Sign of The Times

There is no denying that the world in which we live is becoming more and more violent and a place that makes it difficult for Christians to call home. A lesson that I have learned is that just because someone is your family does not mean that they have your best interest at heart and the same is true for those within the church building. Yes, we all fall short of God’s glory and are saved by God’s grace but these truths do not excuse the different ways people treat one another.

As a sports fan, I used to get a lot of entertainment from watching professional or college athletes playing the sport(s) they love regardless of how much money they make. As a fan, the enjoyment is watching the competition and the passion displayed and money is not a factor I give any attention to. However, in the United States where billions of dollars are passed around, more and more athletes are looking for the many cameras within the arenas they fill and to get on the highlight reels rather than putting on a pure and honest show for the fans.

These athletes have found that the quickest way to become a sensation, even if it’s for just fifteen minutes, is to protest the president by taking a cheap shot at him and protesting the United States flag and/or the singing of the national anthem. The most recent display of this is the women’s World Cup with team United States winning in a rout of its competition. While this is usually a good sign for any patriotic American, it was different this time as several of the soccer players threw the American flag to the ground and began to dance and celebrate for the cameras rather than proudly representing their country and our flag. The only honorable player was Kelley O’Hara who picked up the flag and rescued it from anymore embarrassment at the hands of these (fill in the blank).

2 Timothy 3:2 warns that “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,” It has been this way for centuries as each new generation only gets worse but it’s evident that no generation of people have ever been as bad as the one we currently witness. It’s not just the sports world that we see boasters and lovers of oneself and unthankful and unholy individuals but it’s all across this land. Think of the number of individuals who unthankfully line up to protest the president and our military members but are quick to defend the unholy act of abortion and in support of the unholy union of homosexual marriage.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

–2 Timothy 3:2

One of the biggest examples of the chaos and destruction of American institutions comes from political correctness. Maybe you’re reading this article and wondering if this is a political article or one that has something to do with scripture but I have to remind you that the things that we see going on within our institutions including the political arena is completely eroding the Christian fabric that built our country and scripture warns us against this. The cross, to Christians, is a significant symbol and should be a part of our lives but just like it was the Jews of Christ’s day, it is a symbol of offense to man today and Paul referenced this in Galatians 5:11: “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.”

The Jews of Christ’s day and many Christians of present day rely on their works for saving when this goes against everything that Christ teaches. John 6:28-29 tells us that “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” While the Ten Commandments are important and significant to our lives, we no longer live under the Mosaic laws but rather, under grace. Why is this important? It’s important because people have become too legalistic which has, in a sense, led to the political correctness that our nation, and world, experiences.

For example, rather than being worried about offending God, we are worried about offending someone of a different faith or offending someone who holds that religion is not the proper way. Political correctness is the direction that a majority of our country and the world is headed in and it has done away with any ethical values and moral positions that we once held. The words of Romans 3:20 show us this: ”Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” In John 15:5, Christ tells us not to worry about the ways of the world or the things people say of us as “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for ||without me ye can do nothing.”

While most people are quick to skip over things that they hear that concern politics and so forth, we must be careful because the sign of the times show just how in charge Satan is and we need discernment of these times. No, we do not need any politician to tell us that we must accept someone’s wrong way of life as being right or accept an alternative teaching to the word of God nor do we need any athlete, regardless of race or gender, to become a spokesperson for what is wrong with the country. For the most part, they are the problem and by allowing for their image to go viral, we are only allowing for the disease to spread. Just like Christ told us, we will know them by their fruit and so much of what’s in today is not producing fruit but rather, is spreading a devastating message full of thorns and destruction.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

–John 15:5