However, one of these books has so remarkably and completely captured my heart that words simply can’t begin to touch the depths of my soul with which it resonates. This book is a biography written by Eric Mataxas and titled simply Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy. In the vastness of the universe, supposedly so interconnected through the miracle that is modern technology, I have somehow managed to identify with a dead man in a manner that I’ve not connected to a living person in quite some time.

I know. That’s odd. Strange. Peculiar. Call it what you will, but it is the truth.

Here on page 121, as the Nazis have just come to power in Germany, this attentive, astute young theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, is starting to see the handwriting on the wall. Mataxas writes:

Bonhoeffer wrote . . . . ‘the outlook is really exceptionally grim.’ He felt that they were ‘standing at a tremendous turning point in world history,’ that something was about to happen. But what? In his prescient way, Bonhoeffer sensed that whatever lay ahead, the church would be threatened. He wondered if it would survive at all. ‘Then what’s the use of everyone’s theology?’ he asked. There were now an urgency and a seriousness to Bonhoeffer that had not been there before. Somehow he sensed he must warn people of what lay ahead. It was as if he could see that a mighty oak tree, in whose shade families were picnicking, and from whose branches children were swinging, was rotten inside, was about to fall down and kill them all. Others observed the change in him. For one thing, his sermons became more severe.

I certainly can’t begin to put myself in a category with someone of this exceptional character, caliber, and courage. However, there’s a change in me too . . . an urgency, a seriousness, that even though there before, has become more pronounced in light of our nation’s dismal and dangerous state of being. And the sad thing is, at least from my perspective, that no one really cares to hear the alarm.

“Just hit the snooze button,” they might as well say.

“Don’t annoy us with the facts.” “It’s all going to work out.” “How do you like my pedicure?” “When this CD matures, I’m gonna . . . .”

Enough already!

Those are the voices that play over and over in my head as I observe men and women going about their daily business with seemingly no care in the world. Denial must be a wonderful place of escape. I wouldn’t know. For some reason that only God knows, He has shaped me to care . . . to contemplate . . . to cry out in honest desperation to any who might listen. Most of all though, I cry out to Him, for I know He cares for me.

He cares for you too. And He wants you to love Him as much as He loves you!

Things are not OK on planet earth. I believe the end of all things is at hand. I don’t know if that’s weeks or months or many years away. But God is working out His purposes in all things.

Fortunately Jesus had quite a bit to say about dark days — the ones that saw Bonhoeffer exterminated, and the ones that we may well face someday:

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:9-14, NIV)

Oh, that the church in America would rise up — but not before we fall down.

On our knees.

With humility.

In quiet desperation.

And seek His face.

And turn from our wicked ways.

We need believers in this land to stop going to church to be entertained and instead get serious about sharing His love and His message with the world  — while there’s still time. We need ministers of the gospel to cease tickling the itching ears of milk-guzzling congregations and find a new seriousness with which to feed spiritually hungry people the meat of God’s Word. Oh, that the sermons of our lives would get more severe!

Nothing lasts forever on this earth. The window of opportunity to share freely and boldly the Good News of Jesus Christ is beginning to close in our country. Like Bonhoeffer, I wonder how the church will respond to the coming persecution. Like Bonhoeffer, I struggle to comprehend how so many could turn a blind eye to evil and feel that prayer alone will be sufficient to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Like Bonhoeffer, I play host to thoughts I’d rather not consider.

It’s in these moments that the grace of Jesus Christ washes over me, reminding again and again that though we’ll lose some battles along the way, the victory ultimately belongs to Him.

To Him alone be the glory now and forever!

Despite any imperfections, my family did manage to teach me strong Judeo-Christian values, including strength of character, the importance of personal responsibility, and self-respect. Our American culture is spiraling out of control because we have been coaxed and cajoled by the media elite (who clearly didn’t have perfect families either) to believe that in order to be respected, our country must roll out the ‘welcome’ mat and be stomped on by those who simply do not share traditional American values.

Christians are increasingly under attack even in America. Atheists partner with liberal lawyers to challenge Christians’ right to pray to a God that the atheist doesn’t even believe exists. Churches are increasingly, though for the most part subtly(for the time being), pressured to not speak out on issues of moral right and wrong. In fact, the notion of ‘absolute truth’ has become nearly as offensive as a swear word, even among many believers.

