I was born in 1936 when cars still had American names and running boards and before they had air conditioning, automatic transmissions, radial tires, cruise control, power steering and brakes, and turning signals. When I turned 71, I sat down for a while and contemplated the changes that had taken place during those years. I was overwhelmed. I came away from the experience feeling like an antique.

Technological Changes

   I was reminded again and again of the prophecy in Daniel 12:4 that says that in the end times men will move about quickly and knowledge will increase. I made a long list of all the inventions that have become commonplace in my lifetime. The most significant technological developments I could think of were television, nuclear power, the computer, cell phones and space travel.

   The first television set I remember seeing was in 1952. A radio store near our home set up a large display with a few Muntz 9” TV sets, and people paid ten cents to sit and watch the Republican National Convention. We mainly saw "snow" as the picture drifted in and out.

Societal Changes

Equally significant to me were the societal developments I could think of during the past 71 years. When I was born:

♦ Abortionists were sent to prison.

♦ Pregnancy out of wedlock was thought of as scandalous.

♦ Homosexuals were considered abnormal and to be avoided.

♦ Pornography was despised as a sickness.

♦ Marriage was sacred. Living together was taboo. Divorce was extremely rare.

♦ Homemaking was honored and mothers in their homes provided day care.

♦ Child abuse was almost unheard of.

♦ Ladies always dressed modestly.

♦ "Damn" was considered flagrant language in a movie.

♦ Houses and autos were rarely locked.

♦ A man's word was his honor.

♦ Drugs were something you bought at a pharmacy.

♦ Alcoholism was considered a sin, not a disease.

♦ Popular music was devoid of demonic beats and words.

♦ Eastern religion was still in the East. Al-Qaida terrorists weren’t a daily threat to all nations.

♦ Public school students prayed in their classes, and creation could still be taught as an alternative to evolution.

♦ High School graduates could read their diplomas.

♦ The Ten Commandments were still legal and could be displayed anywhere.

♦ The laws of the land were obeyed, and those who broke the law served their full sentence.

♦ Church attendance was a very high priority in most families.

♦ Our local, state, and national governments still promoted Judeo-Christian values rather than lotteries, horse racing, and casino gambling.

♦ Christian teaching focused on sacrificing for Christ rather than striving for materialistic success.

♦ Governmental authority was respected. Police were held in high esteem.

♦ Social security was a job. Living on welfare was embarrassing, not a way of life.

As the Virginia Slim cigarette commercial once put it, "We've come a long way, baby!" Yes, we have, and most of it has been in the wrong direction.

A Comparison to Judah

   Like the ancient nation of Judah, we have been blessed like no other  nation. But also like Judah, we have taken pride in our blessings and have turned our back on the One who provided the blessings. Instead of being thankful for the abundance of blessings God has bestowed, we have become a proud, arrogant and carnal nation wallowing in materialism and indulging in the pursuit of pleasure. In the process we have become the prime moral polluters of planet Earth. Everywhere you look in the world you find the influence of our wanton immorality. All you have to do is flip on a TV set, and whether you are in Africa, Latin America, Asia or Europe, you will see the most violent and immoral American movies and television programs.

   Like Judah of old, the wrath of God is hanging over our nation. God is calling us to repentance through natural signs like the eruption of Mount  St. Helens and other volcanoes, the severe droughts in some areas, the floods, hurricanes and devastating earthquakes in other areas. What of the unexplainable mass killings in our schools and work places; the bombing of airplanes and pubic buildings; has our society gone mad? But like the citizens of Judah, we have become spiritually numb. We ignore the signs and disregard the prophetic messages of the
bible. We listen instead to pillow prophets who
speak peace and urge us to seek the good life of
health, wealth and power. We even pat ourselves
on the back by reminding our critics that we are
tolerant and politically correct, because we are a
"Christian nation."
A Christian Nation?
   What a blasphemy it is to call ourselves a Christian nation! We are anything but Christ-like as we export our gross immorality to the rest of  the world and murder our babies here at home at the incredible rate of more than four or five million a year. Our nation has become a foul odor in the nostrils of God! If we do not repent and change our ways as a nation, the wrath of God is going to be poured out upon us, and it will be severe, for those to whom much is given, much is expected. The challenge of the hour is for all of us who profess Christ to get on our knees and seek God in prayer, asking forgiveness for our nation’s wicked ways so that He will heal our land.

