I have tried to write out three different posts before this. They all went nowhere.
I find myself overwhelmed, not specifically by individual events but by the totality of them in a relatively short period of time. As if all of a sudden, something had changed.
Perhaps what has changed is simply that God has finally allowed us the output of the choices that we have been making for years - or as the saying of Ayn Rand goes, "You can choose your actions, but you cannot choose the consequences of your actions.
Perhaps it represents the final death of hope and the realization that there is no "better" left or coming, only a rapidly accelerating incline down, where the increase in the acceleration of events is simply the reality that we are picking up speed near the end.
We have demonstrated ourselves to be a people of remarkable short sightedness and short term memories, and we are living out the consequences of that short sightedness and societal forgetfulness as we speak.
I no longer fear that this country's best days are behind us. I know they are. What I fear is the extent to which the darkness of the days coming will manifest themselves, of what worse days will look like.
But God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. 2Tim1:7 I struggle with this too. But I think now, more than ever, is the time to remember we belong to Heaven, and are only pilgrims here. "This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing through, my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world anymore."
ReplyDeleteMy biggest fear is I won't live up to the call in 1 Cor 16:13 "quit ye like men" or be courageous.
Strength and Honor
Courage and Faith
STxAR - Perhaps this is the very purpose of the whole series of events, to remind us that this is truly not our Home.
DeleteThe confidence that I have in that moment is that Christ Himself promised that in that hour, we would be given the words we would need to speak.
You're right, to an extent. Many in this country have forsaken God. God is saying "OK, kids. If you think you can do a better job than me, have at it!" Then again, there are those of us who have NOT forsaken God. God won't forsake His own. Indeed, He will even give the rebellious a second chance. Jonah was sent to preach the word of God to Nineveh. He didn't want to. He ran in the opposite direction. He ended up in the belly of a fish. He realized his mistake. He was released from the belly of the fish. He went to Nineveh and did what he was told to do. He SAVED Nineveh.
ReplyDeleteAmerica is at such a juncture. The question you need to ask yourself; will you remain among the rebellious, or will you be Jonah?...
While in prayer several years ago, God spoke to me. He said that something will happen that will bring the world to its knees. He also said that America will come out of it stronger than it was before. I believe it will be up to His people to make that happen...
Thanks Pete. On the other hand, I can think of both the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah that ultimately were destroyed because their turning from God, even though in both cases there were still believers.
DeleteI honestly cannot imagine what event would cause the US to come of this stronger than before. It would have to be something terrible beyond imagination. And it would not just take His people rising up to preach the Gospel, but to cast aside everything that they have glommed on to the Gospel as well.
Can it happen? With God all things are truly possible. But it seems amazingly unlikely in the current circumstances.
I trust God and the promises He has made me. May God have mercy on me (a sinner) and may His will be done in all things. Thanks be to God!
ReplyDeleteWhen I suggest to my husband that the US is in decline (a nice way of putting things), he always disagrees with me. He's not really a "rose-colored glasses" kind of guy, so I hope he's right.
Kelly, truly that is the ultimate hope.
DeleteIf the US is not actually in decline, I am apparently missing something very big - which is possible, of course. I just do not see it from here.
If the fundamental question for a conservative is "What is it that you seek to conserve?", I turn it around and say to the libertine: "Yes, you are free and at liberty to reject any and all of the conventions of culture that you wish. YOU WILL ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR CHOICES." And that leads me to ponder what is the unspoken wisdom behind those conventions of culture in the hard won knowledge of the ages.
ReplyDeleteLike you TB, I just erased three more paragraphs, because the rant is pointless. It is unquestionable that we are going to witness some very ugly times ahead. But there are always those who survive to see the other side of history. We must simply prepare our minds, hearts, and physical surroundings as best we can to be of the future society, however it comes about.
Greg, cultures originally organized themselves around principles and practices because they worked. In a world that was largely non-technological, one had to depend on one's culture.
DeleteIt is like my Iai training: we have techniques that are designed for very specific attacks. Why? Because these techniques were successful in defeating such attacks and thus, were passed down.
Were I a betting man (I am not), I would argue that those who are in the process of unleashing this tiger will soon find themselves thrown off as what they have left will have no staying power - they have destroyed any culture that supports it. As you say, we can only prepare ourselves for rebuilding the society that comes after.