I AM OFFENDED

I don’t want to be offended by people’s hurtful remarks, rejection, or even hostility towards me. I have learned over the years, and am continuing to learn, to react to these slights with blessing and love.

However, I believe there are areas in life where I can legitimately be offended.

I am offended at the shallowness and weakness of the church of God today.
I am offended at the lukewarmness, the half-heartedness, the middle-of-the-roadness, and the indifference of many who say they are believers.
I am offended at how many are deceived and who cannot discern between the holy and the profane, the clean and the unclean.
I am offended that so few want to pray, or even make prayer and Bible reading a priority in their lives and their homes.
I am offended that many have gullibly imbibed the new religion of “tolerance.”

I am not offended at these precious people themselves, but at their mind-set, for I know it is the ploy of the devil to keep them from being light in the darkness and a bright flame for God in this world. I know it is the work of the enemy to deceive and weaken the church of God.

And yes, I am offended at what happened last weekend, where the so-called “evangelical” state of South Carolina gave their majority of votes to Trump, an immoral man who boasts of sleeping with the top women of the world. A man who does not believe that he needs to ask God for forgiveness of his sins. A man who has made his millions building casinos, which include strip clubs! A man whom a leading gay-activist organization calls “one of the best, if not the best, pro-gay Republican candidates to ever run for the presidency.”

The evangelicals comprised 72 percent of the voters in South Carolina! Does the word “evangelical” no longer have anything to do with the cross of Jesus Christ that deals a blow to all our sin and immorality? I am grieved, like Paul, who wept as he wrote: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you EVEN WEEPING, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ . . . who mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:18,19). 1 Corinthians 1:23, 24 and Galatians 5:11 talk about the “offence of the cross.”

Trump calls himself a “common sense conservative.” He says many good things and promises “To make America great again.” However, we must look beyond what he says. He does not have a track record of being a righteous or godly man who walks in the fear of God. He calls himself a “nice man,” and a “good Christian” although not believing he needs to ask forgiveness from God. He says he is “pro-life” but out the other side of this mouth says that Planned Parenthood “does wonderful things for women.” Did you hear him say that, as I did, in debate No. 9?

I weep in my heart for our nation because I know we cannot trifle with God. We cannot expect His blessing upon us unless we vote for righteousness. And if God’s people cannot be counted on to vote for the most righteous man (for we will never find a perfect man), what hope do we have? We are blessed to have one, or even two righteous men that we could vote for.

Proverbs 29:2 says: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” God wants His people to be a “holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). All the promises in the world to make America great again will not happen unless we come back to God’s holy standard and stand on the side of righteousness.

~ Nancy Campbell