When and How Did America Lose Its Christian Soul?

I hope that what I have to say today will resonate with many of you, because it is of utmost importance that we, as a nation, clearly see where we are headed. The question I ask in the title is purely rhetorical -- I don't have an ideal answer. I am asking in order to make people examine the state of our spiritual health as a nation, and to consider the seriousness of that condition.

In my lifetime, I can point to the "When" we began to lose our national soul. I can trace the decline of faith as a governing factor in our American persona to the 1962 decision by the Supreme Court that prayers organized by public school officials were unconstitutional. Since then, the Supreme Court has also ruled that "voluntary" prayer in our schools is unconstitutional because it makes some students feel uncomfortable and left out. Those decisions soon resulted in God being increasingly removed from more and more aspects of our culture and society. Challenges to His place in our country are now commonplace.

We've come a long way since our nation, which was once considered the "New Israel" by the Pilgrims, has seen a momentous decline in faith and belief in God. For over 300 years after the Pilgrims landed, the Church and the Gospel were a guiding force in this land of freedom and opportunity; they were a benchmark by which the affairs of this land were conducted. From the pulpit, the Church taught the Gospel and how it should affect the nation's decisions regarding its form of government, education, commerce, morality and yes, even politics.  The Church and the influence of the Gospel shaped America, and therefore the world.

But for [at least] the last 60 years it seems that the world has shaped the Church. In America, we have let the world tell the Church that God doesn't belong in our schools;  we have let the world tell the Church that life does not begin at conception; and we have let the world tell the Church that faith has no place in the halls of our governing institutions. 

In 2012, I watched a broadcast of a group of American pastors who were boldly calling out America's churches for their failings. They challenged the Church for the decline in faith in our country and for the appalling statistic [at that time] that 49.5% of our children, ages 8 to 17 have never been inside a church! How did that happen in a country that is known for being founded on Judeo/Christian principles, and what must the statistic be these 12 years later?

One of the pastors quoted Aleksandry Solzhenitsyn, famed Russian author (Nobel prize for Literature) and a survivor of the Communist regime. During a 1983 address, Solzhenitsyn gave a dissertation on the Russian revolution and the Communist takeover. He explained that the Marxist ideology successfully infused Russian society with an atheistic mentality through systematic secularization of the culture. It became very easy to alienate the people from God and their traditional Christian morality and beliefs. Solzhenitsyn simply and succinctly pronounced judgment on his countrymen .....  “Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.”

And now, I'll present the "How" our loss of faith and soul came about. And again, it was Aleksandry Solzhenitsyn who shined the light on how creative Satan works in nations and cultures. He revealed the methods by which the Communists were able to separate their people from God. First, they were patient and calculating. They started with the elite and the educated circles; by the time their Revolution occurred, faith had virtually disappeared among the academics and universities.  Sound familiar? Hatred of God and the Church were the driving force behind Communism and at the heart of the ideology. If a movement is going to take control of a society, they must destroy religion/faith. 

If the people have access to the Creator, and recognize that there is a power higher than the Government, then they can never be enslaved. And as repressive as the Communist regime was, it was not able to eradicate Christianity; in fact, Solzhenitsyn proclaimed that his countrymen's awareness of God and His saving grace became even more acute under the severe persecution. I believe that has happened throughout history among persecuted Christians. [Think of the Disciples and Believers in the First Century Church, through the attempts to wipe out the Christian faith during the Middle Ages; the genocides during the Ottoman Empire, and the current war on Christians in the Middle East and Africa]. The willingness of these Christian believers [and sadly, martyrs] to suffer for their Lord is a testimony to the strength of their faith.  

In addition, we cannot deny that Christianity in the West -- and I would say we are guilty of this -- has been watered down. In 1938, Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer escaped to the U.S. when Hitler began his campaign against the Christian churches in Germany, only to return to war-torn Germany because he found the Christian Church in America operated in "Easy Grace". How much further have we slid since 1938? 

