pastorrudytlc

The past is a tricky thing. It can appear to look so much better than it really was; especially when you are stuck in an unpleasant present. If we look around at our current circumstances and discover there is more to complain about than celebrate, chances are very good that we can be found pining for times that never really existed any further than beyond the playgrounds in our mind. Goals are necessary for human beings to grow up. Expectations on the other hand can be the kiss of death because life so rarely cooperates with our agendas. Where do we go when we look in the mirror and see staring back at us too much cynicism and very little optimism?

Do I believe our Country is moving in a healthy and hearty direction? Not on your life I! I sense that we as a Nation are way too busy running from who and what we should be running to and championing causes and ideas that we should be setting out with the trash on the curb. But my solution to this national pollution has nothing with us returning to the “Good Old Days.” There has never been a moment since Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden when sin hasn’t been mixed within even the best efforts of humanity. If you look at any of our success as Americans, it has come in spite of the fact that deep down inside we the people are made up of more selfish flesh than selfless spirit.

What then has gotten us to where we are today? I can make a pretty good guess that it wasn’t us promoting a “selfie” generation where everyone gets a trophy and nobody ever has to face correction and consequence unless it deals in the matters of faith. When did “Faith in God” become a such a criminal act? While our society outlaws prayer in school and bans the Bible from its libraries, it goes out of its way and bends over backwards to not offend sin. Whatever happened to sin? Everybody pretends it isn’t there while its rotten fruit stares us right in the face.

You can’t have it both ways. Our Founding Fathers believed that all humanity was created equal. Did you see the key verb of that sentence? We are not a higher evolved form of animals. You and I and every man and woman of every Nation on this planet have been formed in the image of God. This changes everything. It gives us a higher purpose to seek a holier love. It means men and women should be expected to act noble and do right and love their neighbors as themselves. If you subtract faith from the equation, what do you have left? If you would like an answer to that question, just take a peek at today’s news stories. How many more school shootings will it take to remind us that along with learning our A B C’s, we also need to be retaught our P’s and Q’s. Whatever happened to etiquette and manners and respect for authority. If you don’t teach our children well, then don’t be surprised by the hell we all will experience otherwise.

The separation of church and state was never meant to keep faith out of our culture. It was a means to keep government from legislating a particular religion. I have to smile because not too long ago when I was invited to pray at a community function, I was given instruction on what I could and couldn’t say. I shared that I wasn’t attending to recite prose, but to talk to the Lord on all of our behalf and that means a regular conversation. Celebrating Christmas doesn’t shove Jesus down the throat of unbelievers. It teaches all the world to acknowledge a historical event. The birth of Jesus of Nazareth was the most influential happening that this earth has ever witnessed. All of a sudden, we have more citizens criticizing Christmas Songs in a Holiday Concert than we have Fathers and Mothers upset about the way their children talk to adults.

As millions of Christians flee the Middle East and Christianity’s original homeland becomes increasingly bereft of followers of Jesus, an odd anomaly is occurring. Christianity in the Gulf states is actually surging. Amid a shocking exodus in neighboring countries, there has been a jump in its Christian population. Why? Because believers are shining their light bright in spite of how popular or unpopular it may be. These Christians aren’t being obnoxious individuals who shove the Bible in your face. These disciples are simply being like Jesus would be if He was there and according to Scripture, He is there.

I no longer depend upon politics to do what we can do as the Body of Christ. It goes beyond just memorizing a few Bible verses. It is teaching people about our legacy and history as Americans. It is getting our heroes of yesteryear out of the boxes in our attic and letting a whole new generation know from whence we came. Ask your children if they can finish this sentence: “Listen my children and you will hear…” If they can’t, it is because this Nation has become so consumed with itself, it turns its people into self-righteous hypocrites rather than patriotic servants who like Nathan Hale would say, “I regret that I have only one life to give to my Country.” How can we expect our children to lay down their lives for what is right when they hardly have been taught what true sacrifice is all about?

If it is truly too late for America, why are we still here? It is time to do what Jesus called us to do when He challenged us to let our lights shine so bright that we turn what is dark to new life. Don’t follow the crowd when you can follow the Lord. Don’t tell others that Jesus loves them until you are ready to love them too. Do some digging into our real history. We can be proud to be Americans as long as we remember that we were founded to be one Nation under God and that is nothing to apologize about. God makes a better leader than some human egomaniac. America is not a Christian Nation but it is a Nation with lots of people who call themselves Christians. Because of that, we have the freedom to love God and one another with no fear of wrongdoing.

I have been reading about the life and ministry of George Whitefield. The United States of America was born because of the way God used this passionate preacher of the gospel. Let me close with this quote, “John Wesley tells of a dream he had. In the dream, he was ushered to the gates of Hell. There he asked, “Are there any Presbyterians here?” “Yes!”, came the answer. Then he asked, “Are there any Baptists? Any Episcopalians? Any Methodists?” The answer was Yes! each time. Much distressed, Wesley was then ushered to the gates of Heaven. There he asked the same question, and the answer was No! “No?” To this, Wesley asked, “Who then is inside?” The answer came back, “There are only Christians here.” Come on Christians! Let’s be more united in Jesus than divided by our labels that won’t make it to Heaven.