“Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” ~ George Santayana
In his classic book, How Should We Then Live?, Francis Schaeffer wrote…
[Speaking of the Roman Empire] “… No totalitarian authority or authoritarian state can tolerate those who have an absolute by which to judge that state and its actions. The Christians had that absolute in God’s revelation. Because the Christians had an absolute, universal standard by which to judge not only personal morals but the state, they were counted as enemies of totalitarian Rome and were thrown to the beasts.
As the Empire ground down, the decadent Romans were given to a thirst for violence and a gratification of the senses. This is especially evident in their rampant sexuality. For example, in Pompeii, a century or so after the Republic had become a thing of the past, the phallus cult was strong. Statues and paintings of exaggerated sexuality adorned the houses of the more affluent. Not all the art in Pompeii was like this, but the sexual representations were unabashedly blatant.
Even though Emperor Constantine ended the persecution of the Christians, and Christianity became first (in 313) a legal religion, and then (in 381) the official state religion of the Empire, the majority of the people went on in their old ways. Apathy was the chief mark of the late Empire. One of the ways apathy showed itself was in a lack of creativity in the arts. One easily observed example of the decadence of officially sponsored art is that the fourth-century work on the Arch of Constantine in Rome stands in poor contrast to its second-century sculptures which were borrowed from monuments from the period of Emperor Trajan. The elite abandoned their intellectual pursuits for social life. Officially sponsored art was decadent, and music was increasingly bombastic. Even the portraits on the coins became of poor quality. All of life was marked by the predominant apathy.
As the Roman economy slumped lower and lower, burdened with an aggravated inflation and a costly government, authoritarianism increased to counter the apathy. Since work was no longer done voluntarily, it was brought increasingly under the authority of the state, and freedoms were lost.For example, laws were passed binding small farmers to their land. So, because of the general apathy and its results, and because of oppressive control, few thought the old civilization worth saving.
Rome did not fall because of external forces such as the invasion by the barbarians. Rome had no sufficient inward base; the barbarians only completed the breakdown — and Rome gradually became a ruin.“
These words, penned in 1976, stand as a grave reminder of where we are in America today, 40 years later: Over-sexualized media, decadence, the rejection of absolutes, apathy, and the surrender of freedom to a government “nanny-state”. We have devolved into an abyss of lawlessness and corruption the likes of which we have never experienced in our great nation before. With every passing day, we are inundated — on both news media and social media — with stories of wrong doing, corruption, and deception… with mind-numbing regularity. What is truth anymore? What stories are legitimate and which are fabrications of a twisted and rudderless media? After all… it used to be that our news media would simply “bend” a story to their own end. Now, we find the news media making up stories, fabricating crises, and creating false narratives.
Case in point: Several years ago, while in the Middle East with a cameraman, we were in a region that had recently suffered through conflict. As a group of us were standing there, we noticed a few soldiers down the street on security patrol, simply keeping the peace. A group of youths were playing, just up the street from the soldiers. We watched as a reporter and cameraman from a major American news agency approached the youths, handed them rocks, and tried to entice them into throwing the rocks at the soldiers — obviously so they could report on a conflict that didn’t exist.
We are seeing the same thing now in our nation; a compromised news media that selectively reports (or omits) news in order to promote an agenda or narrative to further a liberal social agenda. We have veterans dying from lack of care, yet we have leaders who are more concerned that sexually confused soldiers get tax-payer funded “gender reassignment” surgery; “leadership” obsessed with turning our once mighty military into a social experiment. We have politicians with their hands caught in the proverbial “cookie jar” of greed and corruption who are given a pass, not just by those tasked with oversight and judicial process, but by a media that champions every despicable and ungodly policy said politicians stand for. We have radical leftists who, in their day, were considered criminals, who are now wandering the halls of academia, preying on young, idealistic minds.
Our nation is, by all accounts, in dire straits.
Yet we still have a hope. We can have freedom if we will embrace freedom. But in order to embrace freedom, we must do three things.
First of all, we must recognize the truth.
In John 8, Jesus said…
“… If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”~ v. 31-32
This is a simple-yet-profound principle, regardless of whether in a spiritual, political, or cultural context. Truth is what sets us free. Lying, manipulation, and subterfuge only hide a problem that will eventually come to the surface with a vengeance. Dishonesty begets dishonesty. No problem, conflict, or crisis can be truly resolved until all parties get honest about what the real problem is.
Second, we must stand up for the truth.