Now New York City is moving ahead with plans to allow for a new Islamic mosque to be erected at Ground Zero — the very place where radical Islamic jihadists would snuff out the lives of nearly 3000 people not even ten years ago. The mayor of NYC doesn’t seem to understand what’s wrong with this picture because, after all, NYC is a place that prides itself on its colorful mosaic of diversity and multiculturalism.

Rodney King is perhaps best known for that whiny phrase, “Can’t we all get along here?”

Well, in a nutshell the answer is no — at least not if we intend to live with some measure of dignity and self-respect.

Muslims and Christians are diametrically opposed people groups. Christians pride themselves on loving God and loving each other. However, love does not equate with giving others carte blanche to do whatever makes them feel most comfortable. Several weeks ago I wrote a piece about America’s only hope — which essentially is prayer and humble repentance to a God that I feel we have forsaken as a nation. A second leg of that hope is based on the willingness of Christians in America to rise to the occasion and be a force for good — which includes fighting for our First Amendment rights.

Only in America would a religious group expect to throw up a place of worship in a location that is clearly enshrined in the hearts of millions. Especially when you consider that most Muslim people would never endorse a Christian place of worship being built in their homeland. I happen to have a number of liberal friends, with whom I frequently but respectfully disagree. However, what my liberal friends seem to not know is that jihadists are encouraged, if not expected, to erect places of worship at geographic points of conquest. And even if the peace-loving Muslims in America wouldn’t see a Ground Zero mosque as such a trophy, their hateful counterparts certainly would. Why in the world would we ever want to allow them such an in-your-face-arrogant prize?

I’m all for Christians being loving and as peaceful as possible. However, when our stalwart defense of others’ right to free speech and expression begins to result in the squelching of the same rights for us, then it’s time to change the strategy. When such rights become diminished for us as Christians, then our window of opportunity to reach the world becomes much more narrow.

The saddest thing perhaps is that most people who call themselves Christians are not really doing much even now to make an eternal difference with the message we supposedly cherish. The quest to be ‘politically correct’ in a world that clearly isn’t will ultimately reveal that Christians in America are among the stingiest of all people, effectively hoarding the Good News rather than generously proclaiming it while there is still time.

That would be not only inane; it would be utterly unconscionable — and blatantly indefensible before a holy God who gave us the most lavish gift of all, His only Son.

Father God, make us bold witnesses for You wherever we may be. May our words be supported by our actions this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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I’m always interested in hearing from readers. Feel free to comment here, or start a conversation on our Facebook page. Also, check out my new microblog. It’s fun (and hopefully engaging).

My writing is a source of personal therapy for me — as well as ministry and hopefully encouragement to those who read faithfully or just happen to stop by on occasion. Your support and feedback is often expressed privately through emails or Facebook messages, which is just fine with me. However, for the past year or so a handful of persistent ‘fans’ (wow, I really hate that word in this context) have encouraged me to take this site to a different level.

Well, today I’m venturing into a new place, looking to horizons unknown — but believing that God has placed me in this role for such a time as this. As a man deeply passionate about Jesus Christ and profoundly loyal to this place called America, that God has blessed from generation to generation — I am stepping up to be part of the solution to what is wrong in our nation.

With church attendance steadily dropping across denominations, and moral decay exposing the ugly roots of deeper spiritual problems, I am going with my gut and kicking into high gear that long-held notion of mine, that one person really can make a difference. The fact of the matter is that if our country truly does want to experience the continued blessings of God, then we must as individuals fall on our faces in humility, repent of our sins, and plead for God’s hand of blessing on our nation.

As you might imagine, I have been called everything from a ‘right-wing kook’ to a ‘religious nut.’ And quite frankly, you can’t stay in ministry as long as I have if your skin is thin. The bottom line is that I care far more about my God, and far more about my country, than I care about the wide assortment of labels that may be used to characterize my actions.

As Christians, I believe the time is now to rise up and be counted. With ever-increasing rules, regulations, and laws being made in spite of our Constitution, this ‘land of the free’ is seeming less so all the time. I believe in a sovereign God who remains in control of all things and surprised by nothing. However, I also believe that with freedom comes great responsibility.

