“‘Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,
who are on the mountain of Samaria,
who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’
The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness
that, behold, the days are coming upon you,
when they shall take you away with hooks,
even the last of you with fishhooks.
And you shall go out through the breaches,
each one straight ahead;
and you shall be cast out into Harmon,’
declares the LORD.
“‘Come to Bethel, and transgress;
to Gilgal, and multiply transgression;
bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three days;
offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,
and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;
for so you love to do, O people of Israel!’
declares the Lord GOD.
“‘I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
and lack of bread in all your places,
yet you did not return to me,’
declares the LORD.
“‘I also withheld the rain from you
when there were yet three months to the harvest;
I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would have rain,
and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
so two or three cities would wander to another city
to drink water, and would not be satisfied;
yet you did not return to me,’
declares the LORD.
“‘I struck you with blight and mildew;
your many gardens and your vineyards,
your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured;
yet you did not return to me,’
declares the LORD.
“‘I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword,
and carried away your horses,
and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
yet you did not return to me,’
declares the LORD.
“‘I overthrew some of you,
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning;
yet you did not return to me,’
declares the LORD.
“‘Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!’” [1]
If it seems as if the world is falling apart before your very eyes, perhaps it is because the world is falling apart even as we watch and as we grieve. Mass shootings, violent demonstrations by groups claiming to be anti-fascist using techniques perfected by Fascist Brown Shirts. These groups have introduced wholesale insurrection—not minor riots, but wholesale insurrection that is excused and even defended by prominent political leaders. Political parties accuse one another of doing the very things they themselves are doing. Peaceful protesters are harassed and haled into court by a government that appears to have no restraint. People are angry that nothing seems to change. And people have plenty of reason to be angry!
Leaders of political parties use the judicial system to punish opposition party leaders. Even former Presidents of the most powerful nation in the world are constantly harassed and harried, and those who openly support them are publicly humiliated by taking them into custody in leg irons. The citizens of the nation find it almost impossible to trust the police, even when they have supported the police. It is increasingly difficult to believe the news media since they have been caught in so many lies during the past decade. Even the medical system appears corrupt and compromised.
Each day brings more news that is sure to leave rational people disconcerted and questioning whether anything can ever again be normal. Rational people wonder if we have hit rock bottom! And then another news report describes a new low for what the culture promotes as morality. No wonder that some people are beginning to shout, “ENOUGH!” It is one thing when people respond to constant provocation, shouting “ENOUGH!” It is another thing altogether when God in Heaven says, “ENOUGH!” Christians, and decent people, sometimes question how low contemporary society can go. It is as though our culture is riding in a wagon without brakes careening down a steep hill. Each moment sees us gaining speed as we blast through one barrier after another and none can arrest our mad ride that must end in a cataclysmic crash.
Western society seems to be standing on quicksand, and we are sinking steadily into the dark morass that spells destruction for our culture. Yet, each time we reach a point where people say we can sink no lower, it seems as if our society produces metaphorical shovels and begins to dig a little deeper. Somehow, I fear that our culture hasn’t witnessed the ultimate depths of degradation it shall see. However, with each passing day we must surely be drawing closer to the final depths when the fetid slurry covers us and we sink out of sight to be lost to history.
Schools have ceased being places were children learn the skills necessary for life. Children are now indoctrinated rather than being taught. “Give us the child for eight years and it will be a Bolshevik forever,” was Lenin’s boast. Now, the youngest and most vulnerable among us are being prepared to be the socialists of tomorrow.
We actually don’t require the reports of law enforcement agencies to inform us that there has been an uptick in “active shooting incidents” in these past several years. Talking heads assure us that we can blame any of a variety of causes—access to guns, social isolation following the lockdowns imposed by clueless bureaucrats, authorities that appear to be better described as petty tyrants, harmful ideas, and any of a number of other causes both real and imagined. Mass shootings, spiking rates of addictions, fatal overdoses of illicit drugs, violent crime, suicide, and sexual mutilations conducted in recognised medical clinics as result of confused children pushed into these experiments. We are witnessing a breakdown of moral values in western life, and culture is incapable of responding to what is happening.
