IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT CHRISTIANS ARE A LOT LIKE TEA BAGS. YOU’LL NEVER KNOW HOW STRONG THEY ARE UNTIL YOU PUT THEM IN HOT WATER!
UNFORTUNATELY, WE MAY NEVER GET TO KNOW HOW STRONG SOME CHRISTIANS COULD ACTUALLY BE BECAUSE THEY WILL DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING TO AVOID BEING PUT INTO HOT WATER.
WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY IS THAT WE HAVE SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY. WHO WOULD HAVE EVER DREAMED THAT WE WOULD HAVE COURT BATTLES OVER OUR RIGHT TO PRAY AND DISPLAY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, CROSSES AND NATIVITY SCENES?
ALL IT TAKES IS JUST ONE PERSON TO CRY OUT TO THE A.C.L.U. TO GET EVERYONE TO COWER IN FEAR. WHERE IS EVERYBODY? OR SHOULD WE BE ASKING, "WHERE ARE THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS?"
SADLY, THE CRY IS GOING UNHEARD BECAUSE TOO MANY CHRISTIANS HAVE SOLD THEMSELVES OUT TO SILENCE AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.
CHRISTIANS WHO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS OF OUR COUNTRY BY EITHER BACKING OFF AND TURNING A BLIND EYE OR SIMPLY REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED AT ALL.
CHRISTIANS WHO DON’T REGULARLY PRAY, READ AND STUDY THE BIBLE, OR ATTEND CHURCH. CHRISTIANS WHO WON’T WRITE THEIR FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL OFFICIALS WHEN ANTI-CHRISTIAN LEGISLATION ARISES AGAINST THEM.
CHRISTIANS WHO DON’T STAY INFORMED WITH WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND THEM. CHRISTIANS WHO QUICKLY ADOPT THE "BLIND-EYE; DEAF-EAR" ATTITUDE TOWARDS SIN. NO WONDER AMERICA IS IN THE SHAPE THAT IT IS IN!
YOU CAN’T BLAME THE PORNOGRAPHERS FOR LUST AND ADULTERY. YOU CAN’T BLAME HOLLYWOOD FOR THE CORRUPT AND VILE ENTERTAINMENT.
YOU CAN’T BLAME MILLER AND ANHEISER-BUSCH BREWERIES FOR ALCOHOLISM OR PHILLIP-MORRIS TOBACCO FOR LUNG CANCER. NEITHER CAN WE BLAME COLT OR SMITH AND WESSON FOR GUN VIOLENCE.
THEN WHO CAN WE BLAME? WE START BY POINTING THE FINGER AT EVERY PERSON WHO CLAIMS THAT THEY ARE A CHRISTIAN! IT’S MOSTLY OUR FAULT FOR CLOSING OUR EYES, PLUGGING OUR EARS AND KEEPING OUR MOUTHS SHUT.
WE HAVE FAILED TO LIVE UP TO OUR IDENTITY OF BEING CHRIST-LIKE BECAUSE WE REFUSE TO SEE THE SIN THAT IS RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSES. WE NO LONGER HEAR THE CRY OF THE OPPRESSED NOR SPEAK OUT AGAINST INJUSTICE.
THE GREATEST WAY TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF EVIL AND CORRUPTION IS FOR GOOD PEOPLE TO SIT BY AND DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
WE ARE TO BLAME AND WE NEED TO MAKE A DRASTIC CHANGE. THE CHANGE I SPEAK OF IS AMERICA’S REMEDY! WE HOLD THE KEY TO AMERICA’S SPIRITUAL REVIVAL.
OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT SAYS THAT THE REMEDY FOR OUR COUNTRY INVOLVES DOING THREE THINGS FOR GOD. WE MUST HUMBLE OURSELVES, PRAY AND SEEK HIS FACE, AND THEN TURN BACK TO GOD. IF WE WILL THEN GOD SAID HE WOULD HEAR US, FORGIVE US, AND THEN HEAL US.
WE MUST HUMBLE OURSELVES. THIS HEBREW TERM MEANS TO SUBJECT OURSELVES AND BECOME SUBDUED. IN OTHER WORDS, WE MUST SUBJECT AND SUBDUE OUR PRIDE.
PRIDE ELEVATES US ABOVE OTHERS AND ABOVE GOD HIMSELF. WHEN WE SUBJECT OURSELVES TO GOD ALL THINGS WILL COME INTO THEIR PROPER PERSPECTIVE.
BEING HUMBLE DOESN’T MAKE ONE WEAK. HUMBLENESS IT ACTUALLY GREAT STRENGTH UNDER GREAT CONTROL. HUMILITY IS TRUE STRENGTH, FOR IT REACHES INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. PRIDE IS TRUE WEAKNESS, FOR IT REACHES NO FURTHER THAN OUR OWN EGO.
1 PETER 5:5-6, "…ALL OF YOU, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH HUMILITY TOWARD ONE ANOTHER, BECAUSE, ’GOD OPPOSES THE PROUD BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.’ HUMBLE YOURSELVES, THEREFORE, UNDER GOD’S MIGHTY HAND, THAT HE MAY LIFT YOU UP IN DUE TIME." WE MUST BECOME HUMBLE.
THE SECOND STEP OF AMERICA’S REMEDY IS TO PRAY AND SEEK GOD’S FACE. MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF OUR PROBLEMS TODAY COULD BE CURED SIMPLY THROUGH PRAYER.
TOO MANY ARE NEGLECTING TO PRAY OUT OF A MISGUIDED NOTION THAT THERE ISN’T ANY NEED TO DO SO SINCE GOD AUTOMATICALLY TAKES CARE OF ALL OUR NEEDS.
