Today I'm repeating a blog I wrote right after the last election. Not much of my thinking has changed. I still offer these simple, but often overlooked answers as a way for our country to change in spite of the culture deteriorating around us. There is hope still. Let's grab onto it! So here are my thoughts from back in November of 2012:
I don’t often quote myself. That would seem rather arrogant to say the least; but without really realizing what I was saying, I did make a very thought provoking statement in a previous blog that has stayed on my mind and sort of haunted my thoughts. The article was about a totally different subject than the one I’m discussing today, but that one little statement has taken me into a whole new realm of ideas to consider. The statement I refer to is: “Isn’t that just like our Great God to turn dread and fear into a time of celebration and joy? He is a God of great reversals.”
My heart and my mind has been bogged down with all ofthe recent governmental changes made by our supreme court, the elected officials and the world around us. In the midst of all of those problems I keep looking at the sad financial state of most of America. My spirit has been troubled. My first instinct is to ignore it and go on living "happily ever after", but that would be so irresponsible! Eventually I would come to see the hard reality of my own illusions. It often feels like there is a hovering, uncontrollable cloud looming over us, a cloud full of storms that could bring nasty weather at any moment. It feels like heavy oppression. It has occurred to me that oppression often comes from living in a constant state of total chaos and confusion, and that seems to be what our country is living under. Oppression is not godly.
My prayers are often lifted up to God for direction in this subject; and I am constantly asking God to give us change and relief. I am always hoping that the people and the leaders of the people will wake up and return to the values that our nation was founded on and once again become one nation under God. I find that I am constantly repenting to God for the current state of our nation, for the corruption, the greed, the paganism, the lack of any morality and the lack of compassion and concern for each other.
Praying prayers similar to Abraham, I am always bringing up the fact that there are still at least ten good men left in this land, and hoping for mercy. I can actually see many, many good men hiding behind this smokescreen the media is always presenting, and I note that they are still out there living their lives and striving for better days. The recent question has been: Is hoping and trying to survive as free Americans all futile in the end? Will we be defeated in spite of our best efforts to make a change? I’ve pondered this from many angles.
While sorting through all the various answers out there, I read a very uplifting article by Steve Elliott from “Grassfire Nation” regarding his own personal feelings about the state of things the day following the election. I’ve heard that Glenn Beck read and was inspired by the same article. I haven’t listened to what Mr. Beck took away from it yet, but I want to share some of the places that my own thoughts wandered to after reading this.
Steve Elliott quotes that verse that we all quote in times of uncertainty; “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Then Steve informs us that we never read that whole passage of scripture found in Jeremiah, Chapter 29. If we did we would see that God’s answer came in the form of exile for 70 years. I reread the passage for myself and confirmed that Steve was absolutely right. Apparently the plan the Lord had in store for Israel was a plan of exile, and He proceeds through the Prophet Jeremiah, to explain to
the people how they should live in exile.
This became even more interesting to me when I read of the states in this country that are desiring to succeed from the union. A civil war of sorts seems to be brewing. A huge division is forming among the people that apparently cannot be healed. There is a now a group of people in Washington, DC that are making a demand of the president that anyone who signs a paper stating that they wish to succeed from the union be stripped of their citizenship and exiled from the country! I saw this AFTER reading Steve Elliott’s article. How strange that America has come to this point. We are playing into the desires of the socialists without even putting up a fight. It is their plan to conquer by causing divisions and strife and chaos. We are letting it happen over and over again just like children following the pied piper.
I do think Steve Elliott has hit on a very interesting suggestion. There were six things that the letter from Jeremiah told the people going into exile to remember. They were to: (1) Build houses and settle down. (2) Plant gardens and eat what they produce. (3) Marry and have sons and daughters. (4) Marry off the sons and daughters so that they can have children. (5) Increase in number. Do not decrease. (6) Bless the land.