Those who would seek to destroy our great nation will achieve their goals through several key ways: (1) increasing government control and decreasing personal liberty; (2) decreasing and/or censoring news and public information; (3) weakening national security; (4) violating the separation of church and state by bowing to the gods of hedonism and political correctness; and (5) diminishing the exceptionalism that for more than 200 years has made America a beacon of light in a dark world.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to bow to those who have done nothing to deserve respect. The very future of our nation is at stake, and for the sake of my children, I will not allow her to go down without a hard-fought campaign. There’s a line in the popular Lee Greenwood song, God Bless the USA, that I’ve never really liked. It says, ” ’cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that away.”

Don’t be fooled by the emotions evoked by this patriotic selection. Yes, they can. And yes, they will take our freedom away – that is, if enough good men and women don’t band together to stop the evil that is all around us. I happen to believe that within each of us lies the potential to do great good.

Today I invite you to join me in standing up for America. The battle will be long. The mission will be treacherous. But the victory will be sweet. It will not be won through a revolution; it will be won through a spiritual revival in the hearts and lives of God’s people.

Of course, I am well aware of the risks associated with taking such a hard stand. I will face criticism from some of my friends, some of my family members — even some of the ones in my own church. There are, in fact, many people I respect a great deal who believe differently than I do. All I can tell you is that when I look at the situation in our country, I can clearly see that we are at a critical point that goes far beyond the left- and right-wing arguments from ten and twenty years ago. This is not about Democrats or Republicans or partisanship at all. This is about an all-out war on the heritage and Judeo-Christian values on which this country was built. And having weighed my options, I believe the benefits will far outweigh any risks to my reputation and my ministry.

With great respect, I ask you to join the fight for freedom today. If you’re like me, then you likely have a job, a family, and a very full plate. That being the case, you are probably not able to invest countless hours fighting for the causes you believe in. To assist you in this effort, I have set-up a very simple page on this site where you can ‘Get Involved’ and show the naysayers once and for all that one person can make a difference!

If not you, then who? If not now, then when?

Don’t settle for the passivist mentality. Don’t deny personal responsibility in the name of the sovereignty of God. Throughout Scripture, God most often answered the prayers of His people with His people. There is absolutely no reason to believe His method is any different at this point in time.

Yes, friends, it is possible to love both God and country. This is how. The time is now.

I will continue to use this site as a source of encouragement, inspiration, and insights on many different topics related to Christian life and leadership. I hope you will be a part of my ‘virtual family’ through your comments and personal thoughts. It is always a blessing to hear from readers.

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What do you think? Join the discussion on our Facebook page. See more from Prager about the greatest single threat to our nation by clicking here.

And while I personally enjoyed the distraction, I must admit that it will take more than fireworks and franks to get my mind off these colossal issues that threaten to choke the very life from our republic should a sharp and effective course correction not be made — and soon.

If you read this blog often, then you know that I am a huge advocate for personal responsibility. In contrast to the philosophies opined in the news media, pointing fingers and assigning blame is truly of little help. That’s where the church comes in.

You see, I believe that Christians have a responsibility to do something phenomenal in today’s American society — something that could radically transform the face of the Church as we know it. And yes, I understand that few facets of our economy have been so hard-hit financially as churches and non-profit organizations. When the budget gets squeezed at home, those expenses are among the first deemed ‘discretionary’ — like it or not. Just yesterday I was contacted by yet another ministry colleague whose staff position will be eliminated at the end of the year.

As a realist and a pragmatist, I struggle with optimism. I’m a pretty black-and-white kind of guy. I’m fine with calling a spade a spade, although I probably won’t waste my time trying to convince those who don’t necessarily see things my way. But here’s what I think: I believe that the church in 21st century America has the potential to transform society in ways not seen since the days of the early church, as described in the book of Acts.

As states follow the nation’s lead and assume higher and higher levels of debt, vital services will be significantly reduced, if not eliminated altogether. These services include healthcare, counseling, education, and childcare. And there are ways for the Church to step up to the plate and assume responsibility for filling in the gaps that, quite frankly, it should have been doing all along.

Somewhere along the way, the American Church began to take on the attitude of its typical parishioners. The Church began to believe that its effectiveness was largely dependent upon some of the most superficial things — like state-of-the-art facilities, larger-than-life personalities, highly specialized niche ministries, and entertainment-based programming.

