Personal thoughts: Keeping Hope Alive In a Battered America

Today is Veteran's Day, and I'm thinking of all the men and women who have served in the wars of this country, dating back to the American Revolution. I'm grateful for their service to our nation; for the sacrifices they made in the name of Liberty and Freedom. The wars that they fought in were not always for virtuous causes, and sadly, there were too many who profited off of them at the expense of millions of young lives throughout the existence of America. 

And that brings me to the other thoughts occupying my mind these days ... we are rapidly approaching the 250th anniversary of our nation. While many consider the United States an empire, and therefore wish to come to the foregone conclusion that "empires rarely last over 250 years", I'm not willing to give up on us just yet. First of all, I don't consider America an empire. While empires are usually distinguished as being a central power which exerts control and power over conquered territories and peoples, occupying those territories and enslaving the conquered peoples, America has favored the promotion of democracy and self-determination, and post World War II, has championed national independence and sovereignty. Additionally, our American culture is most often voluntarily embraced, rather than enforced.

I know that we are not a perfect nation and there are those who will argue that our expansion and acquisitions of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines in recent history, along with our military interventions and economic influence, argue for the "empire" label. The debate is legitimate, but my purpose for writing today covers whether the idea that America still exists as the land of opportunity where people can still dream of the freedom of self-determination, economic self-sufficiency, security, and the hope of a peaceful and prosperous future. Some call that "the American Dream". I like to think of it as God's will for all people.

But I cannot deny that, as a civilization, I see the warning signs of our decline. We are experiencing economic decline [due to government overspending, inflation, and excessive taxation]. We certainly have political instability, and the growing threat of marxist/socialist ideologies within our educational and political institutions, is causing social upheaval. And when the governing power grows increasingly centralized in Washington D.C., rather than being determined by a representative democracy among the people, it fractures our founding principles of individual liberty and self-determination. Finally, the deterioration of our moral and spiritual belief systems serves to cause division and decay within our society. The loss of faith, in both our religious and societal institutions, has the potential to be the final blow to this "great experiment" called The United States of America.

So, now that I've cited the current woes of our nation, I want to tell you why I still have hope for us. At the heart of America lies a legacy that I believe still offers the embers of Freedom and Faith; waiting to be revived and restored in the hearts of those who appreciate and honor the liberty that America can provide. I grew up loving the ideals of our nation's history -- that when we work hard, we can be rewarded with opportunities to make our dreams for our families come true; and that at the heart of the American populace is a shared identity, but also the right to disagree and express our differences. But we must remember that unique heritage. We cannot let our history disappear from our schools or our collective memories. It must be taught and preserved, or the core values and identity of America will be lost.

All I have to do is watch the various newscasts of young people being interviewed across our land to discover that they cannot name the country we fought that gave us our Independence. Some do not even know the name of our first President, nor who wrote the Declaration of Independence. They cannot even name one of the Ten Commandments. Civics classes have been removed from most school curriculum, along with the statues and names of the Founding Fathers. Remember when we memorized and recited the intro to the Gettysburg Address? They have no idea what that is or why it is important to our history. 

Yet, I have hope when I read the our U.S. Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, is praising an Independence Day Ceremony activity book that teaches children about our American ideals of liberty, limited government, and Judeo-Christian values -- and in less than 15 minutes, to accommodate their attention span. I have hope, knowing that there is a growing number of parents who home-school, and a growing number of college-age young men and women who are now recognizing the extraordinary good that is in America. I am grateful for the dedication and commitment that the late Charlie Kirk instilled in these young people. Through his example, I have hope they will become the leaders of tomorrow, instilling the goodness that is America, while rooting out the dangerous seeds of materialism, radicalism, and anti-God ideologies.

I want to reiterate that I know America is not perfect. We have made lots of mistakes, and have tried to correct them. We still have a ways to go. But in the midst of the lawlessness and false identity that is trying to overtake this country, I see rays of sunlight and hope. I have faith that God is not done with us yet. I am encouraged by those who have the courage to stand up and call for unity and shared purpose; to bravely pronounce their faith in God and seek to join hands with our fellow citizens of all colors, ethnicities, and creeds in order to preserve this great land in unity. And, by the way, did you know there is an actual American's Creed? Here's a key except: 

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies. -- Written by a public servant, William Tyler Page in 1917, accepted by the United States House of Representatives on April 3, 1918. How appropriate for Veteran's Day! Thank you to all our veterans who answered that call.

So, I hope you will continue to pray with me for the future of our nation... that we might sustain the hope and promise that is the United States of America, and that it is God's will that we persevere in righteousness for generations to come, turning away from all evil influences and keeping His statutes forever. Amen!

Romans 15:4    For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

"Those in World History Who Have Known Freedom and Then Lost It Have Never Known It Again"

It is hard to believe that it has been 57 years since Ronald Reagan spoke these consequential words during his Inaugural Address as Governor of California. It was 1967, and nearly 2 generations ago. The country was mired in the VietNam War, race riots, and social upheaval. The children of the Greatest Generation of WWII were at philosophical, societal, and spiritual odds with their fathers.

