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2nd Timothy
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« on: May 30, 2005, 12:27:34 PM » |
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America at the Crossroads 4 (Final part)
What Now, America?
What is America’s deadliest enemy? What is it that can cause the greatest destruction, heartache, problems, and tragedy beyond imagination? What enemy, if not conquered, has the power to completely tear down the most powerful, prosperous nation on earth? The answer may surprise you.
Read 2 Chronicles 7:11-14
Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s palace, and successfully completed all that he had planned on doing in the house of the Lord and in his palace. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
In this day and age, it is quite common to hear people talking about the enemies of America. We seem to have a great many foes, don't we? There is one enemy that stands out far above the others, however. This is an opponent that can destroy our nation's very way of life. And, as in any struggle, if we cannot identify the enemy, then we have no chance of defeating it.
Maybe you are thinking our chief foe is another world power. Or, you may have in mind visions of car bombs or terrorist threats. These are certainly chilling rivals, but they are still not what we mean by "America's deadliest enemy." You see, our greatest battles as a nation are not physical—they are not fought with guns and missiles. Instead, our most intense fighting as a nation is in the spiritual realm. We are fighting a spiritual battle for the future of America.
With this in mind, let me ask again: what is America's deadliest enemy? Read this carefully. America's deadliest enemy is the systematic movement to remove God from our society, resulting in the corruption of this society and the removal of God's hand of protection. This enemy can only achieve success if the church remains apathetic and silent, refusing to speak up and take up our great responsibility in this nation.
Now, how do we find this enemy? The truth is, this can be extremely difficult. When we go to war with another country, we can readily identify the opposing army. However, when the battle is fought in our own lives, and when the enemy camp may include our own friends and neighbors, spotting the opposition may become a dark and hazy thing to do. Satan is so deceptive, he will do anything he can to confuse the issue in our minds. Therefore, he often makes it almost impossible to spot what is, in all actuality, an advancing army. He will try to keep us guessing right up to the point at which we are completely overcome by enemy forces. We cannot let that happen. God's army must open its eyes!
How can we spot the enemy? Romans 1:18 tells us clearly, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." The enemy consists of those who are trying to remove God from society and to suppress the truth of God's Word. They want to throw almighty God out of the country and lock the door behind Him. To accomplish this, these men and women will do anything—anything—to resist the truth of Scripture.
In the face of such a vicious enemy, why are we who are believers so quiet? Why are the men and women in places of leadership silent when this moral decay creeps into our nation and legislation? It can happen so subtly that sometimes we don't notice it. But other times, a particular idea, movement, or ideology comes to the forefront of the media so quickly and fiercely that we can hardly believe it. Therefore, we have to be able to identify these defining moments and issues of our culture and prepare ourselves to respond accordingly.
Now, you may say, "But if I truly speak out on these things, then people will not like me and I will destroy my witness." Let me say two things here. First, if you are trying to be a witness for Christ, while simultaneously denying the truth of the Word of God, then your witness is already ruined. People will see straight through that hypocrisy. Second—and this is a point you may not like—your stand for Christ will always cause some people to not like you. Where does it say in Scripture that we are to have everyone like us? It doesn't! In fact, just look at the life of the apostle Paul. He was the most outspoken and effective Christian in history, but was he liked by everyone? No! Actually, just the opposite happened. He was chased down, hunted, arrested, beaten, imprisoned, and despised because he was bold enough to believe what the Word of God said about how we should behave and believe. Yes, your stand may bring you a little heat, but that may just be the fire by which God wants to purify your faith.
Describe a time in your life when you have felt pressure from the world for taking a biblical, moral stand. What was the result of your determination? Do you regret the experience?
We are not responsible for pleasing other people; our responsibility is to always do what is pleasing to God. More often, however, we worry about what may or may not hurt someone's feelings. My friend, who do you want to please? We need to stop placing each others' feelings above our commitment to do what is right in the eyes of God.
Many people do not want to hear this message. They want to continue on with an "I'm okay, you're okay" philosophy. I'm here to tell you, however, that we are all not "okay." We are squandering the blessings that God has bestowed upon this great nation and we are in danger of losing those blessings by calling down the Lord's judgment.
He has created us for much higher purposes than we often consider. Where else in the world is there a nation that has so much of an opportunity to spread the gospel? The devil does not want this to happen, however. Therefore, he will do whatever he can to short-circuit this continual flow of missions. Part of his plan must be to distort the morality of America and to remove God from public life in such a way as to silence the church and her missionaries. We cannot allow this to happen!
There's a problem, though. Many believers are simply too comfortable with their lives to get stirred to action. There are many who are satisfied just where they are, enjoying their possessions, prosperity, freedoms, and so on. Sadly, these people cannot see beyond the walls of their own homes. There is something happening in the nation that is far more important than any individual's pleasure. It is the erosion of the greatest republic known to man. It is the degradation of the most influential society on earth.
In the face of this great challenge, we must ask ourselves some serious questions. Am I content to be quiet? Am I content to be apathetic to what is happening in my country? What kind of country do I want for my children? Will my grandchildren live in a nation in which God is freely worshipped and adored? Will God's Word be loved and accepted in this country a hundred years from now? Would I want to live in a nation where God is considered an outlaw?
Take a moment to prayerfully and seriously respond to the questions presented above.
These are sobering times. However, Scripture is not silent on these issues. In fact, God has already given us a prescription for the healing of the country, if we will only heed His Word. We see a wonderful discourse between King Solomon and almighty God in 2 Chronicles 7:11-14 that contains a powerfully relevant message to twenty-first century Christians. Take a moment to read the passage in its entirety.
2Ch 7:11-14
11Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.
12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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