"The walls are closing in..." It seems that every week the culture takes another step or two into our spiritual "personal space". With increasing frequency, new movies are being released that are blatantly demonic in both nature and content with no attempt at all being made to disguise or sanitize the worldviews held by the propagators of the smut being marketed to us. There's a movie that's just been released called Annabelle, and there's no way around the unavoidable conclusion that this movie is Satanic in nature. This is just one example in a long line of films that are steeped in darkness. Perverse movies are the order of the day—and I'm not even talking about pornography, which is as anti-Christ as The Last Temptation of Christ or This is the End, but Friends With Benefits and Sex Tape and Zach and Miri Make a Porno are (quite successful) attempts at mainstreaming lasciviousness, fornication, and out-of-control lust. The normalizing of such practices is where the greatest damage upon the youth is being done, as an entire generation is being raised to accept all of these non-Biblical behaviors as not only normal but also worthy of praise and endorsement. The irresponsibility and godlessness of their behavior will have multi-generational ramifications for centuries to come should Jesus Christ delay His coming.
With all that said, Bible-believing Christians really shouldn't be surprised by what is taking place before our eyes. Most—not some—MOST Americans are almost completely secular in their ideology and worldview, despite numerous polls that indicate that a majority of Americans are indeed Christian. Sadly, some classify their "Christianity" valid if they're regular church attendees and give their tithes and offerings and keep the commandments. Almost nothing could be further from the truth. Most America-loving citizens would be lost for all eternity if Christ came right now. This group has within it noble veterans and center-Right voters who know and can recite the Constitution and Federalist Papers, who love it and are willing to defend it with their lives; these are they who believe in American exceptionalism, who love Washington, Goldwater, and Reagan and swear by Fox News while Old Glory whips in the wind just outside their window—but they are LOST because they have loved country more than God and want a Judeo-Christian foundation more than they want Jesus Christ Himself to be the foundation. These would marshal the whole Army and beloved Marine Corps to keep Christ from setting up His rule from Jerusalem, for His reign necessarily means the end of godless America, which is a cesspool of wickedness, totally contrary to all that Christ's Kingdom is about. Another group, one that currently holds sway in the nation now, means well in everything they do. They dress themselves up as the Party of the downtrodden, the Party of the people, who want all the evils Martin Luther King spoke of expunged from the tapestry of American society forever. These are they who idolize Lincoln, and Wilson, Roosevelt, Clinton, and Obama, who want full, equal rights for all and believe that government should be able to act without impediment according to contemporary issues, not bound by antiquated 17th century philosophies and bigoted religiosity. At the core of this group is another group, ferociously humanistic, atheistic, and Socialist. If Christ were to come now to set up His Kingdom they would no doubt fight Him because His views would be "too narrow-minded".
The Church surely might be feeling a little claustrophobic as we are left with less and less space in which to freely move. Television shows like Black Jesus, Mr. Pickles, Modern Family and Preachers of L.A. aren't so much entertainment options as they are vicious blows against the jaw of every Bible-believing Christian in this perishing nation. The patriot would say, "God bless America", but really, how can a holy God bless a nation bathing in the innocent blood of the unborn? How can He legitimately bless a country drunk with its own pride, which places more faith in its fighter jets and nuclear submarines than it does in the Creator of the universe? The well-meaning, socially conscious Liberal looks at America's problems and says, "We can make America better, we can fix all of the issues if we work together, putting aside our differences". They greatly err because for them Truth is an obstacle to unity. To them, Truth is relative, pliable, and is able to take whatever shape the molders desire. Truth for them can be cast aside, for there are as many versions of Truth as there are people in the world. To them, it takes great audacity for anyone to present Truth as that which is immutable and not subject to human (or divine) altering.
