In attending several conferences over the last few months, I have heard the same line repeatedly: “But here we are.” The context was always the same. Individuals thought certain things might happen, but it would be ten or twenty years from now, “But here we are.” This is what happens when God takes His softening grace off a nation; it devolves quickly. So what do we do to prepare our children in the midst of this cultural nosedive?
The first thing is we do not get shaken. This is not God’s first rodeo. Whether it was a more compressed time like during the book of Judges or the overall historic reign of Israel’s kings, God has observed, apostasy, civil wars, genocide, etc. He still reigns in absolute authority and sovereignty. He is not up in heaven, wringing His hand and wondering, “How did my creation get away from me?” As radio commentator, Paul Harvey said repeatedly throughout his career, “In times like these, we need to remember there have always been times like me.” Even though much of this is new to America, perversion has always been. Remember two places called Sodom and Gomorrah? Any question of man’s depravity and God’s power?
Second, Daniel 11:32 reminds us that those who know their God will be strong and do exploits. Difficult times tend to drive people back to the realities of life. The demonic realm cannot show self-restraint. It is only God’s Spirit who restrains them. (2 Thes. 2) He is, therefore, giving them more rope in order to hang themselves. Do you remember the carton character Foghorn Leghorn? He would spank the dog and then take off running to a painted line which represented the end of the dog’s rope. Time and again the dog would run as fast as he could until the rope jolted him back to the reality of his boundaries. When God allows evil to run rampant, it seems that people finally wake up and see what is going on. Still, the devil cannot go one inch past God’s painted line. I have even heard an increasing number of homosexuals lamenting the lack of control with the LGBT community. Some of these individuals believe things are being pushed down society’s throat to the extent they will say, “Enough is enough.”
Another important thing to remember is to teach our children how to read. This may seem inconsequential but contemplate this. Instagram is now encouraging their patrons to limit video lengths to 3 – 5 seconds and are rewarding them with algorithm success. This is dumbing down the next generation to basically be mindless servants of cultural elites. If your children have an attention span longer than a few minutes, they will hopefully be able to think on a deeper level than most of their contemporaries, filtering emotional responses based on immediate gratification from reasonable, logical, ethical, and biblical truth. Of course, this will not make them popular among those in control and may cause them disfavor, but at least they will keep their human dignity intact.
We must also acknowledge the word “remnant.” A remnant suggests a small number. While the Reformation and the Great Awakening are glorious to read about, the truth is they are the exception more than the norm. This world is not our home nor is it meant to be. If Christ the Creator was crucified by His creation, we should not think this world would love us. Our living for Christ reflects their living for the devil. Although most people mock or minimize life after death, God has placed eternity in the heart of man, and it makes them uncomfortable when people talk about heaven and hell. After all, people want to sin and feel good about it. This is why they want to cancel dissenting voices to their sin. Christians will be called to make sacrifices when standing upon God’s word. Our children need to be prepared to know they will be overlooked for opportunities even though they may be more qualified or experienced or better. We must teach them to live by faith in God’s plan and purposes.
Perhaps God may send a powerful revival and bring America back from the brink of judgment. He is certainly able to do that. However, we should prepare for the worst even when we hope for the best. If we do, our children will be able to stand wherever we are at that time. Be of good courage.
-300x147.jpg)
