WE ARE a Christian nation. I hear this repeatedly. It seems to be the mantra of most followers of Christ here in America, a mantra that seems cemented by the fact that most of the founders of this great land professed to be followers of the faith; it flows through the veins of our history; it is even reflected in our national motto: In God We Trust. Yes, it seems that everyone knows we are a Christian nation; especially the Christians.
This is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because it means that we enjoy a rich heritage of religious freedom. As Christians we are sensitive to any attacks against that freedom that come our way; and even when we may not always be overly active in politics, we are quick to step up and speak out when religious liberty is threatened. However, it is also a curse. How so you say? Allow me to explain...
American Christians are great at evangelizing- in other nations. We are quick to run to other nations to spread the Gospel; and often when our missionaries go overseas they see great results- God moving in amazing ways, spreading revival throughout communities the missionaries work in, many people converting to become followers of Christ. I will be the first to admit it is very exciting to hear the testimonies that missionaries have to share when they return from foreign soil.
However, we are not so quick to share the Gospel here. It seems too often our mouths are more interested in praising our favorite sports team than we are praising God. Our heart is more content seeking the American dream than seeking to fulfil the Great Commission. We are more cautious with our words, which are chosen intentionally to ensure they do not offend those in this vast culture that may believe in something different.
And we have our excuses; sometimes they even sound good. The one on my mind tonight though, is the following: We are a Christian nation. So perhaps I am missing something here... Because we are a Christian nation, we as Christians are excused from sharing the Gospel here? It saddens me to no end when people tell me this... You see, in the mind of many Christians, so much of our culture revolves around Christianity that they really believe everyone here has already heard the good news... There is no point in making a special effort, in living mission minded in this land- because everyone has heard it already, and they have either chosen to accept or reject it.
You may ask- why does this sadden you? Isn't it true? In this nation where Jesus is so prevalent that His name is even a common curse word, shouldn't we turn more attention to other lands and not be so concerned about it here? After all, we will probably just offend others anyway, and then we will be labeled as self-righteous people who are just some weird kind of zealot...
Well? Is it true?
Tonight I had the opportunity to speak with a couple of teenagers about Jesus Christ. I asked them who they thought He was. Their response? He was a guy who taught some religious stuff. I asked them if they knew what sin was. Would you believe they didn't? They genuinely did not know what it meant to be a sinner!! It was a great joy that God allowed me to explain the Gospel to them- it is with greater joy that I have a new brother and sister in Christ when all was said and done... But the reason and purpose for this blog is not to shine a light on that, but rather on this fact: So many of us assume that everyone in America has heard the Gospel, that everyone knows what sin is, that everyone knows who Jesus is; we become so convinced of this that we make little or no effort to evangelize our neighbors, our co-workers, or families, our friends, or whoever else God places in our path...
The fact is, there are a lot of Americans that we have placed labels and assumptions on, who don't fit in to it at all. The reality is that this society is so exposed to the Gospel that many of the lost have become desensitized to it's message, never getting the whole of the truth. The reality is that too often we replace genuine evangelism with bumper sticker and t-shirt slogans, giving out only a half-hearted morsel of the whole loaf of the bread of life.
The reality is, here in America, Jesus' Words apply greatly : "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."
May I ask a question? When was the last time you shared the Gospel with someone? When was the last time you took a friend or co-worker aside and said, "can I tell you about Someone who has completely changed my life?" When was the last time you saw someone hurting and you offered to pray for them- not just when you got home or when you remembered to, but stopped right there, stopped what you were doing, and prayed WITH them? When was the last time you were intentional about being mission minded here in America?
I must confess- too often I am not. It grieves me to think of missed opportunities because I fell into the trap of believing "they have probably already heard it"...
Jesus never said, "Go-unless you think they already know."
Does that mean every time we share people will choose to accept Christ right then and there? No. Jesus was clear that many will reject Him, few will follow. But you see that part isn't up to us. It isn't for us to make the decision for them, and it isn't for us to get discouraged and give up when they don't. What is for us is to be obedient. And what is for us is that when we are obedient, we will see God move! You see, I really believe Jesus' Words, the harvest IS plentiful here in America! There are so many that have yet to hear the truth in our own backyard!
Do me a favor would ya? Let's agree together to be intentionally mission minded in THIS Country, in OUR state, in OUR city, in OUR neighborhood- you and me! What do you say?
