Hopeful or Hopeless?

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

Audio for this article here: SermonAudio.com/StudyGrowKnow

Regarding the title of this article, the answer for each person is determined based on their outlook and what they are uniquely focusing on. If we simply look at the world and see what is happening, it all looks fairly hopeless. Fuel prices are unreasonably high, which is affecting everything else that relies on a truck to get to market. With the latest Biden decision to cancel oil drilling in Alaska and Gulf of Mexico, we can be assured gas prices will continue to rise unabated. It seems clear that the Biden administration is determined to make life increasingly difficult for the average American resulting in inflation at an all-time high.

Corruption seems to be the foundation of our government. Dinesh D’Sousa’s newest movie “2000 Mules” cracks wide open the reality that the 2020 election was overtaken with fraud. He seems to slam dunk the case but the mainstream media does what it always does and ignores it. With the exception of a few pundits here and there trying to negate D’Sousa’s movie, the mainstream media is avoiding the subject. If what D’Sousa puts forth and it’s wrong, then one would think the media would be chomping the bit to take it on. They’re not. I’d actually LOVE them to prove D’Sousa wrong, so why won’t they even try?

True the Vote plans on releasing the names of the 2000 mules that the movie highlights. If this is all true, then these people need to be arrested for voter fraud. In fact, everyone connected to it needs to be arrested. Interestingly enough, it appears that there were at least two specific Democrat “safe houses” used in Georgia and one of them is connected to Stacy Abrams. Yet, one can only wonder if it will actually happen? It’s doubtful. There’s very little hope that good will come and wrongs will be righted.

The Left’s soldiers – AntiFa and BLM – continue to do what they do by creating problems through their often violent protests and little is done to stop them. In fact, they are applauded by the Left. Though it is fully against the law for people to attempt to intimidate Supreme Court justices regarding the potential overturn of Roe v Wade (or any judge for that matter), the Left is getting away with it as the DOJ and Biden administration seem to be encouraging the lawlessness.

The whole idea of Roe v Wade should never have gone to the SCOTUS. It should have remained at the state level for each state to decide. Of course, the Left has become apoplectic in warning that it’ll be a return to back alley illegal abortions, which is absurd. There are a number of states within the USA that will never make abortion illegal. Women who want to murder their children in the womb will always have opportunity to do so. Even companies like Amazon have noted they will pay for their workers to go to a state that offers abortion services if Roe v Wade is annulled.

Frankly, this is another area that makes me tired with frustration. The Left – pro-abortionists – like to accuse conservatives of all sorts of things related to abortion that are entirely untrue. For any pro-abortionists reading this article, I’ve included an image which sums up how we conservatives not only view things but how we’ve been involved in the process. Unlike what pro-abortionists believe, we don’t do all we can to save lives of the unborn and then completely care less about them after they’re born. Statements like that made by the Left appear to hold water but like many of their asinine ramblings, when push comes to shove, the truth is that they carry no water at all.

The Left’s arguments are filled with holes. When they realize it, that’s when they start calling people names and labeling them with falsehoods because they have zero facts at their disposal. But as a Christian, I’m to try to reason with them and certainly not hate them and even pray for them, that the Lord will open their eyes to His truth. Instead, they prefer their “feelz” because it allows them to virtue signal, to tell the world how wonderful and pragmatic they are about murdering unborn children and all in the name of “healthcare.”

So, if we simply focus on all the ills in society, it can be breathtaking and more than that, can leave you feeling seriously hopeless about any real justice occurring. But maybe we shouldn’t be focusing on that? Maybe we should be focusing on something else.

In spite of all that is wrong with this world and the evil that continues to propagate more evil, there is real reason to be hopeful. This past Mother’s Day, my wife and I took our dog and went to a hometown craft show the next town over from us. They have two craft shows per year and we try to get to them on both occasions but sometimes can only go to one.

It was a breath of fresh air! People loved our dog and he got plenty of attention from strangers. It was thoroughly enjoyable to wander around and see all the vendors with everything they had to offer. We picked up homemade soap, seasonings to create our own salsa, a few T-shirts and some other things as well. Everyone was friendly and chatty. Many were so glad to be out and about having fun. It was very much the way things were prior to CV. I don’t recall seeing one person wearing the absolutely ineffective, but virtue-signaling mask. People like Steve Kirsch have provided information on studies done regarding masks that show they are ineffective at protecting people and can actually damage a person’s health if for no other reason than the lack of oxygen that a person breathes as they re-breathe their own exhaled CO2. I still see people alone in their cars, with the windows rolled up and wearing masks though. To each their own, but science should certainly be considered.

But back to the craft show…everything we saw and experienced was, in and of itself, very good. We were grateful for the small town atmosphere and the friendliness of the people. But this isn’t what gave me hope as nice as all of it was for me and my wife (and our dog, Buster), because that can change on a dime. What gave me hope was in meeting a particular woman and her husband who were manning a lemonade stand. We were there with our son, his wife and their daughter. It was my son’s birthday so we were treating him that day. He wanted a limeade so I went up to the nearest stand that sold it and ordered one. I briefly talked with an older gentleman and asked him how business was doing. He was ecstatic at how well the previous day had been and the craft show in the month of May is normally not as good as the craft show during October. It was great to hear how many folks had come out to enjoy the craft show and to spend money. There were many families there as I took the time to look around.

