Posted on 03/10/2017 6:49:41 AM PST by pgkdan
What would happen if, tomorrow, the national debt could be paid off with no inflation or other ill effect, and if the per capita income of our nation could be doubled, and if we discovered a means of extending human life to 100 youthful years, and…well, put in whatever else you wish. What would happen? In twenty-five years, we would find ourselves again bedeviled with problems that seem insoluble and crushing, and we would again bemoan our wretched state.
After we won the Cold War, there was an immediate peace dividend that allowed us, if we would, to run budgetary surpluses until the national debt was paid off while lowering tax rates and leaving social spending unchanged. What happened? That toxic stew of materialism, nihilism, and instant gratification corrupted everything.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Absolutely true - neither an individual nor a nation can be great without God.
But I would venture to say that if the Constitution was strictly adhered to in spirit as well as the letter, the “materialism, nihilism, and instant gratification” would have only corrupted the individual or the individual state. Not the entire USA.
Remember that the Founding Fathers who penned these documents were devout Christians; men of God.
Not much more to say than great article. This guy said brilliantly what we all know but don’t articulate very well. I’m going to forward the link to some friends.
America did not become great by trying to become great. That never works.
America became great because it had Christian values and a Christian world-view - and thus valued a Christian foundation in everything - except slavery.
One of the greatest of these values is giving God His proper place. Another is morals that are righteous. Another is freedom. A people who truly hold and live Christian values will inevitably become great.
America CANNOT become great by focusing on becoming great. It can only do so by returning to Christian values.
Thankfully, that is what Trump is attempting to do.
Question is: how many of us want to do the same thing? We know at least 40% of our nation DOES NOT want to do that.
What if I had an unlimited supply of jelly beans?
Really I think that if only those who call themselves Christians would live as such-in word and deed, we could easily have those without hope, joy, peace and love come over to our God- The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit- just by looking inside their soul and wanting these gifts. By having The Lord’s Table to cleanse our sins and the works through faith, they could be happy with spiritual things and not worldly things (which are very temporary).
II Chronicles 7:14
Yes.
The decline of our nation is the fault of the Church - and its decline.
When our nation was founded on Biblical principles, the influence of the church was overwhelming - even on deists like Jefferson, who held to Christian values, slavery excepted. Real men of God like Washington led our nation. There was no protest over Christian values and Christian world-view.
As the church became weak and worldly (because individuals in the church did), its influence on our nation and its values declined proportionally.
Today’s church is predominately big name preachers in big buildings asking for and receiving big money while the vast number of small churches are self-centered, status quo and passive with little Popes that have no impact whatsoever on the communities that surround them.
The world looks at the church and what does it see? Not Christ Jesus, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit like in Acts. It sees itself. And it says, “No thank you. You have nothing that interests me. I don’t see anything different. I see leaders that are too often seeking power, fame and position - and money. I see flocks adoringly following them, living just like us.”
A tiny, dead, rural church near us founded in 1773 with maybe 40 active members recently needed a new pastor. He demanded a salary of $60k. And got it.
II Chron. 7:14 is indeed our only hope. The sad thing about Trump is that financial prosperity may indeed come as he leads us back to freedom in many areas - but I don’t know of one case in history where prosperity brought repentance to God’s people. As someone said, prosperity is usually a curse, not a blessing - and a time when people turn away from God and forget Him.
See Deut. 6:10-12, 8:7-14.
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