January 22 - the day after our nation celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the day we mourn the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision. What a contrast.
While churches all across our land was opened for special services for the Martin Luther King celebration, many of our churches have become quiet about the abortion issue becuase it is now a political issue. I want to say that we need for the church to speak out about both issues.
"Pastors should throw away the muzzles that some wish to impose on them and replace them with megaphones. It was sermons of pastors that fueled the American Revolution. … America needs her pastors to once again speak up and address the religious and moral issues of the day. It is far more likely to be struck by lightning twice than for churches to lose their tax-exempt status over political issues.” —Mathew Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, reacting to the “baseless” threats recently lobbied at several primary-state pastors regarding their preaching politics from the pulpit [christianpost.com, 1/14/08]
The threat of church's losing tax exemption and pastor's losing his salary has muzzled many to become silent on moral issues.
John Piper in his book Brothers, We Are Not Professionals said, "The issue of racial prejudice and snubbing and suspicion and mistreatment is not a social issue; it is a blood-of-Jesus issue."
The divide between Jews and Gentiles was much deeper than the division between races today. Paul trumpets that Jesus "has broken down the middle wall of division between us." (Ephesians 2:14)
Our gospel message is every race and every language and every tribe will unite in Jesus Christ. Yes, that will certainly happen in Heaven, but I believe the aspect of "His kingdom come, His will be done" that it should happen in every church. The book of Acts was not a homogeneous church.
But what about abortion. Last night I listened via the internet to the "Rediscovering God in America" rally in Orlando. At the late hour that I joined the proceedings, Governor Mike Huckabee was speaking and he was right on target about the issue of abortion. We need men and women who will uphold our Constitution and correct with an amendment that would restate "all men are created equally, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life..." As Governor Huckabee said last night, "This is not an issue to send back to the states. If it is right for one state, then it is right for every state. Morality does not change state-by-state."
Oh, how my heart yearns for America to repent. May it start with the church and with the pulpit.
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