Jump Start # 1383

Judges 2:10 “All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.”

  Last week the Supreme Court made a decision about same-sex marriage. It seems that the social media exploded with reaction about that decision. Some are dancing in the streets now, rejoicing. They got what they wanted. Others, are crying within as they see our nation taking another step toward ungodliness. Now, that the debate is over and the decision has been declared, who knows what the same-sex advocates will do. There will be another social agenda that they will push that will take us yet further from God. They are marching, not on Washington, but to the sound of Satan. To say anything in opposition, is to be hammered as a hate monger. Deluded preachers line up with the same-sex crowd and announce that the Lord says love one another. Not understanding the Scriptures nor even the core foundation of holiness and righteousness, they further confuse the masses who haven’t read the Bible in years.

The bigger picture, with the legalization of marijuana, states passing out needles for heroin uses, same-sex marriage nation wide, the re-writing of our country’s history, is that we have a nation that is very similar to Israel after Joshua died. Our passage today states that there was another generation who did not know the Lord.

What follows is the results of a nation without God:

• They did evil in the sight of the Lord (11)
• They served the Baals (11)
• They bowed down to the other gods around them (12)
• They angered the Lord (12)

As a result God sold them into the hands of the enemies. A long cycle of the Judges, lasting about 400 years took place.

We are witnessing a generation that does not know God. Without a compass, the people drift with the tide of what is easy, sinful and selfish. Many who quote God on the social media, do not understand the Bible nor the purpose of the Bible.

So, here we are adrift in a nation that has no direction. Selfishness continues to rise. The hatred of all things good and decent climbs. As in Isaiah’s day, “good is being called bad and bad is being called good.” What can we do? I’m hearing that cry from many righteous people.

First, Biblical history teaches us that God has had righteous people even in the darkest days. I cannot imagine a foreign country, like China, invading us and kidnapping some of our young people back to China. Back in the days of Judah, it wasn’t China, but Babylon that did that very thing. The nation was invaded. The temple destroyed. People were killed. Many were taken to Babylon. We know of a few, such as the three Jewish boys in the fiery furnace and Daniel, but there were others who were faithful to God. That group and their children returned after many years. They were faithful. During the New Testament’s dark days of Jewish and then Roman persecution, God’s people remained faithful to Him. God has always heard the cries of His people. He heard them in Egypt. He heard them under the altar in Revelation. So, the first lesson the Bible teaches us is that we will continue to be faithful to God. Our hope is not in who can take over Washington, but He who sits upon the throne in Heaven. We must stand with God. No bending. No compromising. No caving in. No tolerating of wrong. No hatred. No ugliness. No mud slinging. When God has placed the stake in the ground, is where we will stand. We do not fear what man can do to us.

Second, we must teach our families and then our friends the Bible. In Joshua’s day, a generation arose that did not know the Lord. Why? Why did they not know? What were the parents doing? What was the leaders doing? It’s time for serious Bible learning. It’s time to know what God says, how God’s people are to respond, and what God expects of us. It’s time for churches to get serious about teaching. Many are. It’s time for our people to really know the Lord.

Third, Jesus said, many will follow the easy path to destruction. It’s wide. It’s crowded. It’s not demanding. What is happening is nothing more than what Jesus said. There are few who will do what is right. We must surround ourselves with those few. We must spend time with those few. We must turn off dumb TV shows. We must stop reading and watching those things that make our blood pressure rise. Pray more. The loonies may want to change every flag, so what. The banner I pledge my allegiance to is the banner of Christ. They can’t touch that one. What is happening is nothing new. Sadly, God has seen it all too often.

Fourth, we must in kindness and calmness speak up for God. When folks declare, “Jesus says love,” just reply, “He really said, if you love Me, keep my commandments.” When co-workers proudly state, “The Bible says, “don’t judge,” just reply, “No, actually God tells us to judge. Check it out. It’s there. “ Don’t get in a shouting match with those who are not looking for truth, but rather, they are trying to destroy. Don’t debate a fool. Don’t engage in a conversation in which it is one sided and the intention is to make your faith seem stupid. Nothing good can come from that.

We must continue to be faithful to God. If a court can change the definition of marriage, I suppose they can change the definition of life. Once we start changing definitions, wrong becomes right. For my little grandbabies it will be a different world for them, but with godly parents who are teaching them, it will be ok. My generation was so different than my dads. He was part of that greatest generation that survived a depression and fought a massive world war. My generation burned the flag and smoked dope and protested.  We marched in the streets. We engaged in free love. Drugs filled the air and our veins. Hippies became heroes. The songs were of rebellion and anti authority. Those were my times. But I’m not a hippie. I don’t do drugs. I don’t burn flags. I walk with the Lord. I’m honored to preach His word. I try to live righteously. There are many of my generation who didn’t fair well. They were jailed. They died young. They lived without a purpose. But as for me, like Joshua of old, and my house, we will serve the Lord.

We will continue to serve the Lord. So don’t fret my brethren. Don’t lose hope. Don’t quit the battle. We are marching, not to Washington, but to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. Could it be, like Esther, that God has placed us here for such an occasion as this?

Roger