I'm pretty sure most of you are aware of my personal religious beliefs and where I stand on many issues, such as abortion, homosexuality, pre-marital sex, etc.  I'm also aware that many, if not all of you, disagree with a lot of my view points.  However, we've had many candid discussions about these differences in the past, and I feel confident that you'll be able to hear me out and give the following serious consideration, regardless of your personal opinion.  That is my faith in you all as educated, reasoning, human beings.  I don't expect you to agree with me.  I just want you to think about what this man is saying.

I know that some of you have heard of Dr. Dobson and consider him a fanatical radical evangelical Christian.  Contrarily, I respect his ministry and work quite a bit.  Though many of you know of him because of his recent political involvement, the work he has done towards supporting families is tremendous and far exceeds his occasional political involvement.  He hosts a daily radio broadcast that I've been listening to since middle school, and it's about today's and yesterday's broadcasts that I would like to write.  In this broadcast, the Rev. John MacArthur speaks about how God has abandoned our nation, and why.

After reading the above, I can already feel that many of you are ready to move on to someone else's blog, or close whatever window you're using to read this.  Before you do so, remember that in the subject title for this post, I wrote that I have a "challenge" for you.  This is my challenge: I want you all to listen to this two-day broadcast, the links to which I have posted below.  After listening to the ENTIRE thing, just think about it.  I don't care if you completely disagree with what the speaker says and think that it's complete nonsense.  Listen to the entire thing to gain a complete understanding of what the speaker's saying.  And after you're done, if you want to discuss this with me, PLEASE DO!!!  I would love to debate with you about the contents of this message and why I agree with it.

LINKS:
Broadcast Part 1
Broadcast Part 2

Here's my response to Rev. MacArthur's message.  I suggest you read it after you've listened to his message yourself, however, since I write under the assumption that you know what he said.

I agree with what Rev. MacArthur says.  I am angry and saddened by what's going on in our country, and I want things to change!  Many times when I think of all the atrocities going on throughout our society, I feel hopeless.  Where is the love and respect we should have for one another and ourselves as creatures made in God's image?  How can we murder helpless babies still in the womb under the banner of rights?  Does it make sense to claim ownership to the belief "that [all men] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights," while refusing to acknowledge this aforementioned "Creator"?  What can we do to change this before we are all destroyed?  And yes, I am convinced that if things do not change, we will be destroyed.  God may be the god of love and forgiveness, but he is also the god of judgment and wrath; and you may be certain that his wrath is terrible.  I say "we," because God most certainly will hold us accountable as a nation.  As Rev. MacArthur said at the beginning of his message, the history of the world is the history of its judgment.  There are many examples of what will happen to us if we are not repentant and return to God!

Recently I've been reading 1Kings in my Bible.  This book starts with the reign of Solomon after the death of King David.  Time and again, God declares judgment on Judah and Israel because of the sins of his people.  If God did not spare his own chosen people, how much more so will he judge us!

But there is hope!  The conclusion to Rev. MacArthur's message is like a fresh wind full of rain in the Sahara Dessert.  We need to wake up as a nation!  If things continue as they are, God will sweep us off the face of the earth!  Who will remember the United States of America?  We will be like Sodom and Gomorrah: nothing but dust.

Our nation needs a revival.  Our minds have been dulled by evil to the point of writing out the very existence of sin!  We're so concerned with not offending others or "forcing our opinions on others" that we've forfeited the very power of our minds and consciences.  Things have reached such critical degrees that we don't even know what's right or wrong anymore!  We claim to be a people operating under reason and logic rather than "blind faith," when all reason and logic firmly supports the Bible.  As Paul writes in Romans 1:20 (NIV), "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."  Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias demonstrates the complete logic and rationality of Christianity in his ministry.  If you're looking for sophisticated arguments for Christianity, look no further.

Reading so far, it may seem as though I blame non-believers and "sinners" for all the evils I claim to be afflicting our nation and society.  Far from it!  First of all, Christians are sinners, too--"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  Furthermore, as those who should know better, the fact that we've allowed such sinfulness and wickedness to progress so far with our eyes shut and our lips sealed makes our responsibility even greater!  Are we going to be like the doomed believers the writer of Hebrews wrote about in Hebrews 6:5-6, those "who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age"?  In this passage, the writer states that "it is impossible for [these believers]...if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again, and subjecting him to public disgrace."  Let it not be so!  Hold fast to the promises of God, following in his ways, and let there be a revival in this land, that we may be the "greatest recovery story in history."

NOTE: All of my scripture references were taken from the New International Version (NIV).  To verify what I've written, you may find a complete online version of the NIV here.

I don't think I've had such a wonderful summer vacation since I was in elementary school.  The days just fly by, each one as restful and yet entertaining as the last.  I just want to thank the Lord for this much needed rest.  May he prepare me for the next stretch of the race.

This past Wednesday, after the AP Calc BC exam, we were told to go to the auditorium for an assembly.  It's really odd for us to have assemblies in the middle of the day, so everyone was wondering what was going on.  After waiting a few minutes, both the Head of School, and Director of the Upper School came up to the front.  They told us tearfully that one of our classmate's father had died of a heart attack the night before.  I was shocked.  The student mentioned was actually in my class and as a senior would now have to graduate without the presence of her father.  I just can't imagine what she's going through right now.  Just that morning I was contemplating the temporary nature of our stay on earth, not even dreaming that it would be marked by this tragedy.

I have come to this conclusion: what right do we have to complain about the hardships and tragedy in our lives when it comes to all nondiscriminately?  We all have to experience pain at one point or another.  When it comes, we mourn, support each other, and move on.  As Solomon says, "There is a time for everything."