But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.

He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. II Peter 3:8-9, NIV (1978)

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name. Acts 22:16, NIV (1978)

Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! Ezekiel 18:30-32, NIV (1978)

 

I can remember a conversation I had with my mom 52 years and a day ago, today. It was the 15th of September in 1973. I was 13 years, 2 months, and a day old. I had been raised by godly parents who did everything they could to raise me up in the right way. And though there is not a great deal of really sinful things a boy of thirteen can get himself into, I had certainly not lived a perfect life up to that point. 

 

My parents (especially Mom) were big believers in attending the church services every time the doors were open. That meant Sunday school and worship on Sunday mornings, another worship on Sunday evenings, and mid-week Bible classes on Wednesday evenings. I tell you this to let you know that I had heard the Gospel hundreds if not thousands of times by that point in my life - and by a multitude of different preachers and Bible school teachers at that. I knew what sin was, and I knew what was needed to have those sins removed. Furthermore, I knew better than anyone that I had more than my share of sins, and I therefore knew that I was responsible for doing something about it.

 

Now don't get me wrong, for I knew that God's part and Jesus' part (God's grace and Christ's dying on the cross, shedding His blood for my sins) were the main things. But I also knew that God still had created a hell for the wicked, and I was more than familiar with what the Bible taught on personal responsibility. Most churches of Christ are more than thorough about the personal responsibility part of the equation, and I had no doubt as to what I needed to do. So, on that day of September 15, 1973, I told my mom that I thought it was time I was baptized and became a Christian. Mom, who knew me better than just about anyone else, was in heartfelt agreement with my conclusion.

 

I remember well the events of the next 24 hours, because they were so important to me at that time. I had purchased a "Cheech and Chong" album some time earlier and would listen to its off-color humor when no adults were around. Now, I knew that no child of God (or a child of my mom and dad) should be listening to such an album, filled with profanity and suggestive topics, but I kept it and listened to it all the same. But I also was aware that repentance was a big part of becoming a Christian, so I took my prized possession from its hiding place and broke it into pieces and threw it away. 

 

Sunday morning came, and I was more than a little nervous. Had I known at the time that I could have been baptized with just my family present on that Saturday I had decided to become a Christian, I would have surely done so, but I didn't and now I faced the prospect of waiting for the preacher to finish his sermon and then make that difficult trek up those long aisles and make my confession in front of hundreds of people that I did in fact believe that Jesus was the Son of God. 

 

To my surprise, my older brother also went up that aisle and also made his good confession that day. Then we were baptized, Steve first and then me right after. It is hard to explain the emotions I felt over the course of those two days, but when I finally was baptized and came up out of those waters, I was a different person. I was still a boy of thirteen, of course, but I was different. I was no longer afraid of dying and going to Hell, for I had done what each one of us have been commanded to do from the day that Jesus was resurrected from that tomb. 

 

I was fully aware that I could still turn my back on God and reject that salvation, but I was at last a Christian, and I was determined to live the life that a Christian should live from that point forward!

 

Of course, that determination soon faded. I still attended the worship every time the doors were open, and I genuinely tried to do well... it's just that there are so many temptations for a boy of thirteen. I was soon to discover that those temptations only increase as one ages, and I have certainly had my moments. Sometimes I am amazed that God stuck with me, even though I wandered away in sin so many times. I guess it has a lot to do with the patience of God, and I know that it has even more to do with His great love for me. 

 

And though I can never realize the depth of that love and patience, I have come to appreciate these wonderful attributes of God more and more as I have gotten older. I have come to understand better those ancient truths that God really does not take pleasure in the death of any of His creation, and that he is patient because He does not want any of us to perish. But the sad truth remains that there are still so many who have little regard for what God and Christ have done for them. There are many who do have some concern though, and it is up to you and me to bring them the Good News of the salvation that is in Christ. 

 

That's a big part of the reason that I continue to write these daily articles. It's not that I believe the thoughts I have are so important. it's more due to the fact that there is so much I have to make up for when I consider all of the failings I have had in life. And I figure that I'm not the only one who has struggled with walking the straight and narrow, but I also know that it is up to us to encourage one another to get back onto that narrow path. These are some of the things that I have learned over the 52 years since I became a Christian. I know I've got a lot more to learn, but I know that God will be just as patient with me for the rest of my years as He was during those first 13 years, 2 months and a day, because He still loves me more than I could ever comprehend, and certainly more than I will ever deserve!

