The following timely and pertinent post was written by a
local retired LEO, obviously unashamed Christian, friend and experienced
patriot named Paul. His website can be found at:
retiredpublicsafety.com
Posted March 26,2016
Forgetting Joseph
Joseph was blessed by God after being sold into slavery by his own brothers. He became a powerful man in Egypt, eventually rising to the second-highest position of power. In his time, the Israelites “…were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.” In Exodus 1:8 it tells of what happens as time passes by and leaders of the past are forgotten by those in power:
Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. The Israelites were oppressed by the Egyptians.
In parallel, America had great founders that recognized the inherent problems of an unrestrained government. They had lived through things such as a government-established religion, and seen citizens sanctioned for their religious beliefs. Further back in history, the Apostle Paul and other followers of Christ were jailed or in some cases executed due to their religious beliefs. Jesus Himself was of course crucified not for any wrongdoing but instead for his religious activity. A study of both our Declaration of Independence and the history behind our Bill of Rights is one that every American should undertake so as to learn from history, but regrettably few do. Most will not do anything until something directly affects them, and by then it is often too late to do anything. The Greek orator Pericles around 450 BC said “Just because you do not take in interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you.” True then, and also true now.
Our leaders and many potential leaders have forgotten the leaders- and principles- that truly made America great. This has not taken place in a vacuum, as citizens that like the Israelites were “fruitful” paid no attention to the downward spiral of the nation. Events in Germany of just 80 years ago are now forgotten. That’s human nature. America today in many respects is a nation divided. Jesus told us in Matthew 12:25 that a kingdom divided against itself will be ruined.
Most reading this will be like the people I hear from on occasion- they’ll agree with most of it, and that is the end of their involvement. A popular Christian song in 2014 by Matthew West was “Do Something”. It asked why God wasn’t doing something on some social issues, and the answer was that God created us to do something. While fundamental Christians have attacked it, the message is in alignment with what Jesus said in Matthew 22:36-40, to love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul and love others as yourself, as all of the other commandments are related to these. God created us to be good stewards of the world He created, which includes caring for those He created that are in need. In 1 Corinthians 10:24, we are instructed to “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” We are to make disciples of all the nations, but that is not the only thing Christians must do. When we fail to do this, it is then dumped on the government to do, and the cost goes up, adding to the downward spiral of America.
What can you do? Get involved. God gave each of us different interests and skills, so what is right for me may not be for you and vice-versa. My interest involves holding our government accountable and ensuring it follows its own rules. At the very least pray daily for our nation and its leaders just as you pray for our churches and our Pastors. Share the truth of Christ as you are able and the opportunity presents. Doing the latter is truly a judgment call, as in modern America it is stylish to attack all Christians based upon the actions of a few, and it is possible to do more damage than good. That again is human nature, for example if you have a bad experience with a car salesman you tend to lump all car salesmen into the same category. As Christians, we must deny this nature and act according to God’s will for our lives. My Pastor made a statement recently that I agree with (one of many): Be a good witness for God, and if necessary use your words.
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