Memorial Day and Remembering

For most Americans of the 21st century, Memorial Day represents a three day holiday in which you can spend time with your family. Nothing more. And this makes me very sad. Why?

As citizens, we have lost the need to remember the almost one million Americans who have given their lives in battles on this earth for the privileges which we, by and large, take for granted. All of these privileges, which are just assumed by the average American - as a given - can be found under the umbrella called "freedom." To get into your car and drive wherever you wish - is a freedom. To be able to stop where you want, eat what you want, buy what you want, and basically do what you want - all comes from - freedom. Americans have gotten used to freedom so much that the average American is hard pressed to define it when asked. When you are born with it, it is hard to explain it and easy to take advantage of it.

I believe this is one reason why Americans find it hard to understand much of the world; it is just as hard for much of the world to understand Americans for the same reason. The average American has had to pay little or nothing for the freedom they enjoy; whereas, the average citizen of the world would pay almost anything to have such freedom. There is a danger that lies in the human matrix of the mind when it comes to freedom. If freedom is not held precious but mundane, it can be lost overnight. On the other hand, if freedom cannot be realized by a human, that human will overtly seek to destroy the other human who takes freedom for granted. We must remember this.

This is what we are seeing played out on the world scene today. Islamic countries have been under religious bondage for centuries. And the radical elements of Islam, who manhandle their own people, are in earnest to destroy any person, people, or country who enjoys the freedom they do not have. Because their religion does not provide the freedom the human spirit seeks, the radicals seek to destroy the religion that promotes such freedom, and the adherents of such a religion. We must remember this.

America was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles that promote freedom of the soul. The founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, stated that He came to set men free. He made good on such a claim by dying on a cross for the sins of His people, and sending the Holy Spirit to guide sinners to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Once a person receives Christ as their Lord and Savior, a whole new worldview opens up to that individual. And at the heart of this new worldview, is the concept of freedom. We must remember this.

Islamic radicals understand the connection between the Christian worldview and freedom. Liberals in our beloved Country do not understand the connection. They think that Christianity is an old time religion that needs to be forgotten. Secular progressive thinking that promotes the political correctness of today teaches that Americans must become more pluralistic in our thinking. Being absolute in anything is not appropriate in today's society - especially when it comes to faith and politics. Herein lies a dangerous weakness for our beloved USA. Politics simply is a reflection of our faith. Strong, vibrant Christian faith will display itself in a vibrant, strong politic of the people. Our Country was founded upon just such a strong, political ethic. We must remember this.

It is this Judeo-Christian foundation that liberals, with their existential thinking, are in earnest to destroy. What they deem to be irrelevant is the very thing that Islamic radicals want so much to destroy. Why? Because the Islamic radicals understand that the Judeo-Christian principles, upon which our Country was built, are not obsolete but rather essential to our very existence as a Nation. Bad politics make strange bedfellows; those who appose Christianity and are in earnest in trying to remove God from the political history of our Country find themselves in bed with the Islamic radicals who have the same goal in mind - the annihilation of the Christian worldview that has made America the world power that she is. We must remember this.

We must remember the strong faith displayed by the pilgrims when they first came to America. That faith carried them through their first hard winter wherein they realized a loss of half of their people. The pilgrims did not survive because of their politics, rather because of their strong faith. Their Christian worldview can be easily seen in every aspect of their life - including their politics. By acknowledging God and their need of Him, God blest them and carried them through their trials. We must remember this.

Throughout our American history, this dependency on God can be documented time and time again. Whenever Americans confessed their dependency upon God, God blessed them. By following His principles, as shown in His Holy Bible, America grew mighty and strong for the first two hundred years of her existence. We must remember this!

Nazism and Marxism were no match for a Country based on a Christian worldview. America was proud of her Christian heritage. We must remember this.

But times have changed. Today, radical Islam and terrorism is a two-headed hydra that is biting at our feet. But these are not the greatest enemies we have to fear. Our greatest enemies lie in the seditious waters of relativism and existentialism that are steadily eroding the very foundation of our Country. Since the 1960's we, as a Nation, began to lose our faith in our government leaders and in our religious leaders. That skepticism eventually has led us to lose our faith in all expressions of authority - from religion, to government, to family.

Our society is fast becoming a pluralistic society that stands for nothing - and will fall for anything! In rejecting man-made religion, we have rejected the one true God and the revelation of Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ. The liberals cry, "Separation of church and state," and then misuse the phrase as they strive to eradicate any mention of God in any of our history. Relativistic thinking has coined the phrase "pro-choice," and then abuse such a freedom by taking the lives of millions of defenseless babies - who were given no choice! Existentialism has proclaimed the essence of
me-ism with the statement, "If it feels good, do it" - and has deceived millions into thinking that they are not responsible for their actions - someone else is! "Let someone else do it, it is not my responsibility!

With the aforementioned mentality greasing our national skids, we are quickly sliding downhill into the pools of depotism and anarchy. In seeking to be free from all restraints to our subjective me-ism, we are becoming enslaved to rational nihilism. We have forsaken God!

We, as a Nation, must repent of our sins of selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-righteousness and cry out to God for His mercy. We have been so blest, with so much, that we have turned from God and have begun to worship the gods of materialism and humanism. God will not take second place in our lives. As long as America honored God, God blest us. Now, we have forsaken Him. Pray that He will not forasake us!

An Institution of God: Marriage

The hatred toward God and all that He stands for continues to be seen in the actions of the exteme leftists in our beloved Country. By now, all of you have heard of the California's court decision (a 4 to 3 decision) to make same sex marriage legal in the state of California. The court has taken a moral issue - the holy institution of marriage that was created by God Himself - and has turned it into a political issue. Those who support such an outlandish position have told Christians and churches, at large, to stay away from politics. Now, these extremists have taken the institution of marriage - an institution that is NOT political, but moral - and has ripped it away from the moral foundation upon which God originally built it. By their own actions, they have forced churches and Christians to get into the face of politicians concerning this issue of redefining marriage. The action of these liberal judges is not only against traditional marriage but it also against the very authority of God and His Holy Scripture.

What can we do? First, we can PRAY for the Christians who are in California. They are fighting a tremendous battle. If this decision is not overturned by the voters in the November election, then the affects of this liberal court decision that, in affect, is legislating public policy, will be seen in other states across our Country. It is a sure thing that this is headed for the Supreme Court; but we need to be fighting it - now!

Secondly, we can be contacting our own representatives and telling them of our concerns about this moral atrocity. The men and women that represent us must stand up and declare their own position on this matter of the institution of marriage.

Lastly, Christians need to be standing on the Word of God and defending the moral integrity of the traditonal institution of marriage. It is easy to take the position that as long as it is not in my state, then I don't have to really take a stand on this. There is no point in causing waves, is there? This kind of thinking is dangerous because of its numbing affect that it has on the conscience of the average citizen. We must view what is happening in California as analogous to our fighting terrorists in Iraq. If we don't fight and deal with terrorism in Iraq, then we shall fight it on our home soil. In the same manner, if we don't help our California Christian brethren fight this issue in their state, then we will one day see it in our state as well. It is as simple as that.