Flipping Tables

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Sorry, I read it; I have to share it. Warning! This article  by Matt Walsh is extremely offensive, but it is also 100 % correct. Not gonna look Jesus in the face someday and say I did nothing. I am going to help flip some tables.

A Tool of Preservation

You know who in reality is responsible for the Supreme Court decision to rule the way they did regarding same sex marriage? That has an easy answer.  It is the Christian who has chosen to remain silent for a few generations now in regard to what is taking place in America and our world. How dare I say that? The Bible tells me so.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7: 14

Don’t see no healing going on. Don’t see no humility; I only see pride in all of our perceived holy works and all of the “good” that we do. I don’t see any repentance; I don’t see any turning from our wicked way. I only see more and more Christians, joining the world, to embrace it. Laughing at it; turning a blind eye to it; “contextualizing” things saying that is the only way we can get to a sinner’s heart. Wrong! That simply is not Scriptural.

Do I sound bitter and angry? Well maybe just a little. Go ahead and throw that stone. I’m used to it.

I have been involved with politics for a long time now. Sometimes I almost feel like I can’t help it. It is a part of who I am. I was raised that way. And somewhere early on, my folks were able to convey to me, the importance and the reasons to be involved in what is going on in our nation.

I’ve seen the dirty looks, snickers, and the rolled eyes, when I want to talk about anything “political”. I have been castigated for being one who doesn’t know when to keep silent. Criticized for not understanding that “we shouldn’t talk about things like that.” I have even been silenced by one who overheard my private conversation with one who thinks like I do, and believes we should “talk about things like that.”

The truth is what people who try to silence me and others like me, don’t understand is that none of our concerns and dialogue is actually about politics. It is singularly about our faith!! This is all about God and doing what we are instructed to do – spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “Politics” is merely one of the tools that enables us to get it done.

“Politics” for me is about preserving our rights to freedom of religion. Politics is about keeping our rights to share, to meet and even to pray. Politics is about ensuring we can continue to take the Gospel overseas to the mission fields, as well as maintaining all those other things in which we so greatly pride ourselves for doing.

The truth is, “politics” is nothing more than either preserving our faith, or destroying it.  Those that are purposely seeking to destroy our faith get that. Those who are apolitical or anti-political – and those who love to criticize those who are using politics to preserve our faith – apparently don’t get it.

We have now entered an age where it is perfectly alright if you are a man, to say you are a woman; it is just fine if you are white to claim you are black. People claim Islam is a religion of peace and people buy it. I was on a Christian site the other day that did nothing more than white-wash the truth about the Islamic "religion", exactly as the left does. (More of that in a moment.) And just today we can say marriage is not only between man and woman, but also between two people of the same sex. The thing is, is that all of this is contrary to what God says. It is God who determines your sex; It is God who determines your race. It is God who sets the bounds and laws by which we are to live. Man doesn’t get to change that. We are however, responsible to preserve what God has done.

How does Islam find its place with these other examples? Islam means “submission”, not “peace” as so often declared by many. “Well, that isn’t so bad”, some Christians say referring to the word "submission". We innocently misunderstand and assert Islam only means “submission to God”. That’s a good thing, right? We forget that the god of Islam is not the same God we worship and honor as Christians. Islam’s god is a god that calls for the removal of our heads. "Therefore, when you meet the Unbelievers in fight, smite at their necks…” - Sura 47:4. If we say it is ok to submit to that god, we are hypocrites. Submission to a false god is not the same thing as submitting to the True God. We are lying to ourselves about Islam when we white-wash it, exactly as we lie when we say Bruce Jenner is a girl.

We, as Christians sometimes wring our hands and say, “We need to pray.” Well that’s a good place to start, but the truth is God calls us to action as well. Read Exodus 14:15. When Moses was “crying out to God” over the situation the Israelites were in, what did God say? He said, “Why are you crying out to me? Raise your staff and part that water!” (That’s a small paraphrase, please read the text for yourself.) Clearly there is a time for prayer; (Moses had done that.) but then there is a time for action. The truth is, prayer always leads to action - or at least it should. Politics is merely a tool which enables us to act. And it if we are not participating in the freedoms and responsibilities that we have been blessed with in this Christian nation, then we are negligent. We are missing-in-action. Instead, if we do what God expects us to do and if we are obedient to His Word, God will intervene in miraculous ways for us.

Why do you think Jesus told Peter where the gold peace was to pay the temple tax? (Matthew 17:27) Jesus could have produced it at that very moment. It is my belief that Jesus sent Peter fishing, instead. Jesus wanted to show us that God will provide, but we need to act.