Let me share a quote I found from someone who responded to an online poll by Quora that asked the question, "What caused religion to decline in America"? Here is the respondent's answer ... "I can only give you my perspective. I was a Christian for forty-two years. I know the Bible inside and out. I was always troubled by the disconnect between how Christians treat other people and the words of the guy they claim to follow. Apparently, to be a good Christian in 2024 you have to hate, “all the right people.” Their sense of entitlement is the very definition of pride. Pride is supposed to be sinful and Christians are very proud of themselves. There are more and more people like me, people who have had enough of the lies and hypocrisy and just left the whole thing behind. I searched deep within myself and discovered that the reasons that I had for my faith were not good ones. With more and more people leaving the church, it is becoming obvious that atheism doesn't lead to lives of emptiness and despair. That is frankly, bull----.  My life has been much more full and meaningful since I left the fear, superstition and empty promises of Christianity".  

Does that offend you? It should because that's not how I want to view Christianity. But that testimony is coming from someone who says he believed for 42 years. He obviously has experience being in the Church, and this is what he's left with. So, I ask you -- how do we reclaim our Christian soul in America; our mind dedicated to God's will on earth, the deep heartfelt and emotional recognition that we need Jesus in our lives to be truly fulfilled, and the [free] will to discover our purpose for being here? How do we turn the hearts of the aforementioned ex-Believer back to his first love? We must repent for all that we and the generations before us have done [or not done] to set this decline in motion. 

We must see that, as a nation, we voluntarily embraced (and encouraged) our own turning away from God! We Christians, (and the Church!) failed in our commission.  We did not safeguard the teachings that Christ gave us, and we did not faithfully teach them to each successive generation. We let the spirit of Pharaoh (enslavement through false teachings in the universities and our church buildings), the spirit of Jezebel (sexual perversion and immorality), and the spirit of Herod (killing innocent, unborn children) invade our land. We have ignored the only spirit that can save us ... the Holy Spirit. Now it is up to each of us and every pastor in every pulpit throughout the land to get back to our real purpose. We are here at this time, in this place, to reclaim this territory for God! 

I know there are many Christians who are dedicated to this restoration. And we must examine our methods to see if the old patterns have led to our decline, or if they must be faithfully protected. Are you willing to accept that following true Christianity may not look like it has in the past? Do you have the courage to follow our Savior, who also encountered pushback from the religious establishment? Consider that Jesus came, bringing a new model for obeying YHWH and spreading a Holy Spirit-inspired servanthood to mankind. But He also prophesied that Satan would battle against us and we would be persecuted and called upon to stand and occupy. I declare that we yet have the opportunity to re-establish our national identity as a steadfast nation in Christ. And through employing His power and authority, it will be done! Amen!

#americandeclineinfaith #takingGodoutofournation #thehypocriticalchurch #americahaslostitschristiansoul #menhaveforgottenGod #watereddownchristianity #dietrichbonhoeffer #reclaimingamericaschristiansoul #reclaimamericaforGod #whatistruechristianity #reestablishamericaforGod

1 Kings 18:37      "Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."     

 

   

2024: The State of American Christianity

First of all, I want to be sure you understand that this is not an article expounding on the virtues of Christian nationalism. Instead, it is a fervent attempt to take a good hard look at Christianity in America. The title of this blog infers that I have a clearly defined position on this subject, which I do not claim. I am just a pilgrim on my own journey of understanding my faith. But because I have been diligent in my search for knowledge of my God and His ways, I have been privileged to experience different facets of what Christianity looks like in America. And as we enter into a new year, we must be honest about where we are, and who we are. Perhaps it's time to look ourselves squarely in the mirror and discern the state of our American form of Christianity. 

I dare say that many Believers in America have formed their view [or opinion] of their God [and their faith] from their denominational experiences. From the beginning of this nation, the Church has played a part in defining how Americans live their lives. It is said that "we are a Christian nation", and I can agree from the standpoint that the Christian God and His tenets and principles were the foundation of our way of life and  guiding standards for our form of government. 

