Loyalty

Loyalty

    Everywhere I go, everyone is talking about the problems we are facing as a nation. As we consider the problems of this great land that we love, we often forget that the root of problems usually can be found in the heart. In other words you could say “At the heart of the problems we are now experiencing is the heart.” I would say that all of us will agree that we have come to be comfortable with the lifestyles that we have become accustomed to in this great land, which could be easily called “the home of the Crave and land of the Greedy.” But as we watch the news I think we all would agree that we get disturbed as they report on shootings, arrests for selling drugs, pornography, alcohol and drug abuse in our own communities and even our back yards. Then we go to the national news as they report on how sad our economy is and tell us that some of the highest ranking politicians in the nation hire people who are in this nation illegally instead of
 tax paying citizens. They also continue to not only dig up deals and bribes and acts of adultery and fornication on those who we are looking to, to show us the way, but expose those who make their living on the taxes we pay and make at least three times that which we make, don’t pay their taxes, but expect us to. To make things worse our tax dollars are not only spent to house inmates in prison and feed them three times a day, those who have abused society and shown disrespect for mankind, but we also use those same tax dollars to murder innocent children through abortion with no remorse.
    Though we love this land and the comforts that we have gotten so used to, we have to admit, that as a nation we have some very bad problems, and again I believe the heart of the problem can be found in the heart. We all know that we can determine what is really important to a person by watching where they spend their time and their money. With that idea can we determine what is really important to Americans? Well, according to Religion News Services, and Ellison research, a Phoenix based research company, have just finished surveys which showed that “16 percent of Protestants say they would consider only one denomination”, which means that only 16 percent of those surveyed as Protestants say they are loyal to the church and the doctrine which they are now attending. And “While 22 percent of them would use only one brand of toothpaste and 19 percent would use just one brand of bathroom tissue.” Now do you understand the heart of the problem? We
 are more loyal to Charmin and Colgate than we are to our Lord and the local church. This also proves something which I personally discovered many years ago when talking with church going people; I found that more often than not, people are more committed to a political party than they are to the truths of the Word of God. It’s sad but true, but I believe religious leaders discovered this truth many years ago, when they discovered that most people don’t choose a church because of the doctrine it teaches, but they choose a church on that which makes them feel good. They must like the style of music, the type of people who attend the fellowship and of course the preaching style of the preacher. So the heart of the church has gone the path of the country, making people feel good, instead of leading them to real relationships with a real God Who has set the standards by which we must approach Him.                                    
    The problems we are experiencing cannot be fixed in Washington DC by putting money into large Corporations or even into the hands of common people like you and me. Matter of a fact I believe that either one will make things worse than they already are, which I’m sure we will soon find out. The only thing that will change America is a major heart surgery, because the heart of the problem is the heart which can be determined by what and Who are we loyal to. We as a nation need a touch from the Great Physician, because we have not only had a stroke, but a major heart attack. I keep saying, God has blessed America, but it’s time we begin to bless Him with our loyalty, devotion and praise. It’s time to return to the God of our childhood, and with child like faith repent of our sins. For He has promised “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from
 heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” ( 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV)
      This message has been brought to you From the Heart of Tim Hall, Senior Pastor, Gully Springs Baptist Church, and author of “Church Go To Hell! Please?” P.O. Box 745, 2824 Highway 90 West Bonifay, Florida 32425. Located;, three miles west of the light at Highway 79, 850-547-3920, E-mail: timhall_2000@yahoo.com  ”