Even without the threat of stripping one’s citizenship and shipping them out of the country, it surely seems that Christians in this country are already falling under another type of exile. We have been forced to be compliant to laws that keep us from expressing the words and ways of our God in public. We have been advised not to carry on our worship in private homes. We are often told to put our children in public schools that do not honor our God and that teach them the ways of other gods. We have been bullied into complying with special interest groups that are totally opposed to keeping the laws of the God that we honor. We have been infiltrated in our own houses and churches by so much sin and corruption that we often cannot carry out our true purpose. It is a sad state, much like that of the children of Israel faced when going into exile. They were forced to live under rulers that they did not relate to, rulers that carted them off to another strange land and forced them to live as slaves. So what was God’s answer to them in their time of exile? That is what Steve Elliott so eloquently pointed out in his article, and it is my favorite part of this story. It seems very strange at first, but God told them to build houses, plant gardens, have children, get their children married and having children of their own, and to bless the land that they were exiled into.
Did you hear that last part? BLESS THE LAND. We can’t give up now. We must keep on doing what Christians do. As people of God, we must be passing on a blessing – always. It is our greatest witness of our faith. It is the one thing that always pleases God.
So how do we go about being that blessing in a suffering land with a dying economy? It seems the first thing we need to do is to build homes for our families. I know, I know….how do you build a home for your family when you can’t even find a job? What money are you going to use? Let me tell you a secret America, sometimes when you lower your standards of living you are able to achieve more abundance. Sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? Consider this: A home is the place where your family lives; it doesn’t have to be a mansion on the hill. You “build” it by putting your family into it, making them as comfortable as possible and establishing a firm residence of love and compassion in your house. You put the name of God above your doorposts and you honor Him above all else. He is the first step to having a peaceful home – anywhere. You eat there, you sleep there, and you raise your children there. You come back to that place after your work for the day is done and you exist in peace no matter what is going on with the rest of the world outside. Even if it is a large cardboard box, you honor God for giving you the box, and you make that box your castle.
The next thing you want to do is to “plant a garden.” This can be taken in two ways: a physical garden that will grow healthy safe food for your family (it has become harder and harder to eat healthy nutritious food in this country), and/or a type of income that comes from being productive with the gifts God has given you that will provide for your family. If you are suffering from loss of income in this horrible economy I encourage you to look at the gifts that God has given you as an individual and try to find a way to use them that is profitable enough to feed your family. Don’t give up, keep trying against all odds. God has a purpose for you. He has given each of us talents and abilities, whether our government or culture recognizes them or not. Find yours and use it in the Christian community. Even if you have to work for free for awhile, see where God leads you. You might be pleasantly surprised. If you are diligent and persistent you will find a way to feed your family. It may not be luxurious or great at first, but if you give your energy to the work that God has created you for, He will increase you and bless you. Part of this whole situation may be learning to be a good receiver and allowing others the privilege of blessing you too. You can always remember to return the blessing in God’s good time. This is not a “name it and claim it” philosophy. There will be hard times and struggles, but if you do this God will not forsake you. It is promised in Psalm 37:25. God always keeps His promises. Sometimes we just don’t see how He is going about it.
So, if you can; plant a garden to feed your family. It will be safer and you will be healthier. If you do not have a way to do this, partner with someone who does. Help them to make it happen on their land and share. Many do not have the means or the place to plant a physical garden, but they can plant seeds into the economy by using their talents that will grow into the form of income that will support those who CAN plant gardens. So if this is true for you consider that your “garden” might be a good idea, a side job, a form of artwork that makes a statement, a publication that awakens people to new ideas, a way to improve day-to-day life, a way to improve your community, etc. Think outside of the box and just do something that can multiply into something that will help the whole world in the end. God loves creativity – after all – He invented the concept! Try to use your imagination to make the world better and bless the land.
You might consider selling your current home and spending the equity gained to pay for a much less expensive but adequate place to live. That frees up your mortgage payment to help you help others to make a better world. It works like the little boy who brought the loaves and fishes to Jesus to feed the crowd. What you give multiplies. It gives you “seed” money to use. You might sell some of your more luxurious possessions and put the value of that cash to a more constructive use. Do you really need that third automobile? Do you really have to eat out five nights a week? If you find yourself being able to actually plant a physical garden and grow your own food, you will find yourself saving a bundle on the grocery bill. You can then put that extra cash to work among others trying to do well within the Christian community.
