I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. ROMANS 16:17.
I'll bet that the first thing that many of you wanted to do, my Christian brothers and sisters, when you saw the title was to ask: What do you mean, time to reconnect with God? I stay connected with God.
But bear with me, I am not talking about each individual. I know that many of us are filled with the Spirit and try with all our heart to do what is right. Despite this individual effort, however, our general American society, created under a compact with God is today rapidly losing His influence. And this change has many of us troubled, even downhearted and in danger of falling into despair. Our charge, Christians, is for us to never falter but instead to maintain our steadfast love of Him and tell the story of Jesus to those who don't know Him. We must be modern day Disciples of our Lord and the best way to do this is through our example.
How many of you know someone who never enters the door of a church? How many times do you see things happening that you know are wrong but yet you watch silently and say nothing? What about when your children bring home something from school that you think is objectionable in its teachings but you don't follow up? Or even, most common of all, see something objectionable on TV and let it pass?
Each of these things, commonplace today, offer teaching moments. They offer an opportunity for us to get involved in our own little way to change things. Ask that friend if he or she would like to go to church. Take the objectionable material and schedule an appointment with the teacher to ask about it and challenge it. Turn off the TV and demand changes to programming. Get involved, speak up, politely with a smile on your face, yet firmly.
Don't let the little things that have negative impacts on our belief system and the development of our families and our communities go unchallenged. If we do these things with a loving countenance, yet strong in our beliefs, we might be surprised at how much good we can accomplish. If it does nothing else, it will require others to face it and think about it. Thinking about it is the first step to facing the truth in both ourselves and in others.
What got me thinking about this was the ad I saw on the internet, a government sponsored ad, urging young people to sign up for the Obamacare coverage. It depicted an attractive young lady advocating enrollment so that she would have free birth control pills, thereby affording her the "freedom" to coax a young man she desired into her bed. This ad is being perpetrated by the very same government that wants to tell us what to eat and how to live for good health. It is bad health policy, it has serious negative health potential and it is totally immoral. It just shows the general depravity that so many have learned to accept as normal with the assistance of a government trying to create a new normal, a normal where there are no absolutes in life.
Having said that, I think it becomes abundantly clear what we need to do going forward here in America. We Christians must lead the reconnection of our society with God. We must follow the verse of Romans cited at the beginning of this commentary. We must refuse to support doctrine being pushed which violates our sense of how God wants us to live. We must not bend on this, for the consequences of going down the wrong path lead to disaster for all of us. But turning to God and making our actions in accord with his Law and teaching and helping others to do the same is the only way for America to reconnect with He who made her great. It is the only way to return America to her former self.
God bless you all and have a wonderful Sabbath Day.
I'll bet that the first thing that many of you wanted to do, my Christian brothers and sisters, when you saw the title was to ask: What do you mean, time to reconnect with God? I stay connected with God.
But bear with me, I am not talking about each individual. I know that many of us are filled with the Spirit and try with all our heart to do what is right. Despite this individual effort, however, our general American society, created under a compact with God is today rapidly losing His influence. And this change has many of us troubled, even downhearted and in danger of falling into despair. Our charge, Christians, is for us to never falter but instead to maintain our steadfast love of Him and tell the story of Jesus to those who don't know Him. We must be modern day Disciples of our Lord and the best way to do this is through our example.
How many of you know someone who never enters the door of a church? How many times do you see things happening that you know are wrong but yet you watch silently and say nothing? What about when your children bring home something from school that you think is objectionable in its teachings but you don't follow up? Or even, most common of all, see something objectionable on TV and let it pass?
Each of these things, commonplace today, offer teaching moments. They offer an opportunity for us to get involved in our own little way to change things. Ask that friend if he or she would like to go to church. Take the objectionable material and schedule an appointment with the teacher to ask about it and challenge it. Turn off the TV and demand changes to programming. Get involved, speak up, politely with a smile on your face, yet firmly.
Don't let the little things that have negative impacts on our belief system and the development of our families and our communities go unchallenged. If we do these things with a loving countenance, yet strong in our beliefs, we might be surprised at how much good we can accomplish. If it does nothing else, it will require others to face it and think about it. Thinking about it is the first step to facing the truth in both ourselves and in others.
What got me thinking about this was the ad I saw on the internet, a government sponsored ad, urging young people to sign up for the Obamacare coverage. It depicted an attractive young lady advocating enrollment so that she would have free birth control pills, thereby affording her the "freedom" to coax a young man she desired into her bed. This ad is being perpetrated by the very same government that wants to tell us what to eat and how to live for good health. It is bad health policy, it has serious negative health potential and it is totally immoral. It just shows the general depravity that so many have learned to accept as normal with the assistance of a government trying to create a new normal, a normal where there are no absolutes in life.
Having said that, I think it becomes abundantly clear what we need to do going forward here in America. We Christians must lead the reconnection of our society with God. We must follow the verse of Romans cited at the beginning of this commentary. We must refuse to support doctrine being pushed which violates our sense of how God wants us to live. We must not bend on this, for the consequences of going down the wrong path lead to disaster for all of us. But turning to God and making our actions in accord with his Law and teaching and helping others to do the same is the only way for America to reconnect with He who made her great. It is the only way to return America to her former self.
God bless you all and have a wonderful Sabbath Day.
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