But I also think the culture and influence of the Church has waned in the 247 ensuing years that America has existed. Yes, we still have mega-churches filled with people, and there are multitudes of faithful Believers who profess their faith, but Sunday attendance does not necessarily result in a Godly nation. Look beyond your immediate family and community ... Our laws no longer uphold God's statutes of the sanctity of life; we see coveting and idol worship abounding; and holiness is no longer seen as a quality worth pursuing in our society. Lawlessness and chaos are growing in intensity, and although we, who proclaim Christ as our Savior, remain steadfast in our hope for all the promises of God, we must not be blind to what Scripture prophesies before Christ's return.

Now, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not advocating that we stay focused on those End Times forecasts, but neither do I suggest we ignore them. We are not to be defeatist in attitude, nor pessimistic. Yet we are not to be deprived of Biblical truth, nor influenced by "feel good" sermons designed to make us comfortable in our egocentric ways so that we remain blind to the judgment of nations. We must be the "Authentic Church"; the Body of Christ that is willing to die to self [and to die in the physical, if necessary], willing to be spiritual warriors to expand the Kingdom of God and defeat evil on the battlefield. 

And, yes, I will admit that makes us a misfit in modern society. But, to be honest, I no longer want to fit in with the world. That doesn't mean that I no longer want to connect with or love others. On the contrary, my desire is even more poignant as I seek to reach the lost and free those in bondage to the Enemy. I want to share the rewards of being a citizen of the Kingdom of God! I want to pull the counterfeit veil off our national identity and reveal just who we've become and point our way back to being a Godly nation whose people stand in opposition to the nations in partnership with Satan's envoys! That isn't the "feel good message" that American Christians have become addicted to, but it is what they need to hear if we are going to please the heart of God.

I remember reading a comment to one of my blog posts in 2016, in which Anonymous wrote me, "... it is becoming more and more clear I have no "place" in my church. I am discouraged from seeking answers beyond the "base or pat " answers that the leadership has determined is the ''right" answer. This is so frustrating. I find that church for me has to be in a blog like yours or in an online forum where people like me are gathering in droves to find some semblance of the truth. What does this say about the condition of the church? I feel guilty about rejecting the church but what if there is nothing there to minister to me?"          

At the time, I empathized with that frustration! I sincerely believed then [and even more so now] that Jesus is calling our spirits out of hibernation. For too long, we have been satisfied with what we've been spoon-fed as the "theologically correct" concepts of Creation, Salvation, Grace, and Church. By no means, do I suggest that Pastors have deliberately misled us or contrived to dumb us down. No, Satan has done that!  And I want to make it clear that, in no way, do I advocate rejecting the Church. It is still Jesus's Church!  Instead, it is my hope that I (we) can enlighten the Body of Christ and stimulate it to return to its designated and divine purpose; the purpose that Jesus commissioned it for -- not the lukewarm representative of His power and glory many church buildings have become. Until, then I believe He has called those with willing hearts and spirits to step outside the current institution and join Him in forming a revitalized Remnant.

And I want to stress that I remain highly optimistic and encouraged, even in what looks like dark times for our nation and the world. That means that I am optimistic as well as realistic. I am not naive enough to think that just because we are America, we will be spared suffering, hard times, or the righteous judgment of our righteous God. But, I also trust in His promises to deliver the truly repentant. What does that mean? ... It means that we must come to God [in honesty and sincerity], acknowledging the unholiness of our sin, and willing to accept His just consequences. Where is the hope in that, you might ask?

Read Hosea 14:4-8 and you will find the blessings and reasons for my optimism. God will heal us of our apostasy and the abandonment of our beliefs. He will love us freely. He will turn away from His just anger against us. He will nourish us and make us flourish once again. He will re-establish us once again with the roots of faith that will withstand the storms that Satan and the world bring against us. He will wash away our ugliness and make us beautiful, so that the rest of the world will marvel at the blessings He has bestowed upon us, and He will be made desirable in their sight. But we must do our part! We must lay down the current state of Christianity in all its compromise and lukewarm appearance, and put on the penitent and contrite spirit, receiving the Grace and Mercy of our God who is ready to receive us and empower us to fulfill our purpose on the earth.

