“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” — Revelation 21:8 NIV
This is such a sobering verse, isn’t it? When a list is given in Scripture, the first point is typically the most important, or can also be used to summarize the the rest of the list. Some translations use the word “fearful” rather than, “cowardly.” The bottom line is that following Christ is not for the timid!
I believe the number one sin in the American Church is cowardice, which breeds silence.
It takes courage to believe in Jesus Christ and to follow Him and His principles wholeheartedly. It takes courage to stand strong in the Word of God.
If God has spoken on a subject, how can we remain silent? To not call sin, sin, is as uncaring as refusing to cry out, “fire” to warn others in the midst of impending flames.
I was at a luncheon the other day listening to a guest speaker, Mary Hasson, who is a member of the Kate O’Beirne Fellowship of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington D.C. I recommend that you purchase her book: Get Out Now, Why You Should Pull Your Child from Public School Before It’s Too Late.
She is outspoken about the radical agenda of the tans-gender movement in our schools. Here is a paragraph from the front flap of her book:
“Almost overnight, America’s public schools have become toxic—morally, intellectually, and politically. With the most recent outrage—the imposition of gender ideology from kindergarten through high school—we’re left with a system designed to turn the hearts and minds of children away from faith in God, love of country, and plain old common sense.”
The sin of silence takes a wide variety of forms. Sometimes it seems to be as innocuous as political correctness. We live in a culture where it’s wrong to say something is wrong, and I think that’s wrong. Remaining silent on a subject that God has spoken about isn’t loving—it is cowardly. When we fail to use our voice, we lose our voice. Being courageous requires standing up for what you believe in, even when you’re standing alone.
The best way to combat what’s wrong is to do something right— write a book, produce a better film, start a better business, start a website rendering biblical insights, elect righteous people to positions of influence (Like to the school boards in your district), draft better legislation, or call your congressmen and voice your moral and sensible opinions.
God has given us monetary resources which can accomplish many things. Here are a few suggestions as to where you might consider giving your tithe, or discretionary income. I believe that more Christ followers ought to be giving financially to redemptive, social change organizations and/or to righteous individuals running for office on the local, state, and national levels. Here are a few for you to consider:
• Right-to-Life: You might come together with other believers and raise enough money to buy an ultrasound machine for Pregnancy Resource Centers in your community. These machines are proving to be a powerful tool to deter abortions as mothers who are contemplating abortion can see their little baby moving around in their uterus. Here is a link to the Oregon Right to Life website: https://www.ortl.org/
• Parents Rights In Education: This organization is engaging the educational community in regard to the gender identity movement in our schools. Here is their website: www.ParentsRightsInEd.com:
• Portland Fellowship: This is an organization that offers support to people in the homosexual community to help them find freedom in Christ. Here is their website: www.portlandfellowship.com.
• Fortis Media: Here you will find presentations about our liberties, freedoms, and the righteous victories that can be attained through our actions. The website is: www.fortismediacompany.com.
• Judicial Watch: This is a large organization that is fighting for our freedoms by taking on the massive progressive movements to undermine our American liberties. Here is their website: www.judicialwatch.com:
• www.PragerU.com: This is one of the best websites in America that explains a variety of relevant issues facing America. You will gain a clear understanding of the difference between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, socialism, economics, and a plethora of other subjects. This is a must and worth investing in with your dollars. We have used this website to educate our grandchildren.
Suggested Action Steps
• You can join your local school curriculum committee. Simply go to the school board an ask to be on the committee!
• Support candidates that align with the Scriptures or those that come the closest regarding basic righteous principles.
• Write emails to all the people on your mailing-list with your biblical opinions on candidates. I did this for both the Presidential Election in 2016 and the primaries in 2018. I personally wrote, by hand, 20 pastors of churches, representing 20,000 people in the local area and encouraged them to render their biblical opinion about the above-mentioned elections. If you like a copy of my “opinion” simply ask me and I will email you a copy.
• Write your own articles! Sometimes these will be germane to a particular situation in our country, the world, or simply how God’s truth has been impacting you!
Please do not underestimate the power of your expressed opinion! You can attempt to go through your church, but that will probably not be productive. Don’t be discouraged. Start a 6-week study from the Founders’ Bible with a new group of people through your webs of relationships. If you are a grandparent, start to meet with your grandkids for a 4-week study selecting articles from the Founders’ Bible. Start small and see where the Holy Spirit leads you!
Attempting to be salt and light with you,
Dale
dale@daleebel.org