Here is Pastor Robert Dickie's second message on America's Culture War. An incredibly challenging message for both men and women to follow our convictions over conveniences. As John F. Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - Ask what you can do for your country." August 9th happened because I genuinely believed the Team leadership principles will help restore America's greatness. We must reach millions of people and I lost the belief that we could grow to millions of people in Quixtar/Amway. God Bless, Orrin Woodward
Last week I spoke of the great culture war that we are facing as Americans. I called it “The Gathering Storm.” Actually, the storm has already hit us with all its fury and passion. At times in history when things are bleak, it is important for people to be culturally aware of the dangers they face and the need for action. This is one such time.
It does not do us any good to hide our heads in the sand and pretend that there is nothing to worry about. We should not be afraid to look at the present circumstances, to assess them, and to face them head on. If we do not stand up for what is right, if we do not wrestle with the problems in front of us, if we do not take responsibility for our future, then who will? Many years ago an American patriot named Patrick Henry understood this. He challenged the people of his day who were facing their own “gathering storm” to stand up to the situation with boldness and courage. Patrick Henry said, “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" Samuel Adams was even more piercing with his comments concerning the need for action as the threat of war loomed on the horizon for the American Colonies, Adams said, “If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." Times of crisis demand leaders with vision and with courage to act. My dear friends such a time is upon us again.
Having said this, let me encourage all of you by the hope that burns in my heart. I believe that the victory is ours. I am an optimist. I don’t know how dark the days may become, or how deep the shadows will be cast. But I do know and have burning in my heart the hope that the victory will be on the side of truth and righteousness. This hope is fueled by my Christian faith that teaches me that God is sovereign over history. As long as God is on the throne, His will, His kingdom, and His purposes will not be defeated. Here are some verses from the Scriptures that emphasize this great hope.
· Psalm 22:27, “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.”
· Psalm 72:8, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.”
· Isaiah 2:2, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.”
· Isaiah 11:9, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
· Habakkuk 2:14, “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
· Matthew 8:11, “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.”
· Luke 13:18-19, “Then said he, Unto what is the
We should not forget that history is in the hands of God. But this does not mean we do not have a responsibility to take action to trust the Lord to enable us to fight the enemies that seek to pollute our culture, unravel our moral foundations, or destroy our country. If concerned Americans, armed with love, hope, and confidence in truth and justice take action, there is no telling what great things can be accomplished. History is full of examples of how a dedicated minority changed history and shaped the destinies of nations, sometimes for good or for evil. This is a time for action. This is a time for good men to rise to the occasion to pray, educate, vote, and to influence as many as they can.
Years ago I read a testimony from a communist that spoke of his passion to the communist cause. This testimony was published in a training manual by Campus Crusade for Christ. It said, “We Communists don’t have the time or the money for many movies or concerts or T-bone steaks or decent homes or new cars. We’ve been described as fanatics. We are fanatics. Our lives are dominated by one great overshadowing factor—the struggle for world Communism. We Communists have a philosophy of life, which no amount of money could buy. We have a cause to fight for, a definite purpose in life. We subordinate our petty, personal selves into a great movement of humanity, and if our personal lives seem hard or our egos appear to suffer through subordination to the Party, then we are adequately compensated by the thought that each of us in his small way is contributing to something new and true and better for mankind. There is one thing in which I am dead in earnest about, and that is the Communist cause. It is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife, and my mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it in the day time and dream of it at night. Its hold grows on me, not lessens, as time goes on. Therefore I cannot carry on a friendship, a love affair, or even a conversation without relating it to this force which both drives and guides my life. I evaluate people, books, ideas, and actions according to how they affect the Communist cause and by their attitude toward it. I’ve already been in jail because of my ideas and, if necessary, I’m ready to go before a firing squad.” Although we do not agree with Communism, this is the kind of courage that we need today as we are fighting our own battle and culture war. Courage and dedication like this is what changes the tide of history and enables a dedicated minority of American patriots to impact history.
The apostle John tells us in the Bible (I John 4:4) that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” John wanted his readers to understand that with God in their hearts and truth on their side, the people had nothing to fear. A story is told to us in the Bible that is so encouraging at this point. We all have a tendency, at times, to look at the desperate situations that we often face and then sink into despair as if there is nothing we can do. But this is never the right response. In II Kings chapter 6, a story is told how the enemies came to arrest the great prophet Elisha. The prophet’s servant went outside and saw that they were completely surrounded by the enemy chariots and horsemen. The servant went back inside with great concern and said to his master, “What shall we do? We are completely surrounded?” And the prophet Elisha said, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” Then Elisha prayed that the Lord would open the eyes of his servant. When his eyes were opened, he saw that the hills were filled with the angelic hosts. My dear friends, remember that God is still on His throne. We have nothing to fear but our own disobedience and failure to stand for the principles of justice and truth. Someone once said, “Truth is the proper antagonist to error.” Truth is the weapon that we must use to combat the philosophical enemies that we face today. And I believe we shall prevail!
I can tell you what I think we need today to fight and to win this culture war. We need several things.
1. We need men who have influence. (Influence comes from
character, conviction, principle, and passion.)
2. We need men who are manly. (Manly men are men who spiritual,
understanding, approachable, tender, self-controlled, but men who
are tough, tenacious, and determined to do what is right no matter
what the cost.)
3. We need men who understand and obey the Creation Mandate.
(This includes being fruitful, having children and shaping those
children to be productive leaders and citizens in society, and
having an influence over every area of life.)
4. We need men who are leaders and readers. (The Team is a vehicle
that can provide the instruction and the material for the
development of the next generation of leaders that this nation so
desperately needs.)
5. We need men with courage. (Courage is birthed out of the womb of example. With great heroes before us and with the moving examples of the courage of others, we beget courage from courage. The Team enables men to develop courage by simply looking at our leaders like Orrin Woodward and those men that he has gathered around him.)
The problem today is not so much that we are suffering from male dominance in our society, but rather we are suffering from male disappearance. The vanishing man and the disappearing father is helping the cultural slide that we are facing. To win the culture war, we need among other things, to call the men back home to their families, to their wives, and to their responsibilities.
I believe we are going to win the culture war. It will not be easy. But we do have a vehicle—the Team, and we do have great leaders to follow, Orrin Woodward and that great band of men and women who are with him, whose hearts God has touched. What is now needed is the willingness to get into the fight, no matter how long or difficult, and stay the course until the victory is won.
“These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated. This was written by Thomas Paine. And Thomas Jefferson also said, “Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous
