What is largely missing in American life today is a sense of context, of saying or doing anything that is intended or even expected to live beyond the movement… .  We have become so obsessed with facts that we have lost all touch with truth… .  Consider this paradox:  Almost everything that is publicly said these days is recorded.  Almost nothing of what is said is worth remembering.”      –Ted Koppel

“Many people seem to think they can make others fall in with Christianity best by bringing it down to their standard.  As if the nearer you bring Christianity to the world, the more likely the world will be to embrace it… .  No, the true way is to exhibit righteousness and the world in strong contrast, or you can never make sinners feel the necessity of a change.”         –Charles Finney

Circle the 8th of November on your calendar.  Things will definitely change no matter who is elected.  Possibly the most important change will occur because the possibilities with the Supreme Court.  We are definitely living in challenging times.

The buzz right now is Donald Trump’s language eleven years ago.  I saw a comment that was pretty good.  People/the media are concerned with Trump’s words, which is not to excuse them, but don’t seem to be bothered by a man going in a public restroom with your wife or daughters.  Crazy!  Or is that stupid?!

There is that comforting promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14.  My pastor preached a tremendous sermon on it last Sunday.  However, as he was preaching I began reading the rest of the chapter.  Oh my…verses 12-17 speaks of what God will do if His people obey, repent, humble themselves and are faithful.  Verses 19-22 speaks of what will happen when God’s people do not humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways.

1)  uproot from soil I gave them,
2)  banish the temple and it will become an object of scorn In other words, abandon God and He in turn will abandon you.  He will bring ruin upon them and the nation.

Christians should take heed if they see things contrary to God’s Word.  When moral standards change and go against God’s Word and Christians tolerate, compromise, or become complacent, then there is not only a danger to their soul, but also to the nation.

So where is the nation?  Is it 7:12-18 or 7:19-22?  I have no clue if the cup of iniquity is full for America, only God knows.  However, I do know that I have an obligation, whether anyone else heeds or not to “humble myself, pray and seek His face, and turn from my evil ways.”

How much do you trust God?  I mean, really trust Him?  So much of the time we try and take of everything ourselves.  There is that which we are supposed to do for God gave us this life to be living.  We are to use our strength, our will, and our intellect in making decisions, but we should never forget the spiritual aspect either.  This grand old hymn helps us make an affirmative statement about our trust in the Lord–“I Know Whom I Have Believed,” composed by Daniel W. Whittle.

“I know not why God’s wondrous grace To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love Redeemed me for His own.

I know not how this saving faith To me He did impact,
Nor how believing in His Word Wrought peace within my heart.”

For some reason God made His grace known to me.  The older I get, the more I realize the importance and the truth of God’s grace, yet in all of that it still is a mystery.  Notice, also in this hymn is the importance of God’s Word in our lives.  It is through studying, obeying, and living God’s Word that we know we can trust Him.

“I know not how the Spirit moves, Convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus thro’ the Word, Creating faith in Him.

I know not what of good or ill May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days, Before His face I see.”

My Grandma always had tremendous faith in God.  She would hurt and ache, but say that, “my heavenly Father promised me that He would not give me more than I could handle…therefore, I know I can handle this.”  She didn’t know how but she always persevered through her difficulties; she was always ready to meet Him.

“I know not when my Lord may come, At night or noon-day fair,
Nor if I’ll walk the vale with Him, Or ‘meet Him in the air.’

But ‘I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.”

I wonder if they celebrate Gaul day in Europe?  Maybe there is a Visigoth Day, or Vandal Day, or even a Hun Day?  Today, we celebrate Columbus Day and not indigenous people day.  I know Colorado has decided to change the name of the day.  Two Denver schools have also required students to dress Muslim earlier in the year to, I guess, celebrate Sharia Law.  Boulder/Denver has been crazy for a long time, but it seems that pot have put them over the top.
Think of the discovery of America by Columbus, followed by other explorers.  What has America accomplished?  Don’t give me that stuff about oppressed minorities.  It is much worse in other countries.  Do we have problems?  Yes!  But work through them, don’t just complain and protest!  There is the talk of the Columbian Exchange and it mostly revolves around the concept of the diseases brought to America by the Europeans.  Funny, there is little talk about the disease–syphilis–being taken to Europe that was common among the “indigenous peoples.”  Also there was much more with the Columbian Exchange:  grains, fruit, vegetables, horses, cattle, to name a few.  Europeans also brought education, art, language, schools, libraries.
Then, the most important thing–Christianity came to a heathen people.  This is largely cast aside mostly because of those who are the cheerleaders for an indigenous day are also opposed to Christianity.  The Great Commission by Jesus is to take the Gospel to the world.  Were there problems, sure, but the Word of God came to a lost people and in many areas if was greatly accepted.
So, have a happy Columbus Day!
—————————————
So the words of Donald Trump have become a scandal.  I have heard many times that actions speak louder than words, but I see very little in the news about the actions of a Bill Clinton.  I see very little of the scandals, and the actions of Hillary.  Do you happen to think that the media might be biased?  No, never!  Maybe there is an agenda with the left-wing?  No, doesn’t exist!
That is not to pardon or to ignore Trump’s words.  But read some of the words that Hillary has used in private, especially with military.  Oh, that’s right, the media is not reporting that.  What is her view toward gun control, or even more important toward an unborn baby?  What did she say about Christians?  That we need to put our Christianity aside in regard to the idea of abortion.
Guess we’ll see if actions really speak louder than words.
—————————————
There is so much to do about liberty in Christianity today.  Most folk use it as an excuse to live a licentious life, or have no real clue what the concept really is.  Paul wrote about liberty in several places.  “Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:21, NKJV)  “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1, NKJV)
We are to have a liberated life.  We were once in bondage to sin; the Jews were in bondage to the Law, not we are free.  The problem is that we often do not recognize what we are free from.  Israel was released from the bondage of Egypt.  They were slaves under an oppressive people.  Egypt is a “type” of sin in Scripture.  Notice, when they were out in the wilderness they wanted to go back to Egypt–to go back to sin.
“If Christ came to liberate us from a miserable life, why do we go on living the same old miserable way?  We think a life totally free of fear and guilt is too incredible.  We cannot imagine life with 24-hour-a-day rest and peace–life without a heavy burden of condemnation or depression–life in the presence of a loving, gentle Savior who cares about all our needs.”  (David Wilkerson)

To endure pain, heat, shock, all of the desert hardships, all of the agonies of life–to endure.”
–Zane Grey

“It was no place for a fellow who didn’t have a lot of sand in his craw and a boundless store of hope in his heart.”
–Ernest Haycox

Have you ever traveled in the wilderness?  Even in the security of one’s care the terribleness can be seen and felt.  It may come from oppressive heat, the ruggedness of the topography, or the vastness of the solitude.  Leave the car and begin to travel on foot, and the former thoughts deepen and can almost overwhelm.  Gaze into the vast canyons and gorges, stare into the heat waves as they float above the desert floor, behold the awesome grandeur of the majestic peaks as they push through the clouds.  The dreadful solitude of nature looms over you as you move about in it.
The wilderness may suggest danger, it may also beckon you to come to it.  Moses is requesting that the Israelites enter so they can offer sacrifices to God.  There is more truth here than meets the eye.  The wilderness demands attentiveness and sacrifice, diligence and solitariness, endurance and fulfillment.  To enter the wasteland of the wilderness may be to die to self so that you may live unto God.  Maybe that is the illusion that Paul leaves in Romans 12:1-2, to become, now, a living sacrifice.
I have pondered over and over why they had to go to the wilderness to meet with God and offer His sacrifice there.  Could they not have done this in the safety of Egypt?  Maybe it was because they could not properly meet with God in that location.  Possibly the atmosphere “of the world” would be a great hindrance to them; that part of worship required them to come apart and be separate.  That thought alone should make us wonder why we now use the tools of the world in our worship.
One more thought for today.  It is important to remember that their leader was a man of the wilderness.  Moses knew life there.  He knew what it was to meet God in the wasteland, the desert, the rocky crags of the mountains.  Could it possibly be that to really come to know God a person must face the same perils as Moses, a wanderer of the wasteland?

“They will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us.  So now, please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'”
 –Exodus 3:18 (NASB)