In fact, I would argue that this is still the model of the local church that many so-called pastors, priests, or shepherds would esteem as the pinnacle of success.

They would be wrong. Dead wrong.

As American religious life evolved, many of the seeker-sensitive churches of the 80′s and 90′s made a very subtle, in fact, almost indiscernible transition. They moved from seeker-sensitive to consumer-driven. I suppose that once these churches reached ‘seekers,’ then those individuals continued to expect church to be all about them instead of all about Him. Consequently, the landscape of this great nation is now littered with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of churches that don’t know what to do or how to cope when the money goes away and the lights go out.

I have an idea. I think that it’s then that the Church should best be positioned to tell the world, in effect, “It’s showtime!”

It’s time to show the world that this Gospel we preach is real, is relevant, and is right here. It’s time to show the world that the message we carry is not hindered by a weakened economy — not if we’re really passionate about the message in the first place. It’s time to prove once and for all that if a few ordinary fishermen with no formal training and no budgetary funds can reach people for Christ, then so can we!

Will things improve in America? Well, I guess that all depends on how we define improvement. Do I think the economy is going to take off again and let us enjoy the perks and privileges of being a nation of plenty? No, I emphatically do not believe that. We have essentially kicked God out of our schools, our courts, and our public gatherings in order to satisfy the outcries of a few literally misguided souls. Consequently, I think that God is working out His purposes, and our comfort level is of no concern to Him whatsoever.

However, I do believe that the Church is going to see drastic improvement. I think that improvement will center around four major shifts in the life of our local churches, some of which are transitioning even now:

1. Ministry as we know it will look and feel very different than it does in many of our churches today. We will be forced to view our budget in the light of greatly limited resources. The glitz and glamour of entertainment-based programming will be replaced by ministries that meet the very real physical and spiritual needs of people who are discovering what humility really means.

2. Ministry will become increasingly community-based. In fact, many churches will have no building at all.

3. True believers will be identified only after the faux ‘Christians’ fall away. I hate to say it so bluntly, but the churches in this nation are filled with people who will be stunned and amazed to find that their pet project or ministry must take a back-seat to more hands-on and real-world ministry. The sad truth is that our churches will be better off without them, because to the faux ‘Christians,’ it was never ‘all about Him’ in the first place.

4. As God allows our nation to go through this period of change, the Church will be marked by renewed passion, sharper focus, and more intentional ministry. As a result, we will see people won to Christ because of a true spiritual hunger that for so long has been numbed by a steady diet of materialism and pride. Talk about feeding the monster!

Now please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not a prophet, a priest, or a king. These are merely my thoughts and impressions, albeit after a period of prayer and searching. I could be wrong. And I certainly wouldn’t claim to lay out a timetable for all this. Besides, God could hear and answer the prayers of His people and restore this land to a place of wealth and luxury that we could only dream of. But when I think about how He lived among us during His ministry, I don’t think of extraordinary; I think of extra ordinary.

Plain. Simple. Humble.

So, I guess the answer to our prayers is entirely dependent upon what it is we’re praying. Are you praying for God to stem the tide, protect your assets, and keep you comfortable and secure? Or are you praying for God to do whatever it takes to get people’s attention, that they might see Him and believe before it is too late?

The truth is that, according to Scripture, sooner or later everyone is going to confess Him as Lord. My job as a believer is to pray that God will do whatever it takes – and use me as He will – to make sure that as many people as possible confess, “Jesus is Lord” on this side of eternity.

When this life draws to an end, that’s the only thing that will matter anyway.

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On this Independence Day, I offer a few of my favorite quotations:

• Freedom is a possession of inestimable value. – Cicero
     
• If our democracy is to flourish, it must have criticism; if our government is to function it must have dissent. – Henry Commager
       
• True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
      
• Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. – Sir Winston Churchill

• And so, my fellow americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. – John F. Kennedy

• Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin

• I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. – James Madison
       
• On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does. – Will Rogers
       
• In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
         
• The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. – Thomas Jefferson
        
• Americans are a free people, who know that freedom is the right of every person and the future of every nation. The liberty we prize is not America’s gift to the world; it is God’s gift to humanity. – George W. Bush
          
