That question from the Biblical book of Ezekiel 37:3, still rings true after all these centuries!

When we are born into this world, we are born in sin. That's right; we are born with a failed nature that has no capacity for God at all. Left to ourselves, we inevitably destroy ourselves; we have no alternative, since we are only "doing what comes naturally". Here in the United States (and for that matter, around the world), we are experiencing what they did when the book of Judges was written, where "every man did that which was right in his own eyes".

The truth of the matter is that what you think is right and what I think is right are probably two different and opposing things. With no standard to adhere to, man's behavior becomes even worse than the Law of the Jungle. That's right, we know better, but we behave even worse than the animals do. For example, I haven't heard of an animal that seeks to destroy a whole bunch of it's kin just because they belong to a specific group - but man does. Just look at the persecution of Christians in Syria, Kurds or Armenians in Turkey, several ethnic groups in America (African Americans, American Indians, Irish and Chinese immigrants, ...) for a few examples - and there are many, many others.

To quote the Epistle of James:

From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (James 4:1-2, KJV)

So how can a nation of people just "doing their own thing" possibly be at peace within and without? It is IMPOSSIBLE!

Only Jesus, the Son of God, and what he did for us, can save us from ourselves! He died on the cross to take upon himself, who did not sin, my sin and your sin. HE paid the price for it, because I never could! And, he rose again so that I might have hope and life with Him eternally! The only escape from this world of death is to be re-born into a world of LIFE through believing in the one who offers you it as a gift. It had to be a gift - we have nothing that we own that could pay for it. That gift includes a new nature, opening our eyes to LIFE in him, not death in the world. If you are reading this and do not have the gift of salvation and life in Christ, I challenge you right now - do you want to remain Dead, or do you want to begin to know what a wonderful thing LIFE really is? I am praying that you will chooose LIFE!

As many of you know, this is an election year here in the United States. Once again, we hear a lot of claims and promises being made. I look and so far I haven't seen a candidate that even seems to understand what is healthy and right for our nation, much less understand anything of Christian living. It is true that many candidates make a pretense of standing for something that some Christian group values, but that is only to try to fool them into voting for the candidate; it is not because they believe. Much as I look around me and see how much decay of our society has occurred during my lifetime, yet I have hope. Why? Because in evil days such as these, the message of Christ's Love and Salvation is still going out and people are still coming to Him. My nation may be doomed, or it may not - I cannot say. But I can say that I Live in Christ no matter what happens. As Habbakuk but it at the end of his prophecy (the people of Israel were about to go into captivity in Babylon):

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. (Habakkuk 3:17-19a, KJV)

Until Next Time,

Duane