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“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.”

Philippians 1:10

We live in a time where the need for discernment has not only become essential, but critically important as well. Whether it is economic statistics, climate data, news reports, medical information, or political claims, we all need to know what is true, real or good in order to be able to make informed decisions that affect our lives. While this has always been necessary, it is even more so today with the advent of social media and the plethora of news outlets that provide a never-ending stream of information and perspectives on our world.

Consequently, I believe that there are three main areas where we need discernment today: lies vs. truth, perception vs. reality, and good vs. evil.

Lies vs. Truth

In our culture today, many people base their opinions and beliefs on what they read and hear and not necessarily about whether it is true or not. We’ve seen how public opinion can be shaped by exaggeration or exploitation of an event so that the public is made to believe a lie, or a distortion of it, rather than the truth.  People will often rush to judgment and act first and ask questions later, which can lead to people being hurt physically or emotionally.

Let’s look at 2 examples. First, in the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, MO in 2014, the initial media reports said that Michael Brown was shot while having his hands up in the air and saying don’t shoot. When the truth came out, the police officer was exonerated because the victim tried to take the officer’s gun away from him while he was in his police car and was shot in the process. He never put his hands up or said don’t shoot. But many people today still believe that’s what happened. Second, there is the case of Ryan Braun, the Milwaukee Brewer outfielder who was accused of using PED’s (performance enhancing drugs) in 2013. He strongly denied it and even tried to put the blame on the person who tested him. He was believed initially, but eventually the truth came out that he had taken PED’s, and his career and reputation never recovered.

All of us hold strong beliefs based upon our own experiences and what we’ve been taught or read. We are also quick to believe or trust people we know well. Those attitudes are hard to change, even in the face of the facts or the truth. We often try to make the facts fit our beliefs, rather than let the facts inform our beliefs. But if we are to have discernment between lies and truth, we must look for the truth and let our actions reflect what is actually true, not what we are led to believe is true.

Perception vs. Reality

Everyone has biases and previous experiences that affect the way that we see or interpret events around us. That often causes us to not be able to see the truth or the facts clearly. Sometimes we only see what we want to see. For example, in many sports games when a judgment call is made, we immediately think our team got a bad call because we want our team to win. Only when we see the video replay can we verify whether the call was correct or not.

Another common example is in news video clips and social media posts where only a portion of an event is shown which can lead to wrong conclusions. It is a technique that is used in just about every political ad to denounce or attack an opponent. Words are taken out of context and video clips don’t show the entire dialog or event in question. As a result, the reader or viewer is given misleading information in order to sway or influence their opinion or vote.

If we are not discerning about everyday things like this, we will often fall victim to the content provider’s bias and end up either being misled or worse, believing a lie. The video clips and news reports we should be most concerned about are the ones that appear to validate what we already believe to be true. They are the most dangerous because we immediately accept them without question and often do not check their accuracy. On-line fact checkers are also of questionable value because they too have been proven to be inaccurate or biased as well. We must do our own research to verify that what we see or what we are being told is true. If we don’t, we could end up spreading misinformation ourselves and mislead others along with us. As the old saying goes, “when in doubt, check it out!”

Good vs. Evil

Perhaps the most concerning lack of discernment today is that of good versus evil. We live in a culture that promotes sexual perversion in all its forms, that accepts the killing of innocent babies in a mother’s womb as a “right” and completely legitimate for any reason, that justifies racism against some people and not others, that endorses the silencing of voices from only certain viewpoints, and that allows theft of property (e.g.- under $950 in CA). All these evils are now determined to either be acceptable or even good for society. It’s almost incomprehensible that our nation has gone this far in accepting, and in some cases, endorsing these evils.

The only reliable way to discern between good and evil is through the lens of Scripture, which is God’s Word. If we use human wisdom or secular thinking, we will end up doing what we reason is good rather than what God says is good. God alone is good, and everything He does is good (Psalm 119:68). Whatever is not of God is evil. But for many people, God’s Word is not where they look to define good and evil. Instead, the look to their own reason or that of the secular world, which are both sinful and corrupt. In effect, people determine for themselves what is good and what is evil. When we make that determination ourselves, we proclaim that we are the authority over what is good or evil, or what is true or false, or even what is fake or real. That kind of thinking is absurd and has no legitimacy. It will also lead to chaos and the destruction of any society. If everyone can determine these things by themselves then there is no law and no order, and as a result, no true justice!

How do we become more discerning? There are two ways.

First, we need to turn to God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We get wisdom from God’s Word that enables us to discern what is of God and what is not of God. By reading and knowing God’s Word, we can more easily make that distinction in the events in our lives and world.

Second, we need to let the Holy Spirit guide our hearts and minds. Proverbs 3:4-5 says to “Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” By submitting our thoughts and will to the Holy Spirit, we allow him to discern for us and lead us in God’s way and not our own.

Finally, discernment goes hand in hand with patience. We need to wait for all the facts to become known before forming an opinion. Therefore, let us also be patient and use that extra time to go to God’s Word and His Holy Spirit for wisdom to discern the truth!

“For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water.”

Isaiah 32:6

Introduction

America is a different country today than even 20 years ago. It has become more secular than at any other time in our history, and we have witnessed the decline in the respect of the Bible and Judeo-Christian values. America as a nation continues to distance itself from God and has descended into ungodliness. What is ungodliness? It is anything that is not of God. Since God is good (Proverbs 34:8), then anything that is not of God is evil. We are witnessing a culture in America that calls evil, good, and good, evil. Evil is not only accepted, but also promoted! The Bible warns us that, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)

The Current Reality

America’s descent into ungodliness did not just suddenly appear the past two years. It has been slowly occurring over the past 60 years. I documented this decline in my book, About Face: A Call to Turn America Back to God, that I wrote and published in 2015.  In that book I document the decline in morality since 1963 across several statistics, including abortion, divorce, violent crime, drug use and church attendance. I also wrote about the rise in sexual idolatry, devaluation of life, greed, dishonesty, and lack of personal responsibility. This clearly shows that America has been descending into ungodliness for a long time. And we are now at a point where we have seen the emergence of gender self-identity, critical race theory, socialist policies, open borders, and attacks on police officers. These are all against God’s order and design and threaten the stability of our nation. Furthermore, this is also resulting in the coercion of Americans to accept these evils as if they were good!

