America's Biggest Battle

Comparatively speaking, the United States is still a fairly young country. We declared our independence from England in 1776, which makes us 235 years old this year. Many other nations have been in existence for many hundreds and even thousands of years. However, despite our young age, we have had our share of battles and wars. As I mentioned before, The Declaration of Independence was ratified by Congress on July 4, 1776, but this declaration didn't come easy. We fought with England for 8 years in what has become known as The Revolutionary War.

We successfully gained our independence from England, but less than a century later, our young nation found itself in a 4 year long Civil War that pitted North against South in a much divided land. In the twentieth century, we fought in two world wars and were involved in numerous wars and battles from Korea to Vietnam and from Lebanon to Iraq. As the twenty-first century has dawned, the United States has led the way in a global war on terror. Since our inception, we have fought or been involved at some level in numerous major battles, but I believe the biggest and most important battle in our nation's history is being waged right now. This battle is not being fought in quite the same manner as the others, but it is one in which we are all involved and one that we must win. This crucial battle is being fought for the morality and purity of America.

In II Timothy 3:1-5, Paul wrote to Timothy about the end of this age and listed several reasons the end will be so intense. One of the reasons Paul listed is that people will consider nothing sacred (see verse 2, NLT). One brief glance at our society will reveal that this describes our nation with increasing accuracy. Everything from the sanctity of human life to the family is being threatened. There was a time when the most popular and most enjoyed television shows would scarcely, if ever, even elude to sex. Now it is not uncommon to see homosexual relationships being openly portrayed on popular shows during prime time on regular network television. Reality shows and many so called "talk shows" have introduced our children to many warped perversions that should shock us, but many have become desensitized to this dangerous evil.

We are truly living in a time when nothing is considered sacred, and it is also becoming increasingly difficult for an individual in our society to define what is sacred to them. Just this week there was an outcry from veterans in Houston, TX who are upset (and rightfully so) that their funeral services are being so closely monitored by the Department of Veterans Affairs that they have to submit their prayers for approval before they can pray them at the memorials for their fellow veterans. They are being told that they cannot use the words "God" or "Jesus" during these services. I read that news article and could not believe that what I was reading was happening in America! Something that should be sacred is being stifled by the government, and all this is being done in the name of not offending someone who doesn't believe that anything is sacred.

The family should be considered the most sacred institution in our society, but the family is being undermined on nearly every front. Many public school systems are attacking the relationship parents have with their children, and much of this is unknown to the parents. Without going into too much detail, many schools are teaching graphically detailed sex education curriculum to relatively young children, and in some cases they are doing so without the parents' consent. There was even a case recently where children less than twelve years old were being asked to take part in very explicit surveys on a variety of sexual topics, and the parents found out after the fact.

As the war against the family wages, the enemy has tried hard to smear the very identity and definition of the family. According to the Bible, when the Lord created the human race, He designed the family very specifically. He intended for a marriage to involve one man and one woman. It may not be the popular position, but this is God's position. He intends marriage to be between one man and one woman. However, there is a growing movement to redefine marriage, and the lines that the Lord clearly established are being blurred. Five states, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, along with Washington D.C., have legalized gay marriage, and it will become legal in New York in just a few weeks. It might sound insensitive, but homosexuality is a perversion, and allowing these marriages is decaying our society. I believe we should love everyone, pray for everyone and provide the same physical protection to every citizen, but I do not believe these marriages should be recognized. I believe a crucial step toward victory in America's biggest battle is to officially recognize and define marriage to be in accordance to the pattern the Lord set.

There is much more to be said about the war for America's morality and purity, but let me close with this. One of the greatest evils presently in the world is being welcomed into many American households. Millions of people, young and old, are participating in what has become a billion dollar a year industry, and it is quickly decaying our society. It has found its way into our homes and into the hands of our children through magazines, books and now is easily accessible on the internet. I am talking, of course, about pornography. This abominable practice used to be fairly taboo, but it has now become so common and widely accepted that most people fail to recognize the addictive power it has. It has gone from being considered dirty and extremely inappropriate to being widely accepted and winked at by many. However, let me be clear: pornography is anything but harmless. It is very dangerous, and nothing good has ever come from it. It destroys marriages, corrupts minds and hearts and this is what it will continue to do as long as it is tolerated. We need to have a zero tolerance policy for pornography in our homes and in our personal lives.

I believe America in many ways is standing at a crossroads. In the 1700's, our crossroads was whether we would remain under English control or if we would form our own nation. In the 1800's, our crossroads was whether or not we would allow our nation to be torn in two. In the 1900's, we faced a crossroads of civil rights, among others. Today, one of the major crossroads we are facing as a nation is whether we will continue down the path of perversion and decay, resulting from the undermining of the family, the termination of unborn lives and the willful acceptance of immorality. This post is intended to sound an alarm. Thankfully, there are many sounding this alarm, and there are many who have heeded its call. We need to pray that many more will hear the calling of the Lord to repent and return to Him. We cannot give up and lay down our armor. We have been brought here for this very hour, and we are the ones who can turn the tide. America's best days can be ahead, but this will only come if we turn back to our Creator and once again raise the standard of righteousness and purity. As we celebrate our freedom and independence this year, let us return to the One Who gave us these gifts.