Madeline Crabb
What America needs most? Righteousness, repentance, and revival, Part 2
By Madeline Crabb
The U.S. Federal Government is out of control, and Americans have allowed it to happen. More laws and spending, government's answer to everything, is NOT the answer. To date, We the People have either been unable or unwilling to stop this proverbial runaway freight train. Now the train has gained such momentum that when it finally crashes, which it will, there will be catastrophic damage and destruction. Now it seems most Americans are beginning to understand the danger we face, but don't know what to do about it. What we need most? Righteousness, repentance, and revival. This message will address repentance.
Our Founding Fathers were tremendous men of faith — many were clergy. But they weren't the mealy-mouthed, people-pleasers like so many we see today, some of whom have even removed crosses from sanctuaries to appease those who might be offended. It used to be that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed openly, freely, and in power. Also, clergy used to be at the forefront of preaching against the abuses of government, until, that is, the government issued threats and laws attempting to silence the Church from speaking about such matters. Government police, dressed as IRS agents, would wreak havoc on all violators. Consequently, fear has replaced the boldness once practiced by our Founding Fathers.
How quickly we seem to have forgotten that one of the main purposes of founding this country was so we could freely practice our religion, and spread the Gospel. As Patrick Henry said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here." In our nation, even atheists can practice their "religion."
Club for Growth's Steve Moore says that history has shown any civilization or community that does not continually renew its values and understand what its foundational principles are will ultimately see its own demise. Honestly, dear Americans, haven't we failed to understand our heritage? Haven't we forsaken our foundational faith? Our founders knew that it would take diligence and courage to maintain our freedom and liberty. We are all familiar with the phrase, freedom isn't free. It has been won by blood, sweat, and tears. Accordingly, our founders pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. Indeed, many of them sacrificed dearly. The question now is: Are we willing to do the same? You see, our Founding Fathers were relying on a force much greater than themselves. They relied on God. What do we rely on? Sadly, it is government. But as Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "Every step we take towards making the State our Caretaker of our lives, by that much we move toward making the State our Master." Prophetic.
We have slowly abdicated our personal responsibility in many areas — sometimes voluntarily, sometimes through force. Nonetheless, we have done so. Concurrently, we have allowed our God to be demeaned, trivialized, and mocked. We now can't even display God's Ten Commandments in the public square because someone might be offended. Even though we declare Christmas a national holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we can't use terms like Merry Christmas because someone might be offended. We are told that Bible-believing, God-obeying Christians have no place in the political arena because of the "separation of church and state," as leftists/socialists now interpret it. How do we respond? In most cases, we silently obey, although there are still some strong voices proclaiming truth.
In a nation where about 80 percent of the people claim to be Christian, can anyone explain why WE aren't the ones winning the battle for hearts, souls, freedom, and liberty? So, some people claim to be offended by the mention of Christ. Could it be that some of these people are sinning, and don't want to hear about God who judges sin? Unfortunately, when Christians are silent, these same sinners don't get to hear that God can also forgive them of their sins and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. So that 20 percent of the people who don't know, or reject God and His Son, dictate what the 80 percent get to say, and how we can practice our faith.
Why do we relinquish our constitutionally-protected right to free speech and practice of religion? Have we become ashamed of the Gospel? If this is the case, we should take heed...Jesus said, "If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38 NLT)
Not only have we seemingly forgotten how God is the major reason America exists, we have forgotten how He has delivered us through many trials and tribulations since our nation's founding. He continues to "shed His grace on thee," dear American. And what do we do? We allow Him to be pushed out of our lives. Consider these wise words:
God has given us a wonderful nation in which we could proclaim His righteousness, glory, and mercy to the rest of the world. Our response to His generosity: We have become a nation of sin, wickedness, and depravity, behavior we seem to celebrate instead of correctly condemning. One needs only to turn on the TV to realize this truth. Why do we think America is called the great Satan? Hmmm...
We must repent of our individual and collective sins before God removes His hand of mercy. And the Bible tells us that we have all sinned and fallen short of His glory. (Rom. 3:23) I fear He has already begun lifting His hand, allowing judgment to start falling on us. Biblical repentance is a change of mind toward God and sin that causes us to change how we live. Instead of "going our own way, and doing our own thing," we start going God's way, and obeying His precepts. We are blessed when we obey God; conversely, we are cursed when we don't. But still, it is our choice.
God says, "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)
Thomas Jefferson said, "The God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever." We should all be trembling. May we all begin praying that God will forgive us for forgetting, ignoring, and disobeying Him. May He have mercy on us before it is too late. To anyone willing to hear....