It is obvious that America is becoming less Christian. Recent polls by Pew Research show that only 63% of Americans now identify as Christian and 30% of Americans now say they have no religious affiliation at all. This compares to 75% and 16% just 10 years ago! Furthermore, according to a 2020 survey by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, only 41% of Americans believe the Bible to be the Word of God and without error, and only 14% of Americans have a Biblical worldview! In other words, America has become more pagan as well!

It is also clear that many Americans have abandoned our Judeo-Christian foundation and have turned to the god of self and man’s wisdom instead of the one true God. As Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”  

Not only that, but persecution against Christians in America has risen as well. Christian bakers are being sued, Christian professors and other employees are being fired, pro-life centers are being attacked, and mass shooters are now targeting churches. And while I have yet to personally experience this persecution, I know that the possibility exists that I could be targeted one day for a simple FaceBook post, attending a Christian event, or simply standing up for my beliefs. And if this continues, things could get a lot tougher for Christians in America.

Our nation is divided and headed down a self-destructive path. But let’s not forget that while ungodly forces may be currently running the media, corporate boardrooms, education, and many government positions, there are still a great number of Americans who trust in God, value our freedoms, believe in the free market economy, and respect our fellow citizens. All is not lost – at least not yet. There is still hope and time for America Christians to respond. But it will take courage, perseverance, patience, and prayer to bring this about.

It won’t be easy either because the Church in America is not unified around God’s Word and its truth. The true Church is who God will use to bring this about. Unfortunately, many churches and denominations have turned away from God’s Word as well and are following the same ungodly myths and beliefs Paul spoke about in his 2^nd letter to Timothy. So, the situation in America today is really not that different than when Paul wrote those words!

The Solution

First, to turn America away from its current path, we must start with the truth. God’s truth. The ungodly believe that each person can have their own truth, which is absolutely absurd on its surface. There has to be one standard of truth that applies to all people. And the only truth that will do that is God’s truth. So, we must ignore the media, academics, and government officials who make up their own truth and look to the Bible to find it! (Isaiah 45:19)

Second, we need to share Jesus! The only remedy for an ungodly person is to put their faith in Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to work in their life. It is Jesus who makes us Godly and righteous and enables us to do good. He calls us to live like Him and love others as He has loved us. When we do that, we help and bless other people, and we are blessed in return. As Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:12, we are to “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”

Our task is to do these two things and leave the rest up to God!

Two Final Thoughts

First, many people think that Christianity is doomed in America. But we know from Scripture that is impossible. Remember Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew 16:18? Jesus said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.” Christ’s Church in America, and on earth, will continue, and it will ultimately prevail when He returns!

Second, many people doubt that Christianity can grow again in America. But we don’t have to look too far back in history to see that when the Church is persecuted, it grows! Christian missionaries were driven out of China by Chairman Mao in 1948, and the Church in China grew from 4 million Christians to an estimated 100 million today! More recently there is growth in the number of Christians in Iran and North Korea as well. Even in Europe, where Christianity has declined greatly, it is not extinct and is still very active in places like England, Germany, and Sweden.

So, let us not lose hope, but instead cling to it, knowing that our God is greater than anything or anyone!! To God alone be the glory, and may He use you and I to witness to the gospel and His truth to help save our nation from itself!

“The angel said to the woman, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He is risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.'”

Matthew 28:5-6

I was recently reflecting on our church’s Easter service, and it caused me to wonder how people who are not Christians might respond to the gospel message of Easter Sunday. In particular, how do they receive or understand the Easter message if Easter Sunday is likely the only time they visit a church, in person or on-line? As a lifelong Christian, I understand the Easter message very well because I have been brought up in the Christian faith. But do these non-Christians have the basic foundation to understand it?

The Christian faith can be summarized into the following set of belief statements:

1. God created the heavens, the earth, and man (in His image) and they were perfect

2. Because of Adam & Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, man was corrupted by sin

3. Man cannot escape his sinful condition by his own efforts

4. Jesus, as God’s Son, sacrificed His perfect life on a cross to pay the price for our sin

5. The resurrection of Jesus defeated death for us so we would not die but have eternal life

6. We can receive this eternal life by simply putting our faith in Jesus and what He did for us

These are the essentials of the Christian faith. However, the Easter message often only contains the last three statements about his crucifixion, death and resurrection. The first three statements are usually left out and perhaps assumed to be generally understood. But for those who have not been exposed to Christianity that is probably not true.  Without the foundation of the first three statements the last three might not make sense. So the significance and the enormity of what happened on that first Easter 2,000 years ago may be lost on those who do not know or accept the first three statements.

Consequently, if the Easter message is heard without an understanding of why Jesus did what He did, it is not as likely to gain acceptance. It’s like the story of Philip and the Eunuch from Acts 8:26-40. The Eunuch needed Philip to explain to him the passage from Isaiah that he was reading. He needed the context and the foundation of it in order to understand it. Philip gave that to him so that he could believe the good news!

I think there are basically four reasons why non-Christians find it hard to believe or accept the Easter message if that’s all they hear.

First, they do not accept it because they reject the idea of a sovereign God. Some Americans don’t believe God exists. Many others believe that even if God exists, they don’t think He is sovereign or relevant to their lives. Most of them choose to believe in science and in the big bang theory of creation over the Biblical account. Still others will argue that if God is so good, why is there suffering and pain caused by the world He created? If these issues aren’t addressed then people won’t, or can’t, believe in a sovereign God. And if they don’t believe God exists, is sovereign, or is relevant, then they are unlikely to believe in Jesus or His resurrection.  

