Lamentations 1:12 "Is it NOTHING to you, all ye that pass by?"
I recently saw a surveillance video clip filmed in another country of a person on a motorcycle being hit by a car, and being left in the intersection of two busy streets. For the entire rest of the clip, cars, buses, bicyclists, and pedestrians pass right on by, not pausing to see if the man is okay or even alive. It was really shocking and chilling.
Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6KnqNePBl0
Was it "NOTHING" to those people, that they could just "PASS BY"?
Makes me think of the apathy of most Christians and people in general, concerning the murder of our society's weakest citizens who are slaughtered every day. Only to make the parallel fit better, there should be multiple people hit and lying prone in the road, 3,000+ by the end of the day.
We can shake our heads at the indifference of those passing this intersection, AND YET in our OWN nation, in many of our OWN cities, innocent human beings are being murdered DOWN THE STREET from our OWN homes and churches.
How many of us paused this week and went to the local abortion facility, stretching out our hands to warn the wicked and rescue the man on that Jericho road (babies being sacrificed in our cities)?
And how many of us turned our eyes, and passed on by because we had things too important, more important than putting aside a portion of the day to endeavor to see lives and souls saved?
These are lives that we KNOW are in danger of being killed intentionally. We KNOW WHEN and WHERE the crime is taking place too!
Yet, how many of us went about our business...
As if those image-bearers of God were not REALLY people?
As if the shedding of their innocent blood was not REALLY murder?
As if God does not REALLY see this murder and our inaction?
As if He does not REALLY hear their blood cry for justice?
As if He will not REALLY judge individuals and nations for how they treat the vulnerable fatherless?
REALLY?
Psalm 94:
8 "Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?"
9 "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?"
10 "He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man wisdom shall not he know?"
Some of you may think harshly concerning the people who drove, biked, and walked past this individual lying in the street, and rightly so. What they did was unjust, calloused, and evil. Let's just say that some of them were Christians. Do you think it would be enough if they said, "Well, I am praying for that guy"?
GOD FORBID! That is NOT loving your neighbour. You would be right to rebuke them, pleading with tears and calling them to REPENT and HELP the wounded man! If you did not warn those passing Christians, you would not be loving THEM!
Why do we Christians in America excuse our own inaction at the plight of over a million children intentionally butchered every year?
Why do we think that we are okay, to merely say, "Well, I am praying for them"?
Prayer is good, but NOT when it is the substitute for OBEDIENCE.
Lamentations 1:12 "Is it nothing to YOU, all YE that pass by?"
Let us hear the rebuke of Christian brothers who love us and desire for us to engage! To bring the light of the Gospel in the face of this evil darkness! To awaken others to the abomination and call to repentance! To rescue the perishing and pluck them from the jaws of the wicked! TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR!
To HEAR and HEED the warning of our Father in Heaven:
Proverbs 24:
11 "If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;"
12 "If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shalt not he render to to every man according to his works?"
Here is an EQUATION:
Bystander Effect = Depraved Indifference = Pathetic Apathy = SIN
Pretty much SUMS it up.
The SOLUTION? REPENTANCE before God and OBEDIENCE to His word
(You know, that commands us to love our neighbours, preach the Gospel that saves, visit the fatherless in their affliction, open our mouths for the dumb, lift up our voice like a trumpet, speak truth in a world that loves lies, stand in the gap, be salt and light, cease to do evil, learn to do well, rescue the perishing, do all things to His glory, deliver the spoil from the hand of the oppressor, do justly, and to love mercy, and walk humbly with our God)!
Thus, the opposite of Indifference is seen - Godly Fear, Love, and Zeal. Then there will be a DIFFERENCE, in our lives, and in the fruit that God produces IN us, to the praise of HIS Glory, and the turning of this world UP SIDE DOWN.
This is a matter of LIFE and DEATH, TIME and ETERNITY.
