“He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.” (Ezekiel 9:1-6)

Too many Christians today misinterpret our faith as a mere means to their happiness. C. S. Lewis was a man who certainly saw through such shallow sentiment. He once said, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” 

During His earthly sojourn, our Savior was described by Scripture as “a man of sorrows” who was well “acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). How could He have possibly been otherwise in a fallen world that both “despised and rejected” Him? According to the Apostle Paul, to truly know Christ you and I must join with Him in “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). 

The “skip to My Lou” saint cannot possibly know true intimacy with Christ. Any Christian today who is turning cartwheels in America’s current Christ-forsaking, politically correct culture is clueless to the dire and desperate spiritual straits of our nation. If they had any idea of our country’s present precarious condition, they would stop skipping and cartwheeling and start sighing and crying over all the abominations being done in our midst.

In Ezekiel 9:4, God marks the foreheads of all who share His grief over the sorry spiritual condition of the land. Those marked are cohorts of God in that they share the concerns of His heart. Are you willing to carry such a mark? Are you willing to bear such a burden. Are you willing to “stand in the gap before [God] for the land” (Ezekeil 22:30)? Or are you going to skip and turn cartwheels until the judgment of God falls on America?

Pray that many will step forward to share the concerns of God’s heart and to stand in the gap as intercessors for our country.