After such a week of heartbreaking news, surely the question looms largely in the minds of people across this Nation. Why are we consistantly dealing with such atrocities as school shootings and similar deeds on a more frequent basis? What is necessary to make the needed correction for such acts of vanity?
While thinking on these things throughout the week, this ever popular verse of Scripture that is so often quoted in such times of dire need came to surface:
II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
There's no time like the present to be reminding ourselves, and every one we meet, of the Truths left us in just this statement alone. This passage was written for a very stubborn people in another era under the guidance of King Solomon. Yet, just as surely as history having a tendency to repeat itself, so we can identify with the need for such a level of return to our Creator.
If we're "in Christ," we are His Church (and His people) now. Our nation has more issues than politicians can even write on their slates. We need the divine providence of our Lord to help us find this place of "humility" and "prayer." Then we need to "seek His face and turn from our wicked ways." The encouraging part of it all is that He has promised to "hear from heaven," and "forgive our sin, and heal our land."
How many more grieving moments of such magnatude must we endure before we will get truly serious about what it takes to see the overdue change needed?
Before closing these remarks, check out the reason the Lord, God had to deal so severely with His chosen people:
II Chronicles 7:22 "And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath He brought all this evil upon them."
Time to "keep ourselves from idols." ( ref. I John 5:21) Wake up American Christians. This is serious business.
Julie
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"A Covenant with death"
I cannot write this week without my heart hurting for the Nation and the people of Newtown, Connecticut. The tragedy and loss moves across our nation as a wave bringing us to the reality something is different among us. All look for answers, many will be given, none sufficent to meet the need or heal the soul. Our nation bleeds again!
My heart cries for the loss of such precious lives, the children, the teachers, a mother, and a precious troubled soul that could be brought to do such harm and bring such terror!
What are we becoming? What kind of people are we to be? We remove prayer from our schools, teach them they are descendants of animals and apes. We remove the 10 Commandments and tell them morality is relative. We want to free them from religious bondage to teach them safe sex and pass out condoms.
We lead by example by electing to office leaders who not only support such but introduce measures to expand this cultural view. We lead by example by giving our children broken homes, fulfilling our own selfish and lustful desires. We lead by example by giving our lives to this selfishness and to the acquirement of as much material possessions as we can get. We lead by example by telling them that by doing the same they to will be a success too.
Rev. Mathias Burnet, you spoke to the Connecticut legislature on May 12, 1803. What would you perhaps say to us now some 210 years later?
"To God and posterity you are accountable [for your rights and your rulers] . . . . Let not your children have reason to curse you for giving up those rights and prostrating those institutions which your fathers delievered to you." ~ Rev. Mathias Burnet. An Election sermon, Preached at hartford, on the Da of the Anniversary election, May 12, 1803 (Hartford, CT: Hudson and Goodwin, 1803). P.27.
"I have one great political idea. . . . That idea is an old one. It is widely and generally assented to; nevertheless, it is very generally trampled upon and disregarded. The best expression of it, I have found in the Bible.
It is in substance, 'Righteousness exalteth a nation; sin is a reproach to any people.' Sir, this constitutes my politics, the negative and positive of my politics, and the whole of my politics. . . . I feel it my duty to do all in my power to infuse this idea into the public mind, that it may speedily be recognized and practiced upon by our people" ~ Frederick Douglass. The Fredrick Douglass papers, ed. John Blassingame (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1982. Vol. 2, p. 397.
"The Stars and Stripes, the old flag, will float . . . over all these states. . . . If the time ever comes when we shall go to pieces, it will . . . be from inward corruption, from the disregard of right principles . . . from losing sight of the fact that 'Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people' . . . . The secession of the Southern States in 1860 was a small matter with the secession of the Union itself from the great principles enunciated in the Declaration of Independence, in the Golden Rule, in the Ten Commandments, and in the Sermon on the Mount.
Unless we hold, and hold firmly to these great fundamental principles of righteousness . . . our Union . . . will be 'only a covenant with death and an agreement with hell' [Isaiah 28:18] If it continues to exist, it will be a curse and not a blessing." ~ Rev. Francis Grimke. From equality of Right for all Citizens, Black and White, Allike, March 7, 1909.
Strange Sir that you and Mr. Douglass should use the same scripture. Thank you all for your insight, I hope our people will take them into consideration and survey your thoughts!
May God bless each of you,
David