History

The Second Civil War continues in America.

Here are some facts on which most people agree.

The police brutality murder of George Floyd spawned peaceful protests for justice that were hijacked by anarchists and looters who desire power, not peace. The one-two punch of the Covid-19 lock downs coupled with the Satanic Pentecost has left America fearful, poorer and on edge.

One positive trend has emerged from the chaos.

Kneeling. 

I submit that one form will bring revival and hope. The other, revolution and despair. Here’s the most sobering part:

Every knee will bow.

Every Knee Will Bow

I dedicate this blog to the “justice generation” whom I’ve served in Youth With A Mission for forty-six years and at Faith International University.

Bill O’Reilly says that, “True social justice is fairness. The use of power in order to treat everyone equally in the public arena. That means creating all access opportunities. It does not mean overlooking destructive behavior or a guarantee of life success. You have to work for that.”

The current turmoil reminds me of the 60’s and 70’s when long hairs tried to stop the Vietnam War and mainstream drugs and free sex. I joined another group of hippies known as the “Jesus Revolution.” We wanted change too–but with God’s view of justice.

None of us ever gets that perfectly right, but some get closer.

Another group of long hairs (with wigs) lived in the latter part of the 18th century. They pursued social justice by bloodshed, looting, and forcibly toppling the government. Google the French Revolution (1789-1799) and you can read all about it.

It was ugly.

The French social justice mob became the political parents of the Nazis and communists. They made people take a knee and then shot them in the head.

Other 18th century patriots dropped to their knees in America from 1734 to the 1770’s. We call it the “Great Awakening.” Their form of kneeling involved prayer and personal repentance. The movement began with a sermon by Jonathan Edwards in Northampton, Massachusetts in December 1734 which served as a primer on American social justice. It was called “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

Don’t be offended by the title. God hates sin more than you hate sex trafficking and racial oppression.

That generation eventually threw a “Tea Party” in Boston Harbor after years of restraint, appeals to justice, and enduring the invasion of an occupying army. They defeated the British in the American Revolution–which became the political fruit of bowing their knees to God.

They said, “We have only one King–Jesus.” That passion and bravery gave birth to the USA–the first nation in history (besides ancient Israel) founded on biblical principles of liberty and justice.

It wasn’t perfect. Slavery had been a normal part of human culture for thousands of years. I know that’s hard to believe today. Slavery originally began when poor people “sold” themselves to others because they couldn’t provide for their families and no government programs existed. They became economic servants or slaves. They had no other choice.

Then, for thousands of years when one tribe conquered another, the victors forced people to serve them. This was the unjust form of slavery that became normal for millenniums. By the time of the Roman Empire, slaves composed 50% of the population.

Eventually the faith of the followers of Jesus changed things. They served the sick during numerous plagues. They became lion food for devilish sport. Over many centuries, their sacrificial love changed the Roman world as nearly half became followers of Christ.

Slavery nearly died out because they lived and taught that “we are one in Christ Jesus.”

Muslim traders revived slavery during the Middle Ages. Corrupt, religious Europe followed suit to keep up economically with Islam. A Renaissance and Reformation brought renewal of human rights, but slavery was still the accepted norm.

Many of our founding fathers owned slaves because that’s all they knew. Our Declaration of Independence thundered the truth of human equality, but it would take the first Civil War to end it in America.

Then, for nearly one hundred years, Americans’ struggled to attain equality in society. It took the courageous actions of Dr. Marin Luther King in the 1960’s to end racial segregation and lay the foundation for “equal justice under law.”

Today, despite the current struggles, America remains the largest inter-racial nation in world history where a poor African American youth named Barack Obama could become president of the nation by popular vote–twice. Couldn’t happen in China, Russia, or a European country.

But we have a long way to go.

Your justice quest in the 21st century must start by understanding that God is the standard of justice. He is perfectly righteous in all his ways (Deuteronomy 32:4).

You can’t out “justice” God.

You must study His Word carefully to understand true right from wrong. Read Genesis through Deuteronomy with a special emphasis on Exodus and Leviticus. One of the greatest expressions of justice is the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. Disobeying any of them is unjust and hurts people–from God’s point of view.

The Ten Commandments remain the foundation of Western Civilization–which is why we possess more freedom than other nations. Go to one of the fifty majority-Muslim nations in the world. Will you find liberty for most people? Will you see justice for women? Travel to China, North Korea, or even Venezuela. Will you find human rights a top priority?

No.

Back to America.

We still have a non-level playing field in portions of our country—especially inner cities. That’s due to many reasons including the breakdown of the African American family, 70% of kids born outside marriage (no fault of government) and the poverty it brings. More African Americans fear cops because they commit a higher percentage of crimes (no fault of police).

Police shootings are rare and usually justified. There were nine unarmed blacks shot by police in 2019 (out of 44 million African Americans). Nineteen whites suffered the same fate.

George Floyd’s was unjust—as were at least two of the white killings in 2019.

Yet, the greatest injustice in America in God’s sight is the brutality of abortion–our largest form of murder. Since 1972, we have killed 65 million babies—of which 20 million were African American.

That’s three thousand a day for forty-eight years.

On the day that George Floyd was killed, 3000 kids-in-the-womb were butchered. And every day since.

That’s insanely unjust.

People kill babies for the same reason they enslaved African Americans. Slavery was built on the “choice” (of slave owners) and the lie that African Americans weren’t “fully human.” We say the same today about children in the womb.

We were wrong then and are wrong now. Where’s your protest of the greatest human holocaust in history? (One-to-two billion worldwide.)

Yes, it’s time to kneel. Colin Kaepernick did it for revolution. The Democratic leaders posed for cameras. And many followers of Christ are doing it and bringing salvation to the streets.

In some ways it’s more respectful to kneel than to stand. Others can protest and we can pray. They want revolution. We crave renewal.

This fall when NFL and soccer players go to their knees, I think we should join them. This is a practice run. One day we will all appear before the God of justice and answer for what we’ve thought, said and done. At that awesome moment, God will be just by judging us (justice and judgment are the same word in the Bible).

It’s time to get ready for Judgment Day while seeking “liberty and justice” on earth.

Because one day, every knee will bow. And only the repentant will be forgiven.

(Please join the Call2Fall on Sunday, June 28 to join thousands in kneeling before God for reconciliation and revival.)