Today, my spirit is both praising God for the miracle we witnessed on Saturday, July 13th, and sending fervent prayers that He will protect our nation from the onslaught of evil that is trying to destroy this nation. I am sure that many of my fellow citizens are experiencing the same spiritual encouragement. We are truly under extreme physical and spiritual attack from the entities who want to profit from Heaven's blessings that this nation has received since its founding. And perhaps more importantly, they want to destroy any efforts to see this nation exist according to God's will.
This last weekend, I was instantly taken back to my emotions and fears when I was 10 years old and witnessed the evil and chaos of November 22, 1963. I strongly believe that the assassination of President Kennedy symbolized a turning point in this nation. Even at that young age, I sensed the doubt that the adults around me expressed concerning the "official" account of that awful day. For the first time, [and instinctively] I knew the faith in our leaders had experienced a crack in its façade. The trust in them and the media began to erode, and it has been a slow decline until this week -- when I think it has actually shattered. I have never seen or heard so many publicly counter the "approved" narrative and vociferously call out the enormity of the decline in our national relations.
All of which leads to some conflicting thoughts ... Will we ever know the whole truth? Will God continue to expose the evil that is counter to His will for this nation? And perhaps most importantly, what does it look like going forward? Do we, as a nation, have the fortitude and the will to do the hard work of reconciling for our common good? Because, if we don't, then I'm afraid the future of our country is doomed unless God intervenes... again.
If you watched the opening night of the Republican National Convention, you must have a heart of stone if you weren't moved when former President Trump entered that convention hall. To me, it looked as if he was controlling his emotions, which must have been overwhelming. And why wouldn't he experience those feelings? Having just survived an assassination attempt, and hearing the emotional words sung to "I'm proud to be an American", he must have felt, I'm living this song tonight ... If tomorrow all the things were gone I worked for all my life, and I had to start again with just my children and my wife... I thank my lucky stars to be living here today, 'cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away... And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free and I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me. And I'll gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today. "Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land. God bless the USA! That song, which has kind of become a corny salute to patriotism, suddenly took on enormous significance.
If not for God's hand, the former President would not have been standing there last night. And this respect and recognition is not about whether you agree with his politics or his personality. We need to understand that Evil tried to change the destiny of our Land, and God intervened. Will we be able to thwart its renewed efforts in the days and years to come? I can't help but be reminded of what it must have been like for President Lincoln as he confronted the dire circumstances and division within the nation and contemplated how to keep the Union together. How can one man heal the hatred and vitriol of two sides so committed to their ideology that they are willing to destroy the fabric and foundation of the country, and thereby destroy the whole of it.
We stand at that crossroads today. Only I fear that the division is even wider and more dangerous. The Spiritual Enemy of this nation doesn't just want to change the form of our government -- it wants to defeat [forever] the guiding Light of our just and righteous God over this land and "our firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence", as is so eloquently expressed in the Declaration of Independence. In addition, this Spiritual Enemy wants to decimate the very Constitutional ideal that "We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity". In short, this nation is at the center of a battle for its survival. Do we choose Heaven's guidance ... or Hell's?
Just as Lincoln addressed the nation in his Second Inaugural Address, "the prayers of both cannot be answered". I strongly believe that this Land exists because God ordained it to represent His form of government -- offering the blessings of Freedom to men to choose how they will live according to His will, which is to prosper them and not harm them; to give them hope and a future. But the Enemy wants to control and obstruct the freedom that comes from our relationship with God, and keep us from gaining that abundant life He offers.
I can't help but feel the weight of Evil that is being brought to bear on this nation -- it is palpable and we have seen its ill effects in the increase in crime, the mayhem of protests and riots, and the death of so many innocent people. The headlines scream at us every day. BUT GOD GIVES US EVIDENCE OF HIS GOODNESS AND FAITHFULNESS, by showing us the difference an inch can make when He intervenes! Let me be clear -- I do not put my Faith in the hands of a mortal man. I understand that we may yet experience more evil acts fomented by our Spiritual Enemy in the hearts of men. But I know in my heart that our Lord is still on His Throne, and I do not doubt that our Mighty God is still for us and He is with us! AND WE WILL REMAIN FAITHFUL TO HIM!
So, I ask that you join me in praying for our country. We have sinned mightily against Him, and we deserve His righteous judgment, but as Micah 7:9 says, I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the Light; I shall look upon His vindication. Hold on to that certainty of the presence of God that you witnessed a few days ago. He has not given up on us! And never doubt that we will again behold His amazing righteousness and His remarkable deliverance that we are so desperately in need of. May His Glory once more reign down on America!
1 Peter 2:16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover or pretext for evil, but [use it and live] as bond-servants of God.