Fixing the Nation

[RustyCarr]

Here we are in a nation run amok. People have divided into three camps. Camp number one sees government as the solution, and they have gravitated to government employment in the bureaucracy and elected offices. This camp has also gravitated to the education industry, both government schools and higher education, even to the old prestigious universities founded by Christians. Camp number two knows that government is not the solution to a nation run amok. This camp would like to be left alone, unharmed by government, so that they can mind their own business. Camp number three are the ignorant. This camp most often sides with camp number one. This camp is struggling and many are in some way dependent on government support. Camp number one has provided all the government programs in which camp number three depends. These programs are welfare, education from first grade through college, unemployment compensation, medical benefits for the poor and elderly, social security, after school programs, daycare, grants, and etc. Camp one and three love their grievances and vices.

This essay is directed to the Christian conservatives in the second camp. They absolutely know that government and socialism will not "fix this nation." I ask them, "Who will fix this nation?" I ask, "What will fix this nation?" IF YOU DON’T DO IT, WHO WILL? God is not Santa on a cloud and He will not come down and make everything better. He has said that He would be with YOU while you maintain family and civilized society.

I have said too much already. I must go back and emphasize two words that most Christians read over without understanding. "Maintain family, maintain family, and maintain family……This is done with love and wisdom, love and wisdom, love and wisdom….. AND God is love, AND wisdom comes from God. IS LOVE AND WISDOM WITH YOU, OR NOT?

Maintaining families with love and wisdom CREATES a civilized society. How about that! Isn’t that something? Love and wisdom creates a civilized society. Love and wisdom makes individuals worthy of love and wisdom. Neighbors can then respect their neighbors and treat each other justly with friendship and trust. It is sin and folly that destroys families! It is injustice and oppression that creates a divided society in conflict! Get it yet? It is the duty of the Christian to educate their offspring in the Truth about love and wisdom. THE GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED TO EDUCATE. GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS HAVE DESTROYED THE MINDS OF TOO MANY GENERATIONS ALREADY! The vast majority of the last three generations do not know how to love with God’s wisdom. They have not been taught and most have not had fathers to teach them. The fathers have been absent, or not equipped to "train them up in the love and wisdom of the Lord" while government schools undermine their efforts.

Comments? Tell me how to wake up fathers....

[JTownsend]

Rusty,
The plan is simple.

Step 1 - Assess the problem (the enemy). We can't fix the problem if we don't know what the problem is. And we don't just want to address symptoms of the problem - we want to get down to the real cause of the problem. This first step requires us to be deluged in scripture. Are we looking at our own lives and making sure we are applying God's word to every area of life? Like removing the speck from our brother's eye, we need to first make sure we have removed the logs from our own eyes. We need to think about everything we do and see if we can support every decision, including little things like our gym membership and the vehicle we drive, with scripture and principles found in scripture. We need to be nit picky.

What are the problems in your life? Where are you being attacked? Who is your enemy? Do you have scripture to support your answers to these questions?

Step 2 - Form a strategic plan. Where are we vulnerable, where do we need to build up our defenses, and what are our best weapons of attack? Do we have any weapons of attack? (Many don't.) Our strategic plans need to be formulated based on the principles of God's plan. Again we must immerse ourselves in scripture.

Simply answered, God want's us to focus on building strong families and having those families restructure society, especially through entrepreneurial dominion (business). He put this in Genesis 1:28 so that it would be among the first things we would find in His word. God's plan has always been family dominion. Families building God honoring businesses will bring God honoring order to society, gain influence in society, and shape society according to Godly principles. If we can't provide scriptural support for our decisions, then we fail. And what happens to a warrior on the battle field who fails? They get killed. Christian soldiers have failed because we have not based our plans on Godly principles.

Do you have a strong family? Are you focused on family entrepreneurial dominion? What is your plan to grow in these areas? What's your scriptural support?
Where are you vulnerable? What is your plan to strengthen that position? What's your scriptural support?
What is your plan for maintaining your family dominion? For increasing your family dominion? What's your scriptural support?

Step 3 - Take Action. Even if it ends up being wrong, take action. Adjust your course later. Make a decision today.

Step 4 - Plan for the future. You need to plan for what will happen when you die. 2 Pet 1:12,15
What's your plan? Is your family ready? What are you doing to prepare them? What's your scriptural support?

Step 5 - Repeat.

Assess where you are in this plan and seek wisdom from others to see what your next step should be.

[RustyCarr]

JTownsend,
Your suggestions (steps 1 through 5) are right for the individual, but I was asking how to wake up fathers. One man alone cannot be a church. Where are God's people? I would like to hang out with some and work together to build a community of Christians who are wise enough to stand against educating children in government schools to the detriment of their reasoning capabilities.

