We are right in the thick of it. Old man winter has flicked on the porch light and we can see it from our view here in the rapid cool off of late fall. We get to slow down a little, stay in a little more and we have things to prepare for. The snow shovel needs a coat of car wax, we check the automobile for proper fluids, blankets, some snacks in case we get snowed in (here in the midwest). We worry about heating bills coming up, break out the cold weather gear and think about Christmas, they are already playing the music and its ten days from Thanksgiving! I still don't like that.
We have so many things surrounding our lives, filling our lives and running our lives. The cable bill, fixing a sink, a new ache in our shoulder, the doctor bill for that, how to get our new phones to auto dial, watching for "texters" while driving, an out of control government, knowing that scandals and lies are increasing, that new gizmo we could finance, but shouldn't, should we tell our wife that we feel underappreciated or should I just swallow it and move on, feeling overwhelmed about letters you should right or calls you have to make......whew, Calgon take me away.
So what? you may be asking. When you become an adult, you have a lot more responsiblity. That is life, get over it. What is the point here? Maybe we have become so prosperous that we lost sight of simplicity and the peace that comes with that which breeds true feelings of gratitude.
Early on, when those first pilgrims landed here they were not just facing a lot of work to survive, they had already been through some serious devastation. The trip from England was rough, going over the ocean in the year of 1621? What kind of technology was there to make it comfortable and safe? Nothing. You went by ship. There were 102 passengers and everyone of them was tired of the religious persectution of the church of England upon them. They had seen the queens church become just as corrupted as the catholic church at the time. Prior to this they left for Leyden, in Holland. It was rougher there still. The trade guilds left them only one choice for work, which was low paying labor jobs and the loose morals of the country addled the youngsters. The adults took charge and decided to head to the new world across the ocean. They chartered a boat called the "Speedwell" and packed the ship and left. The "Speedwell" should have been called the Leakwell, as it was taking on water and shortly after departure the vessel returned to port. The passengers were put on the Mayflower and their journey started. The delay in time between the Speedwell and the Mayflower put the passengers into the midst of the Atlantic during storm season ( You have got to really want to get away from someplace if you are risking your life like this!). It was horrid as the ship was tossed about. There was constant sea sickness and for two months these pathfinders were battered to and fro on the Ocean. They finally settled way north of where they were authorized to, but decided to stay and name the place Plymouth, from where they sailed.
They endured the first winter there at great cost. Only 53 passengers and half the crew survived. They stayed on the ship. Death, uncertainty, they must have been deeply motivated to face such tragedy. Malnutrition, disease and exposure to the malevolent New England winter were their main enemies. Samoset, an english speaking Patuxet indian helped them through this time by teaching them how to hunt locally, grow squash, beans and corn. He also taught them how to gather shellfish and they formed an alliance with another indian group. At the end of that following summer they came together and celebrated their first harvest. For three days they ate and rejoiced. This was the first Thanksgiving.
That my friends is a real thanksgivng. That group showed real gratitude. Half their number dead, the Mayflower sailed and they were on their own and they overcame. Too bad we didn't respect the Indians later on, that is another issue. The point of this article is this; We are going to have the same level of hardships soon here in our own back yards. Do I have a crystal ball? Can I see the future? No. I can use Godly wisdom to make predictions about what happens to a godless and immoral country. God gave us the bible to warn us that this type of foolishness and godlessness will bring. I won't go into us kicking God out of schools and the destruction of morals since the 1940's, but we have been slowly paving a road to hell and ruin for America for quite a while. Let me explain. Kids are seeing internet porn by accident, divorce is rampant, crime is escalating, church rolls are down, situation ethics are growing, we have millions in prison, corporate greed is rampant, government complicity with the banking community is openly accepted , how did we get here?
We have sat back and said nothing. We are continuing in that mode. Will this country get better? No. We need a harsh awakening to reset our compass. We are looking at a bickering group of corrupted leaders who will drive us into destitution and chaos. You know its true and I know its true. We will have to go through a refining period. Take the example of Isaiah 1:22 "your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water". God is saying you have turned something beautiful and true and righteous into slag, waste, worthless garbage. What does God do to chaff? filthy rags? pruned branches? They go into the fire to be purged for good. If He finds goodness and morality he will take that and refine it to make it better, but for pure waste with no purpose, a final end. This time of cleansing is coming my friends. I don't know if it will be next week, or in two years but you can count on Yaweh not sitting back and letting the evil prosper, the lies continue and the devil harm the righteous any longer. He has not told us when, but He has said it is written and it WILL happen. I hate discipline. It hurts, it makes us cry, it takes away what we have been wrongfully been focusing on and it seems like so long a time while we endure it. What is on the other end of Godly discipline? Understanding. Wisdom. Knowledge and finally, thanksgiving. This time we brought it on ourselves. This time we ASKED for it. We shoved the almighty out of the world as free moral agents and He will respond in kind. He will wake us up and he will REFINE the situation. Will it be the time of Christ's return? I don't know, even Christ himself said "no man knoweth the hour". We will have to learn this time again however. It is cyclical, it is written in stone and it is COMING. In a way I am glad for it. We all had it coming and after it is over, we will rise again with morality, with truth and many will be saved. If it is the time for the final trumpet, I will be sad and glad at the same time. Wishing I could have done more, but glad that I investigated, knocked and the door was opened and found my Lord with open arms, while I kept improving. A saved sinner who deserves nothing but what I have sown, but having the grace and mercy of a loving God to get me home. You can have that too. Before the discipline comes, before we hit the ground (we have already fallen off the fiscal cliff) we can be saved. We must hear, believe, repent, confess and be immersed into a grave of water to become a citizen of heaven. You can have a REAL THANKSGIVING this year. That does not mean we will not have to endure the righteous discipline of our master, but we end up the victors, forgiven and on our way back to our maker.
