In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh,
this is a little different:
This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny,
it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter
was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson
asked her, "How could
God let something like this Happen?"
(regarding Katrina)
Anne Graham gave an
extremely profound and insightful response.
She said, "I believe God
is deeply saddened by this, just as we are,
but for years we've been telling God to get out
of our schools, to get out
of our government and
to get out of our lives.
And being the gentleman
He is, I believe He has
calmly backed out.
How can we expect God
to give us His blessing
and His protection
if we demand He leave
us alone?"
In light of recent events...
terrorists attack,
school shootings, etc.
I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare
(she was murdered,
her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools,
and we said OK.
Then someone said you
better not read the Bible
in school .The Bible says
Thou Shalt Not Kill,
Thou Shalt Not Steal,
and Love Your Neighbor
As Yourself.
And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock
said we shouldn't spank
our children when they misbehave because
their little personalities
would be warped and
we might damage their
self-esteem
(Dr. Spock's son committed suicide).
We said an expert should know what he's talking about.
And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have
no conscience,
why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to
kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about
it long and hard enough,
we can figure it out.
I think it has a great deal
to do with
"WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Funny how simple it is
for people to trash God
and then wonder why
the world's going to hell.
Funny how we believe
what the newspapers say,
but question what
the Bible says.
Funny how you can send jokes' through
e-mail and they spread
like wildfire, but when
you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how lewd, crude,
vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school
and workplace.
Funny how someone can be
so fired up for Christ
on Sunday, but be an
invisible Christian
the rest of the week!
Are you laughing?
Funny how when you
forward this message,
you will not send it
to many on your address
list because you're not
sure what they believe,
or what they WILL think
of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be
more worried about what
other people think of us
than what God thinks of us.
If you discard this
thought process,
don't sit back and
complain about what
bad shape the world is in.
How very eye-opening!
Do we pray for our nation? Do we pray about the various pieces of legislation that come up? Do we pray for wisdom for those who lead us? Do we pray concerning events on the world scene? Do we pray for one another, and do we ask for a spirit of prayer?
Like most of the email "chain letters", this particularly piece isn't accurate. A quick check at www.snopes.com will reveal the actual comments made by Anne Graham Lotz.
That aside, it is poignant to consider such thoughts, regardless of their origin. I love how so many of these type of messages attempt to persuade you to forward it by applying a guilt factor to you. As if it will suddenly make you a better Christian. Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Al hit the nail on the head when he asked about prayer. The Bible gives us example after example of how man fails God. Today is nothing new. Man has been failing God since the beginning of time. Jesus tells us that "many are called, but few are chosen". There is a wide gate and a narrow gate...most will choose the wide gate. There will come a time when every knee shall bend and every mouth shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but until that time, man will continue to fail. I cannot control what the world does, but I can chose which gate the enter. I can give my heart and soul to my Father and allow Him to transform me, not by anything that I do but by His will. Pray to our Father. Pray incessantly. Pray for our nation. Pray for the enemies of our nation. Pray for the radical muslim who is slaying his fellow man and our own countrymen. There's a beautiful hymn that says it all...."Take it to the Lord in prayer".
Edit...One thing that I wanted to add to my post was that we must remember that we all fall short of the glory of God, we all have bad hair days, we're human, and we all sin and need salvation. We must always remember that lest we fall into the trap of being self-righteous and judgmental.
I was thinking the same thing, then went down to O'Henry's comments, and saw he was one step ahead on this. I remember getting this same e-mail/story, when I was first a new Christian (many years ago now) and everyone passed it back and forth, with shocked reactions. There are so many falacies and half truths circulating on the internet, and flowery, emotionally charging e-mails and forwards, that we need to check them out before forwarding them on to others.
I do think it is valuable to pray for our leaders, the goverments of the countries of the world etc., and for guidance for these individuals, but the truth is, we are in the end times of this world. Things are and will inceasingly get worse, and as the Book of Revelation tells us, we are to be prepared. I think the most important thing is to spread the Great Commission which our Lord Jesus gave us in the Scriptures in the book of Matthew, and not be afraid to do so. You don't have to be a seasoned Christian to do this. Just share with a friend, or with someone you might meet at the store. I find, no matter what I do, be it selling horses, doing ebay, sharing on other forums, there are forever people who are lonely and express so. It is amazing how this happens time after time. This then gives me a chance to share the love of Christ with them. I do think we need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk though, so others see we have love, not just a bunch of legalistic rules and regualtions and say one thing and do another.
God bless you all here. Keep warm. It's another cold night-early morning, here in northeast Pa.
Pam (Bottlecindy)
Quote from: Pat on January 24, 2007, 07:22:59 PM
How very eye-opening! AMEN to ALL of that!!! Bottom line.....we PRAY without CEASING......and God's WILL will be done!! We must remember....through all the chaos and atrocities that we suffer through......God IS in control.....EVERY SECOND!! We are weak but He is STRONG.....so we turn it all over to our Father.....and we rest in our faith!! Our power is in God's Word!! Amen? :thumbsup:
Carman included some of these words into one of his songs, so that's where he got them from.