“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” 1 Peter 2:7-8.

 

“You can’t draw that, that’s offensive”. These were the words that a thirteen year old student in California heard a few days ago from her teacher. The student had drawn a picture of the American flag with the words “God bless America” inscribed on the flag. For this she was singled out and told her project was offensive. Then the teacher went on to praise another student who had drawn a picture of Obama. This is just a very small sampling of what’s happening across this nation.

 

Socialism is now the new flavor in America. We now see public school teachers promoting and indoctrinating our children into this new socialistic, godless, false utopian society, and our government leaders are consumed with promoting the same failed concept. It’s now an offense to be patriotic in America. And what’s much worse is that it is now considered almost criminal to publicly demonstrate a love for God.

 

“Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,” 1 Corinthians 10:32. Those of us who follow Jesus Christ and promote His Gospel have no desire to offend anyone. The Gospel of Christ is a take it or leave it reality. Most believers who are actually witnessing to others prepare themselves for the rejection of the Gospel. We can tell someone about Jesus and if during the conversation they make it plain they are not interested or they seem to be getting agitated we can excuse ourselves and move on. We don’t brow beat people into submission or attack them because they aren’t inclined to partake of the truth. We simply change the subject or stop talking all together.

 

It’s true that lost people have no problem with being offensive around Christians or even singling out Christians for abuse. We are ridiculed and even condemned by those who hate God. Even ending a conversation with “God bless you” is an offense to those who are perishing. The young girl mentioned above was simply expressing her patriotism and love for God which is a Constitutionally protected right. It seems America’s founding fathers were offensive by placing such high esteem on what they believed to be God given rights. At least that teacher thought so. Oh yea, and for those who think the separation of Church and state has anything to do with the U.S. Constitution it doesn’t. There’s no such thing as “the separation of Church and state” written into the founding fathers documents as they established this country as a sovereign, godly nation. But there is something called the Bill of Rights which says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech..., and so on. “The free exercise thereof” is the same as saying if you are in a classroom in America and you wish to exercise your Constitutional right to express your love for God and country you may do so unimpeded.

 

So what’s changed in the Constitution to allow a teacher to prohibit students “the free exercise thereof”? The Constitution of the United States of America has not changed, but we the people have placed ungodly leaders in control of our government and as such we are reaping what we have sown. God has been replaced with the religion of humanism. And this unholy saga continues as these misguided souls attempt to rid this nation of all vestiges of that old antiquated belief which emphatically maintains there is a God.

 

First, they change our laws. How can they get away with that, you might ask? Through evil deceptions they get themselves elected to the highest office in the land, the Presidency of the United States of America, then they proceed to fill all the cabinet posts associated with that office with Marxists and Communists. They infiltrate Congress through similar deceptions until they dominate that once revered and stately body. Then they place into the highest courts of the land those individuals who have no use for God. This will, in turn, give rise to new and devilishly thought-out rulings that will far and above favor humanism, socialism, and ultimately communism over anything that might be based on faith in the one true God of the Bible. After a few years of these socialistic, humanistic, Marxists leaders lording over the masses, most of America will become painfully aware that their “inalienable rights” have dried up and blown away.

 

Socialism is alive and thriving in America my friends and we now sit on the very precipice of evil completely consuming our national government and taking over our beloved country. We aren’t just slightly moving in that direction, the guy that occupies the Oval Office has placed America on the fast track to becoming a dictatorial and completely socialistic entity.

 

Recently it’s been revealed that any mention of God by students will be harshly dealt with. Wearing the American flag on your person is also becoming a crime in the godless halls of academia. But there’s a time coming, and is almost here, when one certain word will get you thrown into jail quicker then oil leaking out of a pipe in the gulf, that word is “Jesus” the name above all names. Unless of course you use the Lord’s name as a swear word then of course you’ll be excused.