Second, some people reject Christianity because they don’t believe that they are corrupted by sin. Many people believe that they are good people at heart. There’s even a country song out now by Luke Bryan that says he believes “most people are good.” If you or I asked a group of people if they thought people were basically good, most of them would say yes, including many Christians. But this is in direct contradiction with Scripture that says “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 8:23) and “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1^st John 1:9) It is difficult for some people to accept the fact that they might not be a good person. As a result, many people won’t accept that they are sinful by nature and thus they do not need to be made good, or righteous.

Third, some people reject Christianity because they think that they can fix their faults and shortcomings themselves. So, even if they accept that God exists and that they are sinful, they don’t think they need God or Jesus to help them overcome their sins and failures. They believe that if they just try harder and put forth greater effort they can change their behavior. But the truth is, we cannot fix ourselves by our own power (Ephesians 2:8-9). The only way to resolve our sinful nature is to take on the spiritual nature (Galatians 5:16), which means to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to change.  Many people can’t accept that they need help from somewhere else to solve their sin problem, and so they reject the need for a savior.

But there is also a fourth and more rational reason why non-Christians reject the Easter message. Even if they manage to get past these first three hurdles, some of them reject the idea that Jesus’ death on the cross somehow took away their sin and made a way for them to live eternally. To me, this is the most reasoned objection, because it is so utterly fantastic to believe! How is it possible that one man’s death could take away the sin of everyone who has ever lived, died or has yet to be born? And yet, Jesus did just that! God’s Word tells us that “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” (Colossians 1:21-22)  Why do I know and believe this to be true? Because I also believe and accept that God is sovereign, I am a sinner and I need a savior!

For me, the bottom line of the Easter message means that if I put my faith in Jesus I will not die. This life of mine is not all there is. It is my present reality and I do enjoy it. But my faith in Christ is predicated on my belief in a sovereign God, my acceptance that I am sinful by nature, and my trust in Christ as my Savior from sin and death. I do not want to spend one day, in this world or the next, without my God or my Savior Jesus! His promise to never leave me or forsake me sustains me in this life (Hebrews 13:5). But the promise of eternal life, given to me through Jesus’ death and resurrection, gives me the hope of spending eternity with Him (John 3:16)! Being separated from God after our earthly death is called hell. And indeed that’s where those who reject God or fail to believe or put their faith in Jesus will end up (John 3:18).

It is hard to understand why people would choose hell by rejecting God and Jesus. But perhaps they wouldn’t if they knew and accepted that God is sovereign, they have a sinful nature, and they need a savior. And that’s where you and I come in. We are God’s chosen instruments to share God’s Truth as well as this good news of Easter. We can’t just tell them the end of the story and expect people to believe it without knowing why it was necessary. We must build a foundation on the truth of God, our sin condition, and our need for a savior. That creates the fertile ground for the seed of faith in Jesus to be planted in others. This not only produces hope in the life to come but also a changed life in the world they live in now.

May our sovereign God give us the words and wisdom to bring others to Him through Jesus, the Truth, the Cross, and a new life in Christ!

“When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. ‘Sovereign Lord’, they said, ‘you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.'”

Acts 4:24

We live in a world that is full of violence, conflict, horrendous atrocities, and unending evil. All people have been created in God’s image, and throughout history, some people have done some terrible things to other people. Just recently we saw Russia invade another independent nation, Ukraine, without just cause and resulting in the deaths of many innocent civilians. There are conflicts in many nations over covid restrictions, government policies, and political ideologies, with some of them resulting in violence and injuries to others. We also read about the murders, kidnappings, rapes, thefts, and other crimes committed against one another in our news every day. And finally, there exists the bullying, verbal attacks and silencing of people just for having a different viewpoint.

And the one question many non-Christians usually ask is, “If God is so good, why does he let these bad things happen?” It is a legitimate question with a simple answer. It’s because although God is good, He gave people a free will. And people use that freedom for evil instead of the good that God intended.

When God created the world, Genesis 1:31 says that “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” So, what went wrong? Again, Genesis provides the answer in chapter 3 that sin entered the world so that humans were corrupted and banished from the garden of Eden and God’s perfection. It resulted from Adam and Eve’s decision to listen to Satan instead of God. It was willful disobedience. They wanted to “be like God” rather than just enjoy His presence. God could have created us to be totally obedient to Him. But then He would not have enjoyed our presence with Him as much as if we freely love being with Him. That’s the same love every parent wants from their children.

In our world today, many people look to find someone to blame for all this conflict and evil. Some blame God instead of Satan, some blame society instead of the individual, and often some blame others instead of themselves. Yet, God is still sovereign over all. What, then, does that really mean?

Sovereignty is not an issue of control. Since God gave us free will, He therefore cannot control what we do. So, being sovereign is not about control but instead it’s about who’s really in charge and who sets the rules. In other words, it’s about authority. A king has authority over his subjects. A board of directors has authority over a corporation. A government has authority over its citizens. A parent has authority over their children. In each of these cases, the people with authority do not control their constituents. They simply have authority over them and can set the rules and guidelines for what they determine to be of benefit to them. But they also establish the consequences for breaking those rules.

The same is true for God because He is the author of creation. He has all authority because He created all humans, the world, and everything we see and know (Genesis 1). In fact, He sent Jesus into the world to save us from our sin and evil behavior that we willfully engage in. Ultimately, God gave Jesus authority over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18) because of His obedience to the Father and His authority. God (and Jesus) do not control us, but they do have authority over us and what happens when we “break the rules” that He has set for us. If God truly controlled us, we would never disobey Him and therefore never do evil, endure suffering, or need punishment.

So, God is not controlling, but He is still “in control”, or sovereign, and has authority over us!

Because God is good (Luke 18:19), every evil act in the world results from our disobedience to God’s Word, His will, and His commands. Since He is also a just God, we will suffer the consequences of our actions (Deuteronomy 32:4). And ultimately, we will be held accountable for them at the day of judgement. As Romans 14:12 says, “So, then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”  So, while people can certainly ignore God, or worship other gods, God is still sovereign over the earth and the affairs of man!