I am talking about an uprising of wise men to stand against the evil together, not alone. Our children need the Truth, every word that comes from the mouth of God. God is love, but love without virtue, wisdom, justice, mercy, and courage is not love. Love God first and He will teach you how to love family, friends, and neighbors; and He will give strength to stand on His Truth in the face of evil.

So, how do we wake up churches and fathers? Or do we just wait until God's two by four lands upside some heads?

Rusty

[shotgun]

Maybe before trying to fix the nation, we should figure out what exactly the nation is. See my thread on the issue:

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1181

[RustyCarr]

Maybe before trying to fix the nation, we should figure out what exactly the nation is. See my thread on the issue:

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1181

I went to that thread again this morning. I found this question, which I liked, in one of the posts: "Where is the Christian nation?"

Are we waking up? Are we gonna wake up? I believe that we have been sinking into darkness since 1900, with increasing speed for the last fifty years. Since Christian fathers have allowed the secularists to take over government schools, the last three generations of Christians educated in government schools have allowed the church to become "la-la land," no longer a positive influence on society, much less a leader in society.

How can that be? The Truth rules the world and it always will, but when mankind disregards the Truth natural consequences follow. The Bible gives examples....

Isn't it time men in churches went to work united in the Truth and separate from the secular schools? I don't think that it is too late to find ways to educate and protect our children apart from the mind destroying nonsense and peer pressure in government schools. Once Christians unite in providing a proper education, then the rest of society will soon see the result and churches/Christian schools would be a light for the lost.

The Truth and love rules, but if upcoming generations are not taught the Truth, Gods natural consequences follow. We have left too many generations behind already. We (the church and fathers) have sinned. It is time to open our eyes and repent earnestly and wisely, as in 2Chron 7:14.

The work of God must begin in the churches. We can't fix the nation through government and politics. The darkness has become easy to see. It is time to go to work, but it has been too difficult for me to find "Truth minded" men willing to do that. Are they out there?

Rusty

[JTownsend]

Rusty,
I'm all for homeschooling and totally against public school... but right here and now I'm going to make a statement I never thought I would.

Why not have the church start a private Christian school for it's congregants?

To those who know me, I haven't changed my mind. I still private school is almost as bad as public school and nowhere close to God's plan of homeschooling... but I think of it like trying to catch a fish. Sometimes if you're working a hard fish you can't just tug at it and pull it right o you or you will break your line. Sometimes you gotta work the fish a little side to side, holding on as much as you can until the fish works itself out. If each church would be willing to have a private school (practically free) option for it's congregants (feel free to charge non-Christians) then we could at least begin to teach more about scripture and character. Each school would have to be for only the congregation in order to limit class sizes. I would also highly encourage homeschooling and possibly make a monthly meeting mandatory for all parents who send their children to the private school.

This idea seems far from perfect to me... but if the focus is on bringing the fish into shore, then this might be a fine tactic.

I haven't listed half of the problems and pitfalls this might have... but it might be an option.

[RustyCarr]

JTownsend,
Bless you for your statement: "Why not have the church start a private Christian school for it's congregants?" A wonderful idea, but I can't find church leaders and fathers willing to go to the "?trouble?" They simply don't see the benefits of teaching the Truth to their offspring, evidently. Check out Ex. 20:5,6 KJV Sinful fathers naturally pass on their iniquity to their offspring, even to multiple generations.

The Truth is, niave shallow Christianity failed to put schools in churches in 1963, when the Supreme Court removed scripture and prayer from the public schools. Admit it! Our fathers failed. They were not equipped to stand against the Court and against the crowd following the crowd and the court, the blind leading the blind.

Logic says that [if] Christian leaders (and fathers) were niave and shallow in 1963, then they must be even more niave and shallow now, having gone through three generations of government education. I must make exceptions for the "few that have found it" as the darkness has become darker. Just compare TV programming from 1965, 1980, and 2009. Getting darker, for sure!

So, with niave carnal Christianity, your statements and apprehension about the drawbacks of private schools in churches are correct. Too many disputes about the convoluted truth that graces our pulpits.... and even divisions between individual Christians attending the same church and/or denomination. But what about this verse: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all of your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. Lk 21:15

We need the simple Truth, and leaders who are not afraid to teach it compitently. We need a revival, but that will only come when leaders and fathers realize that they have failed to love, lead, teach, and PROTECT their offspring and loved ones in the Truth. 2Chron. 7:14 and Mt 4:17

The kingdom of heaven can be found, now, while we a alive. They are the "Gospels of the Kingdom," you know? Unfortunately, an apologist/evangelist like me must warn seekers whom God leads to me with: Mt 23:13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

Beware of fluffy fog feelgood theology that tickles the ears. Jn 14:6 STRESS "HE IS THE TRUTH.'

How do we wake up fathers and leaders? How do we encourage them to protect their offspring with the Truth? And courageously?