The truth is, we (Christians) are the ones responsible for the Supreme Court decision. How can we expect the world to stand for holiness, when we won’t? Yes, it is true; the Supreme Court acted unconstitutionally in their decision. But who, in reality, is responsible for that? We are; because we have allowed our nation to get to the place in which we now find ourselves. This is exactly why our Founders said "we are a government of the people, by the people and for the people." This is why they declared our rights were inalienable, given to us by God. If that is the case, then no human can take them away. We are a soft and lazy generation if we refuse to protect those rights. When we change that which is simply a tool - “politics” - and turn it into a dirty word as an excuse for inaction, then we shouldn't expect God to "uphold us with His righteous right hand". Isaiah 41:10

Go ahead cast that stone. At least that shows action. But in doing so, you are joining the side that uses politics to destroy our faith rather than preserve it. I will continue to be “political” to ensure that we are able to do what God has intended for each of us. We each have a gift given by God that needs to be protected. It is the job of each and everyone of us to preserve that for each other. We don't get to stand idly by and say, "Oh well, God will take care of it.  Oh well, God knew this would happen." God calls us to action!

Each of us are indeed “political” whether we know it or not. It is simply a matter of sides.

“The Supreme Court has spoken with a very divided voice on something only the Supreme Being can do - redefine marriage. I will not acquiesce to an imperial court any more than our Founders acquiesced to an imperial British monarch. We must resist and reject judicial tyranny, not retreat.

This ruling is not about marriage equality, it's about marriage redefinition. This irrational, unconstitutional rejection of the expressed will of the people in over 30 states will prove to be one of the court's most disastrous decisions, and they have had many. The only outcome worse than this flawed, failed decision would be for the President and Congress, two co-equal branches of government, to surrender in the face of this out-of-control act of unconstitutional, judicial tyranny.

The Supreme Court can no more repeal the laws of nature and nature's God on marriage than it can the laws of gravity. Under our Constitution, the court cannot write a law, even though some cowardly politicians will wave the white flag and accept it without realizing that they are failing their sworn duty to reject abuses from the court. If accepted by Congress and this President, this decision will be a serious blow to religious liberty, which is the heart of the First Amendment.” Former Governor of Arkansas -  Mike Huckabee

The truth is, the only way "Congress and this President" will act appropriately is if we hold their feet to the fire by our voices. It is time we grab our tools and get to work. Or we can join the other side and do nothing.

 

Did We Say Grace?

I wasn’t going to weigh in on this subject – The Duggar’s and their oldest son’s "fall from grace". But the subject just won’t go away. It’s all over Facebook, it’s in the mainstream news, the blogs are endless…it is simply everywhere.

I have never watched the Duggar’s show. I have never got caught up in what they do. I purposefully never “liked” them on Facebook. I did not want to show support for, or against them, one way or the other. In my opinion, they were an “accident waiting to happen”. I mean, come on! There is no way that you can claim you are Christian, have 19 kids while televising it all on reality TV; and then expect that people will just leave you alone.

For starters, I don’t like reality TV. Truthfully, I wish someone would tell me how reality TV is different than voyeurism. I have said that since the first reality show ever came out, to the chagrin of some! That sounds harsh I guess, and that is a big enough can of worms for another post. The simple truth is, in that scenario - 19 kids on television - something was bound to go awry. And that is exactly why I wanted to stay away from what the Duggar’s do.

Some have said the Duggar’s set themselves up for scrutiny when they accepted the role for reality TV. I agree with that. I feel like asking the parents, “Just WHAT did you expect?”

Yes, I have an opinion about what happened. And yes, I have an opinion about the way the Duggar’s are being treated. So like everyone else that has commented, let me start with: YES, IT WAS WRONG!  That’s the no-brainer. Now let me get to the icky-sticky, controversial stuff that prompted me to finally write.

One, it really, really irks me that this has turned political and people are using it for their own gain, or agenda. Governor Mike Huckabee was the first one I observed to come out with a statement in regard to the Duggar's. No big deal for me that he did. He is their friend. That’s what friends do.

But then there are those like Michael Reagan that have been relentless in their coverage of the Duggar’s sins. Mr. Reagan has been posting something derogatory about the Duggar’s almost every hour on Facebook!  For days!!! It started with a merciless attack on Mike Huckabee, because of the former governor’s support of the Duggar’s. I would have to assume Mr. Reagan doesn’t like Mr. Huckabee. But it got “over the top” quickly with Mr. Reagan. It seemed more like he had a vicious vendetta against Mike Huckabee! Finally it got so bad, I was starting to wonder about Mr. Reagan’s mental health. Turns out Michael Reagan was raped as a child by a molester who also took photos of him. Yeah…bitterness remains.

Two: We are Christians, they are Christians. There is a lot of finger-pointing and stone throwing from not only the secular world, but from some Christians. And this is where I really get fried. Christians brag (yes, I said brag) constantly, about how Jesus can change lives. We love to shout it from the roof tops; and well we should! But it seems like we, in fact, only believe that profound truth at the surface. I mean really, if we TRULY believed Jesus changes lives, wouldn’t we be a little less quick to throw stones at Josh Duggar, today? There are those that believe he SHOULD lose his job…I’m not going there…he lost it. They believe he should still be punished 13 years after the fact. When the truth is, the statutes of limitations in most states doesn't allow for that. And in Arkansas, where this took place, the statutes of limitations has indeed ran out! But what really gets me, is that Josh was 14 years old! Maybe he wasn’t even saved yet! But we don't seem to want to accept that we could now have before us a man changed by the Blood of Jesus. He has demonstrated that he is a changed man. There have been no more incidents. He is a family man, (with a beautiful wife and three children) who worked at a Christian organization for the benefit of our society. He has proven everything there is to prove for someone who has been changed by the Blood of Jesus. But we won’t accept it. We are hypocrites. We don’t really believe God can change a child molester.

Further, we don’t even know exactly what was done. We have only heard he “touched” five girls. Some would call that “gossip”. I don’t know. It is only gossip when it goes outside the realm of truth, in my opinion. Further gossip depends on the intent of the heart. While what he did is very wrong, we really don’t know to what extent. How much is the media blowing this up because it is a Christian family? This is anyone’s with a liberal agenda dream story!! They finally have a "gotcha!!”; gossip or not.

Now, I am definitely not saying that there should be no consequences. There already have been consequences. And I am not saying that I don’t believe in justice. Of course I do!! Ironically, when a loved one of mine was killed in a car wreck due to dangerous and CARELESS driving by two individuals, people were quick to tell me I needed to forgive. I quickly tried to explain to these people each and every time, “Forgiveness does not negate justice and the desire to seek that end!” We forgive because we are commanded to in Scripture, but we must seek justice! “Justice” is what makes our society work and it is “justice” that keeps us safe. I wanted quick and appropriate justice for the two men that killed my loved one! Some people didn’t like that. Sometimes it is so easy to tell someone about the perceived log in their eye.

But this situation with Josh Duggar is clearly different. It was 13 years ago that the Duggar incident took place. The statues of limitations has run out. Josh, himself, was a child. Clearly, there is an age of accountability in Biblical precepts. Maybe Josh had reached that age when these crimes occurred; but regardless, a 14 year old does not think like an adult. And even if an “age of accountability” had been reached, that does not repudiate the fact, that clearly Josh has shown he is a changed man...changed by the Blood of Jesus.

One of the bloggers that I read, listed ten facts of which he said we all should agree. He accurately pointed out the difference between justice and forgiveness, as well as the difference between crime and sin. But this blogger, in his well-thought out analysis, neglected to mention the fact that you cannot try and convict someone for a crime that was well over a decade ago, and long past all statutes of limitations. Neither did he mention that Jesus changes who people are when we accept Him into our lives. These two stark facts left his article incomplete and partially incorrect in its message. But certainly there are consequences for every action and there have been huge consequences for this family.

Steps were taken at the time, to rectify the situation. The family did what they needed to do. Any steps taken for justice should have been done at that time. It is wrong to seek it now.

As of now, Josh has followed through with all the correct procedures; he made a public statement of apology; he stepped down from his position in the Christian ministry; he admitted he was wrong. He claimed the Blood of Jesus, long before his sin - his crime - was recently exposed! The truth is, this is in the news, because it was a Christian family to whom it happened. It is in the news because it is a family that has stood for moral issues. It is in the news because it benefits a liberal agenda. Believe me, if Josh didn’t work for the Family Research Council or any other political equivalent, this story would have gone nowhere, or at least remained in Arkansas. One of the other bloggers I read correctly pointed out the distinct difference in the reporting and the societal acceptance in this situation as opposed to a circumstance that recently occurred with a liberal actress. Anything goes, unless you are a Christian.

That is as it should be, I guess. We should live to a higher standard. But the sad thing to me is, once again, some in the Christian community are right there with the world to fling their arrows at the one who is wounded.

Now as soon as I write about a position that seems to be in support of Josh Duggar, the other shoe will drop and something more will come out. This is exactly why I hesitated to write. But this post isn’t really about Josh Duggar. It is about the hypocrisy in the Christian community in regard to whether we really believe Jesus is in the business of changing lives.

Christian, we are once again buying and promoting the liberal, left agenda, when we attack the Duggar's because 1. We won’t offer the grace we ourselves have received.  And 2. We seem to love to shoot our wounded and then we dine on the juiciest portion. Or maybe it's that we simply need to work on believing what we say we believe. The truth will eventually be exposed in any case. Justice is always served. In this case, it has been served on a liberal platter. Did we say Grace?

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” ~ Isaiah 1:18