Years ago, the noted historian Arnold Toynbee observed that great civilisations are not murdered, they commit suicide. [2] He made this assertion in response to Gibbon’s view concerning the dating of the demise of the Roman Empire. Toynbee noted that Gibbon assumed that the Graeco-Roman civilisation stood at its height in the age of the Antonines, tracing the decline of that culture from that time. In effect, Gibbon’s view was that Christianity rises as the empire sinks. Toynbee, on the other hand, argued that the Roman Empire was dying for centuries because it had begun to commit suicide as early as the fifth century B.C. He stated that “the civic life of that civilisation had already destroyed itself by turning itself into an idol to which men paid an exorbitant worship.” [3]
Os Guinness, at a Wilberforce Weekend, spoke of America being at a “civilizational moment.” [4] His point was that a civilisation cannot survive if it is not preparing for the future. We in the western world are now at precisely such a moment. Even a cursory review of modern realities of debt—both individual debt and national debt, and plummeting birth rates necessitating bringing in ever larger numbers of people who do not share our cultural background, provides stunning evidence that people within this society are living for immediate gratification rather than preparing for a future. The evidence is that our society is committing suicide. The immediate result of this rush to commit cultural suicide is that people are suffering from a loss of meaning. People no longer know why they are living; life has no purpose for many.
I make this observation; you can do with it what you wish: no third-world nor even a second-world nation is concerned with pronouns—they just study and work to prepare themselves for a future. It is only rich first-world nations that believe they have the luxury of mutilating their children and indoctrinating them to imagine that they can change their sex by compelling others to agree with their mental illness. Something dreadful is taking place in the west, and I am certain that God will shortly say, “ENOUGH!”
I feel as if my cries of alarm are treated as though I was a modern day Cassandra. Nevertheless, I must cry out in hope that some will hear and act to avoid the destruction that will sweep away society as we know it. Yet, life, even when culture is collapsing, does not grind to a halt. People are born; people die. People still gather in marketplaces, buying and selling. People still create and they invest. Civilizational collapse is never sudden; it almost always is extended over decades and even over centuries.
What can we followers of the Risen Saviour do as civilisation collapses around us? And make no mistake, civilisation as we have known it is collapsing around us. More pertinent to us who endeavour to follow in the path Christ has set before us is the question of what can we who are Christians do as civilisation is collapsing around us? To answer that question, I propose that we look to the writing of an ancient prophet of God, a man who made no claim to be a great scholar, but a man who was appointed by God to speak to a dying civilisation. In fact, this ancient Prophet of God claimed but one credential—that he had been appointed by the Living God to speak out with boldness.
WHEN CIVILISATION COLLAPSES, WARN THE WICKED OF THEIR TRANSGRESSION —
“‘Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,
who are on the mountain of Samaria,
who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’
The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness
that, behold, the days are coming upon you,
when they shall take you away with hooks,
even the last of you with fishhooks.
And you shall go out through the breaches,
each one straight ahead;
and you shall be cast out into Harmon,’
declares the LORD.
“‘Come to Bethel, and transgress;
to Gilgal, and multiply transgression;
bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three days;
offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,
and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;
for so you love to do, O people of Israel!’
declares the Lord GOD.”
[AMOS 4:1-5]
The Lord GOD is scathing as He speaks through His servant. Opening this fourth chapter, Amos confronts the women of Israel, calling them “cows of Bashan.” His words were not meant to be taken as a compliment. The women were only doing what society once condemned, though no one took note of these actions any longer. They had grown oppressive, their response to the needy was crushing, as they had set themselves at the centre of their universe. They demanded that their husbands provide them with luxuries, and their husbands were unconcerned that these women were cruel, self-absorbed, uncaring. It used to be said that a society could sink no lower than women allowed it to sink, and Israel was sinking deep into the morass. It was much like modern Canada.
