A KNIFE EDGE

BEHOLD THE BEAST

home |

A KNIFE EDGE

America on A Knife Edge - November 2006 - Craig Marlatt

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Ps. 33:12)

America On Knife Edge

When I was a young man growing up it was common to think of America as a Christian nation. There was a national moral conscience that made you feel like we were the 'Good Guys' who cared about family and friendship, justice, mercy and hope for the future. Not that we didn't have our problems and troubles like everyone else. But still, you could ride your bike through the neighborhood, go down to the mill pond to swim with friends, or to the ballfield without having to be under constant adult supervision for fear some predator would kidnap or molest you or a drug dealer would blow your head off in a drive by shooting.

Television, movie makers and radio media were expected to produce programs that were not offensive to the average American. Public schools were not afraid to mention God and talk about the Bible and the Ten Commandments as a standard for moral behavior. Christmas was more about Christ than being a feeding frenzy of commercial advertising campaigns. Noone wondered if displaying a manger scene should be prohibited because someone might be offended by its "religious connotations." The Golden Rule was "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

It was common to hear the words "Yes sir" or "Yes ma'am" when a young person addressed an adult. It was understood that you respected your elders and honored parents and grandparents. To hear a young person cursing in public or disrespecting others was cause for genuine concern. We said the pledge of allegiance and sometimes the Lords Prayer to start the school day off right . . . and their wasn't an ACLU lawyer standing in the wings to tell us we couldn't do it.

For the most part, politicians were respected for their service to community and country. There was the occasional corrupt official who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but by and large politicians were honored members of society doing their part to protect and serve.

Our soldiers who went off to fight for the freedoms we loved, or to assist those threatened by tyranny and injustice, could expect a heroes welcome when they returned. Throngs would often gather at the docks when Navy ships came in from sea duty and hometown parades were the norm for those returning from serving abroad.

What happened? How did we become a confused mass of people without a moral compass? Who decided that uncertainty was righteousness and character and goodness could best be demonstrated by unreasonable tolerance and laws meant to uphold the rights of those who oppose godliness and common decency? Misunderstanding the true nature of freedom, lawyers fight to defend the rights of those who wish to do that which is clearly evil in the name of free speech and licentious lifestyles. Freedom is not the ability to do what you want to do. It's the power to do what you ought to do!

We've turned our freedoms over to an army of lawyers who teach us to sue each other at the drop of the hat, or to find legal loopholes to litigate against anyone who can be caught off guard. Ambulance chasers promising undeserved wealth without jurisprudence. Judges making decisions rewarding millions of dollars to someone over a cup of spilled coffee, yet lacking the moral courage to stop the murder of 1.3 million human babies every year, thus endorsing sex without responsibility.

This great nation was founded by God fearing men and women who came here to establish a homeland for freedom. A place where a man could worship God according to his own conscience, and raise his family free from totalitarian controls or oppressive governments. Those pioneers who sacrificed personal position and fortune to mold a country (where all men were created equal) were some of the brightest lights this world has ever known. We have shamed their shining image with what we have allowed ourselves to become.

Modern educators have re-written history to suit their own humanistic ideas of what our Founding Fathers were like and have corrupted what they stood for. Make no mistake about it, they were godly men who worshiped the God of the Bible. They were 'blessed' men on a holy mission: establishing a nation where men could truly be free to reap the rewards of their labors, think great thoughts and achieve great things. Our Fathers knew and warned, by speech and written word, that this nation could only remain great if we kept the Lord as our God and the Bible as the criteria by which we lived.

It remains to be seen whether this nation can return to God before it's too late. One would have to be an optimist to think so, but we hope and pray nonetheless. History proves that nations fall when they allow immorality and perversity to prevail. When its citizens seek the world rather than the God who made the world. When gain is considered godliness and godliness is considered foolishness. When the Church fails to rise up for God's righteousness, it fails to be God's instrument for change. When one can scarcely tell the difference between a television sales pitch and a television preacher, the nation is in great peril. When we stop seeking God's face and seek only His hand, we have exchanged true Christianity for humanism.

Can anything be done to save us? Yes, if we as individuals turn back to God. It's time to reevaluate our lives and ask the hard questions. "Do I really love the Lord? Do I even know the Son of God who hung on the Cross for me?" Only when we can see ourselves in the light of God's Word can we see what He wants us to do for the world around us.

If America is to be spared from the coming wrath it will not be because of our great military might, or by political wrangling, or by compromising our God given principles to appease those who hate us. We must fight those who seek to destroy us (whether from within or without). We must honor those who are putting their very lives at risk in service to our country. We must pray for and support them with all of our ability and faith. We must hold fast to what is left of our founding principles and not let them be stripped away by the spiritual blindness of those who deny God and seek to turn us into a shadow of what was once a great nation.

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14) This is our greatest hope of seeing ourselves again as a nation that is called blessed by the Lord.