 

Letters come in all the time rebuking me for my stance on our current leadership’s regime. They try to tell me that this is all biblical and that we need to just accept it as the inevitable. God places who He wills into the offices of government and we aren’t to question His motives or His plans. We are just to accept everything as from God no matter how bad and evil our government becomes. If that’s our destiny, so be it.

 

Of course in some respects I’m inclined to agree with them. When they point out that God has a plan and He is in control, of that I have no doubt. But, God in His word never tells us to simply give up our liberties or to stop standing up for righteousness. After all, our liberties are all God endowed. I must conclude from the letters that I receive that God has now taken those liberties back which He had graciously bestowed on this great nation over the past 234 years. Now with the establishment of our new socialist government firmly entrenched we are to just be passive and patient and take whatever is thrown at us as being from God? I don’t think so. You see, God establishes governments and places people in its leadership to run those governments as God wills. Let’s be honest, does anyone reading this commentary believe that America’s current leadership regime is in any way following God’s precepts or God’s will for the American people, or more specifically for His own Children?

 

The answer to that question is yes if we believe God is punishing America for her failure to follow His precepts, for giving Him the boot as it were. But that would mean that God is punishing the righteous along with the unrighteous. His word plainly states this will not be the case. But on the other hand could it be that our leaders are not following God’s precepts and His will for this land? I’m much more inclined to believe the latter.

 

“Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” Matthew 18:7. By referring to God as offensive those who make such claims are only condemning themselves. When Jesus uses the word “Woe” He is denouncing something, and in this instance He is actually judging those who bring offenses against God or against His children. If they only understood what they were doing they would be terrified to be in that position of denouncement. Alas, understanding is far from the minds of those who call God offensive. 

 

Do I see any turnaround of our current rush toward socialism or communism or even Sharia Law? No. Wow, that’s depressing. Yes it is and we who follow Jesus Christ can plainly see where such a government made up of socialist Marxists will lead. Christians will be targeted as haters and dissenters, and will be seen as the enemy. If we become critical of the abuses which will certainly be manifest by the state we will feel the hand of persecution upon our backsides.

 

I’ve been accused of creating an atmosphere of fear among believers with some of my previous commentaries. I’m sure this one will fall right in line with the rest. It has not been my intention in the least to promote fear or be divisive. On the contrary, what I’ve been trying to induce is not panic or fear but the recognition of a new direction, a new and different playing arena if you will, in which our government leaders wish to lead us into a new and glorious utopian world where we will all live in harmony and peace. But knowing the word of God we can see that this is only an attempt by the enemy of God to move gullible people away from our Lord.

 

What does the Bible say about peace on earth? Only when Jesus Christ returns and makes an end of wars and eliminates the persistent evil will there be peace, one thousand years of it. Until then, while we have breath we are to be His mouthpiece, His disciples, His saints promoting His Gospel and telling everyone we can about His love for them. It’s not going to be easy from here on out, but that is partially our own fault. In many ways we believers in Christ have dropped the ball. It’s up to followers of Jesus Christ to pick it up again.

 

I believe there are some who’ve been called to be watchmen on the wall, and as such we watchmen will inevitably be singled out as the worst of the haters. There are many men and women who are courageously standing up for Jesus Christ and His Gospel and who will be the first to witness the strong arm of this new socialistic government.

 

Offensive people are going to increase and they will stand against us as we go about our Fathers business. That’s okay. We are told not to fear but to be of good cheer. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Our peace is in Christ and we will never despair as long as we place our trust in Jesus Christ, and keep Him in our hearts.

 

Believe me when I tell you there will soon come a time when someone will say to you, “That’s offensive to me” and all you will have done is mention the name of Jesus our Savior to them. But do not fear what man will do to you for being a follower of Jesus Christ. Actually those who persecute us are the ones who need to be fearful. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28.             

 

If the world sees us as offensive for speaking the truth of Jesus Christ, that’s a good thing. It’s those who call themselves Christians but who are thoroughly engulfed in the world and never mention His name that I’m concerned about. Where do you stand?

 

God bless you all,

 

Ron Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

All scripture is from the KJV