No one appreciates a scold, and undoubtedly, the prophet often seems to be a scold when he speaks of what is acceptable as inoffensive to us. However, if the prophet is motivated by the Spirit of God, he will be compelled to warn in bold terms of those actions and attitudes that dishonour the Lord GOD. Without question, the actions of the lost are offensive to begin with; there is nothing that a lost person can offer God that will honour Him. As an example of this, consider these verses from the Wise Man.
“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
but he loves him who pursues righteousness.”
[PROVERBS 15:8-9]
It is startling to realise that even the prayer of a wicked person is an abomination to the LORD. His way is wicked, so even the effort to assuage God’s wrath is an offence. Exploring this matter even farther, note that the Wise Man has warned,
“The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD,
but gracious words are pure.”
[PROVERBS 15:26]
No one should go away thinking that because he is not a follower of Christ, he has no possibility of being accepted by God. If all you are seeking is an eternal fire insurance policy, you will be sorely disappointed. If all you want is for God to deliver you from judgement, leaving you alone to live as you wish, you will be rejected. All you are doing if you are seeking such is attempting to manipulate the Lord, and God will not be manipulated by you or by anyone. He is God; you are not.
Yet, if you come to God with a sincere desire to know Him, He will be found by you. We read in the Letter to Hebrew Christians, “Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” [HEBREWS 11:6]. The Lord says to His wayward people, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile” [JEREMIAH 29:13-14].
Here is what is essential for you to know—because God shows such mercy to His people, He will receive you. This is certain since He has pledged on His sacred honour to receive all who come to Him seeking Him. If you imagine that you can coerce the Lord to accept you, you will remain outside His grace. If you imagine you can manipulate Him, you will be excluded from His mercy. If you come to Him as He has laid out in His Word, you will find ready acceptance.
Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” [JOHN 14:6].
Again, the Son of God calls all who are willing to hear Him, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” [MATTHEW 11:28-30].
I adjudge that one of the greater tragedies of our day is that sin has ceased to exist! We who live in this brave new world that has been foisted on us don’t want to appear judgemental, and so we are silent even when witnessing the most vile form of rebellion against God and against His goodness. We are disturbed by what we are witnessing, but not disturbed enough to speak out to condemn what we are witnessing, and we are certainly not disturbed enough to condemn what we are witnessing as sinful. Perhaps it is that we are fearful of being cancelled by our culture. Therefore, fearful that we will lose our voice, we remain silent! The effect is the same in either situation.
As an grievous example of our craven acquiescence, consider the state-sanctioned mutilation of children taking place now. Trained physicians motivated by what they imagine to be a continuing stream of income provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers operate what are euphemistically known as gender-affirming clinics. Let’s be truthful enough to admit that what has become known as gender-affirming care is nothing save state-sanctioned affirmation of emotional and psychological illness.
In these temples of misery, girls in their teen years are subjected to the surgical removal of their breast tissues. Thereafter, these children will be subjected to the administration of testosterone in order to maintain the sick subterfuge that they are actually boys. They will have to endure penile grafts in an attempt to create the illusion that they possess the full capacity of males. The experiments seem reminiscent of the evil surgeries conducted during the Nazi era.
Perhaps we are loathe to acknowledge that in these cathedrals of sorrow little boys are castrated and then condemned to receive continuing doses of estrogen for the remainder of their days, all because they have been indoctrinated to believe that they are really girls despite the fact that every cell possesses chromosomes identifying them as male. Later, these same children will endure surgical procedures to create a semblance of female genitalia.
The parents of these unfortunate children are told that these actions are reversible, so they silently acquiesce to these bizarre and cruel acts. Only, what is done is permanent—if not physically, then assuredly psychologically. One must question why studies are suppressed that attempt to address the emotional distress of those who later wish to detransition. One must question why the physicians who appear so eager to conduct these terrible experiments even knowing that those who undergo the have an abnormally high incident of psychological and emotional problems for the remainder of their shortened lives. Is this not evil? Is this not wicked?
