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I have been very troubled for a good many years now about all the terrible things going on in the world today, much of it right here in our own country. I felt particularly sad yesterday day after reading the morning paper, which seemed to contain nothing but news of bad things going on all over the world. There was the war news, stories of murder, rape, beatings, robberies, child molestation, even a story about a man who poured gasoline on his pregnant wife and set her on fire. I used to enjoy watching tv quite a bit but at least 80% of prime time shows these days are nothing but trash and not fit for anyone to watch.
(Dirty Sexy Money)
Some of them are so disgusting they should be rated X and not allowed on network television, and these are the shows many of our children are watching, how very sad this makes me. I also used to love to go to the movies occasionally, but it's been years since I've gone because they too have become so disgusting, just about anything goes in the movies today. There are a few exceptions but the film industry has contributed to a large degree to the decline of morals in America. I am not ashamed to say that I am a Christian of many years standing and it breaks my heart to see how much America has changed since I was a young woman. I have become increasingly heartsick about the direction our beloved country is headed. The line between right and wrong , good and evil, has become so blurred that it is virtually indistinguishable in the minds of so many people today.
Even many ministers of the gospel today seem to shy away from preaching the word of God the way it is written in the Bible. Maybe they feel like they will have their churches filled to capacity every Sunday if they don't preach much about sin and salvation. Maybe they're afraid they'll be accused of being "politically incorrect", a phrase that I have come to detest.
Churches just keep getting bigger and more elegant, and the bigger and more elegant they become the less likely you will feel the Spirit of God there. And the beautiful old sacred songs are being replaced by so called "contemporary Christian Music." often sung by large professional sounding choirs. I miss the days when the entire congregation did most of the singing. We didn't have trained voices but those great old hymns sure sounded beautiful to me.
And something called "Christian Rock" is now being sung by young people in church by singers that sound and look like they would be more comfortable in a rock and roll band. How this kind of music could help bring young people to Christ is more than I can understand.
What in the world has happened to the Christian America of my youth? According to surveys the vast majority of Americans, when questioned about their religious beliefs, say they are Christians. But it seems that so many who call themselves Christians today just talk the talk but fail to walk the walk in their daily lives.
The average Christian family in America today lives pretty much like non Christian families. Many have two fairly late model cars in the driveway of their home. They spend thousands of dollars on things to keep them entertained at home, expensive television sets, dvd players, vcrs, a cell phone for nearly every family member, the list goes on and on.
Material possessions are important to all of us and rightfully so, there's nothing wrong with wanting to have nice things. But we should never let them become more important than our relationship with the Lord. Jesus told us we cannot serve two masters. Our loyalties and our love can't be split between God and the world, we must make a choice. Christians should set an example for others by the way they live, how can we hope to lead others to Christ if we seem to be no different than they are? True born again Christians are different than non Christians and we should live our lives in such a way that the difference is very clear to others. I don't mean we should become what I call "holier than thou", those kind of people are lacking the humility that Christians should have. And I don't mean we should go around trying to force Christianity onto everyone we meet. That approach is likely to do more harm than good, it could drive people farther away from Christ rather than draw them nearer to Him.
Being a Christian means much more than simply believing that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that He died on the cross for sinners like you and me. When we truly become a Christian it inevitably brings about a change in the way we live our lives. It changes our perspectives and our priorities , It means putting Jesus into the forefront of our lives, and trying hard to live the kind of life He would have us live, a life clearly spelled out in The Ten Commandments. He knew we would stumble and fall from time to time because as mere mortals none of us can ever hope to be perfect, we are all sinners. But as Christians we should follow His Commandments as much as possilble every day of our lives.
Oh sure, it's easy to jump up on Sunday morning, wake the rest of the family, take a quick shower, get yourself and the kids all dressed up real nice, pile in the family car, and head for the church of your preference.
But is your heart really right with God, do you go to church for the right reason? Do you go because you feel it's just something Christians should do? Do you go because you think it will be good for your children to have a church upbringing? The answer to both of these questions should obviously be Yes!
But do you set a Christian example for them in the way you live your life? Do you take the time to have daily bible reading in the home with your children? Do you talk to them about God and His Son, about how much He loves them? Do you tell them of the unspeakable joy that comes from living a Christian life?
Do you pray before meals?
And they most likely won't learn anything about God from their peers.They don't want to appear "different" to their classmates, and especially by the so called "in crowd" at school, the crowd that most young people want to be part of.
Just going to church and Sunday school every Sunday isn't enough to inspire our children to want to live a Christian life. As Christian parents we need to live our lives in such a way that our children can't help but see how much we love the Lord and that we're not ashamed to show our love for Him.
(Volunteers at a nursing home)
They need to know that our hearts are filled not only with love for the Lord but with love and compassion for our fellow man.
(Hospital Volunteer)
You know our country was built with God leading the way. It was founded on Christian principles though many modern day "history revisionists" try to convince us that this is not true. The history books children learn from at school today are very different than the history books those of us who are over fifty years of age learned from. Just as God is not allowed in the classroom today He is not allowed in the history books our children read either. America was a strong Christian nation the first two hundred years of its existence. Jesus was revered in the home, in our schools, the workplace, the military, the list goes on and on. These days the home and church are about the only place we can worship God openly, He isn't welcome in the military, the workplace, or the classroom anymore.
I began to really get to know God when I lived in Alaska many years ago. Regardless of the season of the year it seemed as though everywhere you looked your eyes would behold God's wonders.
Mt. McKinley stands so majestic and so tall that most of the time the top part of it lives in the clouds. I remember the first time I saw that great mountain, how it filled me with awe. I know without a doubt that God made that mountain! Man, with all of his knowledge, could never have done it. No, God Almighty created that magnificent mountain so that its beauty would touch the lives of countless millions down through the generations. Oh how I long to see that mountain again before God calls me home. Gods beautiful handiwork is everywhere of course, regardless of where one might happen to live, but it seems to me He was especially generous when He created Alaska.
Its beautiful rivers
its many lakes
its wildlife
It's enough to make one wonder if Heaven will be a lot like this beautiful state.
In the long winter months when the snows came the snowflakes were so big that in just a very short time everything would be covered in a soft beautiful blanket of purest white
I worked at Valley Hospital, the 3-11 PM shift, and when I got off work I would find all the cars covered with snow and scraping time would begin.
Then on a clear night you could see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights )
Oh what a beautiful sight and what a thrill to watch the awesome colors flowing through the sky.
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