EVEN WHEN WE DO PRAY IT USUALLY BECOMES A ONE-SIDED CONVERSATION CONSISTING OF A SELFISH, VAGUE, LAUNDRY-LIST OF SPIRITUAL DEMANDS FOR GOD TO MEET.
JAMES 4:2, "… THE REASON YOU DON’T HAVE WHAT YOU WANT IS THAT YOU DON’T ASK GOD FOR IT. AND EVEN WHEN YOU DO ASK, YOU DON’T GET IT BECAUSE YOUR WHOLE MOTIVE IS WRONG - YOU WANT ONLY WHAT WILL GIVE YOU PLEASURE."
THIS IS WHY GOD INSTRUCTED SOLOMON TO MAKE SURE THEY DIDN’T "JUST" START PRAYING AGAIN FOR THE SAKE OF PRAYING. GOD WANTED HIS PEOPLE TO PRAY THE RIGHT WAY.
WE MUST RECAPTURE THE SACREDNESS OF PRAYER IN OUR LIVES. THIS IS SEEKING AFTER GOD WITH PERSONAL AND INTIMATE COMMUNICATION THAT IS FILLED WITH ADORATION, THANKSGIVING, PRAISE, AND INTERCESSION. WE MUST PRAY AND SEEK THE FACE OF GOD.
THE THIRD STEP OF AMERICA’S REMEDY IS TO TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS. THE HEBREW WORD FOR "WICKED" APPLIES TO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE EVIL, BAD, AND CAUSE MISERY, DISTRESS AND DISASTER.
THE HEBREW WORD FOR "WAYS" CAN ALSO MEAN "PATH, WAY OF LIFE, OR CONDUCT. THEREFORE, AS PART OF THE PROCESS, WE MUST TURN AWAY FROM ALL THAT IS EVIL AND ALL THAT WILL CAUSE US NOTHING BUT MISERY, PAIN, HEARTACHE AND THE REMOVAL OF GOD’S BLESSINGS.
WHATEVER CONDUCT OR WAY OF LIFE THAT IS NOT PLEASING TO GOD MUST BE ELIMINATED. IF IT MEANS LOSING WEIGHT OFF YOUR TEMPLE THEN SHED THE POUNDS.
IF IT MEANS TO STOP SMOKING THEN STOP FUMIGATING THE HOLY SPIRIT’S TABERNACLE. IF IT IS GIVING UP YOUR MEMBERSHIP AT A CLUB THAT HAS A HISTORY OF CULT-LIKE ACTIVITIES THEN TURN IN YOUR RESIGNATION.
IF IT MEANS TO STOP FILLING YOUR MIND WITH GARBAGE THEN THROW AWAY YOUR SECULAR VIDEOS, BOOKS, AND MUSIC AND STOP WATCHING THE SOAPS, MTV, AND PRIME-TIME NETWORK AND CABLE. IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE.
IT AMAZES ME HOW MUCH WORLD IS IN THE CHURCH AND HOW LITTLE CHURCH THERE IS IN THE WORLD. IT WOULD BE TO OUR BENEFIT TO WASH OUR CHURCHES OF HALLOWEEN PARTIES, EASTER-EGG HUNTS, BINGO, FUND-RAISERS AND ALL OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION OF MAKING DISCIPLES FOR CHRIST.
IF THERE IS NO WAY TO GLORIFY GOD THEN DON’T DO IT! IF A CHURCH SPONSORS AN EVENT AND CANNOT FIND A WAY TO IMPLEMENT A SALVATION MESSAGE AND OFFER AN INVITATION TO ACCEPT CHRIST THEN IT SHOULDN’T BE DONE.
ROMANS 12:1, "DON’T COPY THE BEHAVIOR AND CUSTOMS OF THIS WORLD, BUT LET GOD TRANSFORM YOU INTO A NEW PERSON BY CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK..." WE MUST TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS.
THE BLESSINGS FOR HUMBLING OURSELVES, PRAYING AND SEEKING AFTER GOD, AND TURNING FROM OUR WICKED WAYS, WILL BE THE ASSURANCE THAT GOD WILL HEAR US, FORGIVE US, AND HEAL US.
IF WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT HIM AND GO OUR OWN WAY WE WILL MEET THE FATE OF VERSE 20, WHICH SAYS THAT WE WILL BE UPROOTED.
THE HEBREW WORD FOR "UPROOTED" INDICATES TO BE "BROKEN DOWN, KNOCKED OUT, DEMOLISHED, SHATTERED, BROKEN UP," AND "TO LAY IN RUINS."
THIS MAY EXPLAIN WHY A LOT OF CHRISTIANS TODAY LIVE FRUITLESS, BROKEN, AND NOMINAL LIVES. THIS MAY EXPLAIN WHY MANY OF OUR CHURCHES ARE STAGNANT, DYING, AND EXCLUSIVE CLUBS FOR MEMBERS ONLY.
MAY IT BE OUR DESIRE TO FIND PARDON, HEALING, AND RECOVERY FROM ALL FORMS OF WICKEDNESS THAT TRIES SO DESPERATELY TO DESTROY OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
IN CLOSING MAY WE HEAR JEREMIAH 4:1-2, "’O MY [PEOPLE], COME BACK TO ME,’ SAYS THE LORD. ’IF YOU WILL THROW AWAY YOUR DETESTABLE IDOLS AND GO ASTRAY NO MORE, AND IF YOU WILL SWEAR BY MY NAME ALONE, AND BEGIN TO LIVE GOOD, HONEST LIVES AND UPHOLD JUSTICE, THEN YOU WILL BE A BLESSING TO THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD, AND ALL PEOPLE WILL COME AND PRAISE MY NAME."
