Brothers and Sisters

Oh, the indignity.

Yesterday, the governor of Alabama really stuck his foot in it.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his brothers and sisters, shocking some critics who questioned Tuesday whether he can be fair to non-Christians.

"Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother," Bentley said Monday, his inauguration day, according to The Birmingham News.

Of course, everyone is shocked. Well, so am I. Someone had the grace and the strength to simply say what they feel. One can't do that much anymore, unless one is a non-believer.

Isaiah wrote something of what the love of God is about. In the 26th chapter of his prophecy, he said, "Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you. O Lord our God, others have ruled us,
but you alone are the one we worship. Those we served before are dead and gone. Their departed spirits will never return! You attacked them and destroyed them, and they are long forgotten. O Lord, you have made our nation great; Yes, you have made us great. You have extended our borders, and we give you the glory!"

God has extended our borders, from sea to shining sea, and to him be the glory. Seems simply and innocent enough. The gov was merely saying something similar. The gov was saying Jesus has done so much for him that the gov loves his brothers and sisters in Christ and wants everyone to feel the same. But that's not acceptable in this country. One can, by constitutional law they tell us, have a personal faith but do not let it escape your mouth.

That, however, is in direct conflict with the Great Commission.

But in the closing moments of Isaiah 26, there is prophecy that is greater than all of us, all our petty disagreements and secular moments.

Isaiah wrote, "But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead! Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed. Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see."

All the naysayers that call Christians stupid will one day be made aware. All those shocked that we would unselfishly try to give them what was given to us will be made to see. All the Bill Mahers of the world, who claim the Bible is rubbish, will be laid low.

Thus saith the Lord in Isaiah.