Be on the alert!

1 Peter 5:8 "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world." I have been very troubled by the attacks on Christian values recently. Obama is moving quickly to enhance "abortion rights" in our country, by reversing the Mexico City Policy, and also by proposing a law to make it illegal for doctors to refuse to perform abortions on grounds of conscience. My uncle, Jerry Jenkins, recently posted a link to an excerpt from "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC. It was very apparent from media coverage of the election that there is a concerted attack against conservative values on the part of the media. But I didn't know it had gone this far. Click here to view the link (and prepare to be disturbed): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#29437911 I believe that the values being put forth by our president and the media are not the values of the majority of Americans. I believe it would be wrong for us to stand by and not speak up, thereby tacitly agreeing with the ideas of those in power. In eight years, we may not recognize our country. In this vein, I would ask you to visit http://www.parentalrights.org/. There you can sign a petition to support a constitutional amendment to secure the rights of parents to raise their children according to their values. This is in response to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which seeks to increase government control over children without regard to the parents' wishes. Ultimately, if the U.S. signs this convention (which Clinton tried to do in 1995), we could see a restriction on our ability to discipline our children, homeschool them, and take them to church. Read below some excerpts from the Parental Rights Amendment website: "Today the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is approaching a possible ratification by the United States Senate. This treaty, as harmless as it may appear, is capable of attacking the very core of the child-parent relationship, removing parents from their central role in the growth and development of a child, and replacing them with the long arm of government supervision within the home. " "According to Geraldine van Bueren, an international scholar who assisted in the drafting of the CRC, the language of "best interests provides decision and policy makers with the authority to substitute their own decisions for either the child's or the parents', providing it is based on considerations of the best interests of the child."[1] Instead of placing the burden of proof on the government to prove that a parent is unfit, the Convention places the burden of proof on those who claim that other interests are more important than the state's characterization of the "best interest" of the child. " Our country was founded by Christian men who put in place structures for us to use in making our voices heard. I urge you to stay aware of the attacks on Christian values and do what you can to oppose them. However, we need to guard against becoming wrapped up in what is happening. At church this week, our elder Terry Phillips talked about the need to be careful as Christians to not get too hung up on "our rights" as Christians within our government. We should anticipate struggles and suffering if we stand up for Christ. In the same chapter of 1 Peter as the verse I quoted above, Peter says, "Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you...And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen." The most important thing we can do is pray!