• The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter. - Sir Winston Churchill
        
• There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence and energy of her citizens cannot cure. – Dwight D. Eisenhower
         
• Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. – Ronald Reagan

• A society that puts equality… ahead of freedom will end up with neither.  – Milton Friedman
       
• Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide. - John Adams
        
• The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment. - Robert Maynard Hutchins
       
• Democracy is, first and foremost, a spiritual force, it is built upon a spiritual basis – and on a belief in God and an observance of moral principle. And in the long run only the church can provide that basis. Our founder knew this truth – and we will neglect it at our peril. – Harry S. Truman
        
• I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death. - Patrick Henry

Me too, Patrick. Me too.

Happy birthday, America . . . and best wishes and fervent prayers for many more.

Then they’ll walk out the church doors with heads lifted high, satisfied that they gave God a little time even on a holiday. They’ll head to the grill, the lake, or a favorite place to hang with friends and get ready for the fireworks display that somehow reminds them that America really is the land of the free and home of the brave.

Routine.

Habit.

Tradition.

Call it what you will, but whatever you call it, please realize that in and of itself it is not enough to warrant God’s continued blessing on this nation.

Sure, our seas are still shining, although that light is dimmed by the disastrous oil spill that all the king’s horses and all the king’s men still have not found a way to remedy.

Sure, our purple mountains still provide majestic vistas.

But there’s something increasingly faint in contemporary American culture. That something is faith — a deep abiding faith that paves the way for optimism and good will, two things I believe are essential in order for freedom to prevail.

Some 234 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, something just isn’t the same. The can-do spirit that has helped America emerge as the pre-eminent world leader is harder to find, squelched, it would seem, by the toxic levels of corruption, greed, and moral decay that are merely symptoms of a deeper spiritual blight throughout our nation. Somewhere along the way, in America’s quest to be loved by the world, our country stopped championing the Judeo-Christian values that, in fact, allowed her to be a beacon of freedom and hope to others abroad: you know, the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

Instead we began to believe in ourselves. We began to take pride in our freedom rather than daily expressing gratitude for it. And just as is the case with the parents of ungrateful prodigal children, eventually God lets go and allows His kids to experience their own time in the wilderness.

My fear is that our wilderness journey is just beginning.

If we are to have any chance of again experiencing the blessing of God on our nation, we must acknowledge our sin, confess it before the Father, and pray with humble and contrite hearts. We must be less concerned about offending other people and more concerned about offending God. We must be less impressed with ourselves and more impressed with who He is. We must be less willing to die for our individual rights and more willing to die for Christ, that He might live through us day by day.

I contend that most Americans know woefully little about humility. We buy nice things, whether we can afford them or not, based strictly on our whimsical desires. We regularly eat (and overeat) good food, in turn feeding our garbage disposals a more nutritional diet than 30 percent of the world population. We do all this with a certain expectation of entitlement and a high degree of arrogance.

Yes, with great confidence and profound concern, I can say that as a collective society, we simply don’t understand humility. The problem is that the only way to learn the lessons taught by humility is to become humble — or be made humble.

Of course, it is true that God is fully in control, surprised by nothing. He will cause all things to work together for the good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Rom. 8:28). That’s a promise from His Word. The sad thing is that regardless of how many people indicate belief in God when asked through opinion polls, the measure of a man lies in the way he lives his life. We can’t claim to trust God yet continually war with Him for control.

My prayer this Fourth of July is that we will not merely be called a ‘Christian nation’ based on our words, our history, or our understanding of the founding fathers’ beliefs. My prayer is that we will be known as a ‘nation of Christ-followers’ based on our actions in this present day and our hope for a better tomorrow — all because of Jesus.

As we participate in July Fourth worship services and festivities this weekend, may we acknowledge the One who has allowed us to experience freedom in this land we love. May we give thanks not just with our words but with our actions. May we shine for Christ just as brightly as the fireworks . . . but may our light shine much longer, leaving a legacy of faith that will encourage and embolden those who would follow in our footsteps — and more importantly, in His.

If we are to sing the words of “God Bless America” with any sense of expectation whatsoever, then we must first be willing to bless God.

Humbly.

Consistently.

Completely.

