by Tom Wacaster
“Change”!
How many times have you heard that word in your lifetime? The number is
incalculable! The hippies of the 60’s clamored for change!
And so America cast off the sexual morals of a previous generation and gave us
the change that the baby boomers sought. The seeds of ungodliness were
sown in the minds of a new generation via movies, rock music, and the
“rap” mentality, and the harvest is now coming to fruition: increased abortion
on demand, legitimized homosexual relationships, and a more “open” and
permissive standard for language and content in movies and music.
Character traits such as “responsibility,” “integrity,” “honesty,” and
“trustworthiness” are almost foreign to the younger generation, as well as the
leaders of our political electorate in Washington. Slowly at first,
but with increasing momentum, the fabric of our society is crumbling – we are
dying within! America is “broken” and it does not appear that
anyone knows how to “fix” it! All we know is that there must be
some kind of “change” to get us on the “right track.” Prior to our
last Presidential election the American public, to the tune of 60+%, thought
that the country was on the wrong track – heading in the wrong direction
politically, financially, and even morally. On November 2nd 2008
we went to the polls and we voted for “change.” Hopes were high, and
there was an air of optimism as voters vented their frustration with the status
quo. Less than 20 months later, disappointment has set in, and the only
“change” we have seen is for the worse: an unbelievable rise in national
deficits and debt, promised admittance of homosexuals into the armed forces,
increased abortion on demand, and an increasing antagonism toward religion in
general and Christianity in particular. Personally, I do not think
our country voted for this kind of “change” nineteen months ago.
What a
difference a year makes! In April of 2009 a grass roots movement began to
“throw the bums out,” and it appears that the movement is having an impact upon
incumbents and political “insiders.” Perhaps the “change” we are
now seeking is for the better as Americans seek a return to fiscal and moral
responsibility on the part of our leaders. In a recent segment on
Fox News it was reported that among the best selling items on Amazon.com
are books that address our religious heritage as a nation. There is a
renewed interest in matters of religion, and an increasing demand for material
that seeks to address the inner man. Perhaps the Lord’s church
should take action and strike while the iron is hot! Let us
lead the way in any new religious revival that might just now be
developing. Elders, stop sitting on the massive amount of funds you
have “saved” up for a rainy day, and let us invest the Lord’s money in
advertizing, books, television and radio, and offer to America the only thing
that can “fix” this broken society! Let us start a spiritual “tea
party” movement with a spiritual emphasis to it. Let us point the way
back to the Bible – and let us do it today! If hundreds and thousands of
congregations would rise up, and spend the necessary money to inform America of
a better way, perhaps our generation will witness a resurgence in the growth of
the church. If politically minded men and women can so influence the
political landscape via the “tea party” movement, think of what spiritually
minded men and women can do as they march forth with the gospel of
Christ.
The late
Winston Churchill came to a position of power and prominence during the darkest
days of England’s illustrious history. On May 10, 1940, Germany began a massive
attack against Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Defending those
countries were the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) along with the French,
Belgian, and Dutch armies. Although the opposing armies seemed evenly
matched, there was a crucial difference in command structures and battle
tactics. The Germans had an aggressive battle plan and utilized modern
communications such as radio. German tank generals including Heinz Guderian and
Erwin Rommel commanded from the front lines, improvising when necessary, and
urging their troops onward. After just a few weeks of battle, Hitler's armies
had experienced stunning victories on all fronts. Holland, Luxembourg and
Belgium had capitulated by the end of May. Paris fell on June 14. Three days
later, France sued for peace. In his speech to the House of Commons,
Prime Minister Winston Churchill discussed the disastrous turn of events in
Europe with the realization that Britain now stood alone against the seemingly
unstoppable German military juggernaut. In the
depths of despair, with little on the horizon to offer hope for a victory over
Nazi Germany, the prime minister encouraged them with what became one of his
most notable speeches. He closed that speech with the following
arousing words:
Hitler knows that he
will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to
him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into
broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the
United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into
the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by
the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our
duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth
last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'
It may very
well be that this country is living on borrowed time. Who knows
whether or not there are enough righteous souls to preserve this nation?
We can only pray that God will have mercy. But let us also seize
the sword of the Spirit and go forth with the gospel of Christ. If
we are diligent in planting the seed of God’s word, perhaps it will be said by
our grandchildren and great-grandchildren that, like England of old, “This was
their finest hour.”