 

If you're a Christian, then I suspect you are abundantly aware of His great love and patience. But, if not, today would be a good day to start finding out. And after 52 years a Christian, I can highly recommend it!

 

 

"They have no idea what they have unleashed." Erika Kirk upon the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point

 

After Charlie Kirk was murdered in cold blood, it was discovered that his killer was living with a man who was trying to change into a woman. While it is clear that Charlie Kirk was an outspoken opponent of this practice due to his being an adherent to God's Word, it was also clear that he had attempted for many years to always discuss this subject with thoughtfulness, kindness, and respect towards those who disagreed. Though his conversation on this subject was always temperate, his opponents tried to paint him as a man who simply hated them. And while it is clear that he had no speech that would support that claim, one within that community decided the thing to do was to kill him. Since they couldn't win the argument, they decided to end the life of the one who presented the other side of that argument. So, one of them did end his life, and a surprising number within that community openly celebrated.

 

I believe that Charlie Kirk's widow stated it best when she said they (speaking of those who supported this murder) have no idea what they have unleashed. She went on to say that she believed this killing would not silence Charlie's movement but would have the opposite effect of energizing the Turning Point cause, and I believe that she is right in this. And for the most part, I am convinced it will be a good thing. Having said that I do believe that those involved with this cause should exercise some caution, for I believe this assassination has created a tipping point that does not come along very often. And, as is often the case of tipping points, the "tipping" can go in either a good direction or a bad one.

 

Perhaps two examples of similar crossroads moments in America's not too distant past will help explain what I mean.

 

On September 11, 2001, an attack on America brought down the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, taking about 4,000 innocent lives. We were told that it was the work of Islamic extremists, and for a while such extremism was held in utter contempt. It wasn't too long, though, before intellectual thought began to counsel that such contempt was unwarranted, and the pendulum gradually swung the other way. Immigration into America and Europe began in earnest, with large numbers of people of the Islamic faith pouring into these countries. What had once been considered a reasonable exercise of caution, was now considered to be nothing short of racism and Islamophobia... and the tide was turned.

 

In addition to that, people in high places within our own government, both elected and mere bureaucrats, began to exercise powers that would give them incredible control over their own citizens. Privacy, freedom, and great sums of wealth were extracted from her citizens, and the people in power simply continued to crave (and get) more and more of this power. In a purported attempt to protect her citizens, many within the government worked tirelessly to enslave the very ones they claimed to serve. 

 

And the tipping point tipped in the wrong direction.

 

And then there was the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in April of 1968. I was only seven at the time, but I can remember the unrest that this brutal murder created all across our nation. And while there were certainly some strides made towards a real equality among the races, this moment also served as a catalyst to allow hatreds on both sides to come out into the open, and even more so that it already had. Further, there were politicians and even so-called "preachers" who seized this opportunity to take power (and wealth) for themselves. 

 

And this tipping point, though leaning for the greatest part in the right direction, sowed the seeds for those who would later use it to divide a nation for their own selfish and often wicked purposes.

 

So, what lessons can we learn from these events? 

 

First, I believe that we should be extremely cautious over whom we give power and support to during this time. Charlie Kirk appeared to be a humble man who was absolutely sincere in his commitment to bring young people out of a sinful lifestyle and into a proper relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord. But we must be vigilant to those who would now take advantage of the void Charlie Kirk's death has created. There will be many, many sincere people who just want to take part in this modern revival of Christianity, but there will be more than a few who will seek to obtain power and wealth from this opportunity due to their wicked motives. I'm not saying that we become cynical about everyone's motives, I'm just saying we should be cautious.

 

The second caution is to be on guard against our own government. There are already those on both sides of the political aisle who are seeking to reduce our First and Second Amendment rights, and these officials must be met with strong opposition. The idea of "hate speech" is a fairly modern invention and has always served to restrict rights that are clearly laid out in the Constitution. I for one am extremely opposed to hate speech and have little regard for those who speak it, but I have observed that hate speech always is defined by those who are in charge, and I have rarely been impressed with the results of such people's efforts. And as for the Second Amendment, I think all Americans would be well reminded that this amendment was put in place to protect the citizens from despotic governments, and not the other way around. 