One of the reasons we are in much of the trouble we are in is because of an unwillingness of those who know the truth to take a stand. People don’t want their “apple cart” disturbed. Whether it be for reasons of political correctness, loss of benefits, loss of pleasure, or loss of any other personal advantage, most individuals these days are unwilling to take a stand against anything or anyone that is going to affect their comfort, health, or bank account. Whether out of fear of disruption of their personal world, or (as Francis Schaeffer pointed out) apathy to certain issues of our society because “it doesn’t affect me”, our once courageous people have become self-centered and feckless. We have abandoned personal goals of excellence in favor of “participation trophies”, and have traded the exploration of our world and communities for a virtual world of X-Boxes, reality television, and social media. If we ever want to see the diminishing greatness of our nation return, we must stand for truth. We must stand for righteousness. We must stand for integrity. We must endeavor to once again understand the past in order to build a desirable future. After the Nazi conquest and occupation of Germany and much of Europe, a Protestant pastor named Martin Niemöller famously stated…
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Take a stand, speak up, vote… let your voice be heard and your presence be known. As the late Jim Elliot one said,
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
Last of all, we must acknowledge THE Truth.
Jesus said…
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.” ~ John 14:6
Really, this should be point number one, because it is the foundation of all truth… the One who is THE TRUTH. In a nation that has run so far afield from THE Truth, it is no wonder that we have a problem telling the truth from a lie. But when the Truth is rejected, as Christ has been in the American town square, it is a matter of time before any and all truth falls by the wayside…
We don’t like the message, so we blame the messenger.
We don’t like the outcome, so we corrupt the data.
We don’t like the facts are leading us, so we revise history.
We don’t like the reality, so we resort to a narrative of name calling and fear-mongering.
We don’t like the truth, so we make the ones telling the truth the villains.
As Christians, we shouldn’t be too surprised by any of this: Jesus brought the truth to the Roman-controlled world that Francis Schaeffer described above, and they rejected His message, and put Him to death.
And just maybe, these 2,000 years later, we’ll finally realize it didn’t work out so well for them.
1. Forgive all who have hurt you and ask forgiveness of those you may have hurt.
2. Commit yourself to the Church. Be a faithful attender and attend both Sunday and mid-week services.
3. Pay any back tithes and offerings before this year ends. If you are able, sow a seed toward a harvest in the New Year.
4. Focus on someone or some family you could reach in the New Year.
5. Get active in a Sunday school class, LifeGroup, choir, as a nursery volunteer…. get involved sowing into the lives of others with your time and talent.
6. Set a plan to read Scripture and pray daily.
7. Be open to the Holy Spirit and His leading in your daily life.
8. Try to be proactive about health, diet and exercise. YOUR body is HIS temple.
9. Take joy where you find it and live thankfully each day… life is precious.
10. Live focused on God’s vision and do not let the small stuff bug you.
11. View life on earth as an exciting journey, not as a finish line.
12. Take the risk of loving others unconditionally.
Every morning (weather permitting), the old artist would walk down the hill from his house to the small dock he had built years before on the lake. He would take his easel and a small box of drawing and painting utensils, and spend hours sitting on the dock, painting and sketching. Often, he would paint his beautiful surroundings — trees, water, the mountains, the woodland creatures — but every once in a while, he would paint images from his mind, and what the serenity of that place inspired in his imagination. He started off just hanging the pictures in his small home but over time, the lack of wall space and the encouragement of a friend inspired him to sell his paintings at a local store. Every once in a while, his art would inspire him to accompany the painting with a poem from his own experience, and although he rarely wrote such poems, they were always filled with beautiful imagery, witty humor, and profound wisdom.
For the first six months, his work was incredible. The publisher was overwhelmed by the beauty of the old artist’s eloquent and witty poems and stories. Furthermore, he was overjoyed by the public reception of the old artist — letters and correspondence praising the writings as masterful and insightful. Readership was up for the first time in a decade, with a corresponding rise in revenue. Everyone at the publishing company was happy.
That place I call home. That place I knew since I was a young boy. That place I shared with the love of my life — my other inspiration — until her time on this earth was done. That place where the wind sings to my spirit, that holds my memories, my laughter, my tears, my joys, and my sorrows. That place that inspired adventure in a young man, and soothed the broken heart of a grieving and lonely old man.
How many times do we see someone for what they are, but we miss who they are? How many times have we — as friends, acquaintances, leaders, and employers — looked to someone to fill a role in our lives without considering what it is that makes them qualified or even necessary to fill that role? How many times have employers, for the sake of gaining an employee, forsaken an artist? We see how having the abilities of a person can benefit us, but what is that thing that inspires them, that makes them who they are, that makes them of benefit to everyone around them? While we may choose what a person’s assignment is, do we understand what their anointing is?
This Christmas season, I encourage you — actually, I invite you — as we celebrate the story of the Christ Child, to find out someone else’s story. Find out what makes them tick. Look beyond the temporal and temporary exterior and find out about their experiences, dreams, and aspirations.
