholesome movies we used to be able to view. Why? Because we changed the channel instead of screaming bloody murder. Now we complain that there’s nothing decent on T.V. anymore.

We Christians have sat back and allowed, not only our government, but the media, Hollywood, to tell us, and convince many, that homosexual “marriage” and homosexual behavior is okay. Not only that but we’re called “homophobic” if we disagree! We’re attacked and called  “insensitive”  so we’ve stepped back and allowed what God calls “an abomination” (Lev. 18:22, Lev. 20:13, Duet. 22;5)  “A perversion,” (Ro.1:26-27, Lev. 18:22) and “detestable” (Lev.20:13-16) to become acceptable and legal in several states.

Businesses are being sued because their Christian owners will not forsake their Christian beliefs. They refuse to compromise the Word of God. Good for them! At least some of us has a back bone!

We have allowed 3.3 % *of the American population, the homosexual population, to dictate what is wrong in God’s eyes to what is being pushed as acceptable and “normal” across this land. Yet 86%*of the American population profess to be Christians.  A mere 14% of Americans, non-believers, are dictating what we Christians should be standing up and speaking out and pressing in against! Why aren’t we?

What about abortion? We sat silent when Roe versus Wade was passed into law and now we’re still silent while we sit on our couches and thousands upon thousands of babies are murdered and we continue to groan quietly. One woman started that ball rolling! Think what would have happened if the conglomerate of the church had stood together against it.

We’ve elected a president that advocates those things the Lord our God abhors! Don’t tell me it was all non-believers who voted in this man! Christians lined the polls anxious for “change.” Well we got it brothers and sisters. And its our own fault! Now we’re paying for selective abortions, premeditated murder, whether we want to or not! Now pastors are being sued if they refuse to “marry” a same sex couple or quote scripture about homosexuality.

I could go on for another book-length list of what we Christians have allowed because we have become complacent. We can blame the Democrats. We can blame the Republicans. We can blame the presidents and Congress, Senate, etc. But the blame lays solely and squarely in our own laps!

We have sat back with our holier than thou attitudes and professed to be Christ followers as we moan and groan about what’s happening in our world instead of standing up, shouting to the world that we are not going to follow the dictates of a self-serving, power-hungry government or the likes of those who advocate what is against God’s Word.

God is not happy with His church! How do I know that? REPENT, REPENT, REPENT. That is what Christ has been calling us to do for generations and now so much more than probably ever before.

I am not advocating that all the problems in America are due to complacent Christians but there are many areas that we as the church can stand against and have a huge influence on. 86% of Americans have a voice so we need to stop groaning and trying to be “politically correct,” and stand up for what the Lord’s teachings are.

How can we do that? We can elect officials that are Bible believing people and seek God’s wisdom. We can confront the manager of the store that refuses to display “Merry Christmas” or insists their employees greet with “Happy Holiday.” Mom’s and grandma’s and teacher’s can confront the schools principles or board of education about the constitutional rights of our students. If our rights as a Christian is being denied we have Christian organizations that will help us defend those rights.  And above all, pray, pray, pray.

