Who Wants to be a Part of That Firing Squad?

I find it somewhat ironic today that two of the biggest headlines are the impending executions of several people in Indonesia and the Supreme Court of the United States and their decision on same-sex marriage. In the case in Indonesia, the prisoners were to be executed by firing squad. If you are not familiar with how a firing squad operates, the prisoner’s hands and feet are bound and they are blindfolded and tied to a pole. The firing squad consists of several officers with guns. Some of the guns have live ammunition and some of the guns have blank rounds. The premise is that no one wants the responsibility of carrying the weight of being the one that fires the deadly bullet. You can imagine how this could weigh on a person in a place where executions like this are commonplace. 

As news reports filtered out earlier today, it appears the justices are divided (more than some presumably thought they would be) on the same-sex marriage issue. The decision they are making today centers around the definition of marriage and whether the decision to authorize or ban gay marriage should be left to voters in individual states or decided by the judicial system. It is a tough decision and is much like being the one holding the gun on the firing squad, however, only slightly larger. This time the person you are taking aim at is God Himself. I am not sure I would want to be the one who says, “Fine, if people want to get married to someone of the same sex, then let them. Their sin is no greater than my sin. God can still forgive, redeem and restore them.” I would not want to be the one who changes His concept of man, woman and multiplication, as well as be the stumbling block for a person, a generation and a nation. Like Roe v. Wade, it is difficult to take back what you allow and look at the devastation that ruling has caused for our country. Can you imagine the devastation that will take place if our country still exists in forty years if the definition is nationally changed? Who wants that responsibility?

Sometime after President Obama was elected, one of my dear friends shared with me a word his daughter received regarding President Obama’s election and term. The word is dated October 22, 2008 – just prior to the 2008 elections. I recently reread this word and it caused me great pause. So much has taken place in this country in the past six and half years. President Obama’s original platform for his 2008 campaign was “Change.” I can unequivocally say this country has seen much change since his first election. The prophetic words regarding his re-election and the current state of ISIS, Iran and Israel, as well as the complacency of American leaders is something that should cause us to fall to our knees in prayer.

As I watched the news of out of Baltimore this morning, the word “lawlessness” came to mind and this scripture, "And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of His mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming" (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 NLT).
 
May the secret things the Lord is revealing sink into our hearts so that we may cry out “at the appointed time” (see Karee’s word) so His Kingdom may be established.