Stand Colin Stand

     Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Ephesians 6:11-13 NIV

   No one seems to have noticed the subtle way the enemy has slipped in.  But here is the evidence of his lethal nasty work:

57.6% of black children, 31.2% of Hispanic children, and 20.7% of white children are living absent their biological fathers.
* Source: Family Structure and Children’s Living Arrangements 2012. Current Population Report. U.S.  Census Bureau July 1, 2012.

     What difference does this make you ask?  Let me show you the difference it makes.  The enemy knows what he is doing.

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. (US Dept of Health/Census)

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.

85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes

80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.

85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes.

  If our spiritual enemy could use only one tool to destroy us I think this would be his tool of choice.  Strip homes of their fathers.  Influence young men to not take serious their role when they become fathers. 

  Over half of the black children in this country live in fatherless homes. Let me shout this as loud as I can type. YES!!! black lives matter.  Those precious little black lives matter greatly, as do Hispanic and white ones.  They deserve to have fathers in their homes raising them, teaching them, loving them, and showing them how to become godly men and women of honor.  They deserve better than the future those statistics give them.  Please wake up America and start doing the things that demonstrate that they really do matter. These lives aren’t just political pawns and a vote tallied for one side or another.  They are people with a soul. They have unlimited potential.

     Colin Kaepernick not standing for the National Anthem won’t change anything about the real problem.  It won’t fight the real enemy. That act doesn’t even recognize the real enemy.   Blaming cops or blaming guns won’t fix anything either.  Guns and cops are not the enemy.  That stealthy one who destroys homes is the real enemy.  His name is Satan. Maybe we should stop joining him in his work.  Blaming the wrong cause is useful for the enemy.

   Maybe our government should not be rewarding fatherless homes with tax dollars, but instead help people and reward people when the father is in the home.  As things are, the government might pay a few bills but it makes a horrible father.  The tax code should be structured to endorse and encourage marriage and two parent homes.  Instead it rewards single parent homes and penalizes two parent homes.

   We talked about Shiphera and Puah in our Sunday school class yesterday.  They were midwives for the Hebrew women.  Pharaoh told them “when you see that it is a boy child being born, kill it.  If it is a girl child, let it live.”  This was to be a form of population control.

   This evil plan didn’t work because these two midwives had a healthy fear and respect for Almighty God and refused to kill the babies.  By the way this was talking about partial birth abortion.  So if you ever wondered how God feels about abortion just read Exodus chapter one. 

     When called to account, these brave women told Pharaoh that Hebrew women are lively and their babies come before we get there.

   These women saw the evil for what it was.  They respected God’s opinion.  Pharaoh had to go to plan two for his evil population control efforts.  They bravely took a stand.  They feared God more than they feared Pharaoh.

   Maybe that good healthy fear of God is what is lacking in our land.  Maybe there is a gross lack of awe and respect for the Almighty.  What are God’s views of the home and marriage and dads being there.

   Proverbs chapter 1 verse 7 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Have we become a country of fools?  Do we despise wisdom because we no longer have that reverent awe and respect for God?

     We will never know the mind of God by looking at the world, by watching the news, by listening to politicians, or even listening to preachers.  We will certainly not get God’s view from watching TV.  Fathers have been ridiculed and devalued for a long time now in Hollywood. 

     We will come to understand the mind of God by reading His Word, by having a personal relationship with Him and by way of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us when we open our heart to let Him in to be Lord and Master. Then, when we come to understand we need to stand.