 

Having said that, I do wholeheartedly agree with Erika Kirk's comment as to the perverse in our society having no idea what they have unleashed. I believe this is an opportunity that should embolden Christians to speak the truth in love. This means that we remember Christ's purpose when we are preaching - it is to convince the very people that He loved enough to die for to repent of their wicked ways. This will mean that Christians need to stop relying on their favorite preachers and pastors for their religious instruction and begin to turn to God's Word for their direction. So, if we want to take advantage of this tipping point, we are necessarily going to have become students (and adherents) of God's Holy Word. 

 

We must be warned that this will be hard! Soo, too, is everything that is worthwhile.

 

It also means that we are going to start having compassion for those who are in violation of God's righteous commandments without compromising on these commands. Homosexuality is still a sin, no matter how much people are convinced otherwise. It has no greater penalty than the one reserved for people who are bigots or gossips, but it has no less of a penalty either. An important lesson that all would-be followers of Christ have to learn is that sin separates us from God, and that it is God who sets the standard. Not popular opinion or the loudest voices, but God alone. We need to love and respect Him enough to stand firm upon His Word. We can do that without being hateful, but we also must do so without compromise.

 

Perhaps one more thing should be noted. Charlie Kirk's "Turning Point" ministry did not become "big" overnight. Neither then, should you expect your efforts to have an immediate, "big" effect. But you can be sure of this: One of the most basic tenants of the Christian faith is to seek and save the lost. If we do this with a respect towards the truth and a love for God and our fellow man, we will do well. Do not expect this movement to be easy, for Satan's followers will not play by the same rules as will God's children, so get ready for opposition.

 

But we can take encouragement in two things: Those who have gone before us have already done much of the heavy lifting, and the One who is in us is still more powerful than the one who is in this world. So, let's take full advantage that this terrible event has "unleashed" and use it all for the benefit of those we love and for the ultimate glory of God.

Happy is that people whose God is the LORD. 

Psalms 144:15, KJV

 

Do you ever get to feeling so unhappy that you wonder what has happened? Is it us? Is it the people who we surround ourselves with? Is it just the world in general? Maybe it's all of the above, for it seems like when we are unhappy that everything around us is bad, bad, bad! It's not like we want to be unhappy. As a matter of fact, our desire to be happy when we are not just seems to make us even more unhappy... so, what can we do?

 

Maybe instead of picking apart everybody and everything that makes us unhappy now, we should go back and analyze the times when we were happy - can you even remember such a time?

 

I can, for I had a remarkable childhood. My earliest thoughts are of being happy. I can remember saving a piece of bacon at breakfast when I was about four or five. Now I know what you are thinking - "you had bacon for breakfast? No wonder you were happy!" The fact is, that it was only one slice of bacon and I saved just an end of that precious piece, but save it I did. I tied it to a string and went down to the big irrigation ditch that was behind our back yard where I knew that I could find crawdads. And if memory serves me, my plan worked, for I did get a crawdad to latch onto that piece of bacon, I just didn't have the nerve to grab hold of him for fear of getting pinched. So, I played with my catch that was dangling from the string for a while and let him go.

 

I can remember going out and sledding down the hill in that back yard when it snowed, and I have a distinct memory of standing on our tall slide and eating dog food to impress the little girl next door. I can remember flying kites with the other kids and playing "frisbee" volleyball over our neighbor's badminton net down the street. I remember a splendid rock fight with the older boys, getting hit squarely on the forehead, and then running to his house to tell his mother (after all, pain that is not shared is only half as meaningful). I remember taking a dime to the corner store and buying some sweet treat. I can remember a lot of things that made me happy when I was young, and I have only covered a small part of one year of my life.

 

I know that you likely have similar happy memories from your carefree youth, but what was it about those times that made them so much fun? What was it that rendered such a high level of contentment and happiness? Surely if we could re-discover that secret to happiness that we all just seemed to instinctively know when we were younger, then we could apply it to our lives now and experience the same joy that we had then. So, what was it that made it so wonderful?

 

I think a big part of that "secret", at least for me, was something that often fades as we get older: trust! When I was a child, I had wonderful parents, and I knew that they would take care of me - I trusted them! I was also raised to respect and appreciate authority. My Sunday School teacher, the preacher, my kindergarten teacher, my principal, the lady who watched us during recess, the crossing guard at the school, and even the policeman, were all there to help me. And their authority was to be respected - so I did! I trusted them to do the right thing, and to the best of my memory they always did. 