Fortunately, however, God is also a loving and merciful God. His desire is always for our good (Romans 8:28). That’s why He sent His own Son Jesus into the world. It was to save us from ourselves because we were helpless and unable to obey His Word, His will, and His commands. He used His authority and sovereignty to restore us into a right relationship with Him through the atoning sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, our evil and our wrongdoing. And all God asks of us is to just put our faith in Jesus and submit to His authority in our lives! Only a loving God would do that. Only a merciful God would do that. And only a sovereign God could do that!

If all people would simply submit to God and His sovereignty, there would be no more war, violence, conflict, or evil in the world. That sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?

Let us continue to pray for that!

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Psalm 95:7-8

I’ve often wondered why so many people are hesitant to accept Jesus when it seems to be a simple choice to me. Many won’t accept Jesus because they do not believe there is a God at all, let alone His Son. But people who believe in Jesus do so because they believe in God, desire to know Him in this life, and want to go to heaven at the end of their earthly lives. Others believe because the alternative that there is no God is less appealing. It’s often said that if you believe in Jesus and are wrong, it costs you nothing. But if you don’t believe in Jesus and are wrong, it costs you everything! It would seem to be an easy decision to me on that basis alone.

But one’s decision to believe in God, and Jesus as His Son, is not always that simple. I was brought up in the church, so I have known Jesus all my life. But it wasn’t until my first mission trip to Kazakhstan in 1996 that I finally vowed to fully commit my life to Him. In that process, however, I discovered that it is much easier to believe in Jesus than to live for Him. Perhaps that is why some people reject Jesus – they really don’t want to change the way they live!

But let’s go back to the decision to accept Jesus, receive forgiveness and salvation, and put our faith and trust in Him. We are currently witnessing a cultural shift in our nation towards secularism and away from God. What are the reasons that more and more people reject God (and Jesus)? Is it the attraction of atheism? Is it the perception of Christians as evil and hateful people? Is it the belief in science and the rejection of religion in any format? Or is it just about Jesus?

I believe that it is just about Jesus. I think there are 3 major barriers that keep people from accepting Christ – submission, accountability, and money. I would like to share my thoughts with you on each of them in some detail.  My hope is that it may help us all to witness the Christian faith more effectively to others by understanding these barriers.

Submission

We live in a culture here in the USA where children are taught, and raised, to make their own decisions and manage their own lives. Consequently, the decision to submit one’s life to another person is a difficult one for many people to make. Our human nature is to be selfish and to try and control our lives. But James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Jesus Himself said in John 14:23, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” So, accepting Jesus means that we must submit our lives to Him, and then obey His commands. And that is something many people find very hard to do because it means giving up control of their lives.

Submission also implies living for God’s purpose rather than one’s own goals. Followers of Jesus are called to share the gospel with others (Matthew 28:19), witness their faith to others (Acts 1:8), and to live holy lives (1 Peter 1:15). Additionally, submission to Christ means living as he did and being examples to others. Consequently, Christians are commanded to be humble (Ephesians 4:2), to serve others (Galatians 5:13), and to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). These requirements are often very difficult for people to agree to. And that’s understandable, because by ourselves, we can’t meet them! We are all sinners and incapable of doing them without the Holy Spirit. So, we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, and that means submitting to His will instead of ours.

Accountability

We live in a time when many people won’t take responsibility for their actions. Instead, they believe someone, or something else, is to blame for their circumstances, which are usually caused by their own actions or bad decisions. It has become common to see people try to justify their actions and deflect their responsibility onto someone else. We live in a culture of blame that tries to deny individual culpability and project responsibility onto society itself! They believe it’s not the individual who is bad, but it’s society as a whole! This completely goes against what the Bible clearly teaches about sin being an individual action (1 John 1:8). As a result, people who don’t see themselves as sinners who are accountable for their actions do not see a need for Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and grace!

Furthermore, people who are atheists, or who just do not believe in God, are essentially giving themselves the right to determine what is right or wrong. They have no moral standard except their own and are unwilling to be held accountable by others for what they do. However, when someone accepts Christ, they are also agreeing to accept responsibility for their sins according to God’s standards as set forth in Exodus 20:1-17. They understand that God will hold them accountable for what they themselves do (Romans 14:12). And that makes them very uncomfortable. As a result, they are unwilling to be held accountable and will not accept Christ for that reason.

Money

The final barrier to accepting Jesus is money. Money is the world’s measure of success and is highly valued in virtually every nation and culture in the world. As humans, we work to make money to provide for ourselves and our families. Without money it would be very difficult to survive. The responsibility for making money belongs to each individual since we have the freedom to work and earn income. Therefore, people learn a skill, get a degree, or start their own business to make a living for themselves. In most nations it is not society’s responsibility, or the government’s responsibility, to provide a living for people. It is each individual’s responsibility to do that. As a result, people are brought up to work and make money to support themselves. The problem is, the pursuit of money to live a better life can become entrenched in our behavior.

Money becomes a barrier to accepting Jesus when people put it above trusting in God for their needs. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that we “cannot serve both God and money.” He was indicating that we can’t serve both at the same time. When people put their trust in money, they are basically putting trust in themselves and not God. Consequently, they prefer to not to give up control of their income to Jesus. It then becomes a major reason for not accepting Christ, so they won’t have to put their trust in Him for their living. But that’s precisely what Jesus tells us all to do! It goes against our nature and our upbringing.

But note that Jesus doesn’t say to quit working or to stop earning money. He simply says not to make money our goal or idol, or to put our trust in it. The apostle Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:17 that we should “not put our hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put our hope in God, who richly provides for us with everything for our enjoyment.” Consequently, money easily becomes a barrier to accepting Christ and having to trust in Him rather than ourselves!

