A Window of Opportunity

There is no shortage of opinions concerning the election of Donald Trump. There is; however, one opinion shared by a vast majority of Americans: the government has been headed in the wrong direction. Many find the “rising tide” of hostility towards Christianity particularly alarming and blatant. Many anti-Christian agendas have found refuge and leverage on Capitol Hill. The LGBT behavior, for example, has been promoted to the status of a “civil right” by activist judges rivaling the freedom of religion. Never before has a sexual behavior been compared to a person’s gender or race. By doing so, people of faith have, by default, become criminals. To agree with the Bible concerning this issue has become intolerable and has cost many their careers. As a result, we are constantly bombarded with stories that follow this narrative. By making examples of people who dare to “exercise” their faith, many have been intimidated into silence. This assault on Christian values coupled with overt expressions of support for the LGBT agenda by federal and state governments has proven to be very effective. Almost every aspect of American life has been “hijacked” by this movement. Our military, careers, education, entertainment, and news have become outlets of expression for the acceptance of sexually deviant behavior. To utter a word of opposition will earn you a swift rebuttal followed by an intense name calling session. Once you have been properly shamed and marginalized for your “intolerant narrow-mindedness” you may or may not become the next example of what happens to bigots. This is just one of many examples of a people attempting to define morality without a reference point.

I believe that there is a window of opportunity, for the church, in America.  The question is, will men and women of faith take action or stand still? As people push farther away from God, the futility of their thinking leads them to the disappointing reality that their ideas don’t work in the real world. A vacuum of hopelessness is created that leads to an openness to alternative solutions. This is where the danger lies. If the Church does not step up to boldly and definitively offer real solutions; then, there will remain a fertile ground for further, even darker deception. There is a real spiritual need in our country. People are looking for answers.

How can we make the most of this window of opportunity? Below I have listed 3 ways we help our lost culture find its way back to reality.

  1. By being authentically Christian. The days of hiding in a “well-disguised” message are over. People need to see a real contrast in thinking and behavior. As we draw a real contrast, of hope, in an otherwise hopeless world, it will demand attention. Until we are as bold and confident in our convictions, as the paper tigers of our culture, we cannot expect to be taken seriously. We have allowed others to define the language of our country, it is God who defines reality not us. Culture says, sin is no longer sin it is an “alternative” lifestyle, we call murder “pro-choice”, and mental disorder “transsexual” while Biblical Christianity is called “bigotry”. Whoever defines the terms holds the power. It is time for reality to have its place in America.
  2. By being a voice. My wife made a call to one of our state representatives recently concerning the HB2 bill. She did not see “eye to eye” with the senator concerning the issue and offered a Christian reason as to why. The response she received was not very kind or tolerant. My wife did not let this stop her from pressing the matter. She continued to be a voice by calling others who were vote-casters on this issue. We must make our voices heard even if our feelings get hurt. Persistence is powerful. The issues we face in our generation are ours. “Out of sight-out of mind” is not an attitude we can adopt at this late hour.      
  3. By tuning in. We must be very intentional about being informed. Proverbs tells us that often “one man sounds right until you hear another.” I cannot tell you how many times I have read an article or heard an interview that represented an issue only to discover, after research, that I had been “hornswoggled”. Partial facts, driven by hidden agendas, twisted to manipulate my emotions. Truth, can be a powerful force, it is one you always want on your side. Train yourself to see through the agenda, by tuning into what is not being said, as well as what is being said.   

 

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