I don’t want to wander too far afield, but events move toward destruction at an astonishing clip. News reports document events that supersede what happened only a matter of hours past until the one wishing to understand what is happening is compelled to confess that he or she no longer knows precisely what is happening.
In a recent podcast, former member of the United States House of Representatives from Hawaii, Tulsi Gabbard, reported that mastectomies performed on children increased by 389 percent over the past five years! During that same period, the number of “transgender” children doubled. [5] She was citing studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association of Pediatrics and the UCLA School of Law, Williams Institute. In other words, she was reporting matters that bore an air of legitimacy.
This didn’t just happen. This wasn’t because of some malign substance added to the water in the cities of the nation. Parents didn’t just wake up one morning an decide that they needed to subject their children to radical surgeries, as though multitudes were suddenly and without explanation affected by Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. This was promoted by the medical profession with the hearty approval of governmental officials.
The President of the United States of America, on a day set aside to celebrate transgenderism, said, “To everyone celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility, I want you to know that your president sees you, …our entire administration sees you for who you are, made in the image of God and deserving of dignity, respect, and support.
“But we know it’s hard when there are those out there who don’t see you and don’t respect you.
“For example, the onslaught of anti-transgender state laws attacking you and your families is simply wrong. This administration is standing up for you against all these hateful bills.”
The President continued by saying, “To transgender Americans of all ages, I want you to know that you are so brave. You belong. I have your back.” [5]
Nor should anyone imagine that only the United States has stepped into this morass. Canada observes “Transgender Awareness Week,” providing courses to train people to become an “equity, diversity and inclusion ally and agent for change.” [7] On the Transgender Day of Remembrance, Minister Marci Ien issued a statement supporting the transgender movement in Canada. [8]
The issue is not, “Are those who imagine they are transgender, humans worthy of dignity and respect;” the issue is, “Does any nation have justification for promoting such a radical policy, especially when it has such a deleterious impact on the lives of children?” When a nation is normalising that which can only be said to be perverted, can that nation justify the attitude of defiance toward God that they have embraced?
Allow me to speak pointedly to all who listen at this hour. A novel morality has been injected into our culture, and the godly within the culture have seemingly been incapable of even countering this insidious poison by holding to the old morality. We need to hear what was said long ago when C. S. Lewis wrote, “Really great moral teachers never do introduce new moralities; it is quacks and cranks who do that… The real job of every moral teacher is to keep bringing us back, time after time, to the old simple principles which we are all so anxious to see.” [9]
WHEN CIVILISATION COLLAPSES, POINT TO JUDGEMENTS ALREADY DELIVERED —
“‘I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
and lack of bread in all your places,
yet you did not return to me,’
declares the LORD.
“‘I also withheld the rain from you
when there were yet three months to the harvest;
I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would have rain,
and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
so two or three cities would wander to another city
to drink water, and would not be satisfied;
yet you did not return to me,’
declares the LORD.
“‘I struck you with blight and mildew;
your many gardens and your vineyards,
your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured;
yet you did not return to me,”
declares the LORD.
“I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword,
and carried away your horses,
and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
yet you did not return to me,’
declares the LORD.
“‘I overthrew some of you,
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning;
yet you did not return to me,’
declares the LORD.”
[AMOS 4:6-11]
I suspect that we may have already witnessed divine judgement on our civilisation, and we are too obtuse to realise that this has already been executed. It is evident that was the case when God spoke to Israel through His Prophet, Amos. The Lord challenged Israel, “I gave you cleanness of teeth… I withheld rain… I struck you with blight and mildew… I sent among you pestilence… I overthrew some of you…” What could be said of us in that vein? Do we not witness situations revealing that our culture is under judgement? I suspect that may well be the case.
