Is There Hope For America's Future?

I give you this charge:  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 

2 Timothy 3:-5. (NIV)

             Today our courts at law are not allowed to display the Ten Commandments.  Instead of freedom of religion, we have freedom from religion.  The very tenants that gave us our laws and brought our forebears to our shores now are hidden; not displayed, not taught, and thereby not followed by most of our citizens.

            Prayer has been forbidden in all public places and the great old hymns of the Republic can not be sung or performed if they honor Christ, or Christians, as it might offend someone.

            Marriage is being defined as not only a relationship between a man and a woman, but also between two men or two women.  Children now openly have two mommies or two daddies. That is, if there are two grownups in a home any more.  Most children now in our country are not being raised by two traditional parents.  The home has dis-

integrated.  No wonder children are bewildered, confused, untaught, and undisciplined!  Imagine how lost inside they must feel. Most people say they believe in the Bible, but they cannot answer the simplest questions about it, because they never read it.

            More children have been killed by abortion in our country in the last forty years than the casualties of all our wars to date.  More than 55,000,000 babies have been aborted since the Roe vs. Wade court decision.  It has skewed our work force and changed our economy as well as our spiritual well being. 

            Alcohol and drug addiction are common and have filled our prisons and emptied our wallets. Church attendance is on the decline. Our ministers are being harassed by preaching the whole Bible.  When they preach about certain sins like homosexuality, they often get death threats and are subject to ridicule and fear of prosecution.  Sin is unpopular.  Most of us live by the religion of "Taking Care of Number One!"  What can I do?  What is my personal obligation?  Does God really care?  Do I? A Christian is called to share the good news of Jesus Christ, to preach God's Word, and to set an example of purity and integrity.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 1 Peter 3:15. (NIV)

Pat Eppler                                                            

Is There Hope For Financial Security In Our World?

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

             Today as I caught up reading my e-mails I deleted several that I seem to see over and over in my computer mail.  You know the kind, "Our country is in financial trouble. The markets are going to collapse!  A slice of bread will soon buy a basket of gold worth $125.00.  Hurry and order our booklet that gives you the secret of surviving the coming bad times."

            It is written by an extremely wealthy man who just happens to have all the secrets of how to get rich when everyone else is going under.  He is so rich that all he has to change anyone who falls for his get-rich-quick scheme is $49.95 for the pamphlet that will give you all the information you need to get rich also while everyone else is going broke.  Yeah.  Rigghhtt!

            I often wonder who falls for this kind of trash.  Then I think about all the poor souls who buy lottery tickets every week, even though they can't pay all their bills.  Or those who gamble on the horses, games of chance, ball games, and whatever else men gamble on.  Don't they know they are only throwing their money away?  Why don't they understand.

            We all need to follow the example of Paul.  Even while he preached the gospel he worked as a tent maker to pay his way.  He worked for what he needed and trusted the Lord that it would be sufficient. 

            Our society has become so in love with "things" and whatever money can buy, like prestige, that we completely lose sight of what is really important.  We should not act in ungodly ways to get money. If we trust in money we never have enough.  If we trust in the Lord to provide, we will be satisfied with what we have.  We need to keep our eyes on things that are eternal, like helping others learn about our Lord and leading them to a personal relationship with him.  What is your treasure?  Where is your heart?

 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6. (NIV)

Pat Eppler                                                                                                              

Is There Hope for Peace In Our Troubled World?

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 

Timothy 3:1-5

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 

Matthew 24:6-9

            These verses could have been ripped from the pages of our newspaper.  We read every day of despots who kill their own people in order to get power;  protestors who wreck their surroundings to get their point across;  warlords  who kidnap children and turn them into their personal slaves and soldiers;  exploiters who kidnap children and sell them into sexual slavery;  drug gangs that kill and terrify to further their drug sales; gangs of teenagers who are disaffected and feel detached in our society, who rampage, kill and steal; corrupt politicians who promise anything to get elected and give their voters largesse to keep their votes; businessmen who do anything to make a buck; sexual promiscuity, alcoholism, and drug addiction; schools that  don't teach; absentee parents who do not discipline their children; children who have no respect for their parents or anyone else; abortion clinics in every city of any size; gay "marriage"; and the list goes on and on.