© Madeline Crabb
May 29, 2012
The U.S. Federal Government is out of control, and Americans have allowed it to happen. More laws and spending, government's answer to everything, is NOT the answer. To date, We the People have either been unable or unwilling to stop this proverbial runaway freight train. Now the train has gained such momentum that when it finally crashes, which it will, there will be catastrophic damage and destruction. Now it seems most Americans are beginning to understand the danger we face, but don't know what to do about it. What we need most? Righteousness, repentance, and revival. This message will address repentance.
Our Founding Fathers were tremendous men of faith — many were clergy. But they weren't the mealy-mouthed, people-pleasers like so many we see today, some of whom have even removed crosses from sanctuaries to appease those who might be offended. It used to be that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed openly, freely, and in power. Also, clergy used to be at the forefront of preaching against the abuses of government, until, that is, the government issued threats and laws attempting to silence the Church from speaking about such matters. Government police, dressed as IRS agents, would wreak havoc on all violators. Consequently, fear has replaced the boldness once practiced by our Founding Fathers.
How quickly we seem to have forgotten that one of the main purposes of founding this country was so we could freely practice our religion, and spread the Gospel. As Patrick Henry said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here." In our nation, even atheists can practice their "religion."
Club for Growth's Steve Moore says that history has shown any civilization or community that does not continually renew its values and understand what its foundational principles are will ultimately see its own demise. Honestly, dear Americans, haven't we failed to understand our heritage? Haven't we forsaken our foundational faith? Our founders knew that it would take diligence and courage to maintain our freedom and liberty. We are all familiar with the phrase, freedom isn't free. It has been won by blood, sweat, and tears. Accordingly, our founders pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. Indeed, many of them sacrificed dearly. The question now is: Are we willing to do the same? You see, our Founding Fathers were relying on a force much greater than themselves. They relied on God. What do we rely on? Sadly, it is government. But as Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "Every step we take towards making the State our Caretaker of our lives, by that much we move toward making the State our Master." Prophetic.
We have slowly abdicated our personal responsibility in many areas — sometimes voluntarily, sometimes through force. Nonetheless, we have done so. Concurrently, we have allowed our God to be demeaned, trivialized, and mocked. We now can't even display God's Ten Commandments in the public square because someone might be offended. Even though we declare Christmas a national holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we can't use terms like Merry Christmas because someone might be offended. We are told that Bible-believing, God-obeying Christians have no place in the political arena because of the "separation of church and state," as leftists/socialists now interpret it. How do we respond? In most cases, we silently obey, although there are still some strong voices proclaiming truth.
In a nation where about 80 percent of the people claim to be Christian, can anyone explain why WE aren't the ones winning the battle for hearts, souls, freedom, and liberty? So, some people claim to be offended by the mention of Christ. Could it be that some of these people are sinning, and don't want to hear about God who judges sin? Unfortunately, when Christians are silent, these same sinners don't get to hear that God can also forgive them of their sins and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. So that 20 percent of the people who don't know, or reject God and His Son, dictate what the 80 percent get to say, and how we can practice our faith.
Why do we relinquish our constitutionally-protected right to free speech and practice of religion? Have we become ashamed of the Gospel? If this is the case, we should take heed...Jesus said, "If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38 NLT)
Not only have we seemingly forgotten how God is the major reason America exists, we have forgotten how He has delivered us through many trials and tribulations since our nation's founding. He continues to "shed His grace on thee," dear American. And what do we do? We allow Him to be pushed out of our lives. Consider these wise words:
-
"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."
Abraham Lincoln — Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting
God has given us a wonderful nation in which we could proclaim His righteousness, glory, and mercy to the rest of the world. Our response to His generosity: We have become a nation of sin, wickedness, and depravity, behavior we seem to celebrate instead of correctly condemning. One needs only to turn on the TV to realize this truth. Why do we think America is called the great Satan? Hmmm...
We must repent of our individual and collective sins before God removes His hand of mercy. And the Bible tells us that we have all sinned and fallen short of His glory. (Rom. 3:23) I fear He has already begun lifting His hand, allowing judgment to start falling on us. Biblical repentance is a change of mind toward God and sin that causes us to change how we live. Instead of "going our own way, and doing our own thing," we start going God's way, and obeying His precepts. We are blessed when we obey God; conversely, we are cursed when we don't. But still, it is our choice.
God says, "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14)
Thomas Jefferson said, "The God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever." We should all be trembling. May we all begin praying that God will forgive us for forgetting, ignoring, and disobeying Him. May He have mercy on us before it is too late. To anyone willing to hear....
© Madeline Crabb
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