It is a dangerous thing to demand that God give us what we want. The 106TH PSALM is one which should serve to restrain us from showing such audacity. The Psalmist recalls all the goodness the LORD showered upon Israel. He tells how God delivered His people from Egyptian bondage, leading them through the Red Sea and through the desert. Then he recites how God delivered Israel from their foes, at last concluding,
“They soon forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.
But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,
and put God to the test in the desert;
he gave them what they asked,
but sent a wasting disease among them.”
[PSALM 106:13-15]
That dark recitation is similar to one which was penned by Asaph. Again, in the 78TH PSALM the Psalmist recites the power of God displayed for the benefit of His people, telling how they were responsible to inform their children and their children’s children of the might and mercy of the Living God. He goes into detail as he reminds his readers of God’s provision before noting that despite all the goodness God demonstrated, they complained, rebelling against Him. In the 78TH PSALM, Asaph wrote,
“When the LORD heard, he was full of wrath;
a fire was kindled against Jacob;
his anger rose against Israel,
because they did not believe in God
and did not trust his saving power.
Yet he commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven,
and he rained down on them manna to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
Man ate of the bread of the angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
he rained meat on them like dust,
winged birds like the sand of the seas;
he let them fall in the midst of their camp,
all around their dwellings.
And they ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they craved.
But before they had satisfied their craving,
while the food was still in their mouths,
the anger of God rose against them,
and he killed the strongest of them
and laid low the young men of Israel.”
[PSALM 78:21-31]
Our pulpits seem seldom capable of or even willing to point to judgements delivered when mankind turned from righteousness to embrace wickedness. We who stand behind the sacred desk seldom speak of the judgements of the Lord GOD against His ancient people Israel, though the historical record and the word of the Prophets is replete with such accounts. And when we do speak of divine judgement, we seem loathe to make the connection with recent history. We look at the account of the downfall of nations and the sorrows visited on the wicked as though they are mere histories reporting events, rather than acknowledging the awful judgement that has been justly poured out on the wicked.
WHEN CIVILISATION IS COLLAPSING, CALL SINNERS TO REPENTANCE —
“Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
[AMOS 4:12]
Repentance is a doctrine that is infrequently heard from modern pulpits. Vance Havner said on multiple occasions, “The man whose little message is ‘Repent!’ had better pledge his head toward Heaven.” He spoke from experience. Parishioners, ecclesiastical power brokers, don’t appreciate the man of God naming their sin and exposing them because they have not turned from their own way to walk in the way that honours God.
I had not been in residence at one particular congregation very long when I delivered a message calling for repentance. As I delivered the message one Sunday morning, I used an illustration that seemed to spring spontaneously to my mind as I spoke. I imagined that the pastor’s daughter was sexually active with a deacon’s son in the basement of the church. When the affair became known, the pastor and the deacons attempted to cover up what had occurred. I pointed out that the grave sin was not the illicit sexual actions of the youth, but it was the failure of church leaders to hold to a biblical standard.
I was almost immediately confronted by some of the leaders of the church as soon as the service was concluded. They were incensed that I had aired the dirty laundry of the congregation. I was genuinely nonplussed. I had no idea what these people were talking about. It turned out that I had accurately described an event that had taken place sometime prior to my arrival at the congregation. They were aghast that I had spoken as I had because it embarrassed the deacons and the former pastor who was still in residence. They were certain that someone had told me and I openly spoke of what had happened.
What intensified their rage toward me was that I had suggested that anyone who acted in the manner I had described needed to repent. They needed to confess their sin, turn from their wickedness and seek God’s forgiveness. The leaders of that congregation were enraged that I would dare suggest that they needed to repent. They imagined that they were of such value to the Son of God that they had no need to repent. They felt they had dealt with the matter by keeping it quiet and out of view of the community. But our sin is never really secret! Even when we think we have covered over our sin, God knows. And even if the Lord was somehow kept in the dark about our sin, we know. Repentance is not a doctrine that we want to be taught, especially if we are the ones in need of repentance!
