Stand Up and Make a Difference

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will, forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Many Christians today are concerned at the direction our society as a whole is going. We seem to move farther away from God all the time as morals fall by the wayside, God's commandments are all but forgotten, violence escalates, and the voices of irrational extremists grow louder and more vehement. Unless Christians stop just sitting around complaining and start standing boldly for biblical values, things are likely to continue to get worse.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness... (Romans 1;18a).

Of course, none of this is new. It happened over and over again in Old Testament times. God's people would turn their backs on him, worship idols, fall into immorality, and get themselves in a mess. Eventually, calamity would come before they saw the need to turn back to God. 9-11 is a modern example, where the churches saw a surge in attendance right after the disasters. Isn't it a shame that it takes a catastrophe to make people realize they need God?

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 10:32).

However, it's not too late. Christians may have become a minority when we used to be the majority, but there is still a significant number of us. And, although there're too many lukewarm pew warmers, there's also a large number of devoted Christians with deep faiths. Christians today need to be bold. As the old hymn says, let's "stand up for Jesus" before it gets to the point we'll be shot down for doing so. 

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