First, let me say Happy Blessed 2023 to you all! I took a break during the holidays from writing my Monday Morning Blog, and that break was extended by an injury to my right eye that took time to accurately diagnosis and get correct medication. I’m still using steroid drops so I’m going to try and make this blog short . . . well shorter than usual.
So many topics of discussion have been in our news lately that it’s taken great restraint not to break my writing sabbatical and pour out thoughts to you. Even today, it’s hard to narrow down my topic but I recently heard Eric Metaxas as a guest on Flashpoint, and he repeatedly made the statement: “The church is the conscience of the government.” When I researched that quote, I learned it was originally made by Martin Luther King Jr. and how timely that his birthday is January 15 as I write this blog to you.
“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”― Martin Luther King, Jr.
Metaxas is the author of the book Bonhoeffer who also pointed out in his day that the church was avoiding taking a stand against the evil that was right before their eyes in the 1930’s when the Nazis were methodically and mercilessly taking over Germany. We know the atrocities that developed into World War II. The church chose to just sit it out rather than get involved and millions of innocent Jews were arrested and annihilated . . . exterminated. The Nazi’s were proficient at anesthetizing the church, and when the church finally woke up, it was too late.
Anyone who grew up hearing Pastor Billy Graham interact with many Presidents during his lifetime, knows that he never backed down from confronting government with the Gospel and the Truth of the Bible. Many of those Presidents considered Graham their confidant and pastor.
Even still, we saw horrific laws passed like Roe v Wade, which again annihilated millions of innocent lives. The extermination of children went from being a moral issue to a political football that the church for the most part decided to also sit this one out.
Many Christians and pro-life organizations continued to fight for every life and miraculously after almost fifty years, we saw Roe v Wade reversed by the Supreme Court, and yet still most churches stayed quiet. There was no dancing in the streets, confetti, cheers, or celebrations of our victory because protecting life had somehow turned political and many churches erroneously thought they shouldn’t get involved.
They forgot, and still forget, that the church is to be the outspoken and visible moral conscience of the government not the reverse where the government dictates the morals and the church acquiesces, which is where we find ourselves today as the woke agenda is coming for our children with brainwashing and evil intent. Still much of the church is either quiet or even worse embracing wokeness that contradicts God’s Words and His ways.
The Devil is Drawing His Line in the Sand and Christians Must Choose Who They Will Follow
When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. Pr. 28:2 NLT
1 John 5:19 lays out the situation today. “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Jesus confirmed the devil’s power over this world. He called Satan “ruler of this world” in John 12:31, 14:30, and 16:11. John 10:10 refers to the devil as “the thief” who comes to “steal, and kill, and destroy.” Satan’s ways lead to destruction. If our culture doesn’t change soon, it will be the demise of our country. But there is hope and that hope is found through Jesus Christ in our personal lives and in our government.
The new Republican led Congress just passed a Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act and all but two Democrats voted against it!! 210 members of Congress voted for infanticide, that a baby who survives an abortion should be left to die if that’s what the doctor and mother decide.
Two Democrats were brave enough, and perhaps triggered by their conscience, to not vote against the bill. One voted for it, and one said “present.” We need to pray more Democrats listen to their conscience.
I applaud the Catholic Church who wasn’t afraid to express their support of the bill and condemnation against those who voted against it. Catholic Bishops Celebrate Born-Alive Act Condemn 210 Democrats Who Voted Against It.
“We commend the House of Representatives for passing legislation to protect innocent children from infanticide, and urge the Senate to follow suit,” said Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington in Texas. Burbidge is also chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Pro-Life Activities. The bishop previously sent a letter to House members urging them to vote for the legislation. “Babies who are born alive during the process of an abortion deserve compassionate care and medical attention – just the same as any other newborn baby,” Burbidge added.
But where was the Christian and Evangelical church? Crickets!
This life-saving bill is expected to die in the Democrat-controlled Senate. How did life versus death become a Republican vs. Democrat political issue instead of a Bible-based moral issue?
Why do Democrats vote against allowing a born baby to live? Because voting for it would be admitting that an unborn baby is a human that is being murdered during an abortion. How many of those Democrats sit in churches on Sundays and claim to be a Christian? How many of their pastors are willing to talk about the horrors of abortion and the sanctity of life and call out their Democrat parishioners or any parishioner who would choose to kill babies?
We know many Democrats choose politics over faith just like Pelosi who always touts her “strong Catholic faith” and does everything “for the children,” but she was one of the 210 who voted to allow a live baby to die!
Democrats call it “extreme” to give medical care to a baby born alive!!! Every doctor takes an oath to do exactly that! I’ve said it before that these people have let the Devil influence their words, minds, and actions. They’ve sold their souls to a radical evil agenda. They’re blinded to human decency. Willing to sacrifice children on the altar of politics!
There are many so-called “political” topics, which are actually “biblical” topics, the church seems afraid to address. We’ve let the moral downfall of our country happen while Christians go to church every Sunday but often don’t hear how to apply God’s Word to the world they’re living in today.
Here are just a few sermon topics that come to my mind that every pastor needs to be addressing. If he doesn’t, he’s complicit in allowing the government to define our morals or lack of instead of encouraging parishioners’ consciences to take a righteous stand for good against evil!
- Thou shalt not murder!
- Thou shalt not lie!
- Thou shalt not commit adultery!
- Homosexuality is abominable to the Lord!
- Marriage is between a man and a woman!
- Only women have a womb to carry a child! Only women can have babies!
- God only created two genders, man and woman!
- All lives matter!
- Every child from the moment of conception has a right to life!
- Robbing the innocence of children is a sin. Better to be thrown overboard with a milestone around your neck!
- Parents teach your children how to live godly lives in an ungodly culture.
