DEARNESS ONLY GIVES VALUE

(Post by: Lilly Hobbs)

One of my dear friends has encouraged me to write this post, and I want to share how proud I am of her for recognizing modern-day deception, and the passion she has for the truth of God. Now, I am sure that many of y’all have watched the video that has been circulating the past few days. It is the video of the 117^th Congress Inauguration Prayer.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who is a United Methodist pastor, opened Congress with a prayer. He ended this prayer with these words, and I quote… “We ask it in the name of the monotheistic god, Brahma, and god known by many names, by many different faiths. Amen and awoman.”

As soon as I watched that video, I was devastated.

You want to know what made me even more devastated than hearing someone in leadership pray to an unclarified “god” and make the word “amen” (which actually means “let it be so”) into a gendered term? It was the fact that Christians were, and still are, sharing memes and joking about it on social media.

Yeah. I guess they think this is some kind of joke. They must not have thought through the origin of that prayer and the effects that it will have on the lost. Allow me to explain what I mean by that…

For too long pastors and the Church have neglected their godly duty in the political realm. Many of them have preached from the pulpit that politics are not in accordance with standards of honor or decency.

Well neither is the Church at this point in time. So, what’s your point?

Many “Christians” ignore the battles that take place right on their doorsteps, and have done so throughout history. They are deceived! We are fooled if we think that this is not our fight. We sin by rationalizing it out in our heads, and by convincing ourselves that it is just about politics and not about Jesus!

What’s worse, is that because the Church hasn’t gotten involved in politics, “religion” has now trickled in, and in the worst way possible. While our nation was founded on great, solid, Christian principle’s, the Church has allowed it to be stripped away, and now “religion” is being reintroduced in the most evil ways.

What about the lost, folks?? What about the people who will hear that prayer on the news today and will be utterly confused because that’s the first prayer they’ve heard in years, or maybe the first prayer they’ve ever heard?

Oh, and what will they think when they see their “Christian” friends making light of it on social media? If I was them, it would seem to me that prayer must not be that important or serious to them. I would go so far as to say, that they may even think that it’s trivial to us since we’re joking about it.

I’m calling on The Few to stand up against the hypocrisy!! Matthew Henry once said, “A godly man, that he may avoid the evil, utterly renounces the companionship of evil-doers, and will NOT be led by them. Departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins.”

The Church isn’t going to show up. They’re just not. Everybody keeps referring to the term “woke”, and I think it’s time that we realize that if those who call themselves “Christians” aren’t awake and taking action already, then perhaps they weren’t ever “awake” in the first place. I know that’s not politically correct, but it’s the truth and I’m done telling “Christians” that they’re doing a great job when they’re dabbling in evil.  

Psalm 9:15-20 says, “The nations have fallen into the pit they made; their foot is caught in the net they have concealed. The Lord has made himself known; he has executed justice, snaring the wicked by the work of their hands. The wicked will return to Sheol – all the nations that forget God. For the needy will not always be forgotten; the hope of the oppressed will not perish forever. Rise up, Lord! Do not let mere humans prevail; let the nations be judged in your presence. Put terror in them, Lord; let the nations know they are only humans.”

That is what I have been praying over America the last couple of days. I’ve been going through Psalms and it keeps mentioning this “reverential awe” that leaders are supposed to have. How they should tremble when they read the Word of God. Listen, God loves His people so much, enough to literally warn them of His justice and power so that they have time to repent.

When are we going to take His justice seriously? Will we make today THE day, Church? Do you hold things such as the truth and freedom dear? Because that makes all the difference between an attitude of victory and one of defeat.

As one of my favorite poems says, “If you think you dare not, you don’t.” My question today is this… Will you choose to dare because of what you hold dear?

“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”  (Thomas Paine)

SO WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?

= What do you think politics effect?

= Are you willing to dare?

= What are you going to do differently?