United We Stand, Divided We Fall :: by Holly Spate

Look around you.

The stark reality is that there are those who wish to divide us and those that wish to unite us. America, throughout its history, has been no stranger to those who wish to sabotage her strength, demean her directives, and strip away her freedom. America is no stranger to those who oppose her. She has always had enemies both outside and inside her borders. Those who have been blessed to be a part of the American dream, bought through the blood, sweat, and toil of others, are not all on board with her ideals, nor do they appreciate their citizenship and all it affords them. Their version of the American dream is a nightmare for all who truly value their freedoms…all true patriots who are beyond grateful for the country in which they live.

There are many who do not seek peace and understanding among fellow Americans. Some are so intolerant that there’s now no longer room for discussion. They are no longer willing to rationally and calmly listen to opposing views. They have unwisely chosen instead to harden their hearts and close their minds to anything they don’t wish to hear. Silencing opposing views is what they do best; and if that isn’t enough, some have turned violent, which is what we’ve seen recently.

Sadly, some don’t want to unite. Some have no desire to learn our true history or take a moment to think of all who sacrificed so they could be free. Some just want the perks of freedom while trying to take away the freedoms of those who disagree with them. Their version of freedom is not framed in reality, and the utopia many in their camp envision is unrealistic and incompatible with the American way of life.

Some call for socialism. Some claim they want totalitarianism. And most have no idea what they’re asking for. They have been brainwashed into believing untruths and have been too lazy to dive into facts. They are naive to think something that’s failed in every country will somehow be successful in ours. Both take away personal responsibility, the opportunity to create a better existence personally and collectively. They stand in the way of positive progress and, by their very nature, are stifling and oppressive.

Many experienced a tiny taste of totalitarianism at work in the USA when Covid 19 hit. Unfortunately, several mayors and governors allowed the authority given to go to their heads. Many citizens were beside themselves and horrified to see how quickly their leaders became tiny tyrants with their list of unrealistic, suppressive demands.

Many experienced hypocrisy on steroids when certain mayors and governors broke their own rules and were indignant when caught. Their attitudes were a very matter-of-fact response…a clear message of “Do as I say, not as I do.”

What’s the saying? “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

In other words, as a person’s power increases, their moral sense diminishes. For some, but not all, of course. There were many mayors and governors who should be commended, as they did not abuse their powers, but instead did their best to find a balance while keeping their communities and states as safe as possible. Those are the mature leaders…those are the true leaders.

While some seek to make America better, some are actively working non-stop to drastically and dramatically change America into a place none of us recognize. Some will always complain about capitalism. Some will always be ungrateful. And, some will always prove hypocritical in their stances. (Hollywood, I’m looking at you.)

Some words of advice:

If you don’t believe in America, you’re free to leave.

If you want to be a part of the problem, not the solution, you’re free to leave.

If you don’t care enough to understand the brilliance of our Constitution and Bill of Rights which outline your precious freedoms, you’re free to leave.

If you are unable to show respect for all that our country provides you and your family, and be thankful that you live in the best country on earth, you’re free to leave.

If you are ashamed of our flag, our pledge, our anthem, our patriotic pride dressed in red, white, and blue…you’re free to leave.

If you want to blame others for your problems and don’t bother to understand and practice the concept of personal accountability which is rooted in common sense, you’re free to leave.

If you purposely are looking to incite division, change our history, dismantle and destroy our nation, you’re free to leave.

If you wish to radically change America for the worse, you’re free to leave.

If you’re not for America, you’re against America, and you’re free to leave.

Hollywood…you’re free to leave.

Propagandist Media…you’re free to leave.

Late-Night Talk Show Hosts…you’re free to leave.

Socialists, Marxists…you’re free to leave.

Elitists crying for a One-World Order…you’re free to leave.

Government Representatives who don’t believe in preserving America…you’re free to leave.

No one is keeping you here. You may leave any time you wish. After all, this is a free country…for now anyway.

Like Benjamin Franklin once said in reply to the question, “Well, Doctor, what have we got – a Republic or a Monarchy?” Without hesitation, he replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Yes…if you can keep it.

There are those actively seeking to destroy America. Anyone paying attention understands this reality. Unfortunately, some aren’t paying attention. Some simply don’t care. Some look the other way, bury their heads in the sand, and hope everything will be okay. Some believe America will never lose her freedoms. They truly believe America will always be free, so they do nothing and turn a blind eye to those seeking to destroy her.

As our former president Ronald Reagan once so astutely conveyed, “Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again.”

America is not a perfect place, as people are not perfect. We can all strive to do better. We can all be better. Yes, America is not perfect, but most will agree, of all the places on earth, it’s the greatest place on earth.

United We Stand, Divided We Fall. Americans need to stand and unite together. We all need to pledge to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. We need to be willing to sacrifice like those who went before us. We need to take personal accountability for our own actions and not blame a group of people for the actions of a few.  We need to exercise common sense and compassion. We need to be open-minded and listen. We need to choose kindness, selflessness, graciousness, and never stop being appreciative for the blessings we have because we’re Americans.

America, this is your wake-up call.

More importantly, as Americans we need to individually open our eyes and hearts and recognize that our country needs to turn back to God and recognize we, as a sinful people, desperately need Him. We need His leading, His direction, His guidance, His mercy, His salvation. America will never be well without Him. America will never be great without Him. He is the Great Physician and the only One who can bridge the gaps, bring lasting unity, and heal this divided land.

hspate@verizon.net

 

 

The Gospel According to Luke: Part 17 :: By Dr. Donald Whitchard

An Exposition

Luke 6:20-34: A New Way of Behavior

“And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you, and cast insults at you and spurn your name as evil for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets. But I say to you who hear, love you enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those that curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also, and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way. And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners have those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount” (Luke 6:20-34, NASB).

