The Most
Important Article of Our Times
By
Pastor Rick Owsley
“Dad, I just can’t stand to watch the news
any longer. It is too discouraging,
too depressing, and just too frightening.”
This statement by my grown daughter expresses 
the
sentiment of thousands, perhaps even millions of people in the USA today.
It seems as if all common sense has been
abandoned by our government and those in authority and replaced with a frenzied
effort to establish a ‘Nanny State.’
Without a doubt, a Socialist-Fascist agenda is being steam rolled over
our free market system and we seem totally incapable of stopping it. At least not until 2010!
We live in trying times; perhaps even ‘perilous
times.’ If you listen to the news media
or any of the right or left-wing blogs, we are in
grave peril. And if the health care
antics, the stimulus fiasco, or corporations being taken over by our government
is not enough to cause serious concern, then just listen to what all I heard
just this week alone. I ‘learned’ that
the Federal Reserve system is suppose to crash this month; all banks are to be
nationalized; Israel will bomb Iran; Swine flu vaccines will be made mandatory
and if you refuse, you will be exterminated; and a new World Banking system has
been established thanks to the G20 Summit.
And on and on it goes. It is
nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction in today’s frightened world.
My purpose in mentioning these stories is
not to give credence to or debunk any of these reports, but to demonstrate just
how scared and angry people are. The ‘changes’
that are sweeping this great land have serious and long term ramifications and
people are genuinely concerned about their futures and their children’s future.
I write this article to encourage the “redeemed
of the Lord” in these times and assure you that our future and lives are in
God’s care. We can all therefore declare,
“The Lord is my helper, and I will not
fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews
13:6).
What should be the attitude of a “Child of
God” as we face the major challenges before us?
Do we head for the hills? Do we
throw up our hands in despair? Or, do we
put on the “whole armor of God” and take a stand for Truth and righteousness --
regardless of the cost? Why not look
upon these times as a wonderful opportunity for the Church of the Living God to
“shine as a bright light” in a dark and dangerous world.
Let me remind you Christian, that our “riches
in Christ” are not temporal, nor are they in peril of being lost! Our ‘hope’ is not based upon the whims or
cunning devices of power-grabbing politicians, but in the Lord Jesus
Christ. His righteous plan and purpose
for our lives will not be thwarted by the outrageous schemes of man. Regardless of the turbulent and dangerous
times in which we find ourselves, the truth is, “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy
1:7).
The Kingdoms of man rise and fall. Governments
come and go. Nations emerge and then
fade from the scene. But, the Kingdom of
God is everlasting and our eternal destiny is not dependent on the stock
market, government bailouts, or political promises. Our hope is in the unfailing promises of the
Creator of the Universe and the faithfulness of Jesus Christ who is Lord of
all. Our true citizenship is in Heaven, where
we are “seated with Christ in the Heavenlies.” All
this was accomplished on our behalf through the redemptive work of Christ on
Calvary’s cross.
May I remind you that our source of joy is
not in our circumstances, but in the Lord Himself? Our contentment is not in our bank
statements, but in the statement, “I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Our
security is not in our jobs, but in the one who has promised to “meet all of our need according to His
riches in glory.” These frightening
days present the perfect opportunity for our omnipotent God to demonstrate His wondrous
ability and willingness to be Jehovah Jireh, or the ‘Lord
who provides.’
If the President or Congress were to call and
ask my opinion as to what they should do to get us out of this mess they have
created, I would take them to Psalm
33:12 and remind them, “Blessed is the
nation whose God is the Lord….” I
would have them turn to Proverbs
14:14 where it is written “Righteousness
exalts a nation: but 
sin
is a reproach to any people.”
The citizens of America need to be urgently
reminded of these Scriptural Truths! If
we continue to travel down the godless path we are presently on, we as a nation
are doomed. For just as certainly as
righteousness exalts a nation, unrighteousness brings destruction. Isaiah
5:20 warns against “those who call evil
good and good evil,” and I am persuaded that is exactly what is going on
today.