When we consider these 3 barriers of submission, accountability, and money, we can see a common thread in all of them. And that is the reliance on ourselves instead of putting our trust in God. This is the essence of the 1^st commandment from Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other Gods before me.”  People do not want to submit to someone else, do not want to be accountable to someone else, and do not want to rely on someone else. It comes back to “me versus God” as the main issue.

So, as we share the gospel with others, we should be aware of these barriers and their common link – people’s desire to do what they want rather than what God wants. And it is what God wants that is truly beneficial for all human lives (Proverbs 3:5-6). The failure of humans to grasp this key principle is what causes pain, conflict, suffering, war, disease, hatred, and every evil in our world.

But we must not give up. Instead, we should continue to share the gospel with non-believers while understanding these three barriers. We must allow God’s Holy Spirit to break them down so that they might accept, and follow, His Son!

“The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”

John 1:9

We live in a darkened world today. It seems that wherever we go darkness is invading our nation and our world. Whether it is violence, hatred, verbal abuse, greed, lying or stealing, evil is all too obvious and pervasive nowadays. Furthermore, what once was called evil is now called good. What once was considered sinful is now being paraded around as virtue. And all the while Biblical truth and Christianity are being blamed for many of our societal problems. Satan certainly appears to be having his way in the world today!

However, we must first recognize that the world began in darkness (Genesis 1:2) and there was no light until God created it (Genesis 1:3). Our world was created by God from nothing and all that exists was created by Him. The physical light in our world comes from the sun, and as the world revolves around the sun we have alternate periods of light and darkness. In reality, though, darkness is the absence of light. And anyone who has been to a remote area understands how dark it gets when there are no lights around. We stumble around at night in our homes until we can turn a light on. Many people fear the dark because we can’t see what’s around us that might harm us.

But there is also spiritual darkness. Before Christ came to earth, a spiritual darkness existed in the world. Since Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned, the world had become a place of darkness and evil. There was murder, human sacrifices, sexual sin, violence, robbery and a host of other evil behaviors. Even God’s people rebelled against Him over and over again. When the Roman empire began oppressing the Hebrew people, the only hope left was the coming Messiah who had been prophesied in the Old Testament (“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the governments will be on his shoulders.” – Isaiah 9:6).

And when Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem just outside Jerusalem, the promised Messiah (Savior) had come! It was not a glorious beginning with lots of fanfare and celebration, but a humble birth in a cattle stall. And the first people to proclaim his arrival were not prominent or famous people of the day, but actually lowly shepherds. But it was certainly a world changing event! God had become a man and entered our world to save us from darkness and sin. Jesus was born to bring spiritual light to the earth! The Light has come!

1 John 1:5 says that “God is light, in him there is no darkness at all.” So, in order to combat our spiritual darkness, it was necessary for God to send His own Son Jesus into the world to bring that light to us. And that is true for all humanity, not just those who believe in Jesus. Sadly, however, there are still so many people who have rejected that light and have chosen darkness and evil instead. And most of them aren’t even aware they have done so! The Apostle John wrote in John 3:19-20, that “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”  Throughout the past 2,000 years, people who reject Jesus and His message of salvation for everyone continue to live in darkness instead of the light and therefore prefer evil over good.

Paul wrote to the church in Rome and told them to “be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” (Romans 16:19) We must be discerning as well today about what is evil and what is good in our nation and in our world. Paul also said in Romans 12:9 that we should “hate evil and cling to what is good.” In other words, turn away from the evil that you see around you and instead run to what is good. We should heed Paul’s advice in Romans 12:21 that says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

So, with Christmas fast approaching, how should we as Christians respond to this growing darkness in our world today? How can Christmas help us to bring light into our darkened world?

Well, first of all, we should not despair or lose hope because the Light has already come and is still here! Jesus lives and reigns in our world whether or not other people think so. We know it and should live as people of hope. As Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:9, we are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that (we) may declare the praises of Him who called (us) out of darkness into His wonderful light.” Christmas is the perfect time to remind people that the Light has already come!

Secondly, if we have the light of Christ, we should be able see the evil and darkness around us. That will help us to discern what is truly evil (not of God) and what is truly good. We need to be able to see things as they really are in order to be able to discern whether or not they are good and of God. In our world today there are very clever people who make virtuous sounding arguments that are in fact harmful to us if we pursue or follow them. The best weapon we have to stand against this evil is God’s Word. The Bible must become our armor to withstand Satan’s attacks (Ephesians 6:10-17)! Knowing God’s Word will help us recognize evil and avoid it. Reminding others of the true meaning behind Christmas can draw them to God’s Word as well.

Finally, we must accept God’s call to share this Light with others so they too can come out of the darkness and into the Light! Christmas is a wonderful time to do that as we celebrate the child who is the Light! We cannot just sit back and wait for pastors, ministry workers or others to share the gospel. Every Christian is a minister (1 Peter 2:9) and every Christian is a missionary (Matthew 28:19-20)! We must all continue to proclaim the gospel and the truth of God’s Word to a world in darkness! Christmas is a time where we can share God’s Word through the Christmas carols that we sing and the reading of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem from the Bible.

As we celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus this year, “let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) Let us overcome the evil in our world with God’s goodness that is found in a little baby named Jesus!

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.”

Proverbs 3:13

Several years ago, Ameriquest Mortgage came out with a series of commercials entitled, “Don’t Judge Too Quickly.” Here is one of them (click the video to watch the 30 second commercial):

As the commercial portrays, too often we jump to conclusions before we have a full understanding of the situation we are seeing, hearing or reading about. This is so commonplace in our world today with social media posts, mass media news reports, and paid political ads that try to persuade us to a particular belief or influence our opinions and attitudes without giving us the full story. Without a full understanding, we end up making rash judgements that are later proved to be false or at the very least, misleading.

In order to gain a full understanding of anything, there are 2 things that are needed – context and perspective. Without these two additional pieces of information, any situation or report can be twisted or manipulated to state or show a distorted view of it. In many cases it provides a completely false narrative intended to cause outrage or a quick reaction. If we are to make reasonable judgments or opinions about something, we must make sure we know the context and the perspective before coming to any conclusions or sharing our opinions.

