Remember The Alamo!
Perhaps you have visited "The Alamo" in San Antonio, Texas. It is not much of a building. It had once been an old Catholic Church but had been abandoned, and was then converted into a fort. Less than a couple hundred Texan men once occupied it's fortified walls, men like William B. Travis, Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett.
These few men who occupied The Alamo believed in freedom. They stood for the rights and hopes and dreams of the common folk in Texas, people whose rights were being trampled upon by a tyrant. They believed that freedom was important. They were ready to shed their blood to prove it. It was March, 1836 and they soon got their chance to prove that they would remain true.
The bloody dictator, General Santa Anna arrived with thousands of troops. He came with the stated aim of crushing that "rebellion" and killing all of those freedom fighters. He vowed that he would take no prisoners, that every man inside of the Alamo would be killed. Nevertheless, the men at the Alamo refused to surrender to that tyrant, one of them writing:
"The enemy have demanded me to surrender at discretion, otherwise the garrison is to be put to the sword. I have answered his summons with a cannon shot. Our flag still floats proudly from the walls. We shall never surrender or retreat. Liberty or death!" (Letter to the Texans)
All of those men died in the Alamo. They gave up their lives for freedom, for resisting evil, for doing what they believed was right, for remaining faithful to their consciences and convictions. They paid the ultimate price. They paid that price with their own blood.
The Texan Sam Houston's rallying cry for volunteers after the Alamo's defeat was:
Houston said:
"Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may."
Sam Houston warned that indeed the time was short, that it was time for action, and that the time for action was now. Many in Texas heard Sam Houston's strong warning and joined him. Within the next few weeks, General Santa Anna was defeated and captured. The Alamo was indeed remembered. Freedom in Texas was finally a reality.
Many say that remaining true to your beliefs is wrong. They say that you need to be "practical". As a deeply compromising deacon once said to me, "you need to think about your future." Another once said, "don't rock the boat".
So many these days, especially those from the hippie generation, have the attitude that truth is not as important as feeding your own stomach and that Jesus and the Bible should not come first. So many follow Donald Trump and think that looking out for "number one" is more important than suffering for Jesus. Many think that selling out to the world, the flesh, and the Devil is a necessary evil in the pursuit of happiness. I respectfully disagree.
You are going to die one day. Perhaps you will die for your convictions. Many have suffered death in the past, under persecution by Roman Catholic Popes, Muslims who believe the Koran, Communists and others. Millions have died for their faith. Nevertheless, millions of others have capitulated and refused to put Jesus and the Bible first and remain true to their beliefs.
And how about you? Your life here on this Earth is short. Soon you will die. Then you will face Judgment by God for your many sins. Finally you will be cast into the flames of Hell to burn there forever night and day.
Judas will be there. Judas was proud and turned against the truth, like a thief in the night rushing after those thirty pieces of silver rather than remaining true to Jesus. His heart was hard and selfish. Well, Judas got his money. Judas also went to Hell, where he is still burning to this day.
But how about you? It is time to get serious. It is time to take a stand against evil, whatever the cost. It is time to do right and turn from your sins. It is time to trust Jesus. Jesus is coming back. Will you be ready? Will it be Heaven or Hell for you?
Don't listen to those compromisers who tell you "don't make waves" and submit to their pressure to commit sin. Be different from the crowd. Be a Fundamentalist Baptist in a world filled with those who want to commit sin. Remain faithful. Remain true. Hold fast to the end.
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