 |
|
| Volume 17 Number 7 July 2015 | Page 11 |
|
|
| Volume 17 Number 7 July 2015 | Page 11 |
Royce Pendergrass
“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 2:10, 25 NKJV). Does this not describe the present United States of America? We are living in an “anything goes” society.
The dismantling of America’s Christian heritage is taking place before our very eyes, and it has been for the last 50 years. American culture had for 185 years been friendly toward Christianity, but no longer. America was once considered a Christian nation, but this is quickly fading away. For the last 50 years, the forces of humanism, atheism, evolution, liberalism, pluralism and “political correctness” have been aggressive in their assault on the Christian religion. They have gradually dismantled many of the moral and spiritual principles that once characterized our society. America’s religious, moral and spiritual foundation is literally disintegrating before our very eyes!
We are presently in an all-out, casualty filled, spiritual war. The central issue of this war is God and the Bible. Social and political liberals from Hollywood and even many in our nation’s capital are hostile toward God, and they are very open about it. Friends, we are facing perilous times! The apostle Paul declared, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:10-12).
This conspiracy parades itself under the guise that our Founding Fathers and the Constitution advocated the “separation of church and state.” The enemies of religion claim that this means that no references to God and Christianity should be permitted in public settings that are associated with the government, community or schools. Decisions are being made daily in our government and in our courts with this philosophical mindset. We are being told that the constitution enjoins the “separation of church and state” and that our Founding Fathers opposed public expression of the Christian religion in government and schools. My friends, this is a lie!
Adolf Hitler said, “By means of shrewd lies unremittingly repeated, it is possible to make people believe that heaven is hell – and hell is heaven. The greater the lie, the more readily it is believed.” The “separation of church and state” is not found in the Constitution – or anything akin to it. As a matter of fact, our Founding Fathers wrote and spoke often of God and religion. If we read what they said, and not what people say they said, this will become very apparent. Shouldn’t this be true with regard to the Bible? Should we not be more concerned with what God says than what man says?
Our Founding Father’s speeches were filled with Scripture. The Bible was quoted over and over again in presidential inaugural speeches. Even the Constitution spoke of God and the Bible. As an example, notice an excerpt from George Washington’s Farewell Address:
Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them…Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
George Washington, one of our Founding Fathers and the first President of the United States, said if you separate the church from the state – you will have national problems. The two indispensable supports to human happiness, political prosperity and popular government are religion and morality. If you take religion out of our government it will lead to ruin. That is exactly what we see happening in our day!
Did our Founding Fathers subscribe to Christianity? Most definitely! Our nation was founded on Christian principles – not upon Judaism and not on Islam. Consider what Noah Webster (another of our Founding Fathers) said. “In my view the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed…No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the right and privileges of a free people.”
Newsweek magazine said that “Historians are discovering that the Bible, perhaps even more than the Constitution, is our Founding Document” (Newsweek, Dec. 27, 1982, p. 44). Consider also The Bill of Rights – Amendment I. “Congress shall make no new law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
My friends, when the Government forbids the free public expression of religion, it violates the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights! When court decisions are based not on the Constitution but on whims and fantasy, we lose our freedom!
What is the solution? What can we do to turn the tide? First, we need self-examination and serious rededication to God. We must stop allowing culture to influence us. We need to seek God first in all things. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). “‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30).
Second, we need to give diligent dedication to our families. We must demand that our families straighten up and put God first in their lives as did Abraham. “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” (Genesis 18:19).
We must take charge of our families and teach them the importance of faithfully serving God. “And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us” (Deuteronomy 6:24-25).
Third, we need to pray fervently and with great intensity that our Government will put God back where He belongs – in the forefront of all its decisions. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). We must pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Fourth, we must get involved in the political process. Many say that politics and religion do not mix, but that is not what our Founding Fathers believed. Our nation was founded on biblical principles. We must discriminate at the polling place between those who support godly values and those who do not. When the godly do not participate in the political process, we empower the wicked. “And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, ‘Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you’” (2 Chronicles 19:2). “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing” (Edmund Burke).
Who should be selected for political office? The Bible gives us guidelines. “Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens” (Exodus 18:21). “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth. The king establishes the land by justice, But he who receives bribes overthrows it” (Proverbs 29:2-4).
We decide who our political leaders are, and rather than voting based on our pocketbook or how we think our ancestors would have voted, we should vote based on God, the Bible and morality. Ancestral party affiliation is not always godly party affiliation. As never before this election is about righteousness and not politics. “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
Fifth, we must determine to be steadfast. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
We must stand up for righteousness, freedom and free enterprise. We must turn back permissive legislation that allows for sinful practices in our society. We have for too long allowed sin to creep into our society through progressive accommodation of it. As a people, we voted to allow bingo, and now we have the lottery. We can vote for more gambling and watch as our society deteriorates. We can vote to support medical marijuana and watch our society morally decline. A recent study shows that teens in states with medical marijuana laws abuse drugs at a higher rate than do the children in states without legal marijuana. The second part of that issue is it seems there will be no way to curb non-medical marijuana production since anyone will then be eligible to grow without restrictions.
We can certainly vote for candidates who support the sanctity of life and marriage. We can vote for candidates who will stand up for freedom and free enterprise. We can vote for folks who will support the Constitution as it was written instead of some nebulous world law that does not apply to a free people in a free society.
America did not get in this mess overnight and it will not be changed overnight. It is imperative that each of us read the political party platforms and ask ourselves, “Does this platform reflect my faith?” Do we really want to support candidates who do not support freedom of religion and speech and the free enterprise system that has blessed us all? Do you really believe in a godless society? Do you support homosexuality and abortion?
What makes a strong government? Is it economics, the military or our healthcare system? No! Morality and the Bible make for a strong government! Read Psalm 33. My friends, “In God We Trust” must remain the American motto!
We must stand up for righteousness, freedom and free enterprise. We must turn back permissive legislation that allows for sinful practices in our society. We have for too long allowed sin to creep into our society and have accommodated it. We can vote for more gambling and watch as our society deteriorates. We can vote for medical marijuana and watch our society suffer. We can certainly vote for candidates who support the sanctity of life and marriage. We can vote for candidates who will stand up for freedom and free enterprise. We can vote for folks who will support the Constitution.
Do you support the destruction of our society? Concerning Christians, elections are about righteousness, not politics!
[Editor’s Note: Brother Pendergrass has penned an ever timely and rousing call for Christians to act out their faith in their homes and publicly, too. If not now, when will the children of God throughout America (and the world) arise to the occasion to profess Christ not only in word but in application of Christianity to every aspect of their lives? Amen, brother Royce. Amen! ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]