Christian Living

AMERICA'S IMAGINARY TRUTH

by Charles (Chuck) Robey
08/10/20
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PROLOGUE

Do you remember the last time you took a leisurely walk through your neighborhood under the cloak of night? Perhaps it was only yesterday, or a particular day of the past. Either way, I’m sure you remember interacting with the neighbors as you took your evening stroll.

Did you feel comfortable accepting the unknowns of the neighborhood? Has today’s events changed the way you think? Conversely, would you now feel safe shopping at the local mall? Based on current events, perhaps not so much.

Indeed, we now live in a chaotic world. But we can feel comfortable in knowing that we can be confident and at peace. God is not only the author of history; He made this very particular present. (Isaiah 40:28-29)

God wakes me up in the middle of the night sometimes to tell me things or alert me to pray for people. I guess it’s a time when I’m not distracted by anything else. Being careful not to awaken the wife, I will sneak into another room to jot down my thoughts.

So, please allow me a little musing in relating some thoughts. I’m simply reflecting my feelings in the form a modern-day parable, that of an earthly story having a heavenly meaning. I am pondering or reflecting my concerns in this fiction genre entitled “America's Imaginary Truth" 

“God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. He whispers in their ears…” (Job 33:14-16 NLT)

I had just settled in my bed for a long winter’s nap when it happened. Was I dreaming? Was it a vision? Was it the real thing? Was it the beginning of the end, of things to come? However, being an established Christian lay preacher, I must keep calm. The Bible does oftentimes speak to us in mysterious ways. (Numbers 12:6)

I was standing on a calendar. It was the month of September. The entire month of September was a blaze. It was total chaotic evil mayhem. They, whomever they were, seemed to be happy in doing whatever their greed, hatred, and lust for destruction drove them into doing. They gave the impression of being  hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable.

Cities were being looted by rioters; buildings were being destroyed by vandalism and fire. The streets were void of adult people and the police were nowhere to be seen. The situation was totally out of control. 

Looking around I saw children, babies with no parents roaming the streets and crying loudly. The injured sought much needed medical help. Occasionally an ambulance would swiftly go by, emergency lights blinking and the siren screaming. 

What was so strange, it was if this entire scenario had been well planned. Water stations, food stations and portable restrooms were positioned in close proximity to all the action.

Moving along, I left September, stepping onto the month of October. This month was like September, only more vivid, more destructive and personally involved. 

Churches were being destroyed, looted and burned by a different caliber of destructive participants. These people had absolutely no scruples. They were violently yanking people, not only from the churches, but also from individual homes, to the sound of frightful panic and terrifying screams.  They were burning church hymnals and Bibles. Anything else, pertaining to religion, that they could find. Again, no police were to be seen. America's bad news calendar simply continued on.     

Then came the month of November. As I stepped onto this month, the situation had changed. In the first week, for some unknown reason the first Tuesday was completely wiped off the calendar. Yet the remining days seemed to gradually become void of the previous chaos. It was as if the right man for the job would be continuing his promises of law and order.  

The rest of November was covered by the military. Battle hardened troops in armored vehicles displaying weapons were patrolling the streets. All manner of people were being hauled off to jail.

Not only were they covering the streets, the military contingent was manning fixed barricades at all entrance and exit points of the cities. Clipboards in hand, they were questioning the comings and goings within the cities.  These particular cites seemed to be under martial law.

In concert with the military, the federal buildings were heavily guarded by barricades and armed police. “Where were all these reinforcements when we needed them?“ I wondered.

Thank goodness, some badly needed peace had finally come to America. Why did it take so long coming? Did it have anything to do with what had taken place the first week in November? However, I was glad we were getting back to normal. The bad news was easing.

The month of December was quite exciting. It was the holiday season. The past was the past, the now is the now. There was the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and the fellowship of family and friends. And in the middle of it all, much to the kids' delight, was the jolly-faced, white-bearded icon dressed in his usual red suit, caring his big bag of childhood goodies. What do you wish for? As for me, I was perfectly happy with the new peace and quiet.

Well, my walk through the calendar had ended. The Vision was over. Was it imaginary? Was it the truth? (Psalm 17:3) Only time will tell. “What a beginning and what an ending,” I thought. I must have really fallen asleep. I was still lying there, the covers pulled up in comfort. 

What a message! I’d been doing a lot of this sleepy time dreaming or visualizing lately. Was this a providential message of things to come? Am I being given the divine wisdom and imagination to look into the future? Or was it really the truth? If so, I trust I will act accordingly. Only time will tell, I guess.  (Song of Solomon 5:2)

“Pastor, pastor, I’m ready to lead that Sunday morning Bible study now. Do I have a show and tell! If I hurry, I can just make the early service! “Hello all!” I shouted as I entered the front of the sanctuary. End of story and beginning of service.  

EPHOGUE

“The first time you quit, it’s hard. The second time, it gets easier. The third time, you don’t even have to think about it.” (Coach Paul (Bear) Bryant)

I trust you enjoyed this little fiction dream or vision. I know to claim understanding of a dream or vision is somewhat like being labeled with all the palm readers, Ouija boards, seances and crystal balls of this world.

Divine providence does speak on occasion, whether we call it dreams, visions, or plainly hearing that still, small voice. Many a time, I have been alerted in the middle of the night, recalling just the right Scripture for a particular need in my life.

So, what are you hearing? It’s easy to hear. One need only tune in the television or radio, pick up a local newspaper, visit the local library, surf the Internet, or talk to your neighbor across the back-yard fence.  But are you hearing the truth?

Talk is cheap. The various information outlets oftentimes talk without saying a thing, make promises not kept, brag about exploits, will always tell you how to do something but never show up to help do it. You know, you’ve heard it before, speech without action is useless. 

However, God has a vision for America and it will come to pass in due time. America will ignore it at her peril, along with danger, threat and risk. If America follows God’s plan, we will see an even more glorious life than we could ever envision. (II Chronicles 7:14) We must all pray for America, and its leaders. (Acts 26:19) Amen!

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