So, while things may look ominous in the moment, it's not too late! Be awake, be aware of the warnings the Word gives us, and be willing to bow your knee to the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Be willing to sacrifice self [and its immediate rewards] for the cause of freedom in Christ. Champion His Kingdom on earth and be ready to fight the battle in the spiritual realms. Never lose your hope in Jesus and His promises, and one by one, we can bring this nation back to God, where He is waiting to receive us. The current state of American Christianity doesn't have to be the end of our story. Join me in this new year, and let's write a new chapter!         

#thestateofthechurch #americanbrandofchristianity #americanchristianity #ourhopeinjesus #lukewarmchurch #apostasyinthechurch #feelgoodchurch #faithinamerica #turnbacktoGod #repentantandturntoGod #endtimeshope #calltorepentance  

The Church and Our "Post-Christian" Nation

It grieves me to say this. But when, in 2015, I first became cognizant of the depth to which the institution of Religion in this country was willing to compromise and sacrifice our culture of Christian faith to avoid conflict, I began to become greatly concerned. At the time, it was quite apparent to me that Christianity in America was undergoing a change.  Isis was in full terror mode, but I couldn't say that we were physically suffering as our fellow Christians in Syria and the Middle East were ... yet.  In the U.S., our form of "persecution" was mainly cultural at that moment in time, and the response of the Christian community was fluid and varied, and mostly tepid. 

There was a growing number of Christians who no longer wished to support a culture (monetarily, philosophically, or socially) that they saw as flying in the face of their faith. They no longer wished to perpetrate the corrupt "Babylonian" culture of this country.  As author, Rod Dreher explained it, "The contemporary values of this nation no longer corresponded to the values of [their] faith, and so they sought to construct alternative forms of community that enabled them to withstand long-term chaos and the inevitable breakdown of the broader social and cultural order." 

Of course that philosophy covered a broad spectrum of Believers, but what was becoming apparent to me was that it covered people who chose to surround themselves with like-minded Believers who shared the common goal of serving God as the Bible dictates; not as the culture demands, or as a prescribed brand of "American" Christianity. A simple example of that would be Christians who were struggling with established denominations within Christianity who were not standing up for Godly principles and commandments as they pertained to our changing culture, and who, instead, chose their loyalty to their 501(c)3 status over their obedience to Christ. So, in the ensuing years, I have seen many Believers choose to return to a "Book of Acts" home church model. That doesn't mean they traded one "building" for another. It means that, just like in the First Century AD, small groups of 15-20 followers of Christ gathered together in a home to study the Word [in all its instruction and wisdom] and to equip each other to do the work of the Lord.

I have seen many Christians naturally following this path. As we are faced with the reality that Biblical Marriage is no longer the law of the land, and as the leaders of our government have chosen to continue to use our tax dollars to fund an organization that promotes and profits from abortion, it is clear that our beliefs are in conflict with that of the nation. If we are to be true to our faith and our calling as followers of Jesus Christ, it will be necessary that we strengthen ourselves against the infringement of the culture upon our lives.  I tend to liken it to living "in this world", but not being "of this world". 

But now, here we are eight years later, and we find that the institutional Church still fails to see the truth of how we are failing the culture. Yes, we may appear as strong as ever within our own subcultural of Religion. But the Church needs to take off its blinders and see that Christians are now seen as outside the "norm" of modern American values. Add to that, the notion that our "American Christianity", which has always stood on the pillars of God, Country and Tradition, could be seen as being in conflict with Biblical faith, which is centered on sin, Christ, and His blood. Jesus's message was all about denying the power of sin, seeking His righteousness, and sharing the Good News that He brought His Father's Kingdom from Heaven down to earth. 

I am not advising the kind of faith that renounces or disavows the culture in which we live. On the contrary, I would hope that we would do as Jesus did, and engage the culture, showing compassion and love to those who are lost in their sin, yet never wavering from, nor betraying, God's guiding tenets and commandments. How are we to affect the culture, if we do not ever enter into encounters with the culture?  How can you share the Good News of Jesus Christ, if you are not willing to develop friendships with those who don't know Him?  Jesus didn't compromise on sin, and neither should we. But if my goal is to tell someone of the saving power of Christ, how do I do that if I ignore or avoid them? 