And today, following our celebration of 248 years as a nation, and the very real facts of the dispiriting and declining condition of our nation, I think it is essential that we revisit the entirety of his warning ... "Perhaps you and I have lived too long with this miracle [of the orderly transfer of administrative authority by direction of the people] to properly be appreciative. Freedom is a fragile thing and it's never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again". 

Reagan warned that blessed people should not take their good fortune for granted. I will never doubt or question that our favored status as a nation came from God. When we followed His statutes and His Law of moral standards, we continued to be a nation of privilege and well-being. And when I look at the nations throughout history [and the Bible], it's not hard to see that, whether it be systems of governments or systems within the Church, movements come and go. 

Consider Israel: freed from enslavement and the Egyptian pantheon of gods, and led into the Promised Land with a new system of worshipping YHWH as their One True God. But within one or two generations they abandoned God's warnings and returned to following false gods. Their rebellion cost them the favor of YHWH and they found themselves sent into captivity for their disobedience. They would find themselves bound in cycles of prosperity and enslavement, with repeating patterns of rebellion, revival, and recovery; each generation either seeking restoration from God or deliberately rejecting His relationship. 

Our own nation was founded on the Judeo-Christian values of justice, individual worth, personal responsibility and the rule of law [founded on the guiding principles of the Ten Commandments]. Each citizen was expected to engage with their conscience, temperance, frugality, and industry; to walk in justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow man; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God. The original thirteen colonies existed in tolerance towards each other; each having its own constitution which gave the citizens rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. They would join together in unity to battle for independence from Great Britain and its taxation without representation. After winning that war and freeing themselves from British rule, the colonies would form a central government designed to establish the functions of the national government of the United States.

The goal was to create a government with enough power to act on a national level [and as a sovereign nation], but without so much power that fundamental rights would be at risk. But within 84 years, the unity fell apart over issues of economic policies and practices, cultural values, the extent and reach of the Federal government, and most decidedly, the role of slavery within American society. 

Throughout world history we see the repetitious cycle of freedom and slavery -- movements sometimes lasting for a century or two; others barely one generation. Such is the self-obsession and self-serving nature of humanity. Why didn't the Israelites cling to the blessings of YHWH? They knew His promises of a coming Messiah when they walked in obedience. And they knew the sorrow and wretchedness of their disobedience when they abandoned His ways. Yet when He answered their prayers for deliverance and restored them, why would they so easily listen to the lies of men that would lead them back into adversity?

And even after Jesus came and showed them He was the long-awaited Messiah, they refused to receive Him. Their promises were then offered to the Gentiles and there appeared a revolution of Faith when the Church was born. But even that institution was not immune to the fickleness of men's hearts. The first generation witnessed the miracles of Jesus, or at least heard first-hand accounts. But the second and third generations soon returned to the traditions of their fathers. Paul warns us that there would come a time when men and women would not listen to sound doctrine, but seek to suit their own desires and motives, gathering teachers that would give them what their itching ears wanted to hear. The result? They would turn away from the Truth. 

And it happened as early as 85 AD, only two generations after Jesus's crucifixion! The apostle John actually gives us testimony of how quickly the preeminence of Christ was replaced by the self-promotion of Church leaders. In 3 John:9, he writes: I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to put himself first, does not accept what we say and refuses to recognize my authority. How quickly this Church leader dismissed the superiority of Jesus Christ in favor of his own rebellious nature of pride and ambition! And then less than 10 years later, John writes the Book of Revelation in which Jesus gives His urgent warnings to the "churches". Jesus already had concerns over their idolatry, immorality, and loss of love for Him, each other, and lost sinners. Imagine what He would have to say over the Church in 2024!!  

I write all this to show you the truth that history has proven that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. I have seen how quickly it has disappeared in the generations of my lifetime; each succeeding generation losing more of our precious liberties and rights that come from God. I have seen the rise of [and return to the worship of] ancient pagan gods and the whispered lies of hate for Jesus. How did we get here so quickly? By abandoning the Word of God and His place in our government, our society, our homes, and our individual lives. So, how do we restore our freedom? It's really simple -- and I believe God will honor us if we get back to the Word and totally reject anything that the Bible does not provide evidence for or prove the truth of. 

It's a matter of returning to our first love. For the nation, it's the love of our individual freedom, individual responsibilities, and limited government to allow us to become all that God created us to be. And, most importantly, it's about returning to Jesus and the Word of God as our First Love; the Creator and Protector of our true Freedom. For too long, we have abdicated our authority [given to us by Christ] that we might influence the world for the Kingdom of God, and allowed greedy, power-hungry, prideful and arrogant men [like Diotrephes] to build their own kingdoms and subjugate us for their own well-being. 

We must recognize that Jesus's warnings to the churches in Revelation still stand the test of time. They are still in effect because the Word never changes. And they apply to all men, not just the institution of Church. We've allowed the traditions and self-centered desires of men to outweigh God's will and His desire for us. But it's never too late to stop the disintegration of our national foundation! The Way is right there in the Word. It's time that a spiritual revolution take place in our hearts and we raise up generations to return our land to its original purpose and let freedom ring! Let's not let one more generation remain ignorant of the soul and spirit of America. Pray, repent, and seek the face of God! He will not abandon us, and the Enemy that is trying to steal our inheritance can and will be defeated!      

Proverbs 19:21    Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.