It is from these two basic American groups that the attacks against the Church of Jesus Christ are launched, and they have both become more forward. This lawless society reminds me of a child who tests the limits of parental parameters to see just how much he can get away with. This culture is doing the exact same thing to Truth. The culture, I believe, KNOWS that its deeds are evil, but, as all despots and adulterers do, they redefine their wicked acts as "logical alternatives" to soothe their own consciences that convict them. After conscience is silenced by searing they can proceed full throttle on the road of sin, ferociously attacking anyone who'd dare have the unmitigated gall to decry their actions as evil and worthy of the righteous judgment of God. This is the hour in which we live and we might as well brace ourselves because the comfortable lives that we've always known in America is about to abruptly end and we will be one with Christians living under repressive regimes in both faith as well as in suffering.
I do believe that the increased level of scorn levied against Biblical Christianity is not only allowed by God but also SENT by Him, for the hour of the purging and refining of His people in America is upon us. The Church needs it, because can you believe that some people actually think "Preachers of L.A." and "Fix My Choir" and "Sunday Best" are true representations of Biblical Christianity? These programs lull millions of saved and unsaved alike into a false sense of security because viewers begin to see that there's NO real difference between the believer and the unbeliever, therefore what is there that would draw the unbeliever to the Gospel if the transforming power of the Gospel is not seen in those who preach it and sing about it? Biblical Christianity is full of joy and love and peace, tempered with great sobriety and purpose and duty. Where is the seriousness of the Faith in these godless shows? There is none...
This is not necessarily about television shows, although media is used by the enemies if God to mock Him, to blaspheme His Name, and to ultimately bring Him down to our level in order to elevate man above Him. The Republicans and Democrats of this nation, as political entities, hate God and by their works they deny Him. The Republicans are forsaking the Judeo-Christian principles Sean Hannity and others so ardently pontificate about as fast as they can for political expediency; they know they could very well become a completely irrelevant party if they don't cross lines previously regarded as "uncrossable". They, in droves, are embracing the basic tenets of homosexual marriage even as their Party's higher-ups spend themselves and their massive fortunes on buxom mistresses, and in the sadism of homosexual adulterous trysts. They are spineless, aimless, and have no creed but their own patriotism. The Democratic Party is no position to defend the Name of Christ either, for they are the undisputed champions of advancing homosexual rights and godless, humanistic public education and the total religious sanitation of the entire land. They, like none other, are the nobility of a dark empire fueled by lobbyists' dollars of the industry of infanticide, they endorse Planned Parenthood, an organization started by one of the most racist eugenicists in American history; it is a party that is feminizing the military and excels at emasculating the American male. They want Israel to fade into nonexistence as they wouldn't even acknowledge Israel at one of their own Party's Convention. This is a Party that hates God with an obvious passion. There are other groups of course, who operate in economic, religious, social, and educational spheres of influence—they all are enemies of God because they reject the Lord Jesus Christ, and together, because they love the things of this world, be they money, power, pleasure, or prestige, align themselves and their resources against Jesus Christ and all that He stands for. This may sound harsh, but Christians need to understand that this nation is not our home, and we are a small minority here who truly walk in the light as Christ is in the light and the attachment we have to this society needs to be broken sooner, rather than later.
The walls of relative peace and liberty we have operated in are collapsing in on us. The nation has long since shown where her allegiances truly lie, and they find our loyalties abhorrent. We are the bigoted, closed-minded, holier-than-thou Bible-thumpers in the eyes of this nation and world and they will tolerate us as long as we stay with in our own little corner. Eventually, even that won't be enough as right now in the city of Houston, the mayor has demanded—via subpoena—the sermons of five city pastors for "violating" an ordinance by speaking God's Truth about homosexuality. Yes, our space is tightening and the culture's tactic is to back us into a corner, to exert so much pressure and discomfort on us that we will keep silent and hide our light "under a bushel", but I tell you, on the authority of the written Word of God, that that will only embolden the true Body of Christ! Yes, let them back us into a corner—but let us know we have our backs to the wall with the Lord Jesus Christ standing before us and He has all power to protect us and to perfectly execute His will through whatever He permits to happen to us. We must stand on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that alone. God sent Jesus Christ into this world to save sinners; whosoever will believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Golgotha will have their sin washed away by the grace of God alone through faith alone and will thenceforth be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live the holy, sanctified life God requires for entry into Heaven, escaping the wrath of eternal hell. Christians, we have nothing to fear. Let us demolish the walls they build around us...!
