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Have you ever searched in vain to find just the right way to say something, asking yourself repeatedly, “How can this be said without sounding harsh, condescending, or just flat out rude?” I’ve struggled with that quest for a little over four weeks now and decided no matter how it is perceived I must speak.

I meet weekly with an accountability partner and the first order of business we address is The Prayer to The Holy Spirit. For all those unfamiliar with that prayer, I’ll present it here:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in us the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may truly wise and ever enjoy your consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our goal in these weekly meetings is to recap the events of our lives and measure our successes and often our failures as Disciples of Christ. The other day, the thought struck me that Job – You know the man from the Bible who lost EVERYTHING on the same day – did not deserve the criticism he received from his “friends,” but this generation – That’s another story all together.

Job 15:11-13 ¹¹ Are God’s consolations not enough for you, words spoken gently to you? ¹² Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash, ¹³ so that you vent your rage against God and pour out such words from your mouth? (NIV)

For over 2,000 years we have enjoyed the blessings of liberty secured by the cross of Christ, and now the Church is trading that liberty for bondage to Political Correctness. It was for freedom that Christ set us free…freedom from sin…not freedom to sin! Job’s comforters were right judgment comes from God and the wicked will face His wrath. Is this generation cognizant enough to recognize the trouble headed their way? Is the Church willing to awaken and preach the GOOD NEWS of SALVATION?  Or, are we content to ignore the warnings?

Job 15:20-26 ²⁰ All his days the wicked man suffers torment, the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.²¹ Terrifying sounds fill his ears; when all seems well, marauders attack him. ²² He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness; he is marked for the sword.  ²³ He wanders about for food like a vulture; he knows the day of darkness is at hand. ²⁴ Distress and anguish fill him with terror; troubles overwhelm him, like a king poised to attack, ²⁵ because he shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, ²⁶ defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield. (NIV)

There is no shield of protection if the opponent is God, and yet this generation seeks to discount, disgrace, and deny any and all Christian influence. Jesus faced the same issue. Is the Church so, blind as to think “WE” can bow to the will of men and ignore God’s Word?

Mark 3:2 ² Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. (NIV)

Wake up, repent or be damned! As my Aunt Flo says, “Get RIGHT, or get LEFT!” These are not political decisions. They are spiritual destinations – Heaven or Hell the choice is yours to make. Get right with God or be left behind – Darkness is on the rise. We can curse it or let the light of Jesus shine.