We are called to be light unto the world and if we sit back and say or do nothing out of fear of reprisal from those who are atheists, “gay rights,” “pro-choice” groups, the movie industry, or biased media we are just as much to blame for the downfall of our country as they are. In fact we are even more to blame because “Greater is He who is in you than He that is in the world.”

~~~~~

“He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people.” Ps. 50:4

*Statistics Portal percentages for 2013

For free legal guides go to: http://www.alliancedefendingfreedom.com

 

http://www.elahministriesinc.com

http://www.facebook.com/elahministries

http://www.cybersupportgroup.org

Blessings to you.

Dealing with Betrayal

images[7]

Betrayal can come in many and  various forms. It can be as simple, if you want to call it simple, as someone betraying your trust through telling another what you thought was told in confidence. There is the betrayal within marriages through adulterous behavior. Betrayal can come through domestic abuse. Maybe someone at your job betrayed you by lying to the boss. There’s many examples of how we are betrayed.

In my opinion (and many psychiatrists) the most damaging, deep, and most heartfelt betrayal is through a parent sexually abusing their child. From within the womb we are totally and completely dependent upon our mothers and fathers. Upon birth that dependence grows even more for the child. The child depends on the parents for nurturing, education, love for God, not to mention clothing, food, and housing. God instilled in us love. We are created to love and we do it naturally as a child. We love our parents regardless of anything they do.

Children are taught to hate, to distrust, to be suspicious and to take the blame. They were not born with that negativity. We’ve all seen cases where a child is horribly abused and yet they will protect the parent. It isn’t always that the parent/abuser has threatened them to keep quiet, it’s because of that God-given love instilled within us toward those who God chose to be our parents.

I was asked recently if after having been sexually abused if having my Dad admit to the abuse, if that was emotionally more difficult than the actual abuse. My answer was no, not for me. For me it was confirmation that the abuse really did take place. It stopped all the mind wrestling of whether it happened or not and put an end to the lies that were being told about it didn’t happen. But not everyone can answer that way. It is always very difficult to admit we have been betrayed. Especially if that betrayal was from someone we love.

Sexual abuse/incest is the most damaging of all abuse to a child. It attacks the body, soul, mind, and spirit of the child. The issues that are left from it are so vast it can take years to heal from the devastation. Most abusers will not admit their guilt. Many mothers will blame the victim or deny it happened or choose the husband over the child. Hopefully with disclosure becoming more prevalent that will change.

Who of us want to have to admit to ourselves that those who were given to us by God could do such a thing? Who wants to admit that the man we chose to love for the rest of our lives would sneak around behind our back in an adulterous affair? Or that our best friend would reveal a deep secret we shared, with someone else?

Betrayal will leave deep wounds. Whether they are bleeding wounds that we ignore, or ones that we continue to pick at is our choice. In the case of sexual abuse it may take years to heal those deep wounds. In Psalm 27:10 The Lord says, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.” Betrayal through abuse , by a parent, is forsaking the child! They have forsaken their God-given responsibility to care for, in a Christ-like manner, for the child that was placed in their care. Mothers and fathers that do nothing to protect the child, a co-conspirator, has emotionally, and in some cases physically, abandoned the child. Christ is there to receive you!

With any betrayal it is hard to “wrap our minds around” what was done. There is hurt, anger, denial, and eventually acceptance. We have a big choice to make. Do we forgive or do we continue to bleed? It can be mind-boggling to think that our own parents could betray us in such a way but if we do not release that hurt, through forgiveness, the betrayal will be like a gunny sack filled with rocks on our back.

With any form of betrayal do we choose to live with a heart filled with hate and bitterness toward those who have betrayed us or do we turn to Christ and give Him our pain? By holding onto the pain, not forgiving, we are bringing God’s judgment against us.  (Matt.5:22) We are hindering our prayers, (Matt.5:23) we’re causing a root of bitterness to take hold, (Heb.12:14-15) we’re allowing demonic strongholds to take hold, (Eph.4:26), and halting our healing (James 5:16).

Freedom from the heart wounds inflicted by an act/s of betrayal is obtained through our ability to seek Christ’s forgiveness and to offer our forgiveness to others.

~~~~~

http://www.elahministriesinc.com

http://www.cybersupportgroup.org

Like us: http://www.facebook.com/elahministries

e-mail: elah501c@bellsouth.net

Blessings to you.

The Real Terror Behind Terrorists

If this doesn’t make you mad nothing will!

“Today the world is appalled…”  and takes in yet another political punch…

In a recent televised speech, Obama voiced his condolences to the family of American journalist, James Foley.   Obama went on to explain that his heart is broken, and “No just God would stand for what they did and what they do every single day.”  (click here to see his full speech).

Foley, who risked his life to report on the humanitarian violations in the middle east, was captured and held hostage for two years in Syria, before being beheaded by the militant ISIS group.  It has been reported that U.S. officials were aware of his capture.  The announcement of Foley’s death came by a video posted by a  jihadist ISIS Terrorist.  The date of Foley’s death remains unknown.  The video, once viral on youtube, has since been banned due to its graphic content.

I watched and I listened to the speech of Obama.  I prayed for the family of…

View original post 579 more words