What Is To Be Expected When A Nation Abandons the One True God?

This is a question that I have been asking myself for quite some time, as I watch the growing split within our own nation. It's hard to deny that we are seeing division increasing within our democratic republic -- which is, in fact, an indivisible union between 50 sovereign states. But the lines are being drawn; between the lawful and the unlawful; between the moral and immoral; between those who honor our national heritage and those who want to tear it down; between those who love our country and those who hate it; and finally, between those who love and obey Jesus Christ and those who detest and mock Him. And those voices are getting louder and louder.

The reason I ask the question in the title of this blog post is that I am deeply concerned that we are quickly going so far down the road of an apostate nation, that God is coming to the end of His patience with us. Yes, I understand that our God is patient and slow to anger. But Scripture makes it very clear what happens when we show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that His kindness is intended to lead us to repentance... and then we don't repent. Nahum 1:3 says The LORD is slow to anger but [is] great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. He has His way in the whirlwind and the storm, and the clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

There are times I think that, as Christians, we often look at the state of our nation through rose-colored glasses. By that, I mean that we assume those who have been given authority in governing this country follow and believe the same principles of God's government in Heaven. And because we believe [by faith] in the promises of God, that our personal covenant with Him will override our national sins and we will escape any punishment that God deems the nation deserves. But all we have to do is look at the example of how God reacted to His chosen nation of Israel to see that He does not promise to intervene when destruction comes upon a rebellious and apostate nation. And we must look beyond our own vision of our country, and see it as God sees it.

Israel went from receiving the blessing of freedom from their enslavement in Egypt and experiencing the miracle at the Red Sea to defying their Defender by building temples to false gods and engaging in pagan practices of fornication and unholy rituals in the occult. They had abandoned God's Laws for generations and their youth no longer knew the One True God who had established them in righteousness. Although YHWH repeatedly called them to repentance, they ignored Him, and He sent judgment upon them by sending invaders from foreign lands who took them into captivity and destroyed their cities and occupied their land. They eventually lost the blessings God had given them.  

What does that have to do with us, you might ask? Israel's story in the Old Testament conveys the Heavenly principle that Sin brings negative consequences. And how mankind honors the covenants they make with our Holy God can result in His blessings or curses. So what do you think the US deserves? Let's take a look at the foundation this country rests its legal and belief system upon. In our Declaration of Independence, our Founders made it clear that "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" were the backbone of this unique document. But did you know that this phrase came from a law book widely used for years before our American Revolution and was regarded as the final authority on human law. So here, according to this distinguished law book, is the meaning of those eight words that established the guideline for governing our nation ... 

Man is considered as a creature, [and] must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator, for he is entirely a dependent being. And consequently, as a man depends absolutely upon his Maker for everything, it is necessary that in all points he conform to his Maker's will; this will of his Maker is called the Law of Nature.

This law of nature being co-equal with mankind and dictated by God Himself is, of course, superior to any other. It is binding to all the globe, all countries and at all times. No human laws are of any validity if contrary to this. This then is the Law of Nature. It is the law of God expressed through His creation.

If our reason were always clear and perfect, the task would be pleasant and easy. We would need no other guide but the law of nature. Every man now finds the contrary in his own experience; we find that our reason is corrupt and our understanding is full of ignorance and error. This has given manifold occasion for the benign interposition of divine providence which has been pleased at sundry times and [in] diverse manners to discover and enforce His laws by an immediate and direct revelation. The Doctrines thus delivered, we call the revealed or the divine law and they are to be found only in the Holy Scriptures.    

In other words, the writers of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution made it clear they were not founding a secular nation, but rather a nation established on God and His Word. Relying on the Law of Nature and Nature's God, meant that "man does not have the right, nor the capacity to institute any other laws outside of God's laws" [Sir William Blackstone]. So, how do you think we're doing? Based on God's Word which tells us that God most often gets angry when those who have pledged to follow Him and His commandments break their covenants to seek their own will. His wrath is the rightful expression of His Judgment when we mock Him by choosing sin, wickedness, and evil instead of walking in His Holy ways. 

