THE ENEMY AMONG US

We are living in times when we wonder sometimes, "Where is God? Has He abandoned us?". (Perhaps we have abandoned Him.) We watch our young people move, seemingly rudderless, through the sea of life and wonder what the future of our country will look like when they are the leaders who make the decisions and plan the direction of this great country. We hear our current leaders tell us that our Constitution is flawed and that its designers were flawed as well; that the country that we love and that many of us have fought for, and some of our comrades in arms have died for, is "fundamentally" flawed as well and that the current administration will be about transforming our country. I don't know about you but when these two observations are coupled together, it causes me great concern. Today, our country is so polarized that it would seem impossible for us as concerned Americans on both sides of the political spectrum to ever reconcile our differences; but as a people who profess to be a Christian nation, we should understand that there is a solution to the ills that tear us apart. That solution lies in the promises of the God who has blessed us and protected us throughout our history - a history that is not particularly long as the histories of nations go but certainly one that should be awe-inspiring. For it should be apparent to all who observe our history that it simply must be more than happenstance which has brought the riches that we enjoy upon us. From the inception of this country, our founders declared that we are "endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights and among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." (Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1776) I point the facts of our Declaration of Independence out, not to foment unrest, but to point out that there is a solution to the problem that our country faces today and it is important to emphasize that this solution is two-fold. I will offer the second stage of the solution first: Stage two is at the ballot box and it is time to ignore partisan politics and the tendency to put our emphasis on regional needs rather than the needs of our nation as a whole. It has been said that "all politics is local" and I agree with that in essence but I think that it is important for us to get beyond politics and get back to the heart of our Declaration of Independence which also declares that , "all men are created equal" and it is important for us to be careful not to make some more equal than others. I believe that this equality refers to opportunity, not handouts. The mantra of one of the charitable organizations that advertised on TV a while ago was to "give a man a hand up, not a handout" and there is great wisdom in that. If we simply provide for the needs of others, we enslave them. But if we provide opportunity and encouragement to those who have less than we have, they can also rise above their circumstances and share their experiences with others. That, to me, is what being an American and a Christian is all about. The first stage of the solution is more basic and that is a return to God and reliance on His promises. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (NIV)  Are we ready for healing yet? If we are, let's pray as if everything depends on God - because it ultimately does - and work as if everything depends on us. This is a message not only for the Church but for every individual who not only believes in God, but believes God. For those who don't fall into these two categories, we will pray for God's Spirit to convict/convince you as well. It is imperative that we be  vigilant as we enjoy the fruits of our land. Take a look at this: IF WE AREN'T SHAME ON US.