If my people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

Prayer of Repentance

Holy God, may You and You alone receive the glory, honor, and praise that You so richly deserve. Thank you for the freedom we have in Christ — and the freedoms we enjoy as a nation. Forgive our sinfulness. Forgive our folly. Forgive our pride. Help us to turn from our wickedness, and help us not cooperate with evil.  Teach us Your ways, and help us to walk in Your truth — boldly, passionately, humbly — until we see You face to face. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For many of us, the price of freedom has come at great cost to our families. While I have not lost any immediate family members through military service, I have worked with those who have not been so fortunate.

I have worked closely with a number of military families during times of great emotional pain and sorrow — the kind of anguish that comes when young lives are, in our estimation, cut short. I have also had the privilege of knowing people who never really had the chance to know their parents or grandparents due to the casualties of war. That is the reality for one of our church staff members. Her father died while serving in Vietnam when she was just a little girl.

This day hits me hard every year as I think about the stark ambiguities that seem to be magnified on the evening news. A day that has been specifically set aside to remember those fallen men and women is marked less by memorials and more by boating and backyard barbecues.

On this Memorial Day, I urge you to interrupt your celebration of summer long enough to give sincere thanks to God for those brave soldiers who have made it possible for us to live in the land of the free.

However you choose to spend this day, say some special prayers for those families who are daily reminded of the sacrifices of their loved ones. For them every day is a memorial day.

May we never take our freedom for granted. And may we never ever forget that its price is paid in human lives.

These are soldiers on a mission, just another wave of military combatants building on the legacy of those who have proudly served their country for generations before.

Today I salute those men and women who have served our country so well — our veterans. It has been said many times that freedom isn’t free. And these folks know that all too well, having experienced first-hand the horror and grief of watching comrades die in battle.

Ask most children today who their heroes are, and you’ll likely hear a barage of names from professional athletes to Hollywood celebrities to cartoon characters.

I love my country. That’s why my heroes are America’s veterans. They represent the best our country has to offer. They have served us well and faithfully. And although they have given so much of themselves for us, I often wonder exactly what we have given them in return.

On this Veterans Day, if you value your freedom, take time out to offer your gratitude to those who have served our country — and your steadfast prayers for those who currently serve.

Our new-this-morning unemployment rate of 9.7% doesn’t begin to fully tell the story of the 7.4 million jobs lost since the current recession began in December 2007.

And for every one of those people without work, there is a story. . .a story of lost income. . .a story of emotional upheaval. . .a story of psychological distress.

Those families where jobs are lost experience higher rates of health issues, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression. And the snowballing effects of unemployment lead many to feel that suicide is the only way out.

Yet somehow this weekend, we will celebrate Labor Day in the United States. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for celebrating holidays. And I’m all for celebrating the jobs that we do have in our nation. I just pray that in our quest to put an exclamation point on summer that we will find it in our hearts to be mindful of those who feel left behind by an economic environment that shows marginal improvement, at best.

Here are a few tips on how to connect with others in need this Labor Day weekend:

• Invite an unemployed family over to your place for a cook-out. Show them you care, and for a couple hours, help them escape from the constant worry that comes with being out of work and low on hope.
   
• Help someone polish a resume. A well-written and cleanly formatted resume can set a person apart in job screening processes. Your assistance could make a huge difference!
   
• Write a letter of recommendation for a friend or former colleague who is struggling to find work.
   
• Send a card or note of encouragement to someone who needs to know you care about their situation.
   
• Offer to watch the children of an unemployed parent for a few hours. This break will do wonders for them!
   
• Give a gift card for food or gasoline to someone without work. In this economy, even the basic resources are hard to come by, as indicated by the record numbers of people on government assistance.
   
• Make a donation of good-quality dress clothing and/or shoes to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill Store. After all, how many of us have far more than we need — in a wide range of sizes — hanging in our closets? Your gently used but poorly fitting garments might be great for a job interview situation for someone in need.

As the old saying goes, “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.” I contend that if our nation is to get back on the right track, those of us who belong to Christ must start acting like it! It’s time for us to turn back to God, fall on our knees and repent of our sin. . .and demonstrate His amazing love to those in need.

You can be missional right where you are. No travel required. Look for the opportunities around you. . .and get involved in Jesus’ name.

Remember His words?

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25: 35-39)