Let US ALLOW the SHOCKING INDIFFERENCE in that video to make an impact, a DIFFERENCE on OUR WAYS.
There is still time to win a battle before the sun goes down. Abortion must be abolished.
Was it "NOTHING" to those people, that they could just "PASS BY"?
Makes me think of the apathy of most Christians and people in general, concerning the murder of our society's weakest citizens who are slaughtered every day. Only to make the parallel fit better, there should be multiple people hit and lying prone in the road, 3,000+ by the end of the day.
We can shake our heads at the indifference of those passing this intersection, AND YET in our OWN nation, in many of our OWN cities, innocent human beings are being murdered DOWN THE STREET from our OWN homes and churches.
How many of us paused this week and went to the local abortion facility, stretching out our hands to warn the wicked and rescue the man on that Jericho road (babies being sacrificed in our cities)?
And how many of us turned our eyes, and passed on by because we had things too important, more important than putting aside a portion of the day to endeavor to see lives and souls saved?
These are lives that we KNOW are in danger of being killed intentionally. We KNOW WHEN and WHERE the crime is taking place too!
Yet, how many of us went about our business...
As if those image-bearers of God were not REALLY people?
As if the shedding of their innocent blood was not REALLY murder?
As if God does not REALLY see this murder and our inaction?
As if He does not REALLY hear their blood cry for justice?
As if He will not REALLY judge individuals and nations for how they treat the vulnerable fatherless?
REALLY?
Psalm 94:
8 "Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?"
9 "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?"
10 "He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man wisdom shall not he know?"
Some of you may think harshly concerning the people who drove, biked, and walked past this individual lying in the street, and rightly so. What they did was unjust, calloused, and evil. Let's just say that some of them were Christians. Do you think it would be enough if they said, "Well, I am praying for that guy"?
GOD FORBID! That is NOT loving your neighbour. You would be right to rebuke them, pleading with tears and calling them to REPENT and HELP the wounded man! If you did not warn those passing Christians, you would not be loving THEM!
Why do we Christians in America excuse our own inaction at the plight of over a million children intentionally butchered every year?
Why do we think that we are okay, to merely say, "Well, I am praying for them"?
Prayer is good, but NOT when it is the substitute for OBEDIENCE.
Lamentations 1:12 "Is it nothing to YOU, all YE that pass by?"
Let us hear the rebuke of Christian brothers who love us and desire for us to engage! To bring the light of the Gospel in the face of this evil darkness! To awaken others to the abomination and call to repentance! To rescue the perishing and pluck them from the jaws of the wicked! TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR!
To HEAR and HEED the warning of our Father in Heaven:
Proverbs 24:
11 "If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;"
12 "If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shalt not he render to to every man according to his works?"
Here is an EQUATION:
Bystander Effect = Depraved Indifference = Pathetic Apathy = SIN
Pretty much SUMS it up.
The SOLUTION? REPENTANCE before God and OBEDIENCE to His word
(You know, that commands us to love our neighbours, preach the Gospel that saves, visit the fatherless in their affliction, open our mouths for the dumb, lift up our voice like a trumpet, speak truth in a world that loves lies, stand in the gap, be salt and light, cease to do evil, learn to do well, rescue the perishing, do all things to His glory, deliver the spoil from the hand of the oppressor, do justly, and to love mercy, and walk humbly with our God)!
Thus, the opposite of Indifference is seen - Godly Fear, Love, and Zeal. Then there will be a DIFFERENCE, in our lives, and in the fruit that God produces IN us, to the praise of HIS Glory, and the turning of this world UP SIDE DOWN.
This is a matter of LIFE and DEATH, TIME and ETERNITY.
Let US ALLOW the SHOCKING INDIFFERENCE in that video to make an impact, a DIFFERENCE on OUR WAYS.
There is still time to win a battle before the sun goes down. Abortion must be abolished.
Thank you for this challenge Kevan.
ReplyDeleteShared this to my blog also.
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