Been a long tie since I have written anything at all. I wish I could say I was on some lengthy sabbatical or quest to seek and find the Lord. If only that were the case, but ti be sincerely honest, I have just sort of been meandering along in life. I have done some great reading, definitely increased my knowledge of who God is, and His character. But mostly just caught up in life, you can almost smell the putrid stench of a luke warm life.You know, the one that Jesus so elegantly and descriptively talks about spewing out and casting away. Yeah, that's kinda were I was, notice I said was. The Lord has been ever so gracious to reignite a spark and hunger for Him that is becoming greater day by day. For that I am thankful for, and I pray that hunger only grows in me, and I pray for an unsatisfiable hunger and thirst for the Lord that cannot be quenched. In Jesus' name AMEN!
Now, about that title, what are we fighting for? That question arose in my mind and resonated within my heart, after reading an article about the courts allowing two steel I-beams in the shape of a cross remain at the 9/11 memorial. No, before I go any further, let me just say this, I am all for it being there, I totally understand the symbolic hope that cross brought many who were directly affected by the events of that day. I am not attacking the meaning of the cross! The story just stirred in my soul something that I have long talked about with people in my small group of friends. What I am questioning is the many, many similar battles we have fought along the way. The ten commandment battles, the various statues, pictures and figures we fought so fervently to keep on the walls of buildings, in books or talked and taught about in our schools. We have won some and lost some. That is were in the question doth arise. What are we fighting for?
The cross, the pictures with ten commandments, the pictures of Christ or even the scripture quotes, does having them on a wall make us anymore a Christian nation, than say Iran, okay, perhaps a little extreme, but at the same token not so much. Look at this way, merely possessing a bible, does that in itself make you a christian, a follower of Christ? (Let me make a small disclaimer, not judging, not condemning, speaking to myself here as well.) The answer to both questions is absolutely not. Although, possessing a bible, or having the things mentioned in the first sentence in Iran will absolutely get you beheaded.
You see, here we find ourselves on dangerous ground on many, many levels. First off, the, cross, unless we as a church are making aware it's true meaning is simply two pieces of steel, or wood joined together. Secondly, that cross, physically speaking does nothing, without the actions, through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit, of us as followers of Christ. Same goes for the commandments, the scripture quotes and all else. Here is were the danger is, we have come to allow the symbolic things, as a nation and church, to become the focus, rather than the real call, the upward call of Christ. After all Jesus never told us go and put the commandments on the wall, go and place a cross where ever you can. As a matter of fact, everything He said for us to do, meant we are to be is bearers of the cross. The other danger is this, every time we fight these rulings and win, we chalk it up to free speech and free religion, and I support both, but we all we really accomplish is just that. We also now open the door for say, Islam to place a copy of the quran in a court house, or in one case a university is now being forced to place an atheist as well as an islamic statue next the christian memorial.
Here is my point,if we would fight half as hard on behalf of the sanctity of marriage, against abortion and immorality, for families, orphans, the poor, the sick and the broken hearted, and not rely on politicians to do it we could make some real change. Sadly though, I fear that we are a very short time away from loosing the last standing ground we have. Our nation is about to abolish the only leg we have to stand on,with supreme court upholding the legality gay marriage in Alabama, it is surely the sentiment and desire of the courts to make it legal on federal level as they draw near to making a ruling on it. So let's see here, as a nation it is legal to destroy life, and the sanctity of marriage is no longer held to the view of our Lord, oh and for those you that wish to say, and this is my favorite, "Jesus never spoke on homosexuality" I say this, you are right, but HE defined marriage as the union between a Man and a Woman, He even quoted his own words from Genesis 2:24 "man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.".
I close in saying this, the prayers of a righteousness man avails much, that is your weapon, that is your battleground. No matter how many crosses they take down, no matter how many posters they take down, no matter what they do, they cannot remove Christ from you, they cannot separate you from His love, grace and mercy. But know this if you want to truly know Christ, picking up the cross is part of the fight we must fight. Want God in this nation, God must first be first in our hearts, the church as a body must universally fight for the truth. We must fight the good fight. How do we do that, we live out what Jesus told us to do Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with everything you have in you, and love your neighbor. At the end, the buildings will fall, the crosses we place will no longer exist, but He will remain, His word will remain.
