A Culture Without God

Bill Petite                                                                                                                 February 23 2018

In today's society, we are living in a culture without God. To be sure, God is everywhere at all times and can never be totally removed but in our country, He has been placed way beyond the back burner. A culture without God is seen in our public schools and in almost every other walk of life. How many secular employers honors a Christian's faith? I have worked in an environment which was hostile to Christians to the point where discipline was exercised until the employer was called out for wrongful disciplinary action. For years, I taught a Bible Study during lunch hour which was not always looked on with favor. We would find a quiet place to have these Bible studies only to find the following week we could no longer use it. But, we serve a loving and providing Lord and He always had a place for us to meet. The Lord always provided an adversary for us in the form of a supervisor or manager who supported what we were doing. So, God is never totally kicked out of our culture but there are many problems which hinder the forward movement of the gospel.
Our culture has spiraled downhill at a pace so fast we didn't keep up with how our society was morally deteriorating. Have you ever tried to talk to someone with a cell phone in their hand? I'm not talking about someone talking on the phone, I'm talking about someone who can't stop looking at their phone. Far too often, adults are all over our youth about this but they are just as guilty as the youth. They, or we, are supposed to be setting the example for them.
In just the last ten to fifteen years and even farther back, the rate of violence among the youth in this country has skyrocketed. It is no longer a fist fight which settles disputes but gun fights. Drive by shootings which too many times ends which innocent by standers getting hurt or dead. Violence in public schools is at an all time high. The following stats are from the CDC (center for disease control): In 2015, 6% of students polled were either threatened or injured by a weapon such as a gun, knife or club; 4.1% admitted to carrying a weapon (gun, knife or club) on school property and 5.6% did not attend school at least one day of the thirty days preceding this survey because they didn't feel safe at school or on their way to or from school. Now these stats are three years old so, how much worse is it now? Kids are bullied physically and now, on line in chat rooms and in social media. So, where did all this start? What changed or caused this change?
Our country has grown farther and farther away from God. Our culture is becoming more and more a culture without God. Our schools won't allow prayer in but they will not hesitate to instruct students on the religion of Islam or, at the very lowest levels of elementary schools, teach students about Gay Rights and how to identify as a cross gender person. Children who are at early school ages like five, six or seven and so on, don't understand this but the secular agenda of some teachers and schools continue to push it. And if there is any issue concerning the nature of the child's well being or who they think they are or aren't, should be handled by the parents, not the schools.
There are many Christians who believe this all started when prayer was removed from the schools. And, they may be right; but it wasn't just prayer that was removed, it was God. Ever since the high courts misinterpreted (my opinion) the first amendment to the constitution, it opened the door to remove God from all considered public places including the public school. The misunderstanding (my opinion) was based on a letter which Thomas Jefferson wrote to a Church which included the calling for  'a wall of separation between the church and state.' The first amendment does not include this language but in a series of Supreme Court decisions and rulings, it was considered the school was a part of the state and therefore could not have any religion as a part of school curriculum. This excerpt from Wikipedia explains how all this came about.

In these two landmark decisions, Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), the Supreme Court established what is now the current prohibition on state-sponsored prayer in US schools. While the Engel decision held that the promulgation of an official state-school prayer stood in violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause (thus overruling the New York Courts’ decisions), Abington held that Bible readings and other public school-sponsored religious activities were prohibited.^[6] Madalyn Murray's lawsuit, Murray v. Curlett, contributed to the removal of compulsory Bible reading from the public schools of the United States, and has had lasting and significant effects. 

I don't want to get into the hatred for God which Madalyn Murray O'Hair had but she was the main driving force behind this action. She was an atheist's atheist, a true hater of God and anything associated with Him. And that has led us to where we are today concerning our schools.
But, I'm not going to lay all the blame at the feet of our schools. Our culture has produced a family unit which is seriously troubled and most don't even realize it. My intent is not to anger parents but it will probably come out that way. In our current society and economic culture, both parents are forced to work in order to provide for the family. In some cases, one parent works because they want to, not because they necessarily have to. This can drive a wedge between parents and children. The parents are at times so absorbed in their careers they have little time for their children and that starts the wedge. Some of these kids are left to fend for themselves; they get very little guidance or advice from their parents. When children and youth are pushed by bullying or experimenting with drugs or any other situation which places them in a desperate mind set, far too many times these parents miss the warning signs. There are all kinds of circumstances and I don't have the space here to really go into and break every one of them down. The point is kids get less time with the parents who are responsible for raising them up properly and providing a safe, loving home.
The other really big problem in our society and has had a devastating affect on culture is the world of electronics. And, we are all guilty when it comes to this one. Video games and social media are probably the two biggest reasons we have the problems we see in our children and families in general. When a kid plays a video game and learns how to kill and is awarded for it, sooner or later it will carry over into real life. At some point, the respect for life or a life is gone. It is nothing to sit and kill as many enemy soldiers as you can while playing Call of Duty or whatever other games employ these tactics. Play Station and Xbox are two of the most dangerous tools in the corruption of our culture as any. When our country invaded the nation of Iraq and we had foot soldiers on the ground in a combat situation for the first time since the first Gulf War and Vietnam, the mindset of our youth had seriously changed. I don't have statistics to back it up but, in my opinion, I believe the reason PTSD cases were so high is because some of these young guys were experiencing real combat where people die for real and not the video combat where you live to play again. (and I do know what it is like to be in real combat) Video games are a mind rotting tool which takes its toll over a period of time. When my son was young, preteen and teen, I refused to purchase video games for the home computer or to purchase any video game apparatus. I told him it would rot away his brain and limit his experience to the real world. That's my opinion; you don't have to agree with me but just observe.