Rusty

[JTownsend]

Rusty,
My firm belief is that we can do nothing to call father's and leaders. I believe the only thing we can do is to raise up the next generation rightly. This generation will have to fall victim to their sin, and the ramifications of their parents sin. God does not blame me for my parents sin, but I sure do have to live with it.

It is with the greatest caution I would ever instruct a church to open a private school. I do not believe public or private school is what God directs people, but I also don't see God saying we can't do it. Therefore I suggest that we Christians home school and any private school we create would be for those who currently find it impossible to home school, and so that we can convince all the attendees and their parents that home education is what God directs his people to do.

Those that the Lord does not call will have to live in their sin, though it is right for us to call after them. But I don't think thee is anything more for us to do to "call the Fathers" other than for us to live rightly, voice it loudly, and to STOP supporting theologically weak churches and "Christian" companies, etc. (Yes I'm looking at you Dobson).

[RustyCarr]

Rusty,
My firm belief is that we can do nothing to call father's and leaders.

Please be careful, brother.

2Ti 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.
2Ti 1:8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,

2Ti 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.

I do understand where you are coming from. Will it take a large taste of God's wrath to wake up fathers and church leaders?

It is with the greatest caution I would ever instruct a church to open a private school.

Would you get together with other wise fathers who wish to co-mingle their rescources in order to educate their children in the Truth? Isn't that what our pioneer fathers did while settling the wilderness of America? But, the school system they set up was stolen from them by the godless secularists... which is why we have an abhorrent depraved government school system now.

Those that the Lord does not call will have to live in their sin, though it is right for us to call after them. But I don't think there is anything more for us to do to "call the Fathers" other than for us to live rightly, voice it loudly, and to STOP supporting theologically weak churches and "Christian" companies, etc.

Aren't you speaking a little contradictory here? "right to call after them" but "nothing more for us to do."

Look, the message in mainstream Christianity is flawed. God is love. Fathers and church leaders who fail to protect their children from the government schools and peer-pressure FAIL TO LOVE THEIR CHILDREN and fail to train them up in the admonishment and Truth of the Lord. That is the Truth about love as it is written in the Bible. Mainstream Christianity has failed to teach the Truth about love for too many generations.

For you, my friend, I come from years of searching and confirming scripture. The Truth has become so simple and easy to understand. But I am frustrated and unable to find men willing to learn it. They can't seem to get over being convicted by the Truth. Perhaps my own walk and stature is weak, but they must bear their own guilt for egotistically refusing to bend to scripture.

Jesus opened the door to the Truth about love and men are commanded to love, lead, teach, provide for, and protect their offspring and loved ones. No one has been teaching men how to do that united in the Truth, for too many generations. An awakening in this country will only come through fathers and compitent church leaders.

Mal 4:6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

I'm still looking for help...

[JTownsend]

But I am frustrated and unable to find men willing to learn it.

I agree. I was in the same spot for a long time. Thankfully I was blessed with a Godly father-in-law (Steven D. Schlagel) who realized this problem as well. For my part, I have been greatly blessed. I now see the answer... it just wasn't the one I wanted when I first had the same question you are asking.

Aren't you speaking a little contradictory here? "right to call after them" but "nothing more for us to do."

My point is this: We are like the man trying to pluck a speck from our brother's eye while we have a log in our own. We need to clean our own house first.

Here's my anecdote: I went to Bible college to be a pastor, specifically focusing on youth ministry. I was about 20 at the time. Now the biggest thing I have ever come across is that #1, God never tells people to send their children to youth pastors. Here I spent many thousands of dollars and years of my life to later learn that it was all for not. I meant well, but I didn't follow scripture. #2, The qualifications for Elders and leaders of the church include "married to one woman... and managing his family and children well for if he cannot manage his family, how then is he to manage the family of God?" At the time I was going to school I was neither married, nor had children. Through much study I have also come to the conclusion that if you aren't married with practically grown children, then you shouldn't be trying to pastor any church. Again, there are many people wanting to do right, who go to Bible college and Seminary, and who are in direct disobedience to the word of God.

When I first asked myself "How can we fix the nation?" I had lots of great ideas and thought of many "good deeds". But what I later realized was that I was putting the cart before the horse. I was that young kid back in Bible college wanting to be a preacher... and yet totally Biblically unqualified for the position. The problem in America is a fundamental problem. The root of which is like the bullweevile, destroying the plant from the inside. The Foundation of Godly society is in Godly families. And it is truely Godly families that we lack. We look good on the outside, but we're rotten on the inside. When people look to the Bible to build strong Biblical families, that is when a Nation will be saved. We have to turn our hearts back to God, and we do that in a large part by father's turning their hearts back to their families.

Mal 4:6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

God has done exactly what He said he would because we have failed to do what he commanded.