Getting Involved

The prophet Jonah, Jewish preacher/evangelist was told by God to go to Nineveh (present day Mosul, Iraq) because of the wickedness of the people. Instead, Jonah took a ship towards towards Tarsus, Spain in the exact opposite direction. You know the story, as always he was rebelling against a sovereign God. Jonah was thrown out of the ship and landed in the belly of a great fish where he stayed for 3 days and 3 nights. The fish coughed him up on the shore of the Mediterranean. This time, he went to Nineveh and this Jew preached against their sins, causing the entire city of around 200,000 to repent, including the leadership. Jonah was still in a state of rebellion and sought refuge in the Iraqi desert while he waited for the city to be destroyed, God provided him a shady plant but God also provided a worm to destroy the plant. Disobedient again, the sovereignty of God and our failure to get involved in obedience.

Recently, in California, a 14-year-old girl at a high school dance was gang raped while many of her fellow students looked on. When asked why they did not help her, they stated they did not want to get involved. In New York City, another young woman was murdered. Before she died she pleaded for help to the 20 or so onlookers. No one wanted to get involved. This week, in this city, a 47-year-old woman was arrested for not reporting her mother's death. Her 87-year-old mother had laid dead in her house for 7 months. Her death had not been reported even though her family lived in the same house. It was reported that at least 5 people lived in the house where the deceased lay.

Obviously, the family was more interested in the government checks coming in, then getting involved in her funeral service. Surely, somewhere, in the recesses of this daughter's mind, she must have considered how many times her mother had been involved in rearing she and her children. In America, all denominations report a total church membership of around 112 million, but we know that only 5% of church members are real believers, most are just “playing” church. Most people, when asked, will say they are Christian even though there is nothing in their life or my life, that makes us Christlike.

Most evangelical denominations believe in the rapture of the church. After the rapture, when 20-30 million real Christians are caught up with Christ, and all the other people are left, THEN we will know how many Christians were on Earth and how many were engaged in the masquerade party. The word “rapture” like the word “trinity” are not found in The Bible, but we believe in the certainty of the event. Since most of the real born-again believers of the world are in America, can one even imagine what life will be like here for those “left behind”? Can one even imagine what the economy will be like when these predictable, productive, citizens of heaven leave their problems of earthly existence behind? Many of their family members, neighbors, and those whom they have come in contact would be with them and would have a better life on Earth IF they had become involved with their salvation.

Noah, preacher of righteousness, pleaded with his fellow man (population of Earth approx. 5 billion before the Great Flood) right up until God closed the door on the Arc of Salvation. Noah was involved for 120 years as he built the arc, strict specifications and ratios given to him by God, such shipbuilding that is still used until this day. The people scoffed and kept scoffing until their last breath. All died, and from the time of Noah's covenant through the Abraham covenant and until this day, 2000 years on this side of the cross, and the 2000 years on the other side of the cross of Christ, most have scoffed and doubted and will do so until the rapture, the next cleansing. To this moment, never forget, every prophecy and every promise in God's word has been fulfilled. The religion that which grows most today is the religion of witchcraft. The unbelievers were scorned and scoffed, the pretenders will continue to be more involved with the world than their Redeemer.

Standing on the Mount of Olives (I still had a shadow of vision in one eye at the time) looking towards the eternal city of Jerusalem, the gold dome of the Mosque of Omar, the many Christian church steeples all over the most famous city in the world, my thoughts, then as now: if Christians, Jews, and even followers of Islam could learn to live together with their differences the world's wealth which has been spent on warfare could relieve the humans' needs on Earth, even in the so-called Holy Land. If Christians lived their faith, the world would want Christianity. The tragedy is most followers of Christ want it both ways.

Even in a Democratic Republic, and only those who have seen the oppression of Communism can appreciate a Democratic Republic, know the thrill of voting. Yet, as with Christianity very few get involved. Only in national elections, in this country, do those who are registered to vote actually vote. Many give the excuse that politics is a dirty business and they do not want to get involved. Many lazy people do not chose to work because they don't want to get their hands dirty. I'm the first to tell you that I do not trust the new electronic voting machines. Joseph Stalin said long ago, “it is not the voting that counts but who counts the votes”. If the gambling machines in the casinos can be fixed, you can be sure that voting machines in the precincts can be fixed, and I am convinced that they are. I can not believe that in most elections everyone voted for the loser.

I have never known a politician who did not leave politics without wealth. Most get very wealthy in office. The most money Lyndon Johnson ever made was as president of the United States, he returned to Texas a billionaire. Bill Clinton said, “I did not have a nickel until I became president, now I am a multimillionaire”. But, with all the corruption, all the hypocrisy, all the decadence in politics and in government, it is all we have left. It may take your involvement, even in a revolution, to straighten things out. Jefferson, 3^rd president of the United States said, “The tree of freedom must be watered by the blood of patriots and martyrs”. In military cemeteries, around the world, 126,000 of our finest lay buried because they chose to get involved. Since WWII, most have been brought home for burial, 250,000 in Arlington alone.

Only with involvement on every level of government will government improve. Write letters, make phone calls, let the criminals know you are watching. Character determines destination. How did so many citizens of low character get elected to public office, and how did so many citizens of low character and little ability get appointed to government jobs? The only country, faith, or life you have to lose is your own.