Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Friday, November 11, 2011

"Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts."¹

What comes to mind when you hear about the ever-increasing pressure for the acceptance and approval of gay marriage? An oxymoron if ever there was one?

Could this further step of decadence be related in any way to today's terrorism? Chuck Colson and others believe so. It is worth serious consideration. Furthermore, we have become considerably more decadent than when the following article was written five years ago.

In BreakPoint Colson quotes Charles Krauthammer who, writing in Townhall, gives a deeper reason why Islam is fighting "the jihad" against America. We "agree on the obvious answers: religion, ideology, political power, and territory. But there is one fundamental issue at stake that dares not speak its name. This is also about—deeply about—sex." The militant Muslims see that wherever there is freedom—"especially in America and Europe—it brings sexual license and corruption, decadence and depravity."

Colson also quotes Mark Galli who "made the same point in Christianity Today. He noted that Islamic militants are angry at the West for exporting 'hedonism and materialism into their very homes through television, enticing Muslims to become religiously lazy and morally corrupt.' Galli quoted a 1985 communiqué from the terrorist group Hezbollah which said, in part: 'Our way is one of radical combat against depravity, and America is the original root of depravity.' Members of these groups see themselves, not as terrorists, but as holy warriors fighting a holy war against Western decadence."²

The great tragedy is that not only do we destroy our own families and society when we glorify decadence, immoral and corrupt behavior, illicit and immoral sexual behavior including homosexuality and gay-marriage, but we also fan the flame of radical Muslim terrorists—and give them another excuse to attempt to justify their cause.

What can you and I do about our ever increasing decadence? For one thing, we need to make our voice heard. You can help preserve the sanctity of marriage and take a stand for moral behavior and standards by signing the Manhattan Declaration at http://manhattandeclaration.org/the-declaration/read.aspx. You can sign this declaration from any country in the world. Note: Brent set this web address to blank when uploading

Don't delay. Do it today while there is hope. Remember the words attributed to Edmond Burke: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me and all Christians the good sense to live in harmony with your Word, the will to be purifying salt in a decadent world, and the courage to stand up and be counted and make our voice be heard. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 2 Peter 3:3 (NKJV).
2. BreakPoint with Charles Colson Commentary #040622 - 06/22/2004. Copyright by Prison Fellowship, www.breakpoint.org.

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