| THOUGHTS AFTER THE ELECTION It is two days after the 2008 election. Depending on our world view, many are dancing in the streets, others are mourning. We all are thinking beings, and our thoughts determine how we act. Our world view determines how we see the truth of what exists and is the basis for our values and votes. No matter your political affiliation, it is clear that seventy years of secular humanistic education has become the consensus of the American culture. The latest election was the tipping point when the ship of state began to list in the waters of secularism, socialism, materialism, and relativism. Judeo-Christian values are no longer the consensus. I have been reading the prophet Jeremiah the past few mornings. God’s description of But then something happened. The people of the land “forgot the Lord and began worshipping what their hands had made.” They “exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols and became worthless themselves.” They “left the springs of living water and dug their own cisterns that broke and couldn’t hold water.” They became “foolish, not knowing the Lord, senseless children with no understanding, skilled in doing evil, killing the innocent.” They refused correction and were offended by God’s word. (Sound familiar?) Then “a horrible and shocking thing happened in the land. The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and his people loved it this way.” And the Lord asked, “What will you do when you have to pick up the pieces?” That was my question: “What do we do now?” God told me four things to do to pick up the pieces. First, we can turn back to the Lord. Turning from him is what started our national decline. I am reminded of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s warning to the West in 1974. "More than half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Since I have spent well-nigh 50 years working on the history of our revolution; in the process I have read hundreds of books, collected hundreds of personal testimonies, and have already contributed eight volumes of my own toward the effort of clearing away the rubble left by the upheaval. But if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some 60 million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat: "Men have forgotten God; that is why all this has happened." What is more, the events of the Russian revolution can only be understood now, at the end of the century, against the background of what has since occurred in the rest of the world. What emerges here is a process of universal significance. And if I were called upon to identify briefly the principal trait of the entire 20th century, here too I would be unable to find anything more precise and pithy than to repeat again: "Men have forgotten God." Second, we can look for truth. God’s word is truth. [John 17:17] We can blow the dust off our Bibles and read it for ourselves. We can turn off the TV, brew a cup of coffee or tea, settle into our favorite chair, come to God, read his word and write in our journal. For me, it doesn’t get any better than that. An old mentor of mine told me, “Jim, you only have limited time to read, so read the best.” Tolstoy said, “It is better to know a few things which are good and necessary than many things which are useless and mediocre. Thoreau said, “Read the best books first, otherwise you will not have time to read them.” No matter your religious leanings, the best book we can read is the Bible. If you need more motivation, here are promises to those who mediate on God’s word. “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall be successful.” [Joshua 1:8] “Happy are those…whose delight is in the law of the Lord and on this law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all they do they prosper.” [Psa. 1:1-3] “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” [II Tim. 3:16,17] “If you continue in my word then you are my disciples indeed.” [Jn. 8:31] “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, then you may ask what you will and it will take place for you.” [Jn. 15:7] Third, we can accept correction. Without correction we have no hope. We are like rebellious children who won’t listen. What can our Father do then? Wisdom is with those who can welcome correction from the loving hand of God. [Prov 15:32] Those who reject correction hate themselves. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. The wise listen to correction. “A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.” [Prov. 13:1] “The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.” [Prov. 15:31] “A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.” [Prov. 17:10] And they don’t repeat their folly. “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool that repeats his folly.” [Prov. 26:11] Fools refuse God’s correction. “The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.” [Prov. 10:8] “Better was a poor wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.” [Ecc. 4:13] “Whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is like a cow (as stupid).” [Prov. 12:1] Forth, we can be light to a dark world. I love the way the Message translates Matthew 5:13-16. "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand — shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” I was wondering how to bring truth to a culture that has banned God’s word from its schools, media and government. Then God reminded me there is one group that can bring light – his church – composed of those who are friends of Jesus Christ. The gates of hell cannot prevail against her. [Matt. 16:18] While the lights are turned off in schools and the public square, the light of his truth through his people will shine brighter. “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness they do not know what makes them stumble.” [Prov 4:18-19] This is the day of the church, provided we speak truth and not platitudes. I am praying that God’s people will stay in God’s word for themselves and that church leaders will speak the truth. While speaking for Rachel’s Challenge in |