Ebenezers - 1 Samuel 1

 

  

 

  

 

  

A Daughter's Heart

Hebrews 3:11 instructs us to “labor therefore to enter into His rest!” The first time I read this first it struck me as totally contradictory...how can one labor to rest the two words are just not compatible. Upon reflection, I realized that it is work for my flesh to stop and rest in God. My flesh continually reminds me of what I have to do, but it never reminds me of what I NEED to do and that is spend time with my Father. God has been teaching me the importance of rest. I belong to an online bible study group and we are going through the book, “When Women Long For Rest,” and what a blessing it has been. Our book club at church is also reading a book on rest titled, “The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring the Sabbath.” Sometimes my Father is subtle in His suggestions and other times He just hits me over the head with a 2x4 and this is one of those times.

   As a woman who is working full time, active in church and in many other endeavors there are many times in my life that I feel totally overwhelmed by what is expected of me. I have no idea how I will accomplish it all. It is in these times that I faintly hear His voice calling me to “come away with Him” for a while. He knows what I need and simply put, it is Him.

   When my focus switches from the list of things to be done to my Father, something miraculous happens. Suddenly the impossible becomes possible and everything falls into place beautifully. I came across a quote by Martin Luther the other day and was struck by the reality that this problem is not a new one and unique to me, it was a struggle for Martin Luther in the 1500s just as it was a struggle for the Apostle Paul years earlier. “I have so much to do each day I will have to spend the first three hours in prayer or the devil will get the victory.” While I haven’t gotten to that point in my life when I spend 3 hours with Him, I do try to seek Him first. Martin  Luther learned the same lesson that God has been teaching me, that Satan wants me to be overwhelmed by life. He wants me to focus on the list rather than the One who will help me accomplish what is on the list. He does not want me to find out that the list will not be completed in my own strength, but only by God’s miraculous power.

   Entering into His rest takes discipline and determination. Spending time with our Father despite the list of things that need to be done is a choice that is not always easy, but it is a wise and necessary choice to make and one that carries with it so many rewards: peace, the assurance of God’s loving care for me, and ultimately, the desire of my heart, which is found not in finishing what is on the list, but in seeking out my Father and spending some quality time with Him.

   Prayer is one of the very essentials for finding rest in God. I am learning to be instant in prayer. Staying connected to my Father throughout the day has really helped me to find rest amidst the turmoil that often accompanies a busy life. I end each day in prayer. As I have reached middle age I find that sleep does not always come easily to me. I spend the time awaiting sleep by praying and often fall asleep while praying, only to continue when I awaken later in the night and can’t fall back asleep. At one point in my life I would have felt guilty about falling asleep in prayer, but one of the thoughts that I so appreciated in the book, “When Women Long For Rest” is that when we fall asleep praying it is like a child who falls asleep in their father’s arms. I like that thought and I am so blessed to be able to fall asleep in my Father’s arms each night and to a waken in them also.

   Ultimately, rest is found in relinquishing our control to God. It is only by submitting our wills to His that we will find true rest, resulting in that “peace which passeth all understanding”. Unfortunately, this is not a one time deal and so I must labor to rest each day, giving over to God what I cannot do anyway. It seems senseless that this should be a struggle and yet it is, because this fleshly body does not wish to relinquish control. It is only as I stay close to my Father that I am both reminded of what I need to do and I am given the power to do it.

   My prayer for each of you this coming year is that you will join me in the work of resting in our precious Father and gaining all the benefits that He has in store for us when we do.