Council Grove Christian Church

10/28/26
Servants of God,
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’, and do not do what I say?”
-Luke 6:46
“…history is what comes between creation and final judgment.”
-Herbert Schlossberg in Idols for Destruction
 
Belief matters. History is not meaningless. Humans are living out their lives before the face of Almighty God. Our decisions matter and our actions grow out of our beliefs. American Christians who glibly say “Lord, Lord” but refuse to live godly lives and fail to oppose the godless philosophies that are poisoning our society had better wake up. If Americans want to know what it will be like to live in a country where Christianity is minimized and rejected, they need only to consider what is currently happening in France.
Perhaps you have noticed that Paris (and other cities) is burning. Protests, violent riots and wanton destruction by a conglomeration of malcontent groups have the world wondering whether France is about to be torn apart. There are reports of as many as 500,000 very unhappy protestors on the streets of Paris this past weekend. Where is Charles Martel when you need him? Who was he? Well, he was a great military leader of the Franks (think France before there was a France) who courageously won the Battle of Tours in 732. He defeated an invading Islamic army and essentially preserved Christian Europe at a critical point in history. France does not appear to have a current day Charles Martel waiting to ride to the rescue.
France (and much of Europe) has forsaken its Christian heritage. Historically known for outlandish revolutions, France has been running on the fumes of the Christian faith for a couple of centuries but it appears to be near exhaustion. Post-war France became a wealthy and decadent country. The French believed socialists utopian ideas and they allowed massive Islamic immigration. The Muslims came. They gladly soaked up the generous government benefits but they refused to integrate and become French. Now a couple of generations later, Islamic strongholds are filled with native-born enemies of the state.
It would be inaccurate to claim that Islam is the only problem France has. The recent protests are multi-faceted. Various groups including Communists and Anarchists as well as some who just want more gravy out of the government gravy train are all in on it. It appears the young Islamists most enjoy destroying and looting the property of others. As the proverb (30:15) warns: the leech has two daughters “give and give.” The greed of the parasite is insatiable.
Just as the Cathedral of Notre Dame became a pagan temple of reason in the very famous French Revolution at the end of the 18^th century, the same cathedral was gutted by a great fire in 2019. There is strong suspicion that anti-Christian forces (Muslims were suspected) were behind that tragic event, although the government’s official explanation of the cause denied it.
France has no shared belief strong enough to hold it together against a multiplicity of forces that want to tear the nation apart. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron has tried to keep things together in the face of tremendous troubles over a multitude of problems including massive numbers of Islamic immigrants who refuse to integrate into French society. The country’s economic problems are great and there is a historic boiling pot of malcontents in France including militant socialists, Communists and Anarchists. France is finding out what it is like to try to hold a nation together without a strong commonly shared belief system. It is a lesson our nation needs to heed. The United States might be physically insulated from Europe but that will not mean that the spirit of revolution brewing in France (and the United Kingdom) will not quickly reach our shores.
God has given human civil government to help maintain a decent and respectful society. Laws instruct a population to properly believe and behave. Laws have to be enforced. The result of responsible law enforcement is an ordered society. It is a reflection of the character of God that a rightly ordered life is a good and safe one.
Unfortunately, American Christians have largely neglected the meaningful study of God’s word. Churches have come to believe a few happy songs and a quick and simple devotional thought once a week constitutes the Christian Life. As our own country faces a mid-term election we see candidates (including a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Kansas) who have lived lives of open rejection of God’s word yet claim to be Christians. Sadly, the afore mentioned candidate claims to be a Christian pastor. His track record is open to anyone wise enough to do a little research. Do not fall for his attack ads. His campaign is pumping out a stream of lies and obfuscations.
American Christians need to repent and turn back to sound biblical doctrine and church life that is more than promoting all things happy and clappy. God’s word exposes human deception and deceit. God’s word convicts the heart and that leads to changed (Christ-exalting) behavior.
American Christians may feel badly for France, but we ought to feel convicted about our own lackadaisical approach to Christian discipleship.  Only Charles Martel-like beliefs and behaviors can stop the inevitable onslaught of anti-Christian beliefs.
Blessings,
Pastor John
Coram Deo