HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER

“Holding things together is not an easy thing to do” are words from a popular country song from the 1960s. It is about a man who is fighting to “hold things together” after his wife has left him, leaving him to struggle alone to raise their two kids.

We all face challenges in life and sometimes it seems that life is flying apart, and we struggle to find a way to “hold things together.” Well, only Jesus can hold things together and this is made very clear by a reality in modern science and the words of Paul in his letter to the Colossians.

The Mystery of Dark Matter

Paul’s description in Colossians of the glorious risen Christ gives an answer to a dilemma that is baffling modern science, particularly in astronomy. It is what astronomers and astrophysicists call “Dark Matter.” Dark Matter is an unseen force that is holding the universe together. It cannot be seen, and astronomers don’t know what it is, but they say it is keeping the universe from flying apart.

Our solar system, for example, is being held together by the gravitational force of the sun. Since the gravitational force of an object depends on its size, this means that our sun is the perfect size to keep the planets in orbit. If the sun were smaller, the planets would wander off aimlessly into space.

Furthermore, our solar system, along with billions of stars and other celestial bodies, are rotating around the center of our Milky Way galaxy. And, beyond that, our Milky Way galaxy is part of a cluster of galaxies that are all rotating around another center.

But here is the dilemma! According to astrophysicists and astronomers, there is too much empty space in our universe for this to be happening. There is not nearly enough matter or “stuff” to produce enough gravity to keep everything from flying apart. There is some mysterious force that they cannot see or explain that is holding everything together. So, they call it “Dark Matter.”

Paul’s Answer for the Mystery of Dark Matter

Paul, in his portrayal of the transcendent majesty and power of the Risen Christ, gives a clear answer to this dilemma. He says that Jesus is not only the Image of the Invisible God and the Cause and Agent of Creation, but he also says, He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together. (Colossians 1:17, LB). The writer of Hebrews concurs, saying that Christ is upholding all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).

So, it is Jesus who is holding everything together. We must, however, distinguish between how He holds the universe together and how He will hold our life together. He holds the physical universe together by the direct action of His power on the heavenly bodies. Human beings, however, made in His image and likeness with free will, must voluntarily give Him that place of centrality in our lives.

He Will Hold Your Life Together

Just as the solar system is held together by the central position of the Sun, when we give the Son the place of centrality in our lives, we will find an invisible force, known as the Holy Spirit, working on our behalf and enabling us to “hold things together.”

In over 50 years of ministry and over 48 years of marriage, I have seen it happen again and again. Those times when it seemed that everything would fly apart, we have found that invisible force "holding things together." Yes, Jesus Christ is the only One with the wisdom and power to “hold things together.”

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, revivalist, Bible teacher and ordained minister. This article was derived from his book, Discovering the Real Jesus, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.

WHY WE MUST MAKE A STAND BOTH ON OUR KNEES AND AT THE BALLOT BOX

If America's constitutional freedoms are to be enjoyed by another generation, we must make a stand on both our knees and at the ballot box. We must make a stand on our knees because the root cause of the moral confusion and societal chaos all around us is that our culture has forgotten God. There must be a national return to the God of the Bible.

We must also make a stand at the ballot box because one political party has rejected the God of the Bible and is not committed to America's constitutional freedoms. Such a party must not be allowed to gain power.

Why Harris and Walz Are Bad for America

When she served as a senator, Kamala Harris was ranked as the most liberal person in that body, even to the left of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Her oft quoted phrase, "unburdened by what has been,” has roots in Marxist ideology. This should not be surprising since her father was a Marxist professor of economics at Stanford University.

The phrase means that nothing of the past should hinder the pursuit of a new Marxist, socialist utopia. For Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, who has expressed great admiration for the Chinese communist system, this means that nothing in America’s past is sacred.

In their thinking, there is nothing sacred about the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and they should not be burdened by them as they forge a new future for America. Neither should they be burdened by the Bill of Rights.

They should not be burdened by the First Amendment that guarantees religious liberty and freedom of speech. Neither should they be burdened by the Second Amendment and its guarantee of the right of American citizens to bear arms. They should be free to dispense with these archaic 250-year-old documents as they advance their utopian, socialist vision for America.

Dr. King Saw it Differently

This is such a contrast to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who based his fight for racial equality on "God's will" and America's "Sacred Heritage" (Hyatt, Abolitionist Founding Fathers, 60). Writing from the Birmingham City Jail, where he had been incarcerated, he declared that the nation’s “sacred heritage” to be a reason for his confidence. He wrote,

We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham, and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with the destiny of America . . . We will win our freedom because the SACRED HERITAGE of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.

Dr. King was very aware of America’s flawed and sinful history, but he also saw that there was something sacred and of God in her founding in FAITH AND FREEDOM. In this same letter he spoke with pride and respect for the Pilgrims, Thomas Jefferson, the ‘majestic” Declaration of Independence, and Abraham Lincoln.

America's founders were far from perfect, but they established a nation on Judeo/Christian principles that they believed would serve as a moral compass to guide the nation through any difficulty or crisis she might encounter. Dr. King understood this. Harris and Walz do not.

Our Freedoms are One Generation Away from Extinction

The mindset of Harris and Walz is diametrically opposed to that of Dr. King and America’s founding generation. If Harris and Walz gain power and have their way, the America of Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Douglass, Lincoln, and King will be no more. If Harris and Walz gain power, this generation will likely see the warning of Ronald Reagan fulfilled, wherein he said,

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 when men were free.

It's Time to Make a Stand

It is time for every freedom-loving American of every political persuasion to make a stand for America. Democrats, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard understand this. 

It is also time for every person who names the name of Christ to fall to their knees and ask God to save America, not only at the ballot box, but with another great, national spiritual awakening that will transform the culture and alter the course of the nation. 

America can be saved and freedom preserved for the next generation, but we must make a stand. We stand the tallest when we are on our knees. We must make a stand both on our knees and at the ballot box. Only then will America be saved.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, historian and Biblical scholar. He has documented the "sacred heritage" of which Dr. King spoke in his books Pilgrims and Patriots (Second Edition), 1726: The Year that Defined America, America's Revival Heritage (Second Edition), and other books that are available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com. This article is his personal opinion and is not related to any organizations of which he is a part.