 

Furthermore, I was raised with a knowledge of God from my earliest memory. I never wondered if there really was a God - my parents believed in Him and that was enough for me, for they were the smartest people I knew. I was taught about His goodness and His love for me, and I never had doubts about that. So, I trusted in God! 

 

About this point in the article, I know that many will scoff - especially those who were let down in some way by the authorities in their own lives. If you were let down by somebody you trusted, I am genuinely sorry and I can see how you might be hesitant to place your trust in such people, but I was rarely disappointed by those in authority when I was young. I know that this might be unusual situation, but it was true in my life. And because I was able to trust those who were in positions of authority, I had an incredibly happy childhood. It seems that when you are surrounded by people you can trust, it sets you free to concentrate on those things that bring true contentment... and that, I believe is the key!

 

Surround yourselves with people you trust! You don't have anyone like that in whom you can trust? I feel sorry for you. Perhaps you feel sorry for you, too.

 

Now that we have gotten all of this wonderful self-pity out of the way, let's distill these facts that we now have before us and maybe we can learn something. When we are at our happiest, it often coincides with our having people we can trust in our lives. When we are at our least level of contentment, it is usually because we do not have many people that we feel we can trust. The key for us, then, is to start seeking out trustworthy people. "Good luck with that" you are probably thinking and, probably, you are right! So, what can we do? We all have heard of bad people - from teachers and principals to policeman and politicians - but what can we do about it? We can't force them to be trustworthy.

 

This, of course, is quite true - you cannot force anyone to be trustworthy who does not want to be. However, there is something we can do. If we find that our friends are untrustworthy, we can get a new set of friends. If we find that our political leaders are not worthy of trust, we can do our best to replace them. If we find that our policemen are corrupt, we can expose them. If your teachers and preachers turn out not to be worthy of your trust, then you can fire them! If you can't do that, then go somewhere else.

 

I don't, however, think it will have to come to that. I think the first thing we need to do is trust in God! If you don't already know about God's trustworthiness, you can read all about it in the Bible. That's mot for you? Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but without God there is no happiness, for true contentment can only come from the Creator and Designer of this world. But if God is for you, then you have your start - get to it! And once you have this marvelous beginning, you can then go about trying to fix the rest of the world. Too big of a task? Why not start with yourself! I believe that you will find that once you become someone worthy of trust, you will begin to attract trustworthy people to you.

 

And once you discover this trust in God and a healthy trust in others who are worthy of that trust, it will be then that you will re-discover something that may have been missing in your life for a long, long time: Happiness! For it is just as true today as it was some three thousand years ago when David penned these inspired words: "Happy is the people whose God is the LORD!"

 

Do you long for such happiness? You don't have to return to your childhood to regain it... you just have to return to the Lord! It's one of the few pieces of advice that I know to be absolutely trustworthy, so why not try it out for yourself? If you are already unhappy, then you have nothing to lose. 

 

 

Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications; in Thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with Thy servant; for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. 

Psalms 143:1-4, KJV

 

One of most trying things we will ever experience is when wicked people succeed. David writes of just such an occasion in his life, when evil people had seemed to have won in their wicked schemes against him, against his nation, and even against the LORD. He brought his plea before God, confessing to Him that his spirit was overwhelmed to the point that his heart was filled with desolation. I believe that America and in many ways the rest of the world have experienced such a period in our own lives. In recent days we have witnessed a righteous man. who not only loved God but who also loved others enough to try and convince them that their wicked ways were wrong and in need of repentance, was struck down by an assassin's bullet.

 

And while his family and friends grieved, many wicked men and women rejoiced. 

 

This should come as no surprise to those who are familiar with the Bible. The history contained within its pages shows wicked people exulting in the wickedness time after time. It often shows the righteous mourning because of these temporary "victories" that evil men and women sometimes achieve. So, when we come across teachings such as the one Jesus gives in the Sermon on the Mount wherein, He commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, we are often taken aback. How, after all, do you forgive wicked people when they have harmed you and your loved ones to such an extent? How can we pray for such evil at times when they are actually in the process of gloating over their vile behavior?

 

While it is never easy, this is exactly what we are commanded to do. Having said that, did you know that God's Word not only teaches about repentance and forgiveness, but also about consequences and justice?

