The Sky is Falling
As New York state passed a law allowing gay couples to marry, men like Pat Robertson suggested God will “destroy America”. I guess 30 million abortions haven’t irked God enough to destroy us, but that gay thing REALLY gets under His skin. Of course this kind of rhetoric ignores two very important truths.
Firstly, God no longer deals with “nations” as a whole. We live in the gospel age which deals with individuals regardless of national affiliation. The concept of national loyalty is not only a spiritual compromise on a personal level, but it misrepresents the very heart of the Great Commission. And remember, there is no freedom outside of Jesus Christ, and all freedoms granted by earthly governments are in fact mirages. The United States of America, the recognized bastion of earthly freedom, is vastly populated by people who are imprisoned by all sorts of bondages. The devil, you see, operates quite nicely in the framework of earthly freedom.
Secondly, the “God will destroy sinners because they sin” concept obliterates the gospel of redemption. I guess men like Robertson have forgotten that Jesus did not come to condemn, but that the world through Him might be saved. There will come a time where God deals with humanity as a whole, past and present, without the offer of redemption, but until that day we are called to “so love the world” and preach the good news to every creature.
By the way, this weekend is an open celebration of idolatry and national self righteousness in which most evangelical churches, as well as liberal, emergent, gay, and mainline churches, as well as Jewish synagogues, new age gatherings, and a whole host of eclectic religious groups will enthusiastically participate in this weekends festivities. I guess they better hurry up and celebrate since at any moment God will destroy us.
And why will God destroy “us”? Not because over half the marriages end in divorce; not because infidelity is almost recreational; not because of the open hedonism; not because child molestation is rampant; not because the nation labors under the weight of obscene debt both nationally and personally; not because of millions upon millions of unborn babies ripped from their wombs; not because on the National Day of Prayer clergy from all faiths and religions are invited to Washington and lead in prayer; not because pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry; not because drugs and alcohol are regularly abused; not because professional sports figures are treated like Greek gods; no, not because of all that and more.
God can live with all that. But when gays are to be married and recognized by this antichrist system, well, that is going way to far. You see God sees and knows what these gay couples are already doing in their bedrooms, but God looks the other way as long as they are only “going steady” and not attempting to marry. But when they are allowed to “marry”, well that is when God has to act.
Absurd, of course, but worse than that it dilutes the gospel and manifests a startling degree of self righteousness among believers camouflaged as “standing against sin”. Of course the volume of standing against sin is always amplified when it is against the sins that we ourselves are not even tempted to commit. It is so easy and convenient. If you are so vigilant about sin then may I suggest you move to Darfur and stand against the persecution of millions. If you want to really make a difference by condemning the sin of others, move to Pakistan and find a street corner and preach against the Muslim treatment of women and Christians. Find a Mexican drug lord’s neighborhood and through a bullhorn take an open stand against his drug dealing. But of course pronouncing God’s vengeance on America from an air conditioned television set is oh so…post modern.
And may I offer some timely insight into the reality of the situation? The Republic is not in danger of God’s wrath. This Republic, like all earthly governments, are at their very core attempts to create atmospheres that benefit fallen man. Monarchies and dictatorships benefit a few, and democracies benefit more than a few. But none of them were created to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, whose name by the way, is conspicuously absent from the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Quite odd for a “Christian” nation. My family and some friends will be having a picnic on Monday, July 4th. We will not be celebrating America; we will be eating and celebrating the goodness of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
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4 comments:
Wow! Rick, have got to say that as I read through your article fireworks began to go off in my spirit. The Kingdom of God is without observation. The very contradictions you mention and expose have been problematic to my heart for many years. His true kingdom, nation, country and its citizens (which is His true dwelling place now) cannot be seen or known by the natural sight of carnal men. We get the clearest picture of God’s favorite nation in this New Covenant Age from Paul’s “Declaration of Christ Dependence” in Ephesians 2:16-22.
“Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.
That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.”
Thank you and praise Him.
Hello - I have just found your blog, and I am excited to read everything here. I am so glad that you have written about the imminent return of Christ - I am waiting! I am also in New York, and I am dismayed about the decision made, but I agree totally that this is just another issue, and not the greatest at all. We are taught that the nation was founded on the word of God, but it is definitely not standing on it anymore. I wonder if we're being called to "come out" through all of these terrible laws. It is obvious that we cannot be part of it, anymore.
Robin - Thank you for stopping by. America was founded upon a sense of the Judeo-Christian ethic, but it was certainly not founded upon the gospel. Some of the founding fathers may have been believers, however none could be called "evangelical".
America was founded as a pluralistic nation which means everyone can believe what they want and the government does not espouse any one religion. We as believers are citizens of a heavenly kingdom and are called to not only be different, but to be separate.
This entire a-national concept is very difficult to embrace since it goes against everything we have been taught both within and without the church. It has been my personal experience that other believers will react aggressively if the subject is even brought up.
The idolization of the founding fathers and a fictional image of the nation's birth is at the very core of the problem. It would be well for us to remember that the Revolutionary War, which saw thousands die, was begun over taxes. No where in the New Testament are believers given the right to violence and war, and especially over taxes (money).
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