June 19, 2001 & August 28, 2001
North American society is slowly killing itself. Its odd weapon is tolerance.
Even though ‘tolerance’ has slid from its biblical definition, it started out as a godly quality. In fact, God is the origin of tolerance. One Old Testament prophet said to Him, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”
This man knew “the wages of sin is death” and he could not understand why God would look the other way and allow evil people to do their thing without bringing them to justice.
This prophet did not realize that God’s tolerance has a purpose. It is explained in the New Testament where it says we should not “show contempt for the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance and patience” because His kindness is intended to “lead us to repentance.”
Instead of striking sinners dead, God tolerates our godless behavior because He intends that His mercy produces in us a deep sorrow for sin that results in changed behavior. He also asks us to have the same attitude towards others.
We must not forget that God clearly hates sin. We are supposed to hate it too, but we must also refrain from condemning people without giving them a chance to change. Our mercy and grace is supposed to allow them to experience God’s mercy and grace, not give them license to continue in godlessness.
In other words we cannot, in the name of tolerance, say sinful behavior is okay because when tolerance is lifted from its biblical context, it becomes deadly. Instead of hating sin, we become passive, not caring. We do not act against evil but look the other way.
This ‘tolerance’ damages the very core organs of society, including government, church and family. These days, politicians can lie, break promises, be unfaithful, act in immoral ways and speak to and about each another with rude, insulting words. Critics can condemn some of this, but lately if Christians speak against such behavior, we are labeled ‘intolerant.’
More and more, we are expected to look the other way at childish bickering that makes parliamentary debate more like sandbox-style mudslinging, and ignore behavior that mocks what we were taught as children about being considerate and respectful. Although the Bible tells us to pray for our leaders, Christians find this difficult when we cannot respect what they are doing.
‘Tolerance’ also affects the church. God sets high standards for His people, including those who lead them. Society, in the name of ‘tolerance,’ lowers those standards, even changes them completely. Instead of the biblical pattern, the church is expected to show ‘tolerance’ toward those outside of it, welcoming them into leadership. Any Christians who say ‘no’ and stand for God’s standards are said to be ‘intolerant.’
The family is the hardest hit. In the name of ‘tolerance,’ we must accept deviations, even encourage them. In the Old Testament, God’s people fell from His commandment not to marry outside their own people but when the Jews returned to Israel from a long captivity in Babylon, they did just that. Their leader, Nehemiah, was upset. He “rebuked them and called curses down on them . . . he beat some of the men and pulled out their hair and made them take an oath in God’s name.”
Today, Nehemiah would be imprisoned for his ‘intolerance’ and no one would be encouraged to right the wrong they committed against the law of God. Instead, society says to mind our own business when it comes to adultery, even same-sex marriages. What was once shameful behavior is now ‘tolerated’ and God’s model of the family is becoming extinct.
Scripture warns what will happen when God’s purpose for tolerance is ignored: “Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.”
By perverting what God intended as a good thing, our country is shooting itself in its vital organs. The mess seems impossible to fix. Lord, grant Your people godly courage to speak against evil like You do, and at the same time, the godly ability to tolerate evil like You do — with the purpose that people will turn from their sin to You, that they might experience forgiveness and changed lives.
Showing posts with label nations ruined. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nations ruined. Show all posts
Friday, March 23, 2018
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
What is greater than God? .......... Parables 700
January 16, 2001
Harper’s magazine features an “Index” of unusual, startling, or simply weird statistics. In a recent issue they included a survey that showed how American school children rank important people. The results? Bill Clinton is first. ‘Myself’ stands in eleventh place and lagging at nineteenth is God.
This survey reflects their value system. It is taught and modeled to them, more by media and example than pedagogy. Who has dominated the U.S. news in the last few years? By hearing more about President Clinton than any other person, children naturally think he is the most important. If children equate the most news to what is the most important, maybe God should get more press coverage. Instead, the media seems to think He is “politically incorrect.”
Our nation is pushing God out of its value system but we need to beware; the former Soviet Union did that too. For seventy-five years and with systematic determination, they declared God did not exist and tried to destroy all evidence of Him or faith in Him. Did it work?
Even that powerful nation could not get rid of God but they almost obliterated the moral integrity of their people. They have fallen into social, economic and spiritual ruin. Now, over eighty percent of Soviet banks are owned by the Russian mob. The average person lives in fear and poverty. Crime and alcoholism are rampant. Marriage and birth rates have dropped and suicides are up.