We must remember that although the challenges of this cultural moment are real, they are never the whole story. The whole story is, instead, the story centred on the person and work of Christ, the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of the cosmos. The ending of that story is sure, despite the chaos of the moment.
Second, rather than withdraw from the challenges around us, we are responsible to continue to give whatever good we can to the world. William Wilberforce, for example, not only lobbied against the slave trade, but also fought to advance moral values in a corrupt nation! Our best efforts may not succeed, but that’s not why we stand firm for what is right and good. We labour as we do out of love for God and for the welfare of our neighbours. This is a message that the churches of this day have forgotten.
Third, we must reject small compromises. Hannah Arendt wrote about the “banality of evil,” how in certain cultural moments, evil advances in mundane and seemingly harmless ways. Solomon provides an example of this precise evil. The last half of the tenth chapter of First Kings reads like a ledger of his remarkable success—extravagant wealth, imported horses and chariots from Egypt, and 700 wives (with accompanying military alliances and treaties). However, Deuteronomy 17 records that, years before, Moses had instructed the Israelites about what their king should not do: “He must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold“ [DEUTERONOMY 17:16-17].
The author of the Book of Kings knew exactly what he was doing presenting Solomon’s “success” as he did. His telling of the exploits of Solomon was in a way Israelite readers would understand.
Whether we’re in a time of decline or a time of amazing success as under Solomon, the same response is required from God’s people. We must be faithful to what He asks us to do, accepting what He asks us to believe, and to how He instructs us to live.
In all of these things, we take up life in this moment as part of our calling. We are here because it is the time and the place He ordained for us. And so we move forward, keeping our eyes on the One who perfects and finishes our faith, Who will bring history to its final culmination. [10]
THE UNSPARING WORDS OF GOD’S PROPHET —
“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,
who are on the mountain of Samaria,
who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’
The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness
that, behold, the days are coming upon you,
when they shall take you away with hooks,
even the last of you with fishhooks.
And you shall go out through the breaches,
each one straight ahead;
and you shall be cast out into Harmon,”
declares the LORD.”
[AMOS 4:1-3]
It is a truism that was often heard in an earlier day that society could sink no lower than the women of that society permitted it to sink. Women are a tempering influence on society; men tend toward coarseness, and that rude character is moderated by women. Or at least the coarseness of men was tempered by women not so long ago. As a young man, it was accepted that a man would stand whenever a woman entered the room. It was a courteous mannerism intended to show respect. On a bus or on a crowded train, a man would offer his seat to a woman entering the carriage. Such is seldom witnessed today.
In that earlier day, which was not so long ago, men would be careful not to use coarse or crude language when a woman was present. Things have changed in this day, and often it is women who are attempting to outdo men in the use of crude or coarse language—language that is immodest and filthy. I admit that I’m old-fashioned, but it is still shocking to hear filthy language coming from the mouth of a woman. It is startling for me to see young women attempting to be coarse, acting as if they are somehow as tough as any man. It is as if young women imagine that they can show themselves to be coarse and yet benefit from social strictures that prohibits a man from striking a woman. Candidly, it can’t be both ways. If a young woman wants to be violent, she must be prepared to receive the violence that responds to her aggression. If she wants to berate others as one might imagine a roughneck or a roustabout might berate another, then she should be prepared to be treated like a roughneck or a roustabout.
I grieve that ours is a society in which women would ever imagine that they must be crude, that they must be coarse and vile in their speech and in their acts. Whatever happened to modesty that meant that a woman would maintain her virtue, keeping herself pure for that one man with whom she chose to spend her life? I listen to the dialogue on television shows, and whether they are reflecting society or whether they are shaping society, the women can’t wait to throw themselves into bed. The discussions presented are whether the woman should sleep with a man on the first date or wait until a second date. I’m old fashioned enough that I find such dialogues disgusting. Don’t think that I’m a prude without the normal desires of any man. I was a United States Marine and I worked as a pipe fitter. I’ve led a demanding life. But I was raised with a strong moral direction given by a godly father who insisted that I am responsible for my own actions.
