Will We Rely on the One Who Saves!

As the end of 2020 quickly comes to an end, it has been a year of discovery. We were forced to see the fragile realities of our nation, country, and world. Unprecedented global abnormalities surfaced and resurfaced as our world gasped and relinquished to our new existence. People were instructed to practice safe measures as they interacted with others. We were put face-to-face and eye to eye with people’s hearts and how a choice not only affected one person, but a group of people.

This excerpt from Charles Dickens’, “Tale of Two Cities” depicted this year:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only”.

Although talks of unity and equality were spoken, actions showed a nation divided, not only by economic standards, but social, cultural, and race. It showed the falling, crumbling, and weaken social, political, and economic, structures or establishments. As John Dickinson phrased, "United we stand, divided we fall". It has been a challenging year, a year of God opening our eyes to the realities that exist. We were given 20/20 vision, a clear perspective or viewpoint of society and its norms. A year that exposed the hearts and motives of some and the true allegiance of others. The dichotomies of this nation that were under covered were unmasked. How the ever-present issues related to the value of life and the abuse of authority are not resolved. A year to draw closer to God and truly depend on Him for our needs. Overall, this year showed our broken systems and the weak points in the “7 Pillars of Society” in America.

The pandemic brought to the forefront the areas we need to address. These 7 Pillars: education, family, church, business, culture, government, and media were brought to light and how they were not functioning in a way that helped all of humanity. They are the foundations of society. If the foundation of each is not built correctly, any shaking will show the cracks. This pandemic has brought a shaking to the very core of these pillars which are often called mountains. We were shown the cracks.

The Bible tells us in Micah 4:1, “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills…”

Perhaps, God is shaking up our belief systems and society to show us they are broken and need to be fixed. However, the fix is available in the Word of God. According to the above scripture, each of these pillars or mountains will be establish with the Lord’s values. Without the rule and reign of God’s principles, statutes, and moral concepts, these pillars or mountains are established on false precepts and teachings. They must be reestablished throughout society by recognizing and incorporating God’s ordinance.

The First Pillar – Education:

Many speak about the disadvantages of taking prayer out of schools. Prayer is needed. Educating children about God, His commandments, and statutes are necessary. However, establishing the foundation of godly values and principles should start early in life and practiced at home. Due to the pandemic, many parents are now educating their children at home. According to Proverbs 22:6, it informs us “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it”. Parents should not expect public or private teachers to educate their children on moral values. They should come to school with a foundation of right and wrong and become change agents when interacting with classmates and friends. Teachers should build on the foundation that has already been put in place by parents, not the other way around. If a student is not trained in morals and values at home, who will teach them? They should learn by example. The example of Christian children who enter the school system and have been trained by parents, pastors, and Sunday School teachers. It is not the public school’s responsibility to teach values that is the responsibility of parents and the church. Children should come to school with that foundation. The best of times, children are spending more time with their parents and this gives them the opportunity to learn values. The worst of times children and teachers contracted COVID in school and parents taking on the responsibility of home schooling while working full time jobs.

The Second Pillar – Church:

As we learned from the closing of churches, the church is not the building, it is the people. It is a place where people gather in a building to glorify God and learn about Jesus. One purpose of pastors or shepherds, etc. is to train the saints. According to Ephesians 4:11-16 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—“. The church is another institution or pillar that is broken. It is also a place of comfort to help in times of need. We should be able to rely on our local church during crises. There are many religions, doctrines, beliefs, etc. God did not send His son to glorify any religion or man, He came to give us a way to Him through a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the one who saves. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”. When the doors of the church open again, will the people be trained, according to Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The best of times, the church or individuals are gathering online on social media platforms, etc. to learn about Jesus. The worst of times people are not gathering in the church building to fellowship.

The Third Pillar – Family:

God created the idea of family when He created Adam and Eve. He created each with unique characteristics and roles. To avoid duplication in efforts and work, each was assigned specific duties to bring balance. Therefore, harmony and completion would result. Each member in the family unit did his or her part to create balance. However, the family structure is broken due to divorce, redefining what a family should look like and justifying or legalizing the immoral desires of the flesh. Anything outside of God’s purpose for family is out of order. I believe through this pandemic; God is reminding us of the roles he established and how He defines “family”. Overall, the family structure needs to be reclaimed; the emphasis in society is more on alternative family whereas the emphasis should be shift to traditional families. Educating our youth on what traditional families are and how God created them to provide the well-being of each member. Each has its predetermined role to create harmony. The worst of times families are shut in and the best of times families are getting to know each other better and are learning what is broken and needs to be fixed by turning to God for help.