Fish House Associate Pastor


	BEHOLD THE BEAST home \| A KNIFE EDGE America on A Knife Edge - November 2006 - Craig Marlatt Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Ps. 33:12) America On Knife Edge When I was a young man growing up it was common to think of America as a Christian nation. There was a national moral conscience that made you feel like we were the 'Good Guys' who cared about family and friendship, justice, mercy and hope for the future. Not that we didn't have our problems and troubles like everyone else. But still, you could ride your bike through the neighborhood, go down to the mill pond to swim with friends, or to the ballfield without having to be under constant adult supervision for fear some predator would kidnap or molest you or a drug dealer would blow your head off in a drive by shooting. Television, movie makers and radio media were expected to produce programs that were not offensive to the average American. Public schools were not afraid to mention God and talk about the Bible and the Ten Commandments as a standard for moral behavior. Christmas was more about Christ than being a feeding frenzy of commercial advertising campaigns. Noone wondered if displaying a manger scene should be prohibited because someone might be offended by its "religious connotations." The Golden Rule was "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It was common to hear the words "Yes sir" or "Yes ma'am" when a young person addressed an adult. It was understood that you respected your elders and honored parents and grandparents. To hear a young person cursing in public or disrespecting others was cause for genuine concern. We said the pledge of allegiance and sometimes the Lords Prayer to start the school day off right . . . and their wasn't an ACLU lawyer standing in the wings to tell us we couldn't do it. For the most part, politicians were respected for their service to community and country. There was the occasional corrupt official who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but by and large politicians were honored members of society doing their part to protect and serve. Our soldiers who went off to fight for the freedoms we loved, or to assist those threatened by tyranny and injustice, could expect a heroes welcome when they returned. Throngs would often gather at the docks when Navy ships came in from sea duty and hometown parades were the norm for those returning from serving abroad. What happened? How did we become a confused mass of people without a moral compass? Who decided that uncertainty was righteousness and character and goodness could best be demonstrated by unreasonable tolerance and laws meant to uphold the rights of those who oppose godliness and common decency? Misunderstanding the true nature of freedom, lawyers fight to defend the rights of those who wish to do that which is clearly evil in the name of free speech and licentious lifestyles. Freedom is not the ability to do what you want to do. It's the power to do what you ought to do! We've turned our freedoms over to an army of lawyers who teach us to sue each other at the drop of the hat, or to find legal loopholes to litigate against anyone who can be caught off guard. Ambulance chasers promising undeserved wealth without jurisprudence. Judges making decisions rewarding millions of dollars to someone over a cup of spilled coffee, yet lacking the moral courage to stop the murder of 1.3 million human babies every year, thus endorsing sex without responsibility. This great nation was founded by God fearing men and women who came here to establish a homeland for freedom. A place where a man could worship God according to his own conscience, and raise his family free from totalitarian controls or oppressive governments. Those pioneers who sacrificed personal position and fortune to mold a country (where all men were created equal) were some of the brightest lights this world has ever known. We have shamed their shining image with what we have allowed ourselves to become. Modern educators have re-written history to suit their own humanistic ideas of what our Founding Fathers were like and have corrupted what they stood for. Make no mistake about it, they were godly men who worshiped the God of the Bible. They were 'blessed' men on a holy mission: establishing a nation where men could truly be free to reap the rewards of their labors, think great thoughts and achieve great things. Our Fathers knew and warned, by speech and written word, that this nation could only remain great if we kept the Lord as our God and the Bible as the criteria by which we lived. It remains to be seen whether this nation can return to God before it's too late. One would have to be an optimist to think so, but we hope and pray nonetheless. History proves that nations fall when they allow immorality and perversity to prevail. When its citizens seek the world rather than the God who made the world. When gain is considered godliness and godliness is considered foolishness. When the Church fails to rise up for God's righteousness, it fails to be God's instrument for change. When one can scarcely tell the difference between a television sales pitch and a television preacher, the nation is in great peril. When we stop seeking God's face and seek only His hand, we have exchanged true Christianity for humanism. Can anything be done to save us? Yes, if we as individuals turn back to God. It's time to reevaluate our lives and ask the hard questions. "Do I really love the Lord? Do I even know the Son of God who hung on the Cross for me?" Only when we can see ourselves in the light of God's Word can we see what He wants us to do for the world around us. If America is to be spared from the coming wrath it will not be because of our great military might, or by political wrangling, or by compromising our God given principles to appease those who hate us. We must fight those who seek to destroy us (whether from within or without). We must honor those who are putting their very lives at risk in service to our country. We must pray for and support them with all of our ability and faith. We must hold fast to what is left of our founding principles and not let them be stripped away by the spiritual blindness of those who deny God and seek to turn us into a shadow of what was once a great nation. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14) This is our greatest hope of seeing ourselves again as a nation that is called blessed by the Lord. Fish House Associate Pastor