WHEN RELIGION BECOMES A MEANS FOR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS —
“Come to Bethel, and transgress;
to Gilgal, and multiply transgression;
bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three days;
offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,
and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;
for so you love to do, O people of Israel!”
declares the Lord GOD.”
[AMOS 4:4-5]
And now we witness a culture in which wickedness wraps itself in the garb of religion. Some years past, we were shocked when churches began to appoint women to ministerial roles despite biblical proscriptions against women serving as elders. Then, many of those same churches argued for performing same-sex marriages. This was shortly followed by the appointment of open homosexuals to pastoral roles. Now, we learn of transgender activists appointed to serve as chaplains and “spiritual care” interns at a children’s hospital. [11]
The new “chaplain” of the Children’s Wisconsin Hospital is reportedly “all-in” for irreversible transgender surgeries and abortion. On Facebook, she/he/it wrote, “Love Jesus. Be gay. Get ordained.” She was also included an in-your-face message of defiance against her church, writing, “Also your casual reminder that my validity as an ordained minister is currently under review by my denomination because of the love I feel for my fiancé. Do better Church, because I’m not going anywhere. I was called.” [12] Undoubtedly, she will provide some fascinating “spiritual” guidance for families facing medical complications.
I suppose such actions aren’t considered particularly shocking any longer. How could it be otherwise when the current President of the United States has made the determination to promote transgenderism, appointing to important positions “non-binary” and transgender individuals. The standards of western society can only be described as deviant, as aberrant, as immoral. Without question, we have forgotten God, and now we must know that there is little that can restrain God’s judgement. And when that judgement comes, we will know that it is because we who follow the Christ have ceased to be the salt and the light that we were appointed to be.
JUDGEMENT HAD ALREADY BEGUN —
“I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
and lack of bread in all your places,
yet you did not return to me,”
declares the LORD.
“I also withheld the rain from you
when there were yet three months to the harvest;
I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would have rain,
and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
so two or three cities would wander to another city
to drink water, and would not be satisfied;
yet you did not return to me,”
declares the LORD.
“I struck you with blight and mildew;
your many gardens and your vineyards,
your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured;
yet you did not return to me,”
declares the LORD.
“I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword,
and carried away your horses,
and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
yet you did not return to me,”
declares the LORD.
“I overthrew some of you,
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning;
yet you did not return to me,”
declares the LORD.
“Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
[AMOS 4:6-12]
The tragedy of divine judgement that Amos announced was that the nation was unaware that it had begun. They were so focused on doing their own thing, that they were blind to the judgement that even then was ravaging their nation.
Is it possible that something similar is happening to us even today? Is it possible that the blessings of God have already been withdrawn and the consequences already are being felt, and we are ignorant of what is happening? Is the establishment of Chinese police stations in our cities an indication that we are already losing sovereignty over our own future? Is the invitation to Communist China to deploy troops to exercise in Canada an evidence that our freedoms are already at risk? Is the push of our government to restrict our freedoms through seizing bank accounts, through banning hunting firearms, through incarcerating people who dare demonstrate against governmental policies proof that we are even now being judged?
What will it take before we realise what we have lost because we have presumed against the goodness of Christ the Lord? Will it require the loss of economic strength? Will it require a pandemic that steals our freedoms and forces us to watch our elderly die alone and without loved ones nearby? Will it be a situation in which our farms are no longer able to feed the nation? Will it necessitate the inability to travel because the cost of fuel is so great or because it is no longer possible to purchase parts to keep your vehicle in repair? Have you considered that God is even now judging us, and we have received precisely the leadership we deserve?
There is one hope for Canada, and that is a return to the God Who has blessed us in the past. Without humbling ourselves and confessing our sin, we have little hope of tomorrow. Perhaps we need to hear again the plaintive plea that God issued to His ancient people upon the ascension of Solomon to the throne. God promised, “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name 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 heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place” [2 CHRONICLES 7:13-15].