Before I continue this story, I’d like to issue a bit of a disclaimer regarding tattoos. I personally am opposed to them. I understand why the Hebrew Scriptures warn about having tattoos placed on the body (Leviticus 19:28). The main reason for this, I believe, was due to the surrounding nations who used cuttings and tattoos as part of their worship of idols. The idea of boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk is the same general principle that likely involved some form of divination or some fertility rite by pagans (Exodus 23:19, 34:26 and Deuteronomy 14:21).

Even though this is not how tattoos are used today, the proliferation of them causes concern for me because ultimately, we are told in Revelation 13 that people will be forced to receive the mark of the beast or die. This mark will likely be some form of visible tattoo on the right hand or forehead. Just as tattoos are often used and seen as some form of virtue signal today, the coming mark of the beast will be the greatest form of virtue signaling the world will ever know because it will mean the difference between life and death. So the inclusion of this story is not an endorsement of tattoos.

I can see why some new Christian who came out of a life of brokenness, drug addiction and alcohol abuse might want to somehow catalog the experience or renewal in Christ. The fact that the woman I’m going to talk about got the first part of her tattoo before she became a Christian and wanted to update it after she became a Christian is her business and she may have done it because it opens the door to discussion and witnessing.

The young gal who poured the limeade for me was very sweet and I immediately noticed a large tattoo on her right arm. It was not your run-of-the-mill tattoo. This seemed unique to me and probably had a story behind it. So I said, “Your tattoo looks like it has a story behind it. Would you mind telling me what it’s all about?” She smiled sweetly and was glad to reveal the mystery to me. I found out her name was Heather.

Heather, pointed to the tree inside the tattoo and said (my paraphrase of her words), “When I first had this tattoo inked, it was just this dark tree that was my life at the time; empty. I was hooked on drugs and drank a lot of alcohol. My life was just messed up. Then the Lord reached into my life and saved me. He filled my life with color and gave me a reason to sing.”

I thought that was so cool as I listened to her and I couldn’t help saying, “Amen!” Then she turned her arm over to show the other side of it with the three lion heads. She then said, “After the Lord cleaned up my life, He gave me a wonderful husband and a beautiful child.” Again, I was moved because the simplicity, gentleness, warmth and sincerity. She really appeared to be so pleased and humbled by what the Lord had done for her with respect to her salvation.

I said, “Wow, this is so cool that you carry a visual reminder of your life before and after your salvation. Someone comes along and simply out of curiosity asks about your tattoos and you get the perfect excuse to preach the Gospel to them!” I asked her if I could take pictures of both sides of her arms for an article I’d like to write about it and she agreed. In the course of our discussion, I mentioned my wife’s younger brother and his wife who are heavily into alcohol, drugs and New Age religion. Heather said her sister does not yet know the Lord either but she is convinced she will one day and she promised to pray for Erich and Jackie. Would you as well?

So, while on one hand, it is fairly easy to become discouraged and feel somewhat hopeless about what is happening in the world, it is very clear that God is still moving, working in hearts and calling people to Him for eternal salvation. Evil cannot override God’s will. This is really what it’s all about. It’s not about politics and by focusing too much on that area, nothing will rob you of the hope that you have in Christ faster. His ways are not our ways. His timing is all His own. He is either sovereign all the time or He is not sovereign at all (Psalm 147:5), Someone who is outside of time (Exodus 3:14; Psalm 90:2), and responsible for the creation of everything (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1).

It’s always wonderful to meet someone who hasn’t been a Christian that long (compared to me), but is sold out to our Lord. Someone like me who has been a Christian for over 50 years can tend to become somewhat jaded and critical. It’s a constant battle to remind myself that God is fully in charge.

It really doesn’t matter if the Left continues to seem to have the upper hand. It doesn’t matter if they continue their corruption and evil practices and it doesn’t matter if the conservatives on the right don’t push back enough, ultimately letting them have their way.

God’s goal in the here and now is to save people from hell. Many will continue to refuse to be saved believing their way is better, but I need to help them seek their salvation. People like Heather are focused on bringing the Gospel to those who are in desperate need of it. Sometimes, politics can be all-consuming. It separates people from one another. I’ve lost friends over aspects of it and over aspects of the CV situation. It’s a shame. Some of it was my fault and I’ve tried to rectify things. In other cases, it wasn’t my fault and nothing I can do will bring us back together. I believe this was one of the purposes of the pandemic as well, to push people away from other people.

Above all things, there is hope in God and His ability to get through a person’s thick skull, helping them realize they need Him and the only salvation available today. As this world seems to be circling the drain, it is still the Christian’s job to spread the Gospel, to make others aware of their need for Him because no one is good enough to get into God’s Presence on their own merit.

I’d like to thank Heather for her warmth, her sincerity and her desperate love of our Lord! She has helped me to focus on the hopeful.

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective