Cetera is an avid reader and friend of the Tree House, and an occasional commenter. He currently resides in Wyoming, having given up on Colorado after 10 years and deciding to move his family to a more politically friendly state. What follows is his effort at communicating Truths inspired by his Christian faith and the Spirit.
The End?
All of these things will become clear to each of us in time, if they are not already. Combine what we know with recent events throughout our country and the world, and you see a set of circumstances that may cause you to be fearful. From the pro-abortion demonstrators chanting “Hail Satan!” in opposition to the pro-life demonstrators singing “Amazing Grace” to the lack of accountability and lawlessness in our own government and chaos throughout the world, things sure seem dark.
Matthew 24 tells us all these things must come before the end, but that they are not the end. They are the labor pains, and must precede the end. Have faith, keep your courage, cling to your principles, be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord. The love of many will grow cold because of the increase of evildoing, but we who persevere to the end will be saved.
These things we see daily now are nothing new. These may be the end times, and they may not. People have believed they are living in the end times for generations out of mind, and one day one of the generations will be correct. If we are living in end times, then we may be very blessed. If not, then we have our work cut out for us.
Regardless, should we win the day, we must remember these principles, these Truths, that have been revealed to us. Should we win the day, it will only be because we have changed the culture of our country. Victory will not come from trying to defeat corruption via legislation. Victory will not come from electing someone who will finally stand up for us and our rights. Victory will not come from a strongman we can support, who will finally fix the ills of our society and set things back on track.
Our Constitution and Republic are fit only for a moral people, and for no other. We must work to bring the light of the Truth back into our culture. To legislate morality and to try and force people to be charitable, loving, and forgiving is to be as wrong as those who would remove the choice from us. Corruption and lawlessness are the fruits of the rotten tree of our culture, not the cause.
It will not be easy to correct the issues we have as a people, as a nation, or as a society. It took many years for the leftists to march through our institutions and slowly and methodically remove the intellectual and spiritual infrastructure developed by the Western world and Judeo-Christian morality and teachings. That foundation will take a long time to repair. With any luck, the current and coming crises will provide additional impetus and incentive for the populace to turn things around. There have never been as many awake to the Truth, and understanding this battle and the stakes, as there are today. More are waking up every day.
This, then, is your duty, should you choose to accept it. We take the field, down by six, 98 yards to go, five minutes left on the clock, and we don’t have John Elway as our quarterback. We have you, me, Sundance, and a cast of others, most without any experience. The field is dark, and foggy. We can’t see the sidelines, and have no guidance from our coach. We can’t see the endzone, can’t see the goalposts, can’t see the crowd. Yet, by God, we are going to march.
The storm will swirl about us, and break upon us, and darkness obscure everything. We can’t go backwards. Our backs are already at our own end zone. Giving up and surrendering does us no good. Go forward? It’s the only thing to do.
Remember the observations of Samwise:
“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tower high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
I ask each of you to make an act of the will, every day. Be completely committed to whatever it is you are doing. Do it with your entire being. It is hard. I’ve been trying for a long time now, and it is a struggle to even remember to attempt to do it. However, when you succeed, you will understand the power that is there. That faith the size of a mustard seed can truly move mountains, because of an act of will. Practice, practice, practice!
OK, check, it is going to be a long, rough row to hoe.
OK, check, we need to love, forgive, and be charitable.
Make love, charity, and forgiveness acts of the will, not just feelings; do them with your entire being.
How does this help now, or later?
We cannot win this fight alone. We cannot win this fight at the ballot box. We cannot win this fight with the soap box. If it ever comes to relying on the ammo box, we’ve already lost, and will be left only to survive and rebuild. So what do we do?
We convert the people. We must transform the culture, and turn our society back to these principles, these acts of will. Yeah, I know, we’ve talked until there is nothing more to say. No one listens.
A Colorado friend shared this thought, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.”
The acts of will that you will be practicing, and performing will change your life. They will transform your life, and they will begin to have an effect on those around you. Take a page from the progressive playbook: think globally but act locally. Hold to these principles. You will become an instrument of Light and Truth in the world, reflecting God’s light. You will become a conduit for Love as an Act of Will, and it will make drastic changes to our society. You will become a beacon of light in the darkness. Darkness cannot stand against the light, and it will be vanquished.
Also, never forget that when asked, “What Would Jesus Do?,” there is a non-zero chance the answer is to grab a whip, overturn tables, and yell and scream and carry on and drive the evil folk from our midst, using physical violence.
Wolverines, always strive to do the right thing.
Be courageous, be just, be merciful, be forgiving.
Fight with ferocity when needed, and be gracious and humble in victory.
In defeat, remember to be the Remnant, to hold on to and shepherd these truths and these principles for when they will again be needed and called for.
Never give up, never surrender!
Be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!
“Freedom of men under government is to have a standing rule to live by, common to every one of that society, and made by the legislative power vested in it; a liberty to follow my own will in all things, when the rule prescribes not, and not to be subject to the inconstant, unknown, arbtrary will of another man.”
–John Locke
Lord, help us to remember the things you have taught us. Help us to be of clear mind and sound judgment. And have mercy upon us poor sinners.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Previous posts in the series….
First Principles, Part I : Why are we here? What is our Purpose?
First Principles, Part II : Love and Acts of the Will
First Principles, Part III: Charity
First Principles, Part IV: Leftism’s Disorder is Satan’s Plan