I would greatly enjoy reminding those in
authority over us, “Blessed is the nation
whose God is the Lord.” I am
convinced that the past greatness of America is not due to our form of
government, nor our great natural resources, nor our once flourishing industry,
nor our unsurpassed military might. The
reason for the greatness of America is due to God in Heaven honoring His Word; “BLESSED IS THE NATION WHOSE GOD IS THE
LORD.” Therefore, I am gravely
concerned for this country when the individual who occupies the highest
position in our government openly declares that “we are not a Christian nation.” How can we expect the blessings of God if we
turn our backs on Him?
It’s time for the Church of God to speak out
against that statement by the President and suggest he take a stroll through
the halls of Congress, look upon the walls of our Courts, and visit our monuments,
all of which openly declare our Christian heritage and fidelity to the Lord
God! But, the faith of our Founding
Fathers will not sustain us. Bible verses carved in stone will not
assure the blessings of God upon this generation, or those to come. Only when His
Word is written in our hearts, and we apply His principals to our daily
lives and conduct can we expect the blessings of God upon this land.
Each generation must choose, and just as
Joshua put forth the challenge to the nation of Israel in Joshua 24 to “choose you this
day whom you will serve,” this generation must now
choose. America stands at a spiritual
crossroads and I am concerned that the siren wail of a godless culture beckons
and because the Biblical foundation of our children is so lacking, they will
heed that destructive call.
My earnest prayer is that the redeemed
Church of God will not remain silent during these times, but with enthusiasm
and purpose make the message of salvation known. Without apology may we stand for the
authority of the Word of God! With fervor, may we stand for Truth and
righteousness! The time is now that “we ought to obey God, rather than man”
(Acts 5:29).
I am reminded of what my good friend, Sandy
Shoemaker of Hermann, Missouri recently said, “It is only when our foundations
are being shaken that we tend to move.”
Well, our foundations are being shaken and it is time that the Church rises
up and moves forward in defense of our Christian faith before it is too late.
The point is, regardless of the troubling
times and circumstances swirling around us, God has not abandoned us or told us
to abandon ship. We must approach these
challenging days with excitement and great expectations, for our families, our
friends, and our neighbors may be more receptive to the Truth of God’s Word and listen more attentively
to the Gospel.
If we are not in “the last days,” perhaps these
conditions will be the impetuous for the greatest revival this nation has
ever known – something that is desperately needed 
which
we all should be working toward and praying for.
May these trying times get the attention of lost men and women and
convince them of their need for the Lord Jesus!
Let’s take advantage of these times and share the Good News.
Our time to share the Gospel of the Grace of
God may be coming to a close. I pray
each of us will recognize our calling to be the “ministers of the word of
reconciliation,” and that we are all His Ambassadors. Each person who claims the name of Christ has
the responsibility ‘to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.’ No exceptions! Our time may be limited! May we all seize the moment to tell a lost
world that Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose again and that He offers
salvation to all who believe.
If you are reading this article and you have
never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, let me assure you that Christ
died for your sins. The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 that “the wages
of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord.” Jesus paid the debt of sin
you owe when He died on the cross.
If you have questions about how to inherit
eternal life, then let me encourage you to contact me at St. Louis Bible Fellowship, 6234 Victoria Ave., St.
Louis, MO 63139 or call (314) 781-0472. I would enjoy sitting down with you
and opening the Bible in order to
share God’s wonderful Words of Life!
Richard A. Owsley (Rick) pastors St. Louis
Bible Fellowship and is President of St. Louis Theological Seminary.
Pastor Rick is also the Bible teacher and host of the Message of Grace radio program heard over KSIV F.M 95.1, every Saturday morning
from 11:45 to 12 noon. Pastor Rick and his wife, Fay, live in Owensville,
MO.