With these words, written on October 3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln began his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation that set aside the last Thursday* of November as a national “day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father Who dwelleth in the Heavens“.
When President Lincoln penned these words, our nation was engulfed in the heart of the violence, bloodshed, and tragedy of the American Civil War. Yet, President Lincoln chose to find goodness. He chose to look forward with hope to a future of peace, prosperity, and promise. In spite of the hopelessness, despair, death, and destruction that consumed the nation between 1861 – 1865, President Lincoln looked back to better times, and had faith that such times would return.
So this Thanksgiving, if your life is joyous, be thankful for that, and for all of God’s many blessings.
As we are now seeing, our hopes for a peaceful transition of power seem to be interrupted. People who are protesting the outcome of last week’s election are staging protests, riots, “cry-ins”, and other forms of social absurdities, decrying the upset victory of Mr. Trump over Mrs. Clinton in the Presidential Election. With a media that went “all-in” for Mrs. Clinton, the biggest casualty of last Tuesday was, in my opinion, any credibility the mainstream media had left. However, we would be sorely mistaken in thinking that they would go “softly into that good night”. We would be naive to assume that the mainstream media and the left’s devotion to liberality and progressivism would stop with, what many are calling, a stunning “rebuke and repudiation” of their principles, practices, and policies.
The word “scorpion” comes from the root word “skeptomas” from which our English word “skeptic” is derived. It means to question and scrutinize the truth. These scorpions poison humanity with lies that create wrong decisions that bring pain.
Demonic attacks always begin with undermined truth. The attack on the truth is intense today and it is important that we be equipped to take down the lies that are destroying our homes, churches and nation.
Yes, we have been invaded, but not by an army of men with modern weapons. We have been invaded by spiritual forces that are at work at this very hour, chipping away – bit by bit – at the very underpinnings of this nation that was founded on the Judeo-Christian
America has spoken. We have elected our next President and Vice-President. While some across our nation are rejoicing, others of our neighbors mourn. In a political campaign that was as vicious and divisive as any in my lifetime, I think it is important for all of us to remember that the Republic will endure. We have weathered far worse than this — wars, the Great Depression, more wars, scandal, etc. — and we still remain.
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers—and it was not there. . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests—and it was not there. . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce—and it was not there. . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.
Could it be that we have finally become weary of being a nation with a broken moral compass, evidenced by rampant police assaults, out-of-control violence in our streets, rabid support for the abomination of abortion-on-demand, acceptance of deviant sexual behavior, and open hostility to the things of God?
It will take understanding. As believers who trust in the inerrancy of the Bible, sometimes we are less than patient with those who are not believers. It is up to us lead in love, and show the love of Christ by example. Charles H. Spurgeon once said…
The nation’s leader was married to an un-elected, unselected ambitious woman who was the enemy of people of faith. This man of mystery spoke words that threatened the establishment, so they attacked this interloper, and put him on the run, for trying to overturn the corrupt and ungodly orders of an equally corrupt leader… corruption that, among other things, unjustly sent many to their deaths, seized the property and wealth of a law-abiding family by executive order, and after first framing the owner by accusations brought forward by false witnesses, had him murdered by an angry mob.
Today we need some folks with the anointing of Elijah to bring down the corruption in America. We need people of faith to stand on their God-given rights and boldly speak the Word of truth to a people that have lost their way. We need leaders who will rise up, and declare the words of Proverbs 14:34 from the rooftops…
It is time for the petty bickering to end.
With the close of the final Presidential debate of 2016, our nation now enters the homestretch of the most unusual and heated political campaign in our history. With so much information, misinformation, and misleading journalism out there, I think it is appropriate and timely to step back for a moment, take a deep breath, look at what it is that makes us great as a nation, and what is and is not important when it comes to policy and personality.
Slowly and steadily, our society has changed trains, while Christians, Conservatives, and Constitutionalists have done little to stop the it. Those in power want to fix what ails our society by doubling down on the bad decisions that have put us in the position we are in. As Christians, we have — not just a moral obligation — but a Scriptural mandate to support, not the perfect candidate, but the candidate who is going to do the most in guiding our nation back to a place of safety, sanity, and sanctity. We must put the rhetoric, tabloid journalism, and social media debate aside, put on the whole armor of God, and vote with the mind of Christ. It is time to get off of the vehicle of self-serving destruction, and get on a path of repentance and restoration.
Recently I, like the rest of America, became witness to your “protest” at the San Francisco 49ers games, in which, during the playing of the National Anthem, you chose to exercise your Constitutional right to remain seated, refusing to give honor to the symbol of the freedom we all share as Americans. In a statement to NFL Media, you said:
The Heart of Abba - Ron Phillips 