We must face the truth that because God called America into existence, and we established a covenant with Him through the Mayflower Compact, He has the right to determine if we have kept that sacred agreement with Him. Obedience to Him and His commandments guarantees us blessings. But just as Israel abandoned God and would eventually experience the consequences of their disobedience, so might we lose our right to remain a nation before God if we continue to abandon Him. And in case you need to be reminded, our leaders and government began that process of abandonment in the 1960's:

1962: The end of school prayer, and this was the prayer that parents objected to: Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country. Amen. And the stage was set to begin our nation's turning away from God; we began to believe in ourselves as "little g" gods, capable of determining our own path. 

1962: A change in national abortion law is advocated by the American Law Institute.

1963: Lower Court rules the Bible is no longer allowed in public schools. Supreme Court rules that prayer is not allowed in schools.

1965: Homosexual activists begin to challenge the Constitution

1966: Time Magazine declares that "God is Dead".

1967: The Summer of Love begins in San Francisco and free love is celebrated with no regard to the consequences.

1973: In the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, abortion becomes the law of the land.

1973: Feminist leader Gloria Steinem declares, "By the year 2000 we will, I hope, raise our children to believe in human potential, not God".

1976: Parents and spouses are no longer included in the decision whether to have a baby aborted.

1981: The Supreme Court decides that a law in Arkansas requiring that Creation be taught alongside Evolution is unconstitutional. Evolution only is taught in public schools.

1987: The life of Jesus Christ is mocked in the movie: "The Last Temptation of Christ", and Martin Scorsese receives an Oscar nomination for Best Director.

1992: The Supreme Court rules that a graduation prayer violated the Establishment Clause.

1998: America's President, Bill Clinton, has sex in the Oval Office with a White House intern, but still enjoys 65% approval rating from American people.

2001: 2,977 Americans are killed in an attack on the Twin Towers in NewYork City

2005: Hurricane Katrina kills 1,833 people in one of the deadliest storms in US history.

2009: Newsweek magazine announces "The Decline and Fall of Christian America"

2012: Democrats remove God from their Party platform as well as all references to God during their convention

2015: Supreme Court makes Same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

2015-2018: Mass shootings rise exponentially in the nation

2018: Transgender individuals are allowed to join the US military

2020: The Covid pandemic begins in US

2023: Over 104 Million Americans have died of Covid, per statistica.com

These facts are by no means conclusive; there is so much more that points to our moral, physical, and economic decline as we have removed God from our national profile. As we increasingly abandon His ways, and continue to lose our way, and refuse to repent [as a nation], why would we expect to escape His righteous anger and holy wrath? Do we really expect to exist as a free people if we have allowed His moral standards to be corrupted and adopted as laws of the land? 

Yes, it is important that we continue to pray and declare the glory and might of Jehovah God, but we must also recognize that the Bible tells us that there are Sheep Nations and Goat Nations that will stand before the Lord to be judged. And all the peoples of those nations will be judged according to how well they served Him. I trust our Redeemer to know those of us who followed His heart, and not to condemn us. But I still believe we will have to endure the consequences of our nations apostasy and rebellion.

So, please join me in praying for our leaders and fellow citizens. Let's join our voices and let Heaven hear us repent for the ways that our nation and our Churches have allowed Him to be removed from our national conscience. Let us vow to enter this spiritual conflict and turn our generations back to Him, the One who created and purposed this nation for His glory. We resolve to never give in to the Evil One and his minions, but to rise in our identity as citizens of heaven on earth , returning our land to righteousness in the Mighty and Holy Name of King Jesus! Amen!

I want to give credit to https://robertcliftonrobinson.com/2015/06/30/when-america-abandons-god-the-signs-and-the-consequences/ for confirming that my discernment is on target and providing historical background of the founding of our country.

Romans 1:18     For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 

What Happens When the Bible Is No Longer Publicly Avowed

If you are old enough, you might remember when the school day began with a Bible verse spoken over your school's loud speaker system, and your teacher led the class in a prayer. But the Supreme Court Case Engel v. Vitale (1962) determined that school-sponsored prayer in public schools was unconstitutional. The next year, the case of Abington School District v. Schlemp (1963) limited Bible-reading in public schools, and 17 years later, the Supreme Court ruled in Stone v. Graham (1980) that the presence of the Ten Commandments in schools violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

I don't think you have to be particularly wise to understand that Bible literacy began its slow and inevitable decline in our nation. There might be those who say, "So what? It should be a choice of parents whether their children are subjected to religious practices or teachings". But, I think there is a direct correlation between the moral downslide of our nation [and the Western world], and the Bible being celebrated as the historical foundation of our cultural and yes, even political, way of life. As Kurt Hofer, an author for The American Mind website points out, "We have been made to believe that churches and families (and in some cases parochial schools and universities) alone are the only legitimate vessels of Christian expression". That expression does not belong in the public venue. 

