January 12, 2020 – Click here to listen
A friend of mine texted me last night and asked “Will you share your insight on the near future of our republic?”
Hmmm . . . Well things look pretty bleak from where I sit at the moment. I imagine it will be similar to the Obama years, but worse. Freedom of speech, religion, and privacy will continue to be assaulted at warp speed. The persecution of those who disagree with the Woke culture that has sprung up will undoubtedly accelerate. The financial success enjoyed under Trump will end with high taxes, an invasion of immigrants with Biden’s open doors vow, not to mention climate change and other onerous regulations. Our national defense will regress and China will make fools of our nation. And education will continue to decline with an attack on private and charter schools and powerful teacher’s unions demanding schools be shut down.
So one might conclude that I fear the worst for our nation.
So what to do? Two quotes come to mind this morning, Winston S. Churchill – “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” People of faith need courage and they need to use it to get through these difficult times.
The Apostle Paul was no stranger to trials and tribulation. He said in Phil. 4:8 – And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. He was beaten unmercifully, stoned, shipwrecked, bitten by a poisonous snake, reviled by his former friends and so on and yet this was his advice??? I’m all for thinking about those things instead of the condition of the republic and I’m going to do just that when I go fishing this morning.
The other quote is from J.K. Rowling – “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” The nation is divided and polarized and most everyone knows someone who takes the opposite position to their own. Many, pastors especially, bend and compromise the truth in order to placate and feed the itching ears. However, if you don’t have the courage to stand for your convictions, what does that say about you? Stand up to those who go against your biblical values with all you have whether they be friend or foe.
In a nutshell I think the republic is going to experience tough times, but I plan to keep right on telling the truth and fighting evil using my Bible as my baseline until Jesus takes me home to heaven. If anyone doesn’t like it – Too bad . . . I’m also trying to do as Paul recommended in Phil. 4:8 and fix my mind and thoughts on truth, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable things. That one is difficult to do but having the courage to accept our trials and continue to fight the good fight comes from none other than Jesus Christ. He exemplifies the things for which we should focus our thoughts.
Draw closer to me Holy Spirit and let me partake of Your fruit!
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,