 

Just because God expects us to forgive our enemies and even pray for them to repent so that they will not suffer the eternal judgment that will otherwise be coming their way, God has not suggested that the wicked not be physically punished for their conduct. While it is true that we are not to seek vengeance (for like judgment, this is the sole realm of God) we are required to exercise justice. It is true that while the righteous are to bring justice in such a way that it is tempered with mercy, we are indeed responsible for making sure that justice is carried out. 

 

This is why God's people have always lived under law. During the Mosaic dispensation when men were under the Old Law, public executions were commanded by God when a man or a woman had committed an intentional murder. Such punishment was swift, and it was done in a very public way, often by stoning the guilty party. Such justice was done under the law, and it was carried out swiftly, for God understood far better than men that in order for justice to be just, it had to be done without unnecessary delay. Such justice had a two-fold effect: The guilty were brought to justice, and the innocent were protected. It also had a very sobering lesson for those who might consider such evil conduct themselves.

 

Early American justice was not all that dis-similar. Though under the Christian dispensation (under a new law, for the Old Law had been nailed to the cross) our ancestors not only understood the New Testament teaching concerning the government's right to "bear the sword", but they also understood its responsibility to do so. Because of that understanding, justice was not only carried out, but it was carried out swiftly. Once found guilty of murder, the convicted person was rarely given more than a few days before his sentence was carried out. As under the law of Moses, executions were often public. Such a display was to show that justice would be served, and it provided that familiar, sobering reminder that such a penalty awaited all who would imitate such wicked behavior.

 

Now, back to our present circumstances. We find ourselves living in an era in which we have blurred the lines between righteousness and unrighteousness, and we are now paying a heavy toll for such conduct. We have pretended that God's commandments pertaining to sexual immorality and perverse behavior are old fashioned, intolerant, and even hateful. We have sat in judgment of the Righteous Judge and have deemed ourselves superior to God and His ways. We have even passed new laws in our "justice system" proclaiming that anyone who "discriminates" from our self-proclaimed righteousness be penalized to the full extent of our laws. We have invited people who are openly defiant of God's commandments into our public schools, libraries, and parks to "educate" our children.

 

Do you remember that Jesus said it would be better to have a millstone tied around your neck and be cast into the sea, rather than to cause one of these little ones who believe in Him to sin?

 

But we live in a society that fancies itself more compassionate than Jesus and wiser than God, and we have taught our children that right is wrong and that wrong is right. And we are surprised when these little ones grow into hateful adults and begin to exercise that hatefulness by killing anyone who would remind them that God has forbidden certain types of conduct.

 

Sometimes, we are even more surprised when some of the men and women we have chosen to be our teachers, our news sources, and even our elected leaders respond to such murderous activity with open approval and audible cheering.

 

There needs to be a turning back to God and His ways if we are to ever get out of the circumstances that we find ourselves in at the present. We must ask ourselves if we like what is going on today. We need to determine if we are going to accept the nonsense that is often falsely taught on behalf of Christianity that somehow, we are required to let the most innocent among us remain at the mercy of the most wicked among us. We do need to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us - this has never changed! But we also need to bring back righteousness and justice in America if we are to meet that portion of Christ's teaching as well. And, we are going to have to stop going along with wicked men who call right wrong and wrong right. 

 

More than anything, we are going to have to repent of our cowardly behavior that permitted the wicked to take charge in the first place. We were indeed deceived when we decided that God would not allow us to reap what we had sown, despite the wicked seed that we had all so carefully planted and then nurtured into maturity. We live in a nation that is at a crossroads, and her people are going to have to decide whether they will follow God or follow men and women who are ruled by Satan. 

Understand that if we fail to make a decision now, it is likely that we will never do so. And by that lack of decisiveness, we will be condemning our children and grandchildren to a world that is ruled by evil instead of righteousness. I for one am sick and tired of witnessing evil men go about unfettered and then listening to their evil companions cheer them on. I for one am more than willing to love these enemies and pray for them - this is commanded - but I am also ready to insist that we also begin to live under God's righteous commands that result in a justice system that protects the innocent and brings the guilty to a swift justice. 

 

I am determined to start living that way, to start praying that way, and to start voting that way. Furthermore, I will start praying that God will bring to His justice any who would stand in His way! I hope that you will join me in that commitment