An important thing for us all to consider in building houses and establishing residences for families is to study the ways that we can all get out of debt. The government may think it has to live that way, but the people don’t have to buy into that philosophy. It may sound crazy but I think those of us who have been the most prosperous in the past need to re-group by selling our equity, buying less and living in debt free homes. Simpler is better. You will have less property tax, less homeowner’s insurance, and less property to maintain. Use what you are saving to help others. If you don’t have enough equity to live without a mortgage, get a reasonably priced apartment or rent until you can buy.
Every home in America should be trying to live debt free and establishing a savings account; and that money should be put into a bank that is owned and operated by Christian people who are running it based on Christian principles. Help one another out; pool your resources with people who believe in your values. They in turn will eventually find a way to invest in your business ventures too. Forget anything financed, insured or owned by the government. It may sound good, but more than likely, it is a trap. Forget government housing programs and assistant programs. Turn to local churches for help. Local churches should in turn be building up a way to help those in need. Find a job doing anything that is decent and rent any independently owned property and improve the place by putting your family into it.
God told us to work six days a week and rest on the seventh. Families with values make for good neighborhoods. Teach your children living in your home how to be a good neighbor. Help to make your own community DECENT and ORDERLY before God.
That brings us to the next step of the process; marry and have sons and daughters. The true definition of marriage seems to be lost in our culture. Let’s do our part to bring back the real definition of marriage – a union between one man and one woman under God. The pagan cultures around us have given our children the idea that it is okay to live together without marriage. They have been bombarded with media that proclaims “anything goes” as long as it makes you happy. Why have we let this happen?
Start reinforcing true values in your community. Do this with love and respect, but do it. Explain to your children that God’s definition of marriage began with Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Explain why this is true and right. Teach your sons to be boys and your daughters to be girls. Scientist have finally offered positive proof that homosexuality is not genetic. Educate yourselves on the proper ways to raise children to respect their gender and celebrate it. Do not show hate; love those who have been molded by this culture of wrong thinking. Love them and help them to see God’s plan not by preaching it, but by your example of living it. Let God judge, but keep your own house in order. You will have to answer for it in the end. It won’t matter to God on judgment day that the culture around you was doing otherwise. He has called YOU. The bible plainly states that homosexuality is an abomination to God. So is hatred and lack of compassion for fellow human beings. Be careful, but be true to God. We are all sinners needing mercy and grace. Some people’s sins are just different from others. It is all sin in the end. We all are guilty. Show to others the mercy, grace and truth that God has given to you. You can do this by simply putting one little four letter word into action without words – LOVE. That is how God did it for us. That was Jesus’s greatest lesson for us.
The next step of the answer is for your children to have children. How will this come about in a culture that supports and celebrates the act of murder we call abortion? Instill the sanctity of life in your family. Teach this to your children while they are very young. “Life, life and more life,” to quote Eugene Peterson. Life is the answer. Do not support the culture of death in any way, shape, form or fashion. It is hiding and lurking in the shadows everywhere. If you are not careful you will fall victim to it. Be aware. Be educated about the facts behind the facts of so many large organizations that are just money making engines for death, greed and selfishness. Learn the facts about the work going on behind the scenes of many of the United Nations “good causes” and study the “charities” and “good works” that you contribute to. Are they real? Are they genuine? Support the REAL ones. Do they truly help in the way that they come across in the media? Teach your children how to discern this for themselves. God says for us to be good stewards with our money. Do not promote the causes of the enemy by ignorance.
Involve yourself with true ministries that promote true family values. I highly recommend those suggested by “Family Life Today” and some of those that have been established by Chuck Coleson. There are many others. Welcome these efforts. Bring these into your church congregations and promote the family in every way that you can.
Supporting the family, standing against abortion, and living for life all fall into the next suggestion that Jeremiah brought us from the Lord; “increase, do not decrease.” Form families that bless the land. If God’s people flourish and increase in spite of the enemy, how can they be defeated? Sometimes you win battles simply because your soldiers outnumber the enemy’s soldiers.
This my friends is how I think we should fight the problems that satan has brought to America. Understand that he is the one who underlines all these problems. Our God is a Great God. He is greater than anything or anyone. He can turn dread and fear into joy and celebration. We simply need to listen to him. He can bring about a total reversal; we’ve seen it happen in the scriptures a million times in the lives of Jacob, Joseph, Ruth, Esther and many others. We must remember this and have hope.
Rise up America and bless the land!