The Fourth Pillar – Business:

The pandemic has changed the way we do business. There is a dramatic increase in online shopping and a decrease in the number of people patronizing brick-and-mortar stores. Restaurants and fast-food establishments were forced to rethink their business strategies. Layoffs and furloughs impacted many in the service industries, causing a recession and high unemployment rates. The country faced shortage in certain foods and toiletries due to hording and limiting imports from overseas, especially China. The worst of times businesses had to take adequate measures in purchasing PPE and using them when handling products and doing services and the best of times the increase in cleanness and safety in how companies do business. Also, the worst of times we saw that most of our resources and products were coming from overseas and the best of times we could buy and support American-made products and services.

The Fifth Pillar – Culture:

Celebrities and athletes are praised more than those who help save lives. Those with jobs in the medical and emergency field, namely those characterized as “essential workers” are our true heroes. Those in the frontline were brought to the forefront before celebrities and athletes. These jobs do matter. First Response men and women became our heroes and the one we looked up to. God has a way of showing us what really matters by shifting our thinking to what is important. Maybe this is a call for some children to recognize the importance of these jobs and decide to dream about becoming an essential worker than fantasizing about being a celebrity or athlete. They are the true heroes of our time. The worst of times is not being able to attend concerts and sporting games, but the best of times is showing who we should be cheering on and celebrating.

The Sixth Pillar – Government:

The government’s role is to secure the safety and well-being of this nation. They are our representatives who help protect the people from internal and external harm. They do not represent or protect certain people or a group of people, they look out for the good of all. Surveys conducted by Pew Research Americans’ Views of Government: Low Trust, but Some Positive Performance Ratings | Pew Research Center proved some interesting findings on how the public views government’s roles and how it is living up to its role.

As I read Mathew 25:32-33, “All the nations of the earth will be gathered before Him. He will divide them from each other as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right side, but the goats He will put on His left side”. Although, we look at this on a personal level, I believe it is referring to a national level. It is talking about governing officials in nations. Will America be a nation that is pleasing to God by taking care of its people? Continuing at verse 35 “For I was hungry, and you gave Me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave Me water to drink. I was a stranger, and you gave Me a room. 36 I had no clothes, and you gave Me clothes to wear. I was sick and you cared for Me. I was in prison and you came to see Me.’

Although we have an individual and personal responsibility as Christians to help those in need, in this chapter, I believe Jesus has also set directives for the governing officials in nations, countries, and states. The responsibilities include feeding those who are hungry, giving them food and drink, helping strangers to me this can be strangers that you do not know and, strangers from other countries. In addition, He mentions, clothing those when needed, taking care of the sick, and visiting those in prison. The best of times is when a government looks out for the health and well-being of its citizens and the worse of times is when a government is insensitive to their needs.

The Seventh Pillar – Media:

Media has become entertainment that arouses the senses and create a world of opinions rather than truths. The broadcasting of media has changed where the impact is global and designed to satisfy greed and the self-gratifications of others, rather than informing and educating the public. There is a growing concern over “fake news” and the reality is we must decide what to believe. Whatever happen to reporting the truth? It is more of a competition of who can get the most viewers and ratings. The purpose of media is to educate and inform. It is an influential form of communication that can unite or divide the masses. Reshaping and refocusing on how to influence the nation are key in mobilizing a way of life that brings unity versus division. Classifications based on race, creed, economic status, etc. has labelled people unfairly and placed stigmas on certain races. People are flawed and that flawless is revealed in what they say and do. This extends to broadcasting and other types of media. Are we a nation under God or a nation under greed? The best of times, more people are turning or returning to the knowledge of God and the worst of times often catastrophes bring us closer to God.

Isaiah 2:2 give us a view of what is to come. “In the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be the most important of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills…” God’s values, principles, and statues will be “the most important” and set the standard or foundation of these mountains in society. Everyone will realize that they cannot leave God out of its foundation to reveal truth and do what is righteous.

2020 has shaken our foundations, mountains, or pillars. However, Matthew 7:24 (TPT) reminds us, “Everyone who hears my [Jesus] teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation”. In 2021 and beyond will we apply Jesus’ teachings in the coming year to these pillars, or will we continue to be unwise and build on shaky ground? Also, will Christians who work in these 7 Pillars of society, pray, and ask God what they need to do to create solid foundations in these areas for 2021? God is giving us a choice.

(Submitted December 31, 2020 at 11:53 PM)