We’re seeing some turnarounds like the reversal by the Supreme Court of Roe v Wade and Coach Joe Kennedy winning his case for prayer to be allowed back into schools. But how many schools are actually allowing prayer? Instead, we see school boards more concerned with allowing a few sexually misguided children to be indulged at the expense of all children instead of receiving the counseling and help they need. Many parents are speaking out against this travesty, but again I ask, where is the church?
A few pastors are willing to take a public stand against tyranny and two of those are Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and Pastor Dave Ax of Calvary Chapel here in Star, Idaho. Pastor Ax, along with Jack Hibbs, made a video encouraging parents and the community to go to the School Board Meeting in Caldwell, ID where they were proposing that “transgender” children be allowed to use whatever bathroom and locker room of their choice.
Many from the community showed up that night and when the audience applauded speakers who were speaking against this insane policy, the school board shut down the meeting. My point though is where do those school board members go to church? What are they hearing or not hearing from their pastors if they are church members?
I follow a Values Advocacy Council in the Boise Idaho area and here is an example of the urgent email they sent out about this meeting. If you scroll down in the email, you’ll hear the two pastors I just mentioned, with their plea to the public, especially parents, to attend the Caldwell School Board meeting. They were so successful, the School Board couldn’t deal with it!! Do you have anything like this in your area where the church is taking the initiative to enter the political arena and protect our children from evil lunacy? To be the conscience of the government?
Kudos to Pastor Hibbs and Pastor Ax! If you have a pastor who understands the important role of the church in this fallen culture, praise God! If not, talk to your pastor and remind him that the role of the church is to be the conscience of the government, the state. We’re seeing progress as we chip away at the evil, but there’s so much more for each of us to do in our own spheres of influence. God is giving us the opportunity to save America and it starts and ends with the sharing of the Gospel in and out of the church.
You and I, every Christian, are the ‘church.’ God gave each of us a conscience and the Holy Spirit speaks in and through us. I hope that you’ll listen to that still small voice that is challenging you to take a step of faith and go where He leads and follow the example of Jesus and His followers like the disciples and Paul who understood that God is the head of the government and were not afraid to proclaim that truth.
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Is. 9:6 NLT
9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! 10 For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” 11 So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God. Acts 18:9-11 NLT
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
Abortion survivors blast Democrats for opposing Born-Alive bill: ‘Disingenuous’ | Fox News
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Janet, I’m so grateful for your strength and courage. Keep up the important work!
Not sure why my reply to you dear Kathy did not to here but it is below in comments. Thank you for your support and encouragement!!
Very good word, Janet. Well done. I hope and pray that many pastors read this and become convicted by the Holy Spirit to speak up.
Norm my prayer is that every Christian would understand that he or she is “the church” and speak up and speak out!
Thank you Kathy. My prayer is that every Christian would find their source of strength and bravery to speak out and take action against the atrocities in today’s culture. If not us, then whom?
Other topic suggestions:
Care for God’s Creation
Welcoming the Stranger
Eradicate discrimination
Every person is a child of God
Unity —that the Holy Spirit will gather us into one
Work for Economic Justice
Eradicating oppressive structures that negatively impact the poor and marginalized people
Christ came to bring Good News of Love, Joy, Peace and Hope to every one!
How we can be witnesses of this Love, Joy, Peace and Hope
Ann Marie I’m not sure I agree with the message behind some of your topic suggestions since they sound a bit like CRT, but I certainly agree with your last two sentences.
Hi Janet, your blog was not shorter, but it was so well written! Thank you! I don’t think one of those persons voting for death would have voted for their own Mom to leave them to die!
I’m eternally grateful that my Mom survived an abortion!! Oh God, save the children and may we all speak out!
You’re right Cynthia, once I started writing, I couldn’t stop! I’m so glad your Mom survived an abortion too and look at the seven children God gave her including you and their families!! Personal testimonies are the best way to impact people with the barbaric horror of abortion.
Janet thank you for your bold and honest reply to one of your readers. I will begin to pray for strategies that we all need to reach those blinded by our common enemy: the devil. Many people who espouse “CRT” beliefs have come to believe that they are Biblically based. The challenge for us is how to dismantle these strongholds? I would error on the side of using a strategy that is opposite of what the world uses. Example anyone who doesn’t agree with leftist ideas is labeled “racist” or espousing racist ideologies. We all should know that’s not truth. But let’s not commit that same atrocity and fail to take a social Apollo aside and teach them the way of truth instead of dismissing their concerns by placing the label CRT on it. We wrestle not against flesh and blood so our weaponry must not be carnal. Standing in faith for the Nation AND, not but, as A black woman I acknowledge that nepotism does exist in this nation on both sides! And I know I’ve enjoyed opportunities because of who my family members were. But some of my friends haven’t. The problem comes when system-wide and for generations we as black people are trying to recover from years of government sponsored laws keeping us out. Instead of dismissing all concerns as CRT let’s critically think of ways to infuse truth and offer solutions. Black people are probably more theologically conservative than whites but our forefathers taught us that some government leaders want to take and suppress us that’s why SOME black folk are politically liberal. Possible strategy: Show people why social programs aren’t liberating for families then teach them how to break free once someone has become a slave to the system. The same way we walk with babes in Christ who must be taught the ways of the kingdom. We disciple them! For some these ideas have been a way of life since the 70s. Here’s some truth: Everyone who agrees with statement “black lives matters” doesn’t agree with the movement or any of the other things that gets clumped with it. And just real quick if you are looking for Pastors who are speaking out against the insanity in this Nation, come to the hood. No, our congregations are large, but the Message of the Cross is! Visit some of our storefronts! Good Glory! May the Lord continue to use you in your attempt to serve with integrity, grace, and wisdom Shalom