The Lord Jesus is the Master Teacher, and He challenges those who are listening to Him to not just hear a collection of wise and profound words, but He causes them to think about the subject that has been presented. The LORD has His audience employ critical thinking and rationality to understand the underlying content of what has been presented. A teacher does not merely recite facts and figures for the students to memorize long enough to pass an examination and then forget everything. He or she gets them to think things through, analyze the lesson or concept presented and to make a conclusion based on a fixed solution. Whether the student in question adapts what he has learned and puts it to work in his life is another matter.

Jesus had an audience of hearers, but very few listeners. He is going to present ideas that were foreign or cast aside due to prejudices and established judgments on behaviors or circumstances. His audience consisted of the poor and destitute who were trying to survive under the iron fist of Roman rule and detested them as a result.

These same people were perceived by the ruling elite as cursed by God for both their individual sins as well as those sins passed to them by their parents. They felt worthless in every sense. Yet Jesus told them that they were blessed in the sight of God. This was something new and welcomed with joy and surprise. The poor have a special place in the heart of God because of their neglect and abuse by the elites and officials. The LORD is the defender of these souls and will be their champion when called upon by them. These are the inheritors of the kingdom of God along with all its abundance, with the reward and blessing of eternal life when they come to Him for redemption and forgiveness.

Those that hunger will be filled when they call upon the mercy of the LORD, who will not allow His elect to suffer a lack of food (Isaiah 49:8-13) or sustenance. Jesus has compassion for the hungry, and it has been largely the benevolent work of the church to feed and take care of those who are in desperate need of help and care. The ones who weep from sorrow will have their tears wiped away (Revelation 21:1-7) and will fill their hearts with everlasting joy as Jesus expresses in Scripture (Luke 10:21, 15:5; John 15:11, 17; Hebrews 2:2).

The world will see this and react with hatred and deny the followers of Jesus to be part of societal events and be thought of as evil and rebellious against the will of the state. This represented the absolute rule of the Emperors who thought of themselves as divine. They demanded of their subjects that they be referred to as “lord” on pain of death in many cases. The early church suffered immense persecution for the fact that, while they honored and respected the Emperor, they would not call him “lord,” for that title was reserved only for the Lord Jesus. The awful tortures and fates of these brave and faithful servants of Christ produced the seeds that would spread the gospel to all parts of the known world and would eventually be the faith of future emperors.

There are numerous souls throughout the history of the remnant church who have laid down their lives and gave up everything for the joy of knowing that, with a brief period of pain, they would be ushered into heaven to be with the Lord Jesus for all time. The apostles themselves were all martyred for the faith save for John, who was sent to the prison island of Patmos in his old age, and ended up being the author of a gospel, three pastoral letters and the book of Revelation, which is the comforting and encouraging message to the church of the final victory of Jesus Christ over the forces of evil.

In pronouncing the “woes,” or deserved rebukes of high society by the Lord Jesus (vv.24-26), He is not indicting the wealthy who use their funds for benevolent causes and times of need and to trust God to provide them with the ability to show kindness and grace towards the unfortunate. His indictment is against His enemies who use their wealth to benefit themselves, satisfy their own lusts and appetites, who delight in other people’s misery, and yet receive accolade from their peers. This is a verbal attack on the character and attitude of the Pharisees, who see themselves as above everyone in terms of privilege and self-professed piety, yet were the most hypocritical examples of religious figures. We still see people who act this way today.

It is so easy, especially as we see this world get darker with each passing day, to wash our hands of those who get under our skin and do plain, hateful things towards their fellow men. There are people in places of power, influence, finance, policy, and businesses who have absolutely no redeeming qualities and seem to revel in being hated and despised for what they say and do, in particular those in political power who feel it is their sworn duty to make the common citizen as miserable as possible. The actions of criminals, perverse individuals, murderers, thieves, blasphemers of God, and a slew of other reprobates tend to bring forth anger, disgust, and often a wish that God would wipe them out in one way or another.

Jesus tells His audience, and us as well, that we need to see these people as lost and heading to hell unless they repent and turn to Him for salvation and real peace. If we adopt that viewpoint, it will make it easier to treat them in a way that would totally change their outlook at others and themselves. The LORD tells us to do good to them (v.27) and to get rid of any bad attitude we might have against them. By doing so, your testimony will be a means of opening their eyes to the possibility that there might be something to Christianity after all.

He also tells us that we are to bless them (v.28), praying that God would open their hearts to the truth of the Gospel by helping them when they are in need, or have a problem and have no one to whom they can confide. We are to be living examples of the grace and mercy Jesus gave to us when we were His enemies (Romans 5:6-11) before we repented and surrendered our lives to Him. This goes along with the need to pray for them (v.28b), especially for their salvation and deliverance from the wiles of the devil. Stephen’s testimony and death for his faith in Christ (Acts 7) was the start of Saul’s transformation and his immediate change of mind and heart when he encountered the risen and glorified Jesus on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:1-6).

Jesus also instructed us to submit to them, especially if they are in a position of authority (Romans 13:1-8) and pose no threat or opposition to your faith in the process. It is when the authorities try and put themselves in a place where oppression of belief is practiced that we are to disobey their decrees, peaceably if possible, but be ready to defend yourself if the occasion arises.

In this present political and social time bomb in which we live, the situation may come where we may have to resort to self-defense and rebel against ungodly authority and laws. Again, we are to demonstrate our faith and convictions by imitating what our LORD did for those who hated Him, in that He showed compassion and forgiveness; and we would do well to do the same as His representatives before the time comes for His return. It gets our mind and eyes off our own concerns and helps to strengthen our faith. Now, let us swallow our pride and bow before Him.

Much more instruction is to come.

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.donaldwhitchard.com