Life Lessons August 2024 – What Happened to Values?
By Doug Harrell
Mitchell County
I look around today and I am not sure I recognize where I am anymore. I understand I am fast approaching eighty-one years of life here in this old world. Things are changing faster than I can keep up. Things that used to be everyday stuff, a shotgun in the back window of your truck, a knife in your pocket always, church on Sunday morning, and a mother and a dad in the picture of the family, not so anymore for any of these things.
There have always been some on the fringe that we wondered about at times but things that the Bible talked about as a sin were considered sins. Being a Christian was considered a virtue, not a handicap. Having a prayer and the National Anthem at athletic events was always the norm. You stood for the pledge of allegiance, was not even a question. Representing the Stars and Stripes in Olympic events was one of the greatest honors that could be bestowed on someone and had they been disrespectful of the flag or the National Anthem they would have been disciplined at the least and probably would have been removed from the team.
Today the NFL has decided they will no longer play our National Anthem but are going to substitute a different anthem, a good part of the teams are embracing taking a knee rather than standing at attention for the pledge and National Anthem. What has happened? We are tearing down our history and destroying statues that have honored our forefathers. We are teaching critical race theory, whatever the heck that is! Being born white is a sin and something that we should all be ashamed of if we happen to be born with that particular skin color. I was always taught that we all bled red, that black, white, yellow, or brown we were all precious in His sight! What happened?
I always thought that when a child was born the doctor would say you have a baby boy or a baby girl and you celebrated whichever it was. Now there is a 30, 60, or 90-day window to give you or the baby time to decide what gender the child is! What the heck happened to common sense? If someone happened to lean toward being queer, they were queer and the word gay was for happy people. The word described happiness and joy, not queer behavior. The rainbow was a promise from God that the world would not be destroyed ever again by a flood, now it has been bastardized into embracing homosexual and transgender behavior. In my youthful days, a woman married a man, and a man married a woman, marriage was a God-ordained institution and it was not even a matter for discussion, never even mentioned. Now we even have mainline denominations performing marriage ceremonies between people of the same sex and calling it right! God have mercy on the leaders of these so-called churches.
Never in my life have I ever seen right called wrong and wrong called right like it is taking place all around us today. If you have a question about what the Bible says, start with reading Romans 1:21-32.
“because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 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; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Romans 1:21-32 KJV
As we approach another election cycle, I would ask that each of us who are Christian lay aside our political affiliations and search the platforms of the candidates running and who align with the Christian principles we need to uphold. Do we stand up for a fundamental understanding of mankind? Do we really think it is fair for men and boys to participate in women’s sports? Do we think is okay to use abortion as birth control?
“if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
My prayer is that we as a people and a nation will return to our roots and that we will once again be proud to be one nation under God and remain that way. To God be the glory!!
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Doug Harrell is a lifelong resident of Mitchell County, Owner of Harrell Hill Farms, a member of Pine Branch Baptist Church and former publisher of Blue Ridge Christian News. You can find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/doug.harrell.77
You can read more good Christian News from Doug Harrell HERE
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