Let's be honest, those of us who believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and live our lives accordingly, are most likely in the minority of Americans who call themselves "Christians".  That term is beginning to cover a lot of different belief systems -- from those who accept gay marriage and abortion as approved by God; to those who believe in the political definition of Social Justice; to those who don't believe in Evil and Hell; to those who think the Bible is no longer relevant ... and they all call themselves "Christians"!   

But, that doesn't mean we Biblical Christians stop loving them or being who we are -- followers of the Son of God -- and living our lives as He commanded us.  It means that we must detach ourselves from the un-Godly ways of society, as well as recommit ourselves to the spiritual doctrines of the Bible as we proudly and boldly engage with those in the culture who do not agree with us. Let's not yield to compromise or concessions in order to make ourselves appealing to the culture. At the same time, let us not adopt a Pharisaical, holier-than-thou attitude towards our fellow Believers. Instead, let's be proud of how different we appear to the culture, and glory in our "strangeness"; let's be separate, but inviting, and continue in this manner for as long as we can.  After all, that's how our Lord lived His life on this earth.  He marched to a different drummer within the culture to which He was born; yet, He never compromised His allegiance to our Father, while inviting everyone who "had an ear to hear" to accept the glorious promises of the Kingdom of God.

But, I would be remiss, if I did not also say that the Lord warns us in His Word that eventually the world will no longer be tolerant of us. We must not be blind to the truth that evil is not only escalating in the world, but being tolerated on a greater scale. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the rapid changes in science, health care, and technology that increasingly diminish the divine nature of man. The attributes that we share with God no longer seem of value to our culture or the world. In fact, man is encouraged to reject God -- the One who created him -- and has begun to worship his own creation, leading to futile thinking, unrighteousness, and hearts that have grown cold and dark. As man worships his own creativeness, his wickedness grows in proportion. And those of us who possess true faith are increasingly scorned and ridiculed.

But you'd be surprised how insulated and isolated many Christians are to what's happening in the world outside their Churches. Which is why I often fear that the deception the Enemy is planning will find too many of my fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ unaware of the warning signs. The Church must pay attention to the red flags that Jesus, Himself, speaks of in the Bible. In Matthew 24:24, Christ tells us, For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). Jesus is telling us that the AntiChrist will deceive the masses -- and, yes, even some Christians! How can that be possible? It's easy to contemplate when you think of how our politicians and the media are complicit in deceiving the masses. They lie in order to convince us that the evil we are seeing is really for our own good -- all so we will remain tolerant of it... until it is too late. But do we see the Church countering that message in an effective way? 

Please do not misunderstand me! I am not trying to bash "the Church", which I prefer to call the Body of Christ, who will be composed of a Remnant who refuse to be deceived. They will be the Believers who steadfastly uphold God's Word because they have eyes to see and ears to hear! They will not willingly put on the dirty veil that clouds their spiritual sight. Instead they will remain true to their God and try to help others see the warning signs of the coming deception which is designed to lead to chaos and destruction. So, I ask you to listen when the faithful ones [who make you feel uncomfortable] try to warn you to pay attention. Remember that God tells us His people perish for lack of knowledge. And that lack of knowledge leads to ignorance, and ignorance leaves you vulnerable to the deception of Satan. Let us be determined to be a part of the Remnant; those who are not afraid to stand alone, if need be, to protect the sacredness of God's Word and His plan of redemption for the world. In the midst of the growing evil, chaos, and deception, we CAN be effective for the Kingdom! It is our duty and our obligation to our Savior; and it is our privilege to shine His Light into the coming darkness for all the world to see! 

#thechurchandourpostchristiannation #satansdeception #thetolerantchurch #postchristian #thedeceivedchurch #thelukewarmchurch #homechurches #americanchristianity #christianityandourculture #themasseswillbedeceived #matthew24:24 #thefaithfulremnant #Godsremnant

Jude 17-23.       But as for you, beloved, remember the [prophetic] words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They used to say to you, “In the last days there will be scoffers, following after their own ungodly passions” .... keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy but with fear, loathing even the clothing spotted and polluted by their shameless immoral freedom.