Crossing the red line morally . . . .

Dear friends and faithful supporters,

Syria is in the news this week, as you know. Approximately, 150 people were allegedly killed by some type of chemical weapon which was dropped on rebel territory by the Assad regime. President Bashar al-Assad had crossed the red line as far as the administration was concerned. Immediately politicians (keep in mind these are the people who run our country) jumped in the fray mouth first from both sides of the aisle and accused the president and his supporters of either not doing enough, or doing too much too late. It's been a three ring circus.

Now, I ask you, if you have been following the proceedings, is there any reason that the American public should not be cynical or skeptical of the entire process? Strangely enough, however, this is not really what disturbs me. What disturbs me is that from 1973 through 2008, nearly 50 million legal abortions have occurred in the U.S with nary a peep out of these vociferous “crossing-the-red-line” champions of human rights.

Furthermore, it’s a fact also that a shocking 49 percent of all babies born in the U.S. are born to families receiving food supplements from the WIC program, according to Jean Daniel, spokesperson for the United States Department of Agriculture. And, a whopping 14.2 % of America's children are suffering malnutrition and most go to bed hungry each night.

So, I say it is high time for us to remove the beam from our own eye before we complain about the splinters in the eyes of the rest of the world. How many senseless wars must we involve ourselves in before we learn that we cannot control the rest of the world through force alone? Money’s not the answer, either. We cannot buy peace, or justice or even enough food to feed the poor for that matter. And, as bad as I hate to admit it we cannot legislate morality, either. Fornicators will fornicate. Thieves will steal. Conmen will con. Swindlers will swindle.    

But one thing we can do, and that is we can prevent our own from committing embryonic genocide, and protect and nourish those children that have escaped the forceps, scalpels and suction tube of an abortionist by them providing opportunity for a better life. Capitalism and entrepreneurship is the American way. With that I have no beef. However, when we witness failing executives walk off with millions of dollars of bonuses while Joe Blue Collar struggles to make ends men, I say something has got to give.

Politics is not the answer. Moreover, philanthropy will not do the trick, either. I do believe, however, that a changed heart will. Allow me to give you a most unlikely example, that of Onesimus and Philemon. I said it was unlikely, didn’t I?Onesimus was a slave owned by Philemon, and one day Onesimus said to himself, “I’ve had enough, I am going to take the law in my own hands and runaway.” Which he did. He left Colossi and skipped off to Rome to hide himself in the big city. Problem was, however, he had to keep looking over his shoulder, knowing all the while that if he was discovered Philemon could lop his head off with total impunity under Roman law. 

One day Onesimus hired out to run errands and do odd jobs for a prisoner named Paul who was awaiting trial in Rome for sedition, thinking no doubt that this new job would provide him enough wherewithal to survive as he plotted his next move. Times were rough and he did not want to lose his job, so he really worked hard at it.

  

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Eventually, Onesimus became interested in Paul’s faith and decided that he, too, wanted to put Jesus front and center in his life. Which he did.

As fortune would have it, Paul knew Philemon’s son Archippus and that his father had become a believer, so he told Onesimus that as a Christian he should go back and throw himself on Philemon’s mercy. Which Onesimus did and lived happily ever after.

The moral of the story?

Well, it is simple. What politicians and legal codes failed to accomplish two hearts that met at the foot of the Cross did.

Should we therefore just give up on the political process? No, that is not what I am advocating; although, I must admit that it is tempting to do at times. What I am saying is that we do not fight against flesh and blood—politics or political systems; we are in a spiritual battle. A battle for the souls of men and women. A battle we cannot afford to lose, as a country or individual. We must, therefore, work while there is yet daylight, for as scripture reminds us there will come a night when no one will work.

In closing, I can almost hear someone say, “Why make such a fuss over the United States? I thought you are a missionary.” Well, the answer is, I am a missionary, but I am also an American that understands that if we lose our home base we have lost the battle from our end of things. The United States is still missions’ greatest ally. You and I are vital to its continued success. Millions have yet to hear the good news of God’s gift to us through Jesus Christ. So, let's do our very best to keep America morally strong because the rest of the world and indeed the Kingdom of God needs us. Now, this is not an arrogant statement either; after all, Christ does admonish us to pray that the Lord of the harvest will thrust out workers into the harvest field. (Matt. 9:38) And, why would he asks us to pray unless workers were needed? Makes sense, doesn't it? Therefore, we need to continue to pray in order that we may send workers to the mission field; for, indeed, the harvest is plenteous but the workers are few.

Thanks for helping us spread this good news around the world through discipling others in our colleges and seminaries. 

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

Please keep in mind that we minister entirely by faith. We are not underwritten by any church or organization.

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