Christian missionaries report that the average Russian has little or no discernment in spiritual matters. In their hunger for truth, they grasp at anything ‘religious’ and many fall victim to exploitive cults. They miss the good news of Jesus Christ that can bring them deliverance. Some think this once atheistic nation will never pull out of the depths to which it has fallen.
While North America seems a long way from that same downward spiral, our nation does not need to become communist to neglect the spiritual life of its people. How can any thinking person not connect the immorality in our part of the world with the neglect of both God and morals? Our apathy, materialism, and busyness are just as effective as communism. We spend our days going to school or work, running errands, watching television, playing games or sports, doing activities not necessarily harmful, but exclusive. We lift up the dollar, our comfort, our personal wants and wishes, and push God out. Our spirits are becoming atrophied.
We need to talk about God again, but a vast majority frowns on those who freely discuss the Lord. We want our children to know about God but who will teach them? Their school teachers are forbidden to teach morals never mind lessons on God, and their peers are more apt to curse Him than intelligently and seriously discuss Him.
Is our society on a slippery slope? Can our downward slide be thwarted? Perhaps. God says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will 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.”
Note, God asks His people to call on Him, not those who neglect Him but those called by His name. He wants Christians to recognize our shortcomings, our neglect, our sinful attitudes. If we do, and if we turn from them, His promise seems to cover far more than just us.
Dear God, how can a child put you first without any teaching or a good example? My granddaughter asked this riddle: What is greater than God and worse than Satan? What do the rich want and the poor have? Her answer: Nothing! May my words and example demonstrate to her how true that is: there is nothing or no one greater than You.
Harper’s magazine features an “Index” of unusual, startling, or simply weird statistics. In a recent issue they included a survey that showed how American school children rank important people. The results? Bill Clinton is first. ‘Myself’ stands in eleventh place and lagging at nineteenth is God.
This survey reflects their value system. It is taught and modeled to them, more by media and example than pedagogy. Who has dominated the U.S. news in the last few years? By hearing more about President Clinton than any other person, children naturally think he is the most important. If children equate the most news to what is the most important, maybe God should get more press coverage. Instead, the media seems to think He is “politically incorrect.”
Our nation is pushing God out of its value system but we need to beware; the former Soviet Union did that too. For seventy-five years and with systematic determination, they declared God did not exist and tried to destroy all evidence of Him or faith in Him. Did it work?
Even that powerful nation could not get rid of God but they almost obliterated the moral integrity of their people. They have fallen into social, economic and spiritual ruin. Now, over eighty percent of Soviet banks are owned by the Russian mob. The average person lives in fear and poverty. Crime and alcoholism are rampant. Marriage and birth rates have dropped and suicides are up.
Christian missionaries report that the average Russian has little or no discernment in spiritual matters. In their hunger for truth, they grasp at anything ‘religious’ and many fall victim to exploitive cults. They miss the good news of Jesus Christ that can bring them deliverance. Some think this once atheistic nation will never pull out of the depths to which it has fallen.
While North America seems a long way from that same downward spiral, our nation does not need to become communist to neglect the spiritual life of its people. How can any thinking person not connect the immorality in our part of the world with the neglect of both God and morals? Our apathy, materialism, and busyness are just as effective as communism. We spend our days going to school or work, running errands, watching television, playing games or sports, doing activities not necessarily harmful, but exclusive. We lift up the dollar, our comfort, our personal wants and wishes, and push God out. Our spirits are becoming atrophied.
We need to talk about God again, but a vast majority frowns on those who freely discuss the Lord. We want our children to know about God but who will teach them? Their school teachers are forbidden to teach morals never mind lessons on God, and their peers are more apt to curse Him than intelligently and seriously discuss Him.
Is our society on a slippery slope? Can our downward slide be thwarted? Perhaps. God says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will 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.”
Note, God asks His people to call on Him, not those who neglect Him but those called by His name. He wants Christians to recognize our shortcomings, our neglect, our sinful attitudes. If we do, and if we turn from them, His promise seems to cover far more than just us.
Dear God, how can a child put you first without any teaching or a good example? My granddaughter asked this riddle: What is greater than God and worse than Satan? What do the rich want and the poor have? Her answer: Nothing! May my words and example demonstrate to her how true that is: there is nothing or no one greater than You.
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