The context of a situation is the background or events leading up to, or following, what you are reading or seeing. For example, many videos posted on FaceBook only show one part of an event, such as an arrest, and not the events that led up to the arrest. That often results in either the police or the criminal being shown to be at fault without knowing what took place before or after what we are seeing. As the above video shows, not knowing what took place before the woman walked into the apartment would lead to a completely false understanding of the situation.

Perspective, on the other hand, is information about the individual in the situation, or our own pre-judgments about them, which causes us to believe or not believe what we are seeing or reading. This is most common in politics where we accept as truth what seems to agree with our beliefs and reject as truth if it disagrees with our beliefs. So, for example, in the video, if the woman thought the man did not like cats she might believe he is trying to kill it. But if she believed he would never hurt the cat then she would question what she sees. Consequently, if we are to evaluate and judge a situation correctly, we must shed our pre-conceived notions and try to take an unbiased perspective.

Without both context and perspective to any given post, video or writing, we are very likely to make an incorrect judgment or opinion about them. That is what so often causes conflict, sin, and harm to others. When we take the time to dig further and discover the context of a situation and look at it from a different perspective, we often find that we will have a better and fuller understanding of it. As Proverbs 3:13 above says, “blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.”

The same can also be said about the Bible. Context and perspective are crucial to fully understanding God’s Word as well. We can’t just quote a verse without understanding its context and God’s perspective.

For example, the most often quoted Scripture verse is John 3:16. It says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” But do you know the context of this verse? Do you know who said these words? Do you know when it was said and why? These additional details are important to understanding the meaning and intent of these words for us, and for non-believers as well. Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to see Jesus in the middle of the night and in secret. Nicodemus wanted to know more about Jesus and his miracles, but he did not want to be seen with Jesus due to his position in the Sanhedrin. Jesus was declaring to Nicodemus who He was (the Son of God) and why He came to earth (to save the world from sin). The context not only gives us Jesus’ reason for saying those words, but also reveals His ultimate purpose!

But a correct perspective is also needed. Do we read this verse from our own perspective and what we want or think, or do we read it from God’s perspective and what He does and wants for us? If we only read this verse from our own perspective, we might think we can simply just “that’s great!” and continue on with our lives as if nothing has changed. That is what many people do when they hear those words. The verse comforts them, but they do not fully understand what it truly means. However, when we see it from God’s perspective, we develop an understanding of God’s deep love for us and his willing sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus (at our own hands by the way), to reconcile Himself to each of us. Knowing that causes us to be even more grateful and to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18)!!

If we don’t take the time to find the context and perspective of any given situation, or a Bible verse or passage, we will never fully understand it. And without a full understanding we run the risk of believing a lie, distorting the truth, or propagating a falsehood. In each case, that does harm to others and does not demonstrate the love of God (Romans 13:10).

So, let us strive to gain understanding and to trust in God’s Holy Spirit to give it to us!

“Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

Galatians 5:16

America is very sick. Unfortunately, many citizens don’t realize it or even recognize what’s really wrong with us. To many Americans, we are headed towards a more fair and just society. However, they are actually unaware of the precipice we are on and the dangers that lie ahead for us if we continue on this course. We all know that in many ways things just aren’t right in our country. But the cure we seek for it must be based on an accurate diagnosis of the problem. As every doctor knows, they must first accurately diagnose the problem to properly decide on the treatment for it. If they make the wrong diagnosis, the treatment that they prescribe to fix it may end up causing even greater harm. The same is true for our society.

The Problem

So, what are we sick with? What’s our problem?

To many Americans, they see our sickness as racial division, hatred towards other members of our country, unequal distribution of wealth, misinformation, homophobia, hate speech, police brutality, and religious zealotry. They often proclaim these as our illness when in reality they are only our symptoms. Underlying all of these symptoms is the illness of sin. When we look more closely, we see that these symptoms are caused by greed, anger, envy, laziness, lust, gluttony and pride. In other words, the seven deadly sins! This is the real problem in our nation and we must find solutions that will effectively deal with them.

Sin is also an individual problem. It is a problem built into every human being from birth. It cannot be eradicated by well-meaning social programs that target groups of people rather than individuals. Instead, it can only be treated individually. Just like a medical illness, no two people are exactly the same and so each individual must receive the proper treatment targeting their specific illness and circumstances. Consequently, each citizen must fight this illness of sin every day and seek treatment for it to keep it from harming themselves and others. There is also no immunity from it.

Another issue is that many Americans do not even recognize their sin, or the sins of others, as the underlying illness to our societal problems. On the contrary, they don’t see it as sin at all. Why? Because they have either rejected God entirely or have fallen away from Him and no longer read or trust in His Word. Consequently, they don’t know or recognize what sin is. So, if our leaders misdiagnose the problem as something other than sin, we end up with a treatment that is not effective. That appears to be what is happening today in America because the problems in our society are not going away despite our government’s attempt to treat them. Instead, the treatment they are applying often ends up encouraging more sin rather than reducing it.

Throughout history, governments have failed to effectively treat the problem of sin because it is an individual illness and not a societal illness. Governments can have effective economic, political and social policies that govern the lives of people in general, but those policies cannot remove the individual sins of its citizens. While governments can punish individuals for bad behavior (sin), that is not a treatment but rather a deterrent. The bad behavior (sin) persists because it has not been treated.

So, in reality, our problem in the United States is that our leaders have misdiagnosed the problems we face and have been applying policies that try to treat the symptoms rather than the real illness of sin.

The Cure

So, what is the treatment for sin? Is there a vaccine for it?

In Romans 8:23, Paul writes that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” He is declaring God’s truth that we are born sinful. In 1 John 1:8, John writes that “if we claim to have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” So it is clear that we all are infected with sin. And if we are honest, sin is at the heart of all of our problems. We also cannot get rid of sin in our earthly lives.  Sin will always be in us. Our only hope is to treat it and keep it from killing us (“For the wages of sin is death.” – Romans 6:23).

