 |
|
| Volume 25 Number 10 October 2023 |
Page 2 |
|
|
| Volume 25 Number 10 October 2023 |
Page 2 |
Louis Rushmore, Editor
“Moreover those who work in fine flax And those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed [confounded]” (Isaiah 19:9 NKJV). Did you ever notice how much torn fabric appears upon the pages of inspiration? For thousands of years, culture in the Bible lands included the common practice of tearing clothes one was wearing at a time of great distress (Genesis 37:29; Judges 11:35; 2 Kings 5:7; 6:30; 2 Samuel 13:19; Ezra 9:3; Esther 4:1; Acts 14:14), grief (Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 1:11; 13:31), humility (1 Kings 21:27-29; 2 Chronicles 34:27) or severe agitation (Matthew 26:65; Acts 22:23). Matthew 9:16 even provides practical instruction for patching torn fabric.
My parents struggled to clothe my three brothers and me, but they never would have sent us to school with tears in our clothing. Today, however, holey clothes that my family would have decommissioned for regular wear are sold that way for astronomical prices. How times have changed!
Yet, there is something much more important than the tattered clothes people wear now. Tragically, the moral fabric of contemporary society is so badly torn that one must wonder if it could ever be restored. This torn fabric manifests itself in nearly universal disregard for any and all authority, in widespread all manner of crime and violence, in a general disregard for the sanctity of human life, and in open hatred toward Almighty God, His Holy Word and the children of God. “Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake” (Luke 6:22).
The core origin of the ever-increasing tear in the moral fabric of society – the home and the nation – was the removal of God from everything except an inscription on our currency and some license plates. God and the Bible were a long time ago banned from our schools, and we’re seeing the fruit of that blunder in our places of learning, on the streets, in our homes, in our politics, in our social programs and institutions, in our prisons, and among our lawmakers and other leaders.
Technically, America was never really a Christian nation. Nevertheless, it was founded with a reverential regard for God and the Bible. However, respect for God has greatly diminished to the point that less than half of the population of the USA purportedly believes in His existence. Consequently, that is reflected in every facet of American life – to our shame. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).
Evolution from well before my youth misrepresents itself as science and is an unabashed enemy of God. The back of cereal boxes and plastic dinosaur coins inside some of those cartons introduced me to evolution. Of course, in our time, evolutional doctrine is plastered everywhere and persistently. Its message is that there is no God and mankind’s existence is the result of a cosmic accident. No wonder that there is little regard for the value of human life when we are viewed as comparable to animals, insects and plants, none of which have any marvelous and purposeful life presently or eternal hope. Simply lumped with animals, insects and plants, people without God in their lives and imagining they are the product of evolution have no meaningful purpose for their existence. Evolution is another face of atheism, and haters of God will not enjoy eternity. “Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him” (Psalm 68:1). “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good” (Psalm 14:1).
Social liberalism lashes out at every godly way. For instance, homosexuals have come out of the proverbial closet, and they expect every God-fearing person to shut up and get into the closet. It isn’t doable in our day for Christians to be politically correct and at the same time remain true to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. However, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19). Social liberalism is another name for sins, which without repentance souls will not abide with God in Heaven after this life is over (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
The typical home in America is more concerned with material prosperity than with spiritual pursuits. God receives little if any notice in homes in the USA; acquisition of wealth and worldly successes overshadow interest in God’s road map for humanity – the Bible – by which it can make the pilgrimage to Heaven. Members of the Lord’s church are little less infected with earthly interests than are non-Christians.
The churches throughout our nation have far more pews and much larger edifices than what are needed to accommodate dwindling congregants. Denominational churches, non-denominational churches, interdenominational churches, as well as the churches of Christ face the same dilemma. Could it be because God is absent from these assemblies? Every manmade doctrine reduces the Bible – the inspired Holy Word of God, and God Who authored it – to a degree of irrelevance. That’s a dangerous practice. “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). The more faux doctrine within a church equals the less influence of Almighty God in those churches. Congregations close their doors all of the time. Some former meetinghouses are now museums, have been transformed into homes, or have become business offices or retail stores. There’s not enough influence of God in American churches.
From our schools to our churches, to our homes, to our society overall, to our government and governmental leaders, the moral fabric of American cannot be restored until God once more is the revered personal friend of educators, religious leaders, families, socialites and heroes, and national and state leaders. “We lie down in our shame, And our reproach covers us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, We and our fathers, From our youth even to this day, And have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God” (Jeremiah 3:25).
Faithful children of God refuse to be bullied from “…the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). We will not be silenced! Instead, we are determined to defend or to be apologists (defenders) of the Christian Faith – the Gospel, the Word of God. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:15-17). Let’s go to Heaven – together – and take with us to the heavenly shore as many as we can persuade with the Gospel of Christ. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