Now, I'm not saying we should throw away every cell phone, tablet and computer. These are valuable tools in our society but they have to be governed in the home by the parents and I don't believe that is happening. Families don't function together anymore, they don't interact and far too many times parents want to be best friends more than parents. Parents have to have real relationships with their children and also have to enforce discipline. This all starts from the cradle and continues until they have departed the home and, at times, even after they have left. The devil knows the best way to bring destruction is to drive a wedge and he has been very successful at that in this country.
Of course, speaking of two parents in the home is an ideal situation. There are so many single parent homes in this country and that is a serious problem. I'm referring to, for the most part, the single mom who has been left to raise the child or children on her own. Men have to step up and take the responsibility which God has given them. Be a man and don't run from your problems or responsibilities. Men want to have their way with a woman and when she becomes pregnant and wants to keep the child, he's gone. Children need the influence of a mother and a father. It's an unhealthy atmosphere when one or the other is not present.
There is no such thing as the perfect family. All families will have their issues but if that family is a solid unit, functioning as a family and not divided parts and with Jesus at the center, it will be far more successful in working though those issues.
The best advice I know how to give is from the Bible; everything I have said so far can be considered rubbish, personal opinion or just plain junk for some. But the Bible is absolute truth and the following verses should be seriously considered by all parents.

Direct your children onto the right path,and when they are older, they will not leave it 

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;

The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.  Proverbs 22:6,15

There are so many reasons and excuses for the problems we face in our society today but that's all they are. There is no truth within them; nobody wants to accept the fact that the biggest reason our culture is in the toilet is because of what has been allowed to happen to our culture. The biggest reason, and I'm going to say it, the main reason this country is experiencing these problems is because our God has been expelled and kicked out of everyday life and society in general. There are so many who consider God to be a fairy tale, a crutch for weak people, a way for people to feel good about themselves or just dead. Now, a lack of good morals and direction has led to many secular, evil and disgusting lifestyles in this country and parts of the world.
One last reason for this decline; I can't finish this writing concerning the decline of our culture without mentioning the Church. I'm not going to give the Church a pat on the back, I'm going to expose them for how they have allowed some of this to happen without standing in the gap. The Church has seemed to spiral downward in all this just like the culture has. The Church, and I'm not speaking of every local church because there are still a lot of strong local churches in our society, has allowed itself to become more and more like the world. The Church is supposed to be that beacon shining the light of the gospel into the world but the light has grown very dim. Churches today are more concerned about how big they can grow or how many satellites they can obtain. The more seats filled, the more money in the coffers. Far too many churches provide feel good messages instead of the meat of the scriptures. There are way too many people walking out of church services not gaining anything more than what they had going in. There is no growing in Jesus, no talking about Jesus and no growing closer to Jesus. Feel good sermons and opinionated homilies do nothing for the furthering of God's kingdom. How can people be saved if they don't hear the gospel, how can people grow spiritually if they don't hear God's word and how can Christians tell others about Jesus if they know very little themselves? Too many churches (and I use the word churches very carefully here) want to change God's gender to a neutral gender so not to offend anyone or change His word in places for the same reason. Many have produced their own version of the Bible to suit their liberal agenda. And, far too many have moved away from the doctrine of the husband and the wife, one man, one woman. They have authorized the marriage of same sex couples and also have ordained gays into the ministry. The world has approved all of this and it all lines up with our troubled culture but not the Church of Jesus Christ. I like a few verses from Isaiah which speaks to the condition of Israel at that time and can apply to these organizations who consider themselves as still a part of God's Church.

Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the Lord speaks,
“Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have revolted against Me.
 “An ox knows its owner,
And a donkey its master’s manger,
But Israel does not know,
My people do not understand.”   ISA 1:2-3

Just substitute the words liberal church for Israel and it makes perfect sense. I firmly believe the only way to turn this society and culture around is through the work of God. Gun legislation, any other law, armed school guards and all the other ideas being argued about will not change anything. Only Jesus can bring the changes needed for this immoral culture. Christians need to pray, not argue about what or who's right or wrong. Christians need to get up, get out and tell the world about Jesus because he is the only answer. He is the way change will be made but here's the kicker: It won't happen until He returns and until then, we Christians will have to stand in that gap which lies between us and the world. We have to be the light in the dark as we allow Jesus to shine bright in our lives. With Jesus in our lives and the Holy Spirit leading the way, we can make a difference. We won't change this ugly culture but we can be the difference in it's individuals. After all, we live a culture without God.

 

 

Is There a God?

Bill Petite                                                                                                                 February 11 2018

Think about this question.....Why are atheists so disturbed by something which they believe doesn't exist? Why would they even spend any time, great or small, arguing over something, according to their beliefs and opinions, doesn't even exist. I'm sure some have read or heard the stories concerning the Freedom From Religion Foundation complaining about everything from a nativity scene too close to public government property to a cross located somewhere they don't want it. If it all represents something they believe doesn't even exists, why get so bent out of shape over it? The answer is simple; they are driven by the sin nature which we are all born with. When this nature is allowed to totally take over every part of us, we are capable of some very evil commitments. There are plenty of things I don't believe exist but I don't make an agenda and attempt to spew hatred and bitterness toward those who might believe those things do exist. I have the Holy Spirit residing in me because Jesus is my savior and He has given me a new life, made me a new person and has delivered me from my sinful nature. Does that mean I never commit a sin? Absolutely not! But, with the Holy Spirit now living within me, I no longer have the desire to live a sinful lifestyle. I firmly believe there are those who will never be saved or want to be saved. This is obvious as we see in end time prophecy. If you ever wonder why or how  people can be so evil, bitter and full of hatred, it is that sin nature controlling their lives. Think about Hitler and the millions of Jews he murdered and the way he murdered them. He was driven by the evil of sin; it totally controlled him and it was evident by the way he acted and his personality. Even his own military leaders were afraid of him. They tried to assassinate him because they knew he was evil. How many other dictator types down through history committed such horrible things against their own people.

But, the bottom line reason for this hatred and bitterness and the way the FFRF fights and argues against something they don't believe in is because the devil hates anything which supports or stands for God. As a Christian, have you ever started a work for Jesus, only to have stumbling blocks put in your way? It's like taking one step forward and getting knocked back two steps. It's the attempt of the devil to hinder God's work. It was the same thing with Hitler who tried to destroy God's people. He wasn't acting on his own, it was the devil himself pushing Hitler and the sinful nature he was born with. He wasn't the first who the devil used in this attempt. Read the book of Esther and Ezekiel 38-39 as just two examples.

Now, I know for those who are not saved and don't believe in God or Jesus Christ or eternal salvation, will think this is just a bunch of religious mumbo-jumbo. But think and consider this: What would possess a person to murder 6 million people of any race or nationality? What would cause a terrorist group to behead people because they don't have the same religious beliefs as they do? What would cause a dictator in Syria to murder his own people by using chemical weapons on them? Or, what causes a person to kill the cashier at a convenience store after getting the money he/she asked for? It is the evil of the sinful nature we were born with. This is the extreme; not all unsaved people are serial killers or mass murderers or crazy world dictators. But they still have the sinful nature controlling their lives and some, like an atheist, find it ridicules and foolish to believe in a God who saves us from our sin. These people move through life, not with an agenda against Christianity or 'religion', but just not wanting bothered with it.

In all probability, the most quoted Bible verse is John 3:16; but the verses which follow it are as important and carry as much impact but are never included. Pay close attention to the latter part of this passage.