The only treatment that exists for sin is God’s Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:16 that we should “live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” When we live by His Holy Spirit, it acts like a vaccine that does not allow the sin in us to destroy us. Like a medical vaccine, it gives us some level of protection and lessens the harmful effects. But it does not remove our sin nor cure it.

Is there a cure for sin? Fortunately, yes there is! It is faith in Jesus Christ! Only Jesus’ death on the cross can remove our sin. Jesus declared that he came to save the world from sin (John 10:9) by offering himself as the sacrifice for sin. Through His sacrifice on the cross, we are freed from the consequences of our sin when we put our faith and trust in Jesus alone! However, the cure cannot be experienced in this life, only in the life to come. In our earthly life, we have the treatment and the promise of the cure, but only if we put our faith and trust in Jesus!

When governments try to treat the illness of sin with social program and policies, the end result is that very little changes and the situation often gets worse. It is because they fail to even consider that our problem is spiritual and not physical. As a result, they ignore God and the spiritual solution He offers and thus fail to pursue the needed course of treatment for our problems. They are blind to the truth of both the cause and the cure!

So, when it comes to treating or curing the sin in our culture, it is necessary that each individual get the treatment for sin and accept the cure for it. The government cannot do that for them, nor can anyone else. It also cannot be mandated like a vaccine, but must be chosen voluntarily by each individual.

We as Christians need to speak this truth into our culture and lead people to Christ, the only treatment and cure for sin that exists!

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

Ephesians 3:17-18

In our world there are three physical dimensions – length, width and depth. However, most often we only think of only two dimensions. For every top there is a bottom. For every left there is a right. For every front there is a back. There is nothing in our world that doesn’t have an opposite side. There are also opposite sides in non-physical things such as politics (liberal versus conservative), economics (capitalism versus communism), and law (legal versus illegal). But perhaps most importantly, it seems to also be true in people’s beliefs about reality (absolute truth versus relative truth).

When it comes to truth, there is only truth and falsehood. Many people try to rationalize the truth and come up with their own opinion or interpretation of what may be the truth. But in the end, there is truth and there is falsehood. They are opposites. Something cannot be simultaneously true and false. The question then ultimately becomes the source of that truth. Is it from God, or is it from our self or someone else? And this is where the spiritual dimension comes in.

God is spirit and sovereign over both our physical and spiritual world. And as our Creator, He sets the standard for truth in our world because He is the Truth. Isaiah 45:19 says, “I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.” If humans get to determine what truth is, then it will ultimately depend on what every individual person thinks it is, or what the majority of people think it is, and therefore it cannot be a standard for all people. It is plainly obvious that humans cannot set the standard for truth. It must come from our Creator! He is the only One capable of determining what truth is for everyone.

But there are other opposites in our world where without God and the spiritual dimension there also is no standard. For example, let’s take light and darkness. In our world there is light and there is darkness. Darkness is defined as the absence of light. There is no in between. A little light is still light. From God’s Word we know that “God is Light; in Him is no darkness.” (1 John 1:5). God’s desire for mankind is to live and walk in His Light (1 John 1:7). But our world loves darkness (John 3:19). Without God, men will dwell in darkness!

Similarly, there is good and there is evil. Something cannot be both good and evil at the same time. God’s nature is goodness. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!”  God’s standard is good, not evil. The world is sinful, corrupt, and filled with evil. So without God there is only evil. If evil becomes our standard then we are in deep trouble! We need God to prevent that. As Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

God also sent his Son Jesus into the world to be His standard for salvation (John 14:6). Jesus was sinless and took our sin upon Himself to enable us to receive God’s gift of eternal life. It is His grace alone that saves us. Ephesians 2:8 says that “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.”  In our world many believe the opposite, that they can earn salvation by doing good works. Every religion other than Christianity holds to that belief. But in that belief salvation is not from God, it is from man. Therefore, it varies and is not a standard we can depend upon!

When it comes to beliefs, however, many people choose to believe something in the middle. Although there are opposite sides to every issue, we often forget about the space between each side. A coin has two sides, but there is a space in between the two sides, however small. And that leads to the 3^rd dimension of depth.

In our world of beliefs, the depth between opposites is usually a measure of one’s conviction, either weak or strong, about that belief. For example, you might not know for sure if something is true or accurate and so you have a certain level of belief that it is. People also have different experiences and perspectives which result in varying levels of attitudes towards an issue. Unfortunately, that does not result in clear choices between two opposites. Instead, people end up choosing the option that more closely fits their beliefs. That is often most clearly represented in surveys that we take, choosing along a scale as to whether we agree, disagree or are in the middle somewhere with what we think about a particular statement.

Similarly, there is also a spiritual depth to our faith and beliefs, even though God’s standards for truth, light and good are absolute and don’t change. He wants us to adhere to His standard and live according to it. But we can’t. It is because as people we are sinful and our nature is to do what we desire, which is evil and the opposite of good. So, in order to meet God’s standard of good, He sent His own Son Jesus into the world to die on a cross and become the standard for us. Consequently, we are only able to meet God’s standard when we place our faith in Jesus.

Furthermore, God sent His Holy Spirit to enable us to not only believe in Jesus, but to also trust in God’s Truth and live in God’s Light. The Bible says we must “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) and “Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Galatians 5:16) But when we don’t live up to His standard, because of Jesus, He forgives us, and we are cleansed so that we can once again meet His standard (1 John 1:9).

Finally, it is worth mentioning the 4^th dimension of time. Many scientists often add time to the other 3 dimensions in our world. We can be in the same place but at a different time, and that could also have relevance to our lives and change our thinking. For example, you could go back to a place that you once lived a long time ago, and while it might look the same, it would not be the same. It is because of changes in the people who live there, changes in the culture, physical changes in the neighborhood, or other changes over time. People’s attitudes and beliefs also change over time. So, time impacts our world – the way people see it and what they believe.