And that's where, in Mr. Hofer's opinion, we have been "snookered". In other words, we have been indoctrinated to believe that the principles and teachings of the Bible have no place in the public realm except inside a building. Our laws proclaim that the Bible is not for public consumption, and is no longer for the moral or intellectual instruction and improvement of a nation and its people. But how has that worked for us? The uncoupling of Biblical virtue [understood to be moral excellence] from society and government, and its consignment to personal faith alone, has resulted in a world that has opened the door to the spirits of Chaos and Lawlessness. 

At this important juncture in the history of the United States, we would do well to remember the admonishment of John Adams, a Founding Father and second President of our country: "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other". This sentiment was shared by those who shaped our Constitutional government, with this warning: no matter how well a constitution is constructed, it will not insure freedom and prosperity unless it is supported by a moral, virtuous population. This goes for our nation and all the nations of the world. Remember, without virtue and moral excellence, we get chaos, disruption, lawlessness, and pandemonium.

Just look around the globe today ... rioters are setting fires all over France; the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) just launched the largest military operation in the West Bank in over 20 years; the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is in the crosshairs of both Russia and Ukraine; the international banking system is on the verge of collapse; the mind-blowing growth of AI threatens the sovereignty of man; a reported 105 million working-age Americans can't find work; the homeless population in our cities is growing and out of control; volcanoes and earthquakes are on the rise; our education system has stolen the ability to critically think from our youth, leading to confusion, anger, and entitlement among many; plus a generation that neither knows or understands our history and the battle for individual freedom that was waged so they could express their views -- even those views that claim to hate all that we stand for. Little do they know that by rejecting a moral Christian foundation, they are subjecting themselves to the chains of tyranny.

But I want to make sure you understand one thing ... Church membership alone will never restore us to a virtuous nation, and God has never asked for that! The purpose of the Bible was to render His instruction on how to live a moral life; lives that were pleasing to Him and could build the foundation of families, societies, nations, and governments that would reflect His standards and principles, making a world that operated like Heaven. But when the Bible is removed from public inspection and influence, the temptation from Evil begins to intrude upon the hearts and minds of men, bringing with it corruption, turmoil, and confusion. These can quickly advance to wickedness, perversion, and depravity when the Bible's standards are absent from a society. And it happens quickly!

In my lifetime, which is just a blink of God's eye, I have seen the innocence of my childhood traded for the grooming of children into a perverse lifestyle. It is incumbent upon those of us who remember the freedom of being an innocent child to stand and fight to return the Bible and its teachings to its honored status in our nation. The future of our children, our culture, and our institution of government will benefit from returning to its guiding principles. We must return to being a virtuous people [and nation] that adhere to the principles of the Bible: to embrace shared morals, and recognize our responsibilities to stand for sacred and timeless decency towards others; protection of the weak; honesty and reliability; and praise for our God who is good and faithful to those who follow His ways. 

Anyone with eyes to see can discern that our nation has drastically changed in the 60 years since the Supreme Court removed the Bible [and its invitation to prayer] from our schools. Do we need any more evidence that we need to reverse the direction we are headed, and return the influence of the Bible to our culture? I applaud and praise the Lord for the signs He is showing us that He is on the move. Through recent Supreme Court rulings; movies like "The Sound of Freedom" and TV shows like "The Chosen"; parents standing up at School Board meetings to protect what their children are being taught -- these are all encroaching [in the spirit] upon the influential mountains of government, entertainment and education. God is fighting with us to take back the dominion we are to hold for the Kingdom of God on earth. Reconcile Your people to You, once again, Father! Establish us as a righteous nation, and guide us into becoming a virtuous land! We repent for being lax and not protecting all that you have given us, and we declare that we are ready to do the hard work to reclaim our destiny! May You smile upon us as a favored nation once again. Amen!

