Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

    whom he has redeemed from trouble

and gathered in from the lands,

    from the east and from the west,

    from the north and from the south.

Psalm 107:2-3 (ESV)

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It’s the middle of Holy Week. I’ve been reading Lenten devotions for almost 40 days in preparation for the remembrance of my Lord’s passion, culminating in the Resurrection this weekend. Death is conquered forever, to the consternation of Satan.

Rather than celebrating this amazing event, the world around me is in a mess.

Christians are cowering before the press as the LGBT community presses for advantage after the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Indiana and now debated in Arkansas.

I have the right to my beliefs according to the Bible’s teaching, and guaranteed under the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. God offers no doubt about His standards and condemns homosexuality.

Discrimination goes both ways, but should never be condoned. A generational gap does not make changing the bill the right thing to do. Nor does a larger megaphone make true false assertions bandied about the media, Twitter, and Facebook.

As believers, we no longer have the luxury of silence, apathy, and tolerance. I refer to Edmund Burke’s famous quote, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  He also said, “The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.”

ISIS, beheadings, suicide bombers, nuclear bombs in the hands of the Iranians, coups, release of enemy combatants, Israel threatened are just a few of the hot spots around the world — when will it stop? What is in the future for our children and grandchildren?

We can put our head in the sand and hope it blows over. However, I think the better option is to put on the armor of God and fervently pray for a third Great Awakening.

We are called to be watchmen on the wall and alert all to impending danger. Be vigilant, ready with an answer for all who ask.

…and having done all, to stand.