Twenty years ago if you would have described to me what society would look like in 2016, I don’t know if I would have believed you. As a Canadian/American dual citizen, I care about both countries, and pray for a spiritual revival. The fact of the matter is, right now both Canada and America have relegated Biblical morality to the sidelines, instead embracing relative morality and pop-culture ideology. Psalm 33:12 tells us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”. In 1962 the U.S Supreme Court ruled that prayer had no place in public schools, and later determined that the 10 Commandments did not belong in judicial courthouses. These nine appointed judges were not voted in by the people they govern, yet they wield the most power – even more than the president. Sad that the advice from our founding president George Washington was ignored, as he declared, “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour.” Make no mistake, this was no ambiguous deity he was referring to, as many pluralistic (“all roads lead to heaven”) religious leaders today might claim there to be. No, George Washington believed in the triune Godhead; God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the blessed Holy Spirit.
As part of God’s Church, Christians are called to be Salt and Light, and have a positive message to share. Sadly, conservative Christians today who still believe in Biblical values as our forefathers did – including traditional marriage and the sanctity of life for the unborn child – are vehemently chastised through social media and mainstream news outlets, labelled as intolerant haters and discriminators. Ironically, the hate is actually spewed from liberal extremists, who refuse to respect the fact that others who hold different opinions have legitimate reasons for doing so! The truth is, God’s Word has proven through the centuries to hold the keys to life, liberty, stability, and happiness. We share this truth because we believe the words that Grammy Award winning gospel singer Andrae Crouch penned years ago; “Jesus is the answer for the world today”. We truly care about our world, and strive to lovingly explain God’s biblical blueprint for building a happy life. Just like the un-churched, the Church has a voice, and is entitled to use it. It is important to remember that the U.S. First Amendment was designed to protect freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Christians are not trying to bully and shame others to believe and act as we do (we believe everybody has free will – the right to choose), yet all too often we experience persecution from those who disagree! Moreover, I believe that people who hold to a traditional world view are now scared to express their opinions openly, for fear of being ostracized and shamed to the public – all because they aren’t falling in line and bowing to the political correctness of the day. Militant activist picket and protest for social causes that are not shared by millions of others, yet time and again congress caves to the squeaky wheel of political pressure and passes legislation which adversely affects us all. This is not the Canada that I was born in, or the America in which I was raised. God help us today.
Where do things go from here? The sad fact of the matter is, without God’s Word as a moral compass to guide governments, the world flounders in chaos and confusion. Since Biblical absolutes have been rejected, then moral relativity is accepted. According to today’s pop psychology, who’s to say what is right from wrong – the old antiquated Judeo-Christian guidelines? Legislators in their magnificent wisdom threw that out years ago. Who then is qualified to determine good and bad – You? Me? Morning talk show hosts? Hollywood celebrities? University professors? Politicians? It is obvious that these people deal with the same struggles, failures, and limitations as the rest of us. Only God is perfect and all-knowing. However, when people refuse to follow His wisdom, then the policies of society which get put into place are anyone’s game.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:1,3; “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer . . . is that they may be saved”. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God”. Therein lies the “rub” for millions of people in the world today; mankind prefers to rationalize and justify it’s sin, rather than acknowledging it is harmful and wrong, and submit to God’s righteousness. Today’s secular progressive society doesn’t like to be told what to do, and certainly doesn’t like the notion of submitting to anyone – even if it is for their own good! As Christians we need to show the world that God has a perfect plan for people’s lives, and offers His holy scripture as a compass to guide humanity, so that we can enjoy clear direction, happiness, and peace in the midst of life’s storms. God is on the throne; He sees the chaos that sin has caused, and provides redemption through His Son Jesus. More important than picket signs, let’s continue to hold up the standard of righteousness in today’s world gone mad, and shine bright in the darkness by living the truth and love of Jesus Christ every day! “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven”. > Matthew 5:16