Who Gave The Church The Order To Stand Down?

When reporting on current events such as "fast and furious" and the Benghazi attack on our American Embassy, reporters are using the term "Stand Down" when asking who gave the orders to do nothing to help those in peril. Stand Down is a military term meaning, (a) A suspension or relaxation from an alert state or a state of readiness. (b) A temporary cessation of offensive actions; a cease fire; a truce.

Our sin saturated world is now bent on destroying a way of life that has been based upon the Word of God, and to a large part the church has stood down.

Our nations leader in April 2008 said while speaking about Christians, " they cling to their guns or religion" and have an "antipathy to people who aren’t like them." April 2009 When speaking at Georgetown University, Obama orders that a monogram symbolizing the name of Jesus be covered while he is making his speech. May 2009, Obama declines to host services for the National Day of Prayer at the White House, (a day established by federal law. October 19, 2010, Obama deliberately omits the phrase about "the Creator" when he quotes the Declaration of Independence--something he has done on seven separate occasions. November 2011, Obama unlike any of his predecessors purposelly avoided any religious references in his Thanksgiving address.

While turning his back upon Christian values Obama goes out of his way to show preferential treatment to Islam. While not hosting a Day of Prayer for our nation, Obama does host a dinner in honor of Ramadan, May 2009. April 2010 Christian leader Franklin Graham is disinvited from the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer Event because of complaints from the muslim community.

Obama has gone to great lengths to speak out in support of building a mosque at ground zero, while at the same time he was silent about the efforts of a Christian church being denied permission to rebuild there. Obama is guilty of "Standing Down."

We could go on, not only our nations leaders, but leaders of churches who are supposed to represent Jesus, and preach the Word of God are compromising the Gospel.

One prominent televangelist was asked about his views on salvation on the Larry King show. He was asked if Jewish or muslim people who do not accept Christ will go to Heaven. He responded, "You know, I’m very careful about saying who would or wouldn’t go to Heaven. I don’t know..." When asked if a God defying atheist would go to Heaven, he replied, "You know what, I’m going to let someone--I’m going to let God be the judge of who goes to Heaven and hell." when asked about the sin of homosexuality, he replies rather vaguely, " I have thoughts. I just, you know, I don’t think that a same sex marriage is the way God intended it to be. I don’t think abortion is the best. I think there are other, you know a better way to live your life. But i’m not going to condemn those people. I tell them all the time our church is open for everybody" Larry King then asks him, " You don’t call them sinners?" His answer, "no I don’t." This particular televangelist is guilty of "Standing down."

The leader of the largest non protestant church recently said that even an atheist would be redeemed if he did enough good works. He too is guilty of "Standing Down."

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me."

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Instead of Standing down we are exhorted in God’s word to Stand Fast and Hold Christian Traditions. see 2 Thess. 2:15. the word stand fast means to simply stand firm, persist, persevere. It is the picture of a soldier standing fast against an onslaught of an enemy. He doesn’t flinch, he doesn’t become unstable, and he is never defeated. No matter how great the trial, no matter how great the pressure of the temptation, no matter the influence, the offer, the allurement that is made, he will not Stand Down.

Ephesians 6:1 tells us to Stand Fast in the Lord. When the temptation to surrender is at it’s strongest, we find strength to keep going by Standing Fast in the Lord. We do it by praying, talking, walking and sharing with the Lord all day long. We do it by serving and ministering for the Lord, bearing testimony of Him and meeting the needs of those who are hurting and those who need help.