But God is timeless, and His standards of truth, light and good never change (Malachi 3:6). Truth will still be truth. Light will still be light. Good will still be good. And His grace will still be available, as long as Jesus has yet to return as promised in Scripture. We are warned to be ready for that day, lest we find ourselves without His standard for salvation due to our unbelief (Matthew 25:13).

Without the spiritual dimension of God in our lives we are destined for destruction. So, let us have faith in Jesus (John 3:16), accept God’s Truth (John 8:32), walk in God’s Light (Isaiah 2:5), and cling to what is good (Romans 12:9). And not only right now, but also in the time we have left!!

“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”

Matthew 12:25

There currently exists a crisis in the American Church. Do you know what it is? Are you aware that it is not just recent but has been around for many years? It is a crisis that has plagued the Church throughout history, but seems to be manifesting itself with tremendous strength in America today. It is the crisis of division caused by apostasy.

You probably don’t know what this word means as it is not commonly used today. Apostasy means “the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.” For the American Church, it means the abandonment of the Bible as the authoritative truth of the Christian faith. According to a recent study by George Barna, over 50 % of American evangelical Christians do not believe the Bible is inerrant or trustworthy. A stunning 74% of them believe that people are basically good instead of sinful, 43% believe that Jesus sinned during His lifetime, and 58% believe that the Holy Spirit is not a person but rather a symbol (American Worldview Inventory 2020: Final Release #12, Arizona Christian University, January, 2020).

In other words, secularization has crept into the beliefs of the American Church. Previous commonly held core beliefs with regard to sin and salvation (law and gospel) are now being replaced by secular views. As a result, some churches and denominations now more closely conform to a pagan, secular culture. And their numbers are not small. Most every mainline Protestant Church has a denomination within it that rejects some Biblical teachings. They include the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PC-USA), and the post separation United Methodist Church (psUMC). And there are many others that are following the same apostasy. They are rejecting Biblical Truth for secular views, most of them having to do with sexual freedom, identity and behavior.

It appears that Christians who have secular or “progressive” views think that abortion is acceptable, a person can choose their gender, and that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice. All of these do not conform to Biblical teaching. God’s Word says that “He knit us together in our mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13) and that we “should not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Abortion is the murder of a human being, someone God alone created. Abortion also results most often from the sin of adultery (sex outside of marriage). God’s Word also says the “He created us, male and female” (Genesis 1:27). God chose our gender. We have nothing to do with it and we cannot change it. God’s Word also says that “a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24). It’s called marriage, and it’s clearly only between a man and a woman. The Bible also condemns sexual contact in any other context (Exodus 18:1-30). The Bible is very clear on these sexual matters, yet there are some Christians who reject these Biblical teachings in favor of their own secular beliefs. This is apostasy.

So how did this division and crisis in the Church come about? To begin with, sadly, it has always been in the Church. We only need to go and read the New Testament to confirm it was happening back in the early Church. Paul warned the Churches in Rome and Corinth to “watch out for those who cause divisions” (Romans 16:17) and that “there be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10). The New Testament also condemns the practice of sexual immorality that was common at the time (Acts 15:20, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 13:4, and Jude 1:7). Even Jesus Himself spoke out against sexual immorality in Matthew 15:19. Since the Bible also declares that Jesus is the Word (John 1:1 and 1:14), He was obviously referring to all forms of impure sexual relations. Since its beginning, the Christian Church has had to fight off pagan practices and influences that have attempted to corrupt the Church and defy its teachings. It is no different today, although perhaps a bit more pervasive now.

So, why has this crisis re-emerged so strongly? I believe that it has been brewing since the 1960’s with the development of the pill and the emergence of the sexual revolution (sex between consenting adults). These two developments have led to an explosion of sex outside of God’s boundaries of marriage and have resulted in millions of abortions, escalating divorce rates, and the wider acceptance of homosexual behavior for the past 50 years. But it seemed to have gained an extra boost in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama and the subsequent change in public attitude and government policy towards gay marriage and gender identity. Unfortunately, this acceptance by our society has also crept into the Church in the form of cultural and secular beliefs that are contrary to Scripture.

So, what can the Church do to counter this secular influence? Perhaps the first and most important question the Church must ask itself is this – “Is this the result of our own lack of discipleship?” Have we not taught Biblical values (or in some cases avoided it) because the topic was “too sensitive”?  Have we allowed the culture to have more influence than God’s Word amongst our church members? Have we created a generation of church attenders and not disciples of Jesus Christ and His Word? I think the Church needs to take a good hard look at itself in this regard. It’s not too late for the Church to refocus on discipleship and teaching Biblical truth. It must take the culture head-on and not allow its secular beliefs to be tolerated or accepted in the Church! If it doesn’t, then the Church will continue to be divided in America and lose its ability to impact our nation for Christ.

Jesus told his disciples that while we are to be in the world, we are not to be of the world (John 15:19). Peter wrote that we are “aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11). Jesus also called us to be “salt & light in our world” (Matthew 5:13-16). Consequently, we are called to be separate from the world and not like the world. If the Church is like the world then it cannot influence the world to be different than what it is. And if the American church wants to influence our nation for Christ, then it must be unified in both Biblical belief and practice. As Jesus said in Matthew 12:25, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”

But we must also be aware that God is sovereign and will bring about His purpose through this crisis by His Holy Spirit. Could He be preparing the Church to make more disciples by reinforcing the teaching and acknowledgement of Biblical Truth? Could He be calling the Church to revival and restoration of God’s authority in our nation?  Could He be sending His Spirit to reveal the apostasy to those who engage in it and bring them to repentance? Only time will tell.

For those Christians who acknowledge Biblical authority, who “hate evil and cling to what is good” (Romans 12:29), and who witness for Christ and His Word, God will use them to bring the Church in America back to its Biblical foundation. This apostasy must be confronted and removed from the Church in America if it is to come together in unity in order to effectively proclaim the gospel and the truth in our nation.