The censors engaged in the "cancel culture" movement have taken it upon themselves to rid this nation of any memory of those who lived before us because they were either' oppressors", or "fascists", or had engaged in "white privilege", or some other reason they personally do not like or find "offensive". Statues of noted statemen, soldiers, explorers, and other officials are being conveniently removed from view and from memory. They are in the process of deliberately erasing our history and with it, the lives and words of men and women who helped to shape our nation, for better or worse. As a former history teacher, this infuriates me. One act of politically correct cowardice recently happened in New Orleans, the city I called home for fifteen years.
In the downtown area there was a statue of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee that had stood silently upon a high pedestal for over 105 years. It was one of the symbols of the city and a memorial to a man who was a former slaveowner and a Christian gentleman who worshipped side by side with the newly freed slaves after the Civil War. He edified culture, class, manners, and was rewarded with the presidency of a college. His strategies and concern for the welfare of his men in Confederate (Southern) grey brought him many victories. He personally took the blame for the tremendous loss incurred at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 which ended in huge losses of life for Northern and Southern soldiers. The battle changed the course of the Civil War. Southern forces were at a tremendous disadvantage and inevitable loss. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered his forces to General Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, ending the Civil War.
General Lee was a hero to the South for generations, but now he tends to "offend" those who have a warped view of him and are ignorant of the nation's history as well. The former mayor of New Orleans, whom I will not name as he deserves no publicity, took it upon himself and the city council not to address problems such as crime, street repair, budgets, tourism, or rebuilding the business structure of a post-Katrina era, but instead decided to spend thousands of dollars removing Lee's statue from its pedestal in the middle of the night, to be stored in a warehouse somewhere in the vicinity. Apparently after over a hundred years in a city that was known for tolerance and good times, this statue was now considered some sort of disgrace while other cities were in flames and looking the other way.
I present this background information to order to inform this current "entitled" generation that people lived and functioned quite well without social media or cell phones. History did not start with their "self-awareness" or "trigger warnings". Historical figures had faults and shortcomings, but many possessed a nobility and character that is sorely missing today. I want to present a chapter in the great General's life that is the basis for this message. In early 1870, Lee was at the point of death and about to tell his family and friends his goodbye after a lifetime of service to both the U.S. and the former Confederate government. Ever the soldier, his final words were an order, "Strike the tents!". This was the order for troops to pack their gear, fall in rank, and move on to the next theater of operations. It fits so well with the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:1, where he compares our present bodies to tents that will soon be put away, and we will march to a new place, specifically heaven and the eternal blessed presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
However long you have served the Lord Jesus in the occupation or area of service in which He had placed you, the time will come for you to "strike the tent", and leave behind the battles, heartaches, struggles, difficulties, and all the troubles this fallen world has thrown at you like weapons in a war that might have seemed to never end nor called for a truce. Either through the "Blessed Hope" of the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-18), or go the way of all flesh, we are heading to the place where we will be with Jesus and our saved loved ones for all eternity, freed from the curse of sin, the evil schemes of the devil and his minions, disease, and the trials we endured as good soldiers of the King.
We will be in a place where there will be no more sea, sorrow, crying, pain, curse, night, or death (Rev.21:1,4, 22:3,5). Death will be forever vanquished (Isaiah 25:8; Hosea 13:14; 1 Cor.15:24, 54; 2 Tim. 1:10; Hebrews 2:14; Rev. 20:14, 21:4). The saints of God, will be glorified (Matt.13;43; Luke 9:51; Romans 8:17; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 3:4; 1 Peter 5:1; Rev. 7:9, 14:1, 22:5). The most wonderful thing about the future life is that we will be with Jesus for eternity (Luke 23:43; John 12:26, 14:1-3, 17:24; 2 Cor. 5:6; Philippians 1:23; 1 Thess. 4:17). We will be rewarded for the service we rendered to the LORD (Matt. 10:42, 25:23, 34; Mark 9:41; Luke 6:35, 19:24; John 4:36; Ephesians 6:8). We will have rest from our labors (Matt. 5;12; Romans 8:17; 2 Tim.2:12; Hebrews 11:26) and be awarded crowns for service (1 Cor. 9:25; 2 Tim.4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev.2:10) which we will then lay at the feet of the Lord Jesus (Rev.4:10).
The late pastor Dr. E.V. Hill, in his sermon, "What Do You Have When You Have Jesus?" described an encounter between himself and a woman who was a radical follower of the Black Panthers in the late 1970's. She threw out several objections, questions, and concerns before Dr. Hill asking what Jesus would do for her if she came to Him for the salvation talked about in Scripture. He responded with not just Scripture, but his own testimony of being reared in abject poverty in the segregated South of the 1930's -1950's and had the prayers of his foster mother and his own determination to follow God's leading. He testified how the LORD spared his life, aided him in his difficulties, and gave him the power to preach the Word. After he asked her if she would come to Christ after presenting his message, he then told her, as I am telling those of you reading this message and have been scarred, hurt, and broken by the harshness of this life and the deviancy in which it operates, bring Jesus your wounded heart, let Him take your burdens and give to you the peace that the world cannot give nor take away. Bring your weariness and tears before His feet and let Him wipe away your tears now and for always. Your tent is breaking apart, regardless of how old or healthy you are, and you have no guarantee of tomorrow (2 Cor. 6:2; Hebrews 9:27; James 4:17). Don't waste your life or neglect your soul. The day will come when the tent you call your body will be struck, and you will march off to a new reality for all eternity. Please let that journey start at the cross of Christ. Repent of your sins and surrender your life to Him today.
donaldwhitchard@outlook.com
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