Job 12:23-25   He makes nations great, and he destroys them; He enlarges nations, and leads them away. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a trackless waste. They grope in the dark without light, and He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

  

Thoughts On The State Of Our Country and The World

I have been waiting for the dust to settle after the recent election before making any kind of comment -- although it looks as if the final outcome is still days away. And don't worry ... this is anything but a political post. In fact, what I have to say is this: I think it's about time for Christians to face the fact that the solution(s) to what ails our country doesn't lie in politics. Our troubles are spiritual, not temporal, and until this nation repents for its unrighteousness in all spheres of influence, and changes its soul and spirit, we are only going to continue to degrade the quality of our lives and the heart of this country.

We Christians need to come to terms with the Biblical truth that we cannot serve two masters. We cannot effectively serve both political ideologies and God. We cannot serve earthly goods, property, and riches and still adequately serve God. We cannot promote social causes with the same passion that we advocate for the Kingdom of God -- one or the other is going to suffer. Please understand that I know the motivations and intentions of Christians in these areas is only for the good of us all. But we need to begin thinking about this from God's perspective. That is what true repentance looks like. 

Just as Jesus explained to the Pharisees in Mark 12, it's okay to give to Caesar (or any other authority) what is due them, just be as diligent to give God His due. And if we find ourselves out of balance in making choices as to which will receive our heart, then our culture, our nation, and the world will suffer the consequences. You see, the condition of the human heart is at the center of the state in which we find ourselves. God looks down upon us and sees all the ways that our fleshly hearts have reduced His presence in our daily lives, and sees how that has affected our human condition. And He has seen it happen over and over since the Garden of Eden. How mankind's repetitive history must cause Him pain!

And it is such a recurring and predictable theme. I am reminded of a quote from Marine Combat Veteran and Author, G. Michael Hopf ... "Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And weak men create hard times". That is a cycle that has repeated itself throughout history. It is because at each turn of the cycle, men's hearts either embrace or reject God. 

We see it throughout the Bible in the history of the Israelites and the Jewish people ... The entrance into the Promised Land was fraught with danger and afflictions, yet Joshua rose up as a strong warrior that followed God's leading and the Israelites gained ground in the land God promised them, and they prospered. But weak men ruled after Joshua's death, and there was no one to point Israel to YHWH, and the Enemy was able to divide and conquer the people. Sound familiar? We also see this play out in the kings of Judah, where the good times were a result of kings who chose to be strong in their faith and repudiate the pagan gods that the people had turned to. But it wasn't long before those good times led the people to become lax in following God's statutes and they returned to their wicked ways. And these weak men led to God's judgment and hard times for the Jews until a new king rose up and again battled to tear down the altars and the high places, resulting in God's favor and the good times and prosperity returned. And so the cycle continued.

We need to take a serious step back and ask ourselves if this country is not repeating those times of prosperity followed by days of destructive courses of action. As long as God is removed as the governing spirit of this nation, what can we expect? He is either the central purpose of our efforts and His ways are what we seek first, or we take our eyes off Him because we think we've found a different direction that will make the world a better place. But that keeps us tied to the world and its systems!

As for me, I am truly at the stage in my life when I understand at the deepest levels of my flesh, soul, and spirit that I do not want to live in the systems of this world. I want to live in God's Kingdom systems. I don't want to be affected by the cycles of men who go from strong to weak, depending on their faith and reliance on God. I also totally understand that because we live in a sinful world, and as long as I am in this temporal body, I am going to be at the mercy of mankind's cycles. But I am no longer going to rely on those cycles to define the condition of my life. 

Whatever befalls our nation or the world, I will seek God's wisdom, not men's; God's will, not men's. And if men will align themselves with what God reveals to me, then I can support them as they become the Joshua's and the King Josiah's  and the Disciples of Jesus that we so desperately need today. I will only be too happy to praise them as we come together and see righteousness return to this nation. Until then, I can only pray that God hears the fervent prayers of His remnant and heals our land. 

#stateofthenation #politicsisnottheanswer #returntorighteousness #hardtimes

Romans 12:2     And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].