            In our country we are fearfully watching as Iran and North Korea apparently are developing nuclear weapons.  We have been the target of Islamic extremists over and over again.  We wonder why they hate us. Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." Matthew 10:34. (NIV) He divided the world into two parts: Those who accepted Him, and those who did not accept him. There will never be world peace until Jesus returns.  He did make provision for His followers to have peace of mind in this world, however.  Do you want that peace? Then follow Him.  Make Him your Lord and Savior.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Pat Eppler                                                                        

Asleep in the Boat: Day 4

   Then a voice said to him “What are you doing Elijah?”

  He replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to the death with the sword. I am the only one left and now they are trying to kill me too.”  The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king of Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi, king of Israel, and anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Ball and all whose mouths have not kissed him.

         I Kings 19:13-18

This is such a great story! In fact, it may be the story for our times.

To recap: Elijah has given his all for the Lord’s work and seen some amazing results. In the end, however, the governing authority seems to have won and Elijah, in apparent defeat, must flee for his life. Reduced to an exhausted puddle of self-pity, Elijah has all but thrown in the towel. Then God calls him out of hiding, listens to Elijah’s complaint and imparts two game changing pieces of information:

First of all, He gives Elijah his marching orders. He is to go back home and do what prophets do: anoint two kings to replace Elijah’s seemingly invincible nemesis and a prophet to take Elijah’s place. The king that Elijah perceives to be in charge of his life is on his way out. The reality is two kings will shortly take his place. And help is on the way in the prophet department, too. Elisha will not only be his future successor, but a present companion in his loneliness. Just when Elijah thought the end had come, God reveals preparations for a new beginning and given Elijah the great privilege of preparing the way.

Secondly, God shows Elijah (who believes that the future of Jehovah’s agenda rests on his weary shoulders) that there is a bigger picture. God is the keeper of Israel. Despite appearances, there are 7,000 true believers who are devoted to the one true God and God Himself will preserve them.

What great encouragement for our time! Evil is increasing at a breath-taking rate and it seems that nothing can slow its malignant spread. The governing authorities are godless and seemingly unstoppable.

But God’s Word hasn’t changed from Elijah’s time to our day: We are to go back into the society we came from and live out our identity—salt and light. As we go and as we live, we will trust God for the results.

Nancy Shirah      

Asleep in the Boat: Day 3

God disciplines us for our good that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.   

Hebrew 12: 10, 11

Once upon a time, for one brief, shining moment, I was a psychology major. My desire in pursuing that degree was to help people think clearly so that they could solve their problems and have better lives. Imagine my surprise when, on the first day of the first required class for this major (at the highly respected institution of higher learning where I was enrolled), the professor said, “We aren’t concerned with what people think; our concern is with how they behave.” He then proceeded to introduce us to our rats and their mazes and demonstrate how to dispense both food pellets and shocks.

If that seems extreme to you, consider that we now live in a world governed by the well-accepted principle of carrots (rewards) and sticks (punishment). People are motivated and shaped by their natural desire to maximize the carrots in their lives and avoid the sticks. In many situations this kind of motivation is effective in attaining a short-term goal. However, this approach to life is a dangerous detour away from Scriptural truth.

Christianity, as some advertise it, is the ultimate carrot-filled life with God as the dispenser of everything good. Jesus took the sticks; ours is to enjoy the produce. When we encounter bumps, or just feel ourselves being worn down by the daily grind, we assume something is amiss. Where is God? Where is the joy, joy, joy down in our heart? At the least, Jesus seems to be asleep in the boat; at most, he has jumped ship entirely.

Both the answer and the encouragement can be found in verses like today’s verses from Hebrews. Discipline, contrary to what the world says, is not a stick, a punishment, something to be avoided. For a Christian, discipline is a shaper of behavior, a changer of attitude, the pathway to sanctification. It is the means by which God produces in us His lushest bounty, the graces of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

If you are feeling very alone in your struggle or depleted by the demands of your situation, go to Jesus today and ask Him what His purpose is for this time. He is not asleep: He is present and fully engaged in your life. He will answer you with His comfort, His guidance and His overcoming power.

Nancy Shirah