I’m sure you didn’t expect a response like this, and certainly not one as long, but I sense a need to bring into the conversation some weighty and true things that are on the minds of many Christians when they think about the state of our nation and the reasons for the apathy, even the hatred of God and His beloved Son, AND the hatred of His followers, that exists in this nation, as well as many other nations.
I happen to believe what God says in His Word—every bit of it, from beginning to end. God has said that He is going to deal with all the nations, as well as Israel, in the last days (i.e., since Jesus’ resurrection). We are in the last days.
He has laid down the history of His people Israel so that we might not be ignorant of how He deals with mankind—as individuals and as nations.
God desires that we return to Him, that we humbly confess our unrighteousness and recognize His holiness and rightousness and sovereignty. He is our Creator. He had a mission of redemption laced with love for us in the sacrificial gift of His Son.
For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
This “believing in Him” means seeing ourselves as we really are without the Son—as sinners who need to be forgiven by a holy God. This “believing in Him” also means believing Him as the source of forgiveness and eternal life, as He paid for our sins by dying in our place and shedding His blood. [For without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.]
And His resurrection not only means that believers will be raised up at the end of this present age, it means that all who believe in Him are raised up to walk in newness of life NOW on this earth. That means we have a life to live that is to be lived in faith’s obedience to His Word. It is lived in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit and of the Word of God.
So, this Book He left us is a believer’s legacy and has a bearing on everything the true believer thinks, says, and does (because he really believes it). We’re not perfect in the sense of not ever sinning, but we are no longer dead in our trespasses and sins (not walking in, or living, a sinful life as before, Ephesians 2:1-10), AND we press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, as Paul explained. (Philippians 4:7-21)
There are many battles on many fronts on this earth. There is one individual behind the evil—the one called the father of lies, the devil. He is a defeated foe, which will be fully realized when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again to this earth to deal with the nations and with Israel, and to rule and reign over the earth from Jerusalem.
The “little bit that counts” is believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and walking in faithful obedience as stated above, in His power and by His direction.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalm 118:8—it is the middle verse of the entire Bible:
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.”
And the next verses pertains to our leaders/rulers:
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”
That IS a very astute position, one that a person of faith would never dream of throwing rocks at...
The “end of days” IMO, is a state of mind (faith), that should not deter one from living the life given to you...It is the greatest gift and opportunity God gives any soul...
I do not dwell on which is already pre-ordained, I only wish to be as encouraging as possible to the truth, and your words are very true...
So, where does that leave us???
I believe our inalienable rights are granted by an authority greater than ANY government instituted among men...
Why not fight for them, why not have as much respect for life, as to take lives to protect others???
that is kinda a harsh way to put it, but only in your heart can YOU decide what is worth fighting for???
Death is only a shedding of this mortal coil, so not that being so flippant about the gift given to you, is worth throwing away on a whim...
It is faith in going back home which should be something to always strive for...We will never be perfect, and there will always be “red” in our ledgers...God knows this already and will judge you accordingly...
I am sure once you understand and do what is commanded of you, you are good to go...No one, even after that step, can be that much of a screw up...There are few things that we know of, and some that we don’t know of, that can be an eternity out of the sight of God (that is what Hell is)...But never assume anything IMO...
Being humble and appreciative of the gift of life is a big positive factor IMO, and the destructive nature of political power, whomever wields it...Is a hell on earth...
Having faith in things unseen is a saving grace for a lot of people...You know where that is found in our book...Heb. 11
It is what I always fall back on, not only in times of trouble, but in good times as well...
I believe our system of government has morphed into something as abhorrent as before it was instituted by faithful men...Those following that formation, obviously screwed up a lot of things in recent history, and the demise (of this union) may very well be our future...
So, what do we do about it???