Rotten Fruit from Dead Roots

This story about a 13 year old boy in the UK who is the alleged father of a child from a 15 year old girl is making news.  While I originally saw it in the National Post, there have been many other outlets that have noted it also.  No “Christian Commentators” have yet mentioned this, perhaps because the Palin / Fox interview is occupying their thoughts.  The wretched situation includes two other boys claiming to be the father, and a surprised grandparent who admits to his own failed example in this regard..  This gross immorality in not uncommon in Britain or elsewhere, with school bus drivers personally telling me things like this 15 years ago.

Yet while we are rightly offended by the thought of a 13 year old father,

K. Tuck at http://www.sxc.hu/...

that issue is only the latest rotten apple on the tree of “civilization”, a tree that has long since died.  While a commentator in the aformentioned article rightly talks about “broken Britain,” the fact is Western civilization is swiftly descending into chaos and confusion.  The foundations of our culture, civilization, and indeed our future were based upon Judeo-Christian principles, principles that have been largely abandoned.

Perhaps you remember the cases last year where people who fought dogs for money got more jail time than those urged their children to fight for fun.  Or the current situation where pictures of bleeding seals get more response than pictures of aborted babies.  Where “eco-terrorists” get sympathy, polar bears get protection, but Jews are the targets of global hate.  Athiest activists, sodomite zealots and Islamic fascists continue to intimidate the spineless media and politicians of the West, but these are merely symptoms, the visible rot of nations that long ago forgot God.

Romans 1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

The solution to these issues is not found in social reform, political activisim, indignant blogging, or other similar activities.  The answer is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14  and my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin, and heal their land. By and large, Christianity has abandonded fervent prayer. To use an analogy, instead of holding conversation with God and meditating on His Letter to us, we have degenerated to sending one-way “Twitter” messages because we are to busy for the God of Eternity.  I speak from bitter personal experience and sad general observation.  Where are the all night prayer meetings?  Who takes more than 10 minutes in prayer each day?  Have we forgotten about “praying always?”  What about the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man?  It would appear that there are few righteous men these days indeed.  Having said that, I am greatly encouraged by many of the IFB pastors accross Canada who are publicly telling of their committment to prayer and the work God is doing as a result.

When I look at 2 Chronicles 7:14, I see four areas that are necessary before God will hear the prayer of His people.

1. Humilty: A casual review of the Sword of the Lord suggests that the fundamental core has begun drifting into man-worship.  “We’ve got it together!” each ad seems to proclaim, “Look how well we do church!”  The ragged knees of the saints of old have been replaced by shiny spots between the shoulder blades from all the back patting we do.  Pride has become more common than genuine humilty and it prevents us from relying upon the Lord.  Men who would dare denounce Herod are in short supply, but thank God for those who do. (By the way, I subscribe to the Sword of the Lord, and appreciate the publication.  This is not intended to be a knock against the Sword, per se.)

2. Prayer:  While prayer is supposed to be the hallmark of a Christian, why are prayer meetings so poorly attended?  Could it be that our self-righteousness blinds us to the need for strength from on high?  Why is it we concentrate so much on what moves man, and so little on what moves God?  Which side are we on anyway?  Will we ever learn that “without me ye can do nothing?”

3. Seek God’s Face: It seems when Christians do pray, we are oftem most concerend with seeing God’s hand move.  In essence we pray very selfish prayers that are concerned with results rather than relationships.  Yet the God’s command is not to seek His power, action, or abilities, but His face.  We have a selfish relationship with God, a sort of lust rather than love, a childish desire for gratification instead of a reciprocal love for Who He is.  We preach about the the Great I Am, but pray as if He was the Almighty Bell-boy.  Seek His face, gaze upon His countenance, and let this world fade away.

4. Repent: It seems that repentance of any sort, much less public repentance, is outmoded.  Sin has become a private matter, unfit to speak of in public, unless in a favorable light.  The old idea of personal purity has been replaced by personal permissiveness.  We have collectively arrived at the place where justification of sin is the norm, and seeing what we can “get away with” is the motto.  The depths of sin in the average church is astounding, and true confession is the only remedy.  Put away the Band-Aids, and get out the knife.  It’s time for surgery.

Proverbs 30:12  there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness;

1 Kings 8:38-39  what prayer, what supplication soever be made by any man, of all thy people Israel, when they shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house; then hear thou in the heavens, the settled place of thy dwelling, and forgive, and do, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou, thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men),