GOD IS VERY MUCH ALIVE!
The present erosion of our National Culture
Christians grapple with why suddenly in the 60s and 70s our country changed so drastically. First came the hippie craze, free love, rock and roll and drugs, along with the Jesus People revolution. Then came the abolishing of prayer and Bible reading in public schools, followed by ridding public buildings of the Ten Commandments. Soon followed legalization of abortion, acceptance of homosexuality, transgenderism, striking down of marriage between one man and one woman...and on it goes. Society today looks strangely unfamiliar, as morality is struck down in all spheres of our public and personal lives. Technology invades our privacy on many levels, as LED bulbs, smart TVs and phones along with AI devices 'listen in' on what we do and say behind closed doors.
As our freedoms are stripped away one by one, we wonder how the onslaught appeared so dramatically in so short a time. Or was it so short, after all? History teaches us that we don't learn from history. For generations, Christians largely missed seeing what was happening in plain sight. Thus, for an answer to the question, we must look back to a previous century to glean the answer:
The deposing of God as Creator
While he probably did not intend to make such a dent in history, during the 19th century a curious scientist, young and driven, made an ocean voyage his lab as he visited many ports in the New World including the Galapagos Islands off the shores of South America. There he collected specimens of plant life, fossils and tokens of species native to that part of the world. Studying them and noting traits and changes that occurred over time in certain examples he had gathered, Charles Darwin published his findings, On the Origin of the Species, that changed the world and launched the theory of evolution.
Though thoroughly challenged in court later in the famous Scopes trial, the teaching of evolution was largely accepted in public school curricula during the 20th century. At the same time, evangelistic denominations continued their teaching of Biblical creation and somehow thought they had fulfilled their duty in stating the truth. Their own children educated in public schools learned the theory of evolution. God's sovereignty seeped from their consciences as evolution was taught to successive generations of students. The unproved theory purported as fact deposed God from His rightful position as Creator and Sustainer of the universe in our national thinking and conduct. He was robbed of His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence by the god of science. No longer was He feared and respected, though His name does continue as a curse word!
Students were led to believe that a big bang exploded the earth and universe into existence or, that a one-celled creature crawled from the primordial mud and slowly developed the ability not only to remain alive, but to improve itself with succeeding generations until years later it took on the final form of a human being, homo sapien, which translated from Latin means "wise man."
God is no longer the Absolute Authority
That man has no need for God. God is not on his agenda. Man can do all things on his own! Rejection of God as the Rightful Designer and Ruler of the universe created a vacuum that had to be filled...or, better put, once the Proclaimer of Righteousness was deposed, what He declared as Absolute Truth was trampled under foot. "Thou shalt not..." gave way to free love, tripping out on drugs, living together without the bond of marriage, worshipping money and scientific discoveries that led to making more and more money and the ability to control the majority of the population, even if one lies and cheats to arrive at the profit goals or political victories. That corruption continues to snowball so that today we trust very few and walk in fear of being politically incorrect.
Leaders in business and government now sneer at the suggestion of sin. They seek to strike down all semblances of laws and standards that conform to what God says in His Word, the Bible. They want no part of the God whose Word formed the foundation on which our nation was founded. Those same words continually prick their consciences in condemnation. To deaden that Voice, they indulge in sins they term 'independence' and 'freedom' from restraint. Pure and simple, God calls it lawlessness!
As we watch the decline of our society into the muck of degradation, the Church, too, is in large part asleep and seemingly powerless to reverse what is happening. Laodicea in Revelation 3 is a picture of today's church: lukewarm, neither hot nor cold! Though condemned by God's Word, any and every sin is tolerated by her in the name of love. Listen to what Jesus said to Laodicean members:
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning (Origin) of the creation of God, says this: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm...I will spit you out of My mouth." ' " Revelation 3:14-15.
Is it any wonder that as Jesus addresses His remarks to Laodican members, He calls Himself The origin of the creation of God? The Creator of the universe speaks to the modern-day church that has allowed the damnable theory of evolution to be taught even to her own children in public schools? Generations later, her own members and clergy do not get stirred by the 'extinction' of God as Creator and Lord of the Universe. In fact, tolerance of that lie and many others has chilled her once red-hot love for God who created the world and all that init is. Though she calls Him Creator, she no longer fears His name or His precepts.
The tolerant Laodicean church of today
In many churches, the authority of the Word of God is rejected. Professed believers tolerate murder: abortion as long as it does not affect them---or does it? Some within the church have daughters or even wives who secretly undergo the suction tube or swallow the abortion pill. Teen girls use contraceptive medication. Many men and now women watch pornography under cover on computer screens or cell phones. What happens at church on Sunday does not alter Monday through Saturday. Theirs is a dead, traditional, artificial religion that Christ hates ad nauseum!
Yet, just a few verses forward from Laodicea, hear what the elders around the throne of God in heaven declare:
"And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.' " Revelation 4:9-11.
Heaven recognizes the Creatorship of God and worships Him as their Creator. They give God honor and glory and thanks to Him for His greatness, and adore Him in His Authoritative position over all things.
Eternity is Too Late!
It is because we allowed evolution to become the explanation for the universe that humankind, especially the Church, has lost her fear and awe of God. His Sovereignty is no longer respected and His word is trampled under foot while the world madly chases after eternal condemnation in hell without realizing it. When God is not feared, it is easy for people to not obey what He says and to bow down to objects made by human hands and will instead of worshipping the One who created them.
No matter how hard God-rejectors try to extrude Him from their lives, God does not change: they do! In His mercy, God bears with them, trying to bring them to Himself; only He knows if and when He succeeds.
Oh, God, You are the One still constraining, restraining, containing. When You are finally absent from the mix---and no one experiences that awful reality until they leave this world and find their soul strangely alone, void of Your image in which they were created and lived while rejecting Your overtures of mercy and forgiveness---yes, when You are absent from the mix and it is eternally too late to seek recourse, how futile their cries and pleas for mercy will be, how anguished their remorse when it is too late! Eternally too late!
Father, forgive them!....they know not what they do!