I believe God will move and use us in an extraordinary way if we will commit to that! Let's be a part of His harvest here in America!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Why Libya Matters
IT WAS not that long ago we were honoring the memory of September 11. There were prayer events, political events, and times of reflection at sporting events. The nation was reminded of that time in our recent history when we suffered violently at the hands of terrorists... That time when so many of our American citizens died, and we swore that it would happen NEVER again. We had our time of tears, but those tears turned to anger, and that anger fueled war, in an attempt to send a clear mesage to the world: NEVER AGAIN. We thought that they heard us. The question is- did they?
That was answered 11 years after the first 9/11 attack. 11 years to the day. September 11, 2012 was a new day for terror. This time, the attack happened at our Consulate in Libya. An act of violence using military grade weapons and took the lives of 4 Americans. While it is true that we did not lose as many as we did on the orriginal 9/11, it does not discount the fact that our people were murdered. To their families, it is irrelevant if it was 4 or 3,000. Their lives are changed forever, their loved ones are never returning home to hug them, to kiss them, to hold them. Their world fractured that day. What makes it worse, though, is that a time that should be reserved for sorrow and healing has been fractured as well. Only this time it was not rocket launchers, gunfire, or mortars that has left a crater on their soul- no, this time it is betrayal.
Betrayal. A strong word, but we must understand the events of that day, and in so doing understand that the events at Libya were not just some random thing that happened, they were not some minor event in American history, nor was it something we should just ignore. Now I know the concern that some may have- we should not politicize the deaths of four Americans. I agree. I think it would be a grave disservice to them to turn this into a partisan politics arguement. HOWEVER- we must not avoid the discussion in fear of being taken as politicizing the event either.
We must first look at some facts that we do know: First, that there was an attack on sovereign American soil. International law states that a country's consulates in foreign land is sovereign soil to that nation. Basicly, if you attack a consulate you are in effect attacking that nation. So the American consulate in Libya was, by international law, sitting on American soil. The attack there on that fateful September day then, in the eyes of international law- as well as our own- was no different than if they had attacked us here in the states.
Less than a mile away from the consulate, there were 2 Navy SEALs. Upon hearing the gunshots they radiod in for support, requesting aid as they went into action to protect American soil, and more importantly, American lives. They were denied help. And they were told to stand down. They were told to do nothing as their fellow Americans fell under attack.
They chose to defy orders.
They left their safety and went into action, engaging the enemy in a firefight, rescuing 30 American citizens that day. Unfortunately they were not able to save everyone, as 2 other Americans- one of them our ambassador to Libya- were killed. Finally, near the end of a 7 hour firefight, these two Navy SEALs were killed in action as well.
After the attack we were told repeatedly by our President, by our Vice President, by the Secretary of State, and by all the other mouthpieces in between that this was the result of an anti-muslim video that had been made and put out on youtube. This video, which reportedly had 17 views before this incident, supposedly set the whole middle east into a blazing riot.
But that was not the case at all, as we have since learned that there was no protest. There was no uprising. In fact, less than an hour after the attack began- WHILE our men were still fighting- an islamic terrorist group was taking credit for it. Yes, my friends, we have learned that indeed this was a terrorist attack. On our soil. And our government, as investigations have proven, knew this the whole time. Not only did they know about it- but they lied to the American people about what it was. They covered up for a terrorist group as long as they could. And as testimonies and evidence have surfaced, they watched the attack on live video feed. They watched as these 2 SEALs fought to save others. They watched as they called for help, for backup, for something. They denied their requests, and then they watched them die.
Why does this matter, you ask? First of all, because of several unanswered questions. WHY was there inadequate security at this consulate? WHY were the SEALs told to stand down and not engage the enemy? WHY were their repeated calls for help denied? WHY were other military and CIA branches also told to do nothing and to stand down when they requested to go in for back up? WHY did our government do nothing but watch as this terrorist attack unfolded? WHY DID THEY COVER FOR A TERRORIST GROUP AS LONG AS THEY COULD UNTIL THEY COULD NO LONGER LIE ABOUT IT BEING A PROTEST?
WHY should we think this is anything less than treason?
Why does this matter? How is this not politicizing this event? Because republican, democrat, liberal, conservative, it really doesn't matter what the president believes. This was nothing less than intentionally leaving our men to die. They may have been killed by mortars and gunfire that day- but it was this administration's lack of involvement that enabled their murder. By OUR law, that is called being an accomplice to murder. It matters not what the party affiliation is. This was just wrong.
In the democrat primaries in 2008, Hillary Clinton campaigned against Barak Obama, asking the question- what will you do when you get a call at 3 a.m. in the morning about an American attack...
Well... Now we know what the answer to her question is.