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil...."          JN 3:16-19

This passage explains clearly those who are saved, or believe, are not condemned but those who don't believe are condemned already as a result of their unbelief. That should be an eye opener for everyone who stands against God or doesn't believe in Him. The last verse in the passage explains the attitude of those who refuse to acknowledge God as God and His existence. Physical death is not the end; there is eternal life for those who believe and there is eternal death and suffering for those who die in unbelief.
It's very simple; there are only two types of people in the world, those who have accepted Jesus as savior and believe He exists as God and those who don't. We don't know who God has chosen for salvation or who will be saved but that is not a reason not to let them know who Jesus is and what He has done for us. He has died in our place to be the sacrifice which is required to pay the penalty for our sin. We have to tell those who are not saved about this good news. Accepting Jesus as our savior is saying goodbye to a miserable life we refuse to even admit to. It means becoming a new person (2 Cor. 5:17) and leaving behind a lifestyle dictated by the sinful nature.
So, the next time you interact with a non-believer or an atheist, remember they need to know the truth of the gospel message and if they absolutely refuse to listen, don't press. You have planted seeds but pressing will just turn them off even more. Don't argue and don't go into attack mode; we were not called to win an argument, we were called to win souls for Christ. If you know someone who is not saved, for whatever reason or agenda they might have, pray for them. Ask the Lord to soften their heart. And finally, don't allow anger and hatred to fill your Christian heart because of the actions of an atheist or non-Christian. Only love, the love which comes from God, can allow us to see them as He does. Remember, the Apostle Paul prayed for the Roman guards, who could be brutal when necessary, who were guarding him and a number of them were saved. We have to allow Jesus to guide us in these actions and yield to His Holy Spirit. It is amazing what we can do and say when we do this.
And, for those who simply refuse to accept Jesus Christ because it sounds so foolish or like a feel good fairy tale, I simply ask that you gather information and data concerning Jesus or the existence of God (Jesus is God). Consider it as you would any other topic or subject. Read, consider and reason through the information and then make a decision. Just to ride the bandwagon of other nonbelievers and adopted reasons for rejecting Jesus or Christianity is cheating yourself. So, consider, reason and make an intelligent decision.

Who Will You Follow?

Bill Petite February 2 2018

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.  PS 118:8

We live in a time, in this country, which most people have taken a side, politically. The hatred (not an exaggeration) runs deep between those who fall to the right and those who fall to the left, politically. I believe the news media plays a huge role in this. The left loves to cling on every word of CNN and MSNBC while the right believes Fox News is God's network of truth. All have their political slant, right and left. To strongly believe every word that is spoken on any of these outlets is foolish. I do believe they all feed the strong political divide in this country. I grew up in a time when we listened to Walter Cronkite and the Huntley/Brinkley Report. The former on CBS and the latter on NBC. Regardless of the individual's political stance, we never heard it that way. What we heard was the straight news, the truth.

The hatred is so glaring in this political divide; just read comments following an article about anything political. Sometimes it doesn't even have to be a political topic. I read an article today about an NFL running back and sure enough, in the comments, someone tossed in a political jab. So, it runs beyond the political arena.

It's sad to see people following after people or entities where there lies no hope at all. These politicians and political parties can offer absolutely no hope for what is most important. Regardless of whether people want to believe it or not, the only true hope for any person is salvation for the soul. Regardless of whether people want to believe or not, we are all born in sin and we need a savior to save us from this sin. That savior is Jesus....whether people believe it or not. And, just because someone doesn't believe any of this doesn't mean it is not true. Jesus offers us what any news outlet can't offer. Jesus offers us what any politician can't offer. Jesus offers us salvation and it's free. We confess our sin to Him, ask Him to forgive us and allow Him to come into our lives. There is no human being or media outlet which can provide this.

In Gen. 6:6, 'God was grieved in His heart' by the wickedness of mankind. Sometimes, when I think about this strong hatred for each other, I wonder if God doesn't feel that same way today. I know not every person will believe the truth of this salvation message. I know there will be those who will scoff at it and refuse to acknowledge the fact that God even exists and that is their own business and right as an American. But, a person must weigh the facts, consider and reason through them and then decide what is true, for them, and what is not. As a Christian and messenger of the gospel, I can't force anyone to believe and I wouldn't try. Each person has to decide who they will follow and what is true. Will it be the people in the media, the politicians, the celebrities who believe they are the absolute truth or will it be the savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

The back and forth arguing and haggling on these news networks and through social media is childish. To see grown adults acting like children on the playground is ridicules. Politicians taking sides and digging in to support their own pride, and not for the good of the American people, is very troubling. We are instructed by God's word to pray for these leaders and, believe me, they need a ton of prayer. It doesn't matter what side they are on, we need to pray for them.

One final thing; the United States is not God's chosen country. This country was founded by God fearing men who wanted religious liberty and that was their intention. But just because we live here doesn't mean we have our ticket punched for free entry into heaven. We still need to come to Jesus. The US doesn't have any special privileges over other countries of the world. We, Americans, individually, must come to Jesus and accept Him as our Savior by repenting and allowing Him to change us. The very end of time will be a time in which people of this world will sell out to and follow one man, the Anti-Christ. What I see today is a paving of the way for this to happen. People are so quick to jump on board a movement, political agenda or an anti-Christ type. At that very end time, there will be only two types of people (as it is today), those who follow Jesus and those who don't. For those who don't, they will follow the one world leader, the anti-Christ, a mere man, who will lead them to eternal destruction. It's not too late to know today who you are to follow, Jesus or just a mere human being, a man, a woman or a worldly movement. Do you belong to God or do you belong to this world? It's easy to know; just cry out to Jesus and He will respond. There is no hesitation, no out to lunch, He is right there waiting.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave^[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 

 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. JN 3:16-18