I am naïve enough to believe that the promise made to Israel long years past is a promise that is held out to our own nation. I don’t imagine that the majority of my neighbours even know what to do as they numbly watch the judgements of God unfold. But I believe we are a people whom God has redeemed. Though the time is short, I must believe that the follower of Christ can avert God’s punishing judgement as we turn to Him, confessing our sin and seeking His mercy. Now is the time for all who follow Christ to repent, seeking His mercy.
I’ve spoken to followers of Christ the Lord. However, what will you who hold to moral values though you have no spiritual strength because you do not know the Saviour, do about the situation that confronts you. You love your children and you love your country, and you recognise the peril facing us. Your first and great need is to turn from your own reliance on your own goodness to look to Jesus, the Son of God, as your Saviour. Confess your sin of unbelief, receiving Him as Master over life. Do this today and be saved even this day. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] See Arnold J. Toynbee, Civilization on Trial (Oxford University Press, New York 1948) pg. 227, Uploaded from the Public Library of India, 20 August 2022, https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.185313/page/n7/mode/2up,
[3] Ibid.
[4] Os Guinness on the Civilizational Moment, Breakpoint Podcast, May 30, 2022, https://colsoncenter.libsyn.com/breakpoint-podcast-os-guinness-on-the-civilizational-moment, accessed 20 August 2022
[5] Mike Miller, “Tulsi Gabbard Names Those Responsible for Child Mastectomies Increasing by Nearly 400 Percent,” RedState, November 27, 2022, https://redstate.com/mike_miller/2022/11/27/watch-tulsi-gabbard-names-those-responsible-for-child-mastectomies-increasing-by-nearly-400-percent-n665016, accessed 27 November 2022
[6] President Biden, President Biden on Twitter: "To transgender Americans of all ages, I want you to know that you are so brave. You belong. I have your back. https://t.co/mD4F0m3rU1" / Twitter, accessed 28 November 2022
[7] Transgender Awareness Week, Transgender Awareness Week - Canada.ca, accessed 28 November 2022
[8] Statement by Minister Marci Ien on Transgender Day of Remembrance 2022, Statement by?Minister Marci Ien? on Transgender Day of Remembrance 2022 - Canada.ca, accessed 28 November 2022
[9] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, in The Christian Collection, (Harper, San Francisco, CA 2016) 63
[10] See John Stonestreet, “Being Christian When Civilization Collapses,” 05/31/22, Breakpoint, https://breakpoint.org/being-christian-when-civilization-collapses/?_hsmi=214861935&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8r8OuTXwqYcfjJ3f9xtDtt0dXhNyU2PGqFC0CDuiXTw1nsjdnGjEwuDSrQtz04HS7lHV1tLVaDZijRYUlYcgObGmFiWg, accessed 31 May 2022
[11] Madeline Leesman, “Children’s hospital Faces Backlash for Hiring Transgender Activists As Chaplains,” November 29, 2022, Townhall, Children’s Hospital Faces Backlash for Hiring Transgender Activists As Chaplains (townhall.com), accessed 29 November 2022
[12] Hank Berrien, “Children’s Hospital Slammed For Hiring Transgender Activist As A Chaplain,” Nov 29, 2022, Daily Wire, Children’s Hospital Slammed For Hiring Transgender Activist As A Chaplain | The Daily Wire, accessed 29 November 2022; Tré Goins-Phillips, “Wisconsin Children’s Hospital Hires Transgender Activist as Chaplain,” November 29, 2022, Faithwire, Wisconsin Children’s Hospital Hires Transgender Activist as Chaplain – Faithwire, accessed 29 November 2022; Kate Newendorp, LinkedIn, Kate Newendorp - Staff Chaplain - Children's Wisconsin | LinkedIn, accessed 29 November 2022