What will he do? Nothing. Nothing but watch.
My friends, is this really what we want from our president? Is this what we should expect? This behavior does not warrant four more years as leader of the free world- it warrants 40 to life behind bars.
That was answered 11 years after the first 9/11 attack. 11 years to the day. September 11, 2012 was a new day for terror. This time, the attack happened at our Consulate in Libya. An act of violence using military grade weapons and took the lives of 4 Americans. While it is true that we did not lose as many as we did on the orriginal 9/11, it does not discount the fact that our people were murdered. To their families, it is irrelevant if it was 4 or 3,000. Their lives are changed forever, their loved ones are never returning home to hug them, to kiss them, to hold them. Their world fractured that day. What makes it worse, though, is that a time that should be reserved for sorrow and healing has been fractured as well. Only this time it was not rocket launchers, gunfire, or mortars that has left a crater on their soul- no, this time it is betrayal.
Betrayal. A strong word, but we must understand the events of that day, and in so doing understand that the events at Libya were not just some random thing that happened, they were not some minor event in American history, nor was it something we should just ignore. Now I know the concern that some may have- we should not politicize the deaths of four Americans. I agree. I think it would be a grave disservice to them to turn this into a partisan politics arguement. HOWEVER- we must not avoid the discussion in fear of being taken as politicizing the event either.
We must first look at some facts that we do know: First, that there was an attack on sovereign American soil. International law states that a country's consulates in foreign land is sovereign soil to that nation. Basicly, if you attack a consulate you are in effect attacking that nation. So the American consulate in Libya was, by international law, sitting on American soil. The attack there on that fateful September day then, in the eyes of international law- as well as our own- was no different than if they had attacked us here in the states.
Less than a mile away from the consulate, there were 2 Navy SEALs. Upon hearing the gunshots they radiod in for support, requesting aid as they went into action to protect American soil, and more importantly, American lives. They were denied help. And they were told to stand down. They were told to do nothing as their fellow Americans fell under attack.
They chose to defy orders.
They left their safety and went into action, engaging the enemy in a firefight, rescuing 30 American citizens that day. Unfortunately they were not able to save everyone, as 2 other Americans- one of them our ambassador to Libya- were killed. Finally, near the end of a 7 hour firefight, these two Navy SEALs were killed in action as well.
After the attack we were told repeatedly by our President, by our Vice President, by the Secretary of State, and by all the other mouthpieces in between that this was the result of an anti-muslim video that had been made and put out on youtube. This video, which reportedly had 17 views before this incident, supposedly set the whole middle east into a blazing riot.
But that was not the case at all, as we have since learned that there was no protest. There was no uprising. In fact, less than an hour after the attack began- WHILE our men were still fighting- an islamic terrorist group was taking credit for it. Yes, my friends, we have learned that indeed this was a terrorist attack. On our soil. And our government, as investigations have proven, knew this the whole time. Not only did they know about it- but they lied to the American people about what it was. They covered up for a terrorist group as long as they could. And as testimonies and evidence have surfaced, they watched the attack on live video feed. They watched as these 2 SEALs fought to save others. They watched as they called for help, for backup, for something. They denied their requests, and then they watched them die.
Why does this matter, you ask? First of all, because of several unanswered questions. WHY was there inadequate security at this consulate? WHY were the SEALs told to stand down and not engage the enemy? WHY were their repeated calls for help denied? WHY were other military and CIA branches also told to do nothing and to stand down when they requested to go in for back up? WHY did our government do nothing but watch as this terrorist attack unfolded? WHY DID THEY COVER FOR A TERRORIST GROUP AS LONG AS THEY COULD UNTIL THEY COULD NO LONGER LIE ABOUT IT BEING A PROTEST?
WHY should we think this is anything less than treason?
Why does this matter? How is this not politicizing this event? Because republican, democrat, liberal, conservative, it really doesn't matter what the president believes. This was nothing less than intentionally leaving our men to die. They may have been killed by mortars and gunfire that day- but it was this administration's lack of involvement that enabled their murder. By OUR law, that is called being an accomplice to murder. It matters not what the party affiliation is. This was just wrong.
In the democrat primaries in 2008, Hillary Clinton campaigned against Barak Obama, asking the question- what will you do when you get a call at 3 a.m. in the morning about an American attack...
Well... Now we know what the answer to her question is.
What will he do? Nothing. Nothing but watch.
My friends, is this really what we want from our president? Is this what we should expect? This behavior does not warrant four more years as leader of the free world- it warrants 40 to life behind bars.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
