Our homeland is a difficult story. But still we live on a glorified earth. Today Russia plays a leading role in the life of the whole world, although many times she tried to conquer, to destroy. I propose to think together about our shared destiny. Talk about the benefits of our country and how we treat them. Do we use them?
In one Christian hymn has these words: “Faith is the power of the people”. From the first steps of its historical path of Russia began to accept Christian values. For over a thousand years Christianity exerts its influence on the development of our country. Christian principles formed the characters of people and their views. People built state. They did not always obey the teachings of Jesus Christ, and then it led to sad consequences. It is worth remembering the history of the past century. But when Christianity was applied in practice, it brings good fruit.
So, the first great advantage of Russia — in its thousands of years of Christian history and culture. But there is another advantage which cannot be overestimated. We have been more than one hundred forty years, there is Holy Scripture — the Bible, translated into the Russian language. For this reason Fyodor Dostoevsky exclaimed: “o my Lord! what a book the Bible is, what a miracle, what strength is given with it to man! And how many secrets and allowed Frank! Love the book, even! The death of people without the Word of God.” The Bible is a book that is inseparable from Christianity. Christianity can not be without a Bible. Is there this book in your home? If you consider yourself a Christian, heir to thousands of years of Christian culture, the Bible should be in your home. But I will say more, you should know firsthand what it teaches. The great advantages of our homeland. But are they our modern Russia? Here’s the most important question of today. Do you use those heavenly gifts which God so generous towards our country? Today there is a region where the divorce rate reach 95 % of the number of marriages. Our society is not more outraged by the fact of cohabitation men and women, unmarried. Even invented the specious name of this sin is a civil marriage. Thousands of girls under 16 years of age have abortions each year. Where it all came from in our country? 80 thousand drug addicts, 30 of thousands of deaths from alcohol poisoning every year, 32 thousand murders every year, millions of homeless.
Dear friends, all this suggests that Russia does not use its advantages. And this has to do every. After all, ignoring Christian values, which can be learned only from the Bible, not talking about them, not teaching them, not cultivating them in yourself, in your family, we thus contribute to the emergence in our society of a variety of vices.
Jesus Christ said, “Whoever is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (Matthew 12:30). Only at first glance it may seem that all the problems of our modern society are not personally to do with us. But let us ask ourselves some questions and answer them honestly:
- If I always sought to support their children, their friends, their colleagues, the purity of morals and Christian values?
- If I used any opportunity to support even the unfamiliar people in a good and righteous thing?
- Will I always be friendly and polite?
- Always my influence encouraged people to do good, to love, to Christianity?
What do you think, have absorbed the Christian values of the modern youth who grew up in the years of spiritual revival of Russia? Very little proof of that. And who was supposed to teach them these values? Of course, the older generation, which is, alas, itself suffers from the lack of spiritual guidance.
Modern Russia does not use its great benefits. The Bible says: “Fear God and give Him glory, because came the hour of His judgment, and worship the maker of heaven and earth, and sea, and the fountains of waters” (Revelation 14:7). These words are addressed to us. We can praise our Creator and Judge, if the rate and take the benefits and values that He has given us. It’s time to Wake up and seek real spirituality, that comes from the Bible. It’s time to become a real Christian, knowing what Christ taught, what Scripture teaches.