Weeping For The Violence 1/10/2019

Good Morning,

This morning came to me after a good night of rest. It was the first good sleep I have had in days. I cup of Door County Jingle Bell Java will set me on my feet in a quick hurry.

Ice packs, elevation and prayer finally took enough pain and swelling away from these knees that rest came to me like a blanket from heaven.

Unfortunately, before falling asleep I watched the local news and then some of the national news. There were more murders to hear about. Drive by shootings where a young girl was killed. Car jackings and then a loss of life. Last night fallen police officers were remembered at a hockey game. Crime, murder and mayhem seem to be taking the center stage on every news cast.

Politicals will blame guns as the cause for the deaths. Some will say that lack of jobs (in a booming economy) cause much of the violence. Some will blame drugs as a main cause for murder and robbery.

These are all genuine beliefs for many people. I  never saw a gun just walk off and shoot someone. It is a soiled heart that elects to kill. I was unemployed for 9 months and I know others who were in worse conditions than me. They never robbed or killed anyone to survive. The drug issue is getting worse and not much is being done about it. We as a nation are shut down because two political parties only care about themselves. Borders are needed to be protected , yet we are killing from within. Our ex governor was either liked or despised. He was voted out and now desires to move. People are protesting where he wants to move to. This sickened me. We cannot get beyond our social inadequacies and childlike behaviors that we now tell people where they should live. Yet these same people will call themselves Christians.

There is much to say about our world, and there are many good things. But if I were to be honest and I am. I have to tell you that as I look into this world and our country I envision a cemetery filled with dry bones.

Ezekiel 37:1-14 New International Version (NIV)

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ² He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ³ He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! ⁵ This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. ⁶ I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
⁹ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
¹¹ Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ ¹² Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. ¹³ Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. ¹⁴ I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’

What is lacking, is a respect for life. A desire to work and earn a days pay. Dads that need to be around to raise the family. There is a lack of love for our neighbor. There is a lack of love in our homes, schools, work places and churches.  We are a cemetery of dry bones.

There is only one solution to these problems and that is revival. Revival starts with repentance for not acknowledging Jesus Christ as Savior to the world and each individual. It then continues at the local churches where   a basic knowledge of Biblical principals are taught and lived out. This leads to a deeper love for God the Father who has to be angry and weeping for His creation.

The church is set up to assist the homes in teaching the young ones a better way of life. But this can only happen when we as individuals fall on our knees and cry out for it. Where are the large prayer meetings that are for prayer only, not political rallies with hidden agendas?

Churches are content to be in small groups praying for Uncle Joe's chest cold instead of gathering in strength and crying out for a lost world.

Revival all starts with you and me. We have to want it, and want it bad enough to pray and call out to God for others to hear the message of Hope through Jesus Christ. I believe this can happen.

God Save Us.

Marty