The National Day of Prayer is coming up in a few weeks, and a school board is apologizing that the true God was referred to and the name of Jesus was mentioned. Also, Joe Biden hosted the Easter Bunny at the White House, has an egg hunt, and ignored Christians by refusing to acknowledge God.
But Franklin Graham is calling on Americans to repent and turn back to God. I’m David Fiorazo and this is Christ and Culture.
Here’s yet another example of the hyper-sensitivity we’ve seen when it comes to offending anyone except those who adhere to the biblical worldview. Just over a week ago, a large number of Muslims gathered in Times Square in New York City to pray and celebrate Ramadan.
But after a Florida school board decided to commemorate the National Day of Prayer coming up Thursday May 5, Miami-Dade County schools caused a controversy when one member of the board had the audacity – in America – to make an exclusive claim, stating that Jesus Christ is the true God.
Board member Christi Fraga, who introduced the resolution, said its purpose was to unite people of all faiths and encourage those who want to get together and pray to do so. Dozens of members of the community attended the school board’s meeting and spoke in favor of the resolution.
Board member Lubby Navarro shared about the power of prayer helping her through a difficult time last year when her daughter was in a coma. She said by having schools recognize the National Day of Prayer, students and administrators going through hard times might be encouraged to pray and seek the Lord’s help.
But when Navarro referred to God as creator and said that is Jesus Christ, some were offended. The bible states that believers have redemption through Jesus, the forgiveness of our sins, and adds:
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible or invisible… Colossians 1:16
A 17-year-old Muslim student was offended and told the Miami Herald “the whole discussion was disheartening.” But I actually agree with what she said next:
“The fact that they just said we could all just pray together was ignorant. We all pray differently, so it’s not practical to just assume we can all come together and pray.”
Let’s face it, we pray to the only living God. Others pray to false gods and idols. Some pray to inanimate objects, others pray to dead people.
Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord and God. If the resurrection is true and Jesus is who He said and taught that He is, then the tomb is still empty and He is alive.
At least one Miami-Dade Schools parent was also offended by the mention of Jesus. Carrie Feit, an attorney who is Jewish, said hearing a board member evoke Jesus’ name made her feel excluded and in her words, “invisible.”
Naturally, she had no problem with uniting people of all faith backgrounds, but said the “final point that was put on it” was upsetting.
I get it. The overwhelming evidence for the resurrection of Jesus demands a verdict. The eye-witness testimonies, the archaeological discoveries, Greek and Jewish historians through the centuries.
A decision must be made by every person. Believe Him or reject the truth.
Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies, said His kingdom was not of this world, appeared to hundreds after rising from the dead, spoke of His return, said that He and the Father are One, and declared,
“I am the way the truth and the life…(John 14:6)”
So the school board chair emphasized the world “Co-Exist” philosophy of religious pluralism and said the vote to recognize the National Day of Prayer shows “a sensitivity toward all groups, all religions, all creeds, all colors, all races, all people, all children.”
Because we have rejected the God of Scripture and allowed practically anything else, Franklin Graham warns about God’s judgment and states: https://decisionmagazine.com/franklin-graham-calls-on-the-nation-to-turn-back-to-god/
“Our educators have taken God out of schools. Our politicians have taken God out of politics; “All of this trash and all of this filth that the left is pushing on our students—that can be turned around if Christian men and women ran for school boards.”
“Our entertainment industry pushes violence. It pushes sex. …The only answer, Franklin says, is to turn back to God and embrace Him and His Word.”
So pray, yes, but make sure you believe in and are praying to the one true God. In the Book of Colossians, the Apostle Paul wrote:
…that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; Colossians 1:3-5, 9-10
