Posted on 09/15/2001 10:33:23 AM PDT by Medium Rare
By Jim Rarey
September 15, 2001
HAS GOD FORSAKEN THE UNITED STATES?
Has this nation, which has been so richly blessed by God with freedoms and bountiful resources, been abandoned by him? Is God no longer on our side? The answer is a resounding no! It is the opposite that is true. We, as a nation, have banished God from our public life and to a great extent from our personal lives.
God does not “take sides.” He is eternal and steadfast. His laws (rules) are well known and unchanging. The real question is are we on God’s side?
Anyone taking an honest and objective view of the current landscape in this country cannot say that we are “on God’s side.” We, as a population, have first ignored, then tolerated and finally embraced many of the things God has told us in scripture are an abomination to him.
The world has succumbed to the original lie told to Eve by Satan. In the Garden of Eden, Satan convinced Eve that she could disobey God and become like him, “knowing good and evil.” This might be the most misunderstood passage in scripture. It did not merely mean knowing the “difference” between good and evil, but have the right to substitute “man’s” standards of good and evil for God’s.
And that is exactly what we have done. The Ten Commandments are banned from public consideration as being unworthy of an absolute standard for humanity. Instead, “political correctness” has become the standard. And in social mores, this often means there are no standards at all. Just do your thing.
As a consequence, Americans have cravenly maintained silence as their government bombs and starves innocent civilians in the name of imposing “democracy.” Corporate profits take precedence over human rights and national security. Promises to “create jobs’ take precedence over individual property rights.
The “popular” culture glorifies everything that God detests. Families disintegrate under the idea that man can set the standards.
The problem is not political nor is the solution. We are in a spiritual war in which we are unarmed and for the most part unaware.
The pundits tell us that the cause of the tragic attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon is that others are jealous of our wealth and power. That America is good and they are evil. That we only need stay the course and our “goodness” will prevail.
Are wealth and power the symbols of “goodness.” I think not, at least in God’s eyes. We are told to take great pride in our wealth, power and (diminishing) freedoms. Yet the Bible tells us that “pride goeth before destruction and a haughty manner before a fall.” What is needed is humility, not pride.
God has made numerous promises to mankind. The following one is what we should be contemplating in these trying times.
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
II Chronicles 7:14
The author is a free lance writer based in Romulus, Michigan. He is a former newspaper editor and investigative reporter, a retired customs administrator and accountant, and a student of history and the U.S. Constitution.
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I thought it was pretty evident in the lack of faith I see from so many in America today. The posters in this thread seem to bear that out very nicely, as well.
I would imagine that it is up to their PARENTS to decide. Perhaps a Muslim or Hindu parent might actually want the ability to raise their children in their own faith? Would you want someone teaching the Quran to your children?
Of course, it's good to remember that the Devil is a "spiritual thing" too.
Very eloquently stated. I am addressing the spirit that drives you.
More to the point, do we as a "Christian" nation understand that Islam ultimately clashes with Christianity? That Islam can't tolerate the idea that Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the light - no man can come to the Father except through me"? Are we prepared to die defending our country against an enemy that will claim they are "believers in Jesus", yet their belief in Christ is that he was only one of many prophets, and certainly not Lord?
I know many at FR do not want us discussing these things, but they are integral to this war. We have a choice to make as a nation, and it won't be easy. We can SAY we are defending our nation and our freedoms, but ultimately we'll have to defend our belief system as well, because the Muslims will act holy, look us in the eye and say "See, we really are brothers. We too worship the God of Abraham". And then they will bomb another building. I'm not being racist - I'm trying to point out that we have a fundamental difference in what constitutes "civilization". Our civilization in America is based on our Judeo-Christian heritage, whether you like that or not. To the degree that we understand this and seek His face as we move forward is the key, I believe, to our future "success" as a nation.
You think you're cute.
You're not.
Your handbag doesn't match your shoes.
Everyone's belief system is rooted or based on something, whether they can consciously define or name just what that belief system is, even if it is an atheistic set of values.
God… why? Given the reality of Tuesday’s events, this question is being asked throughout our country and the world. There is a very good possibility that God temporarily lifted His hand of protection from America and has judged us for our sins. For years we have sown the wind and now we have reaped the whirlwind of judgment.
It was ironic to see Daschel, Dodd, Kennedy, Gephardt, Mrs. Clinton and other political leaders commiserating in Washington in the midst of this tragedy, singing "God Bless America" and asking the people of America to "pray to God"! Many of these same government "leaders" have been totally opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ, prayer in school or within the halls of government. People who support and promote sexual immorality, sodomy and the wholesale genocide of the unborn stand together, But what does God have to say about all of this:
24 "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof;
26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,
29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD.
30 "They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof.
31 "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices.
32 "For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 "But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil." (Proverbs 1:24 - 33)
We have a biblical mandate to pray for President Bush and those in leadership, we have a responsibility to pray for the nation. It is our Christian duty and privilege. But God's word is clear: "we reap what we sow". America has chosen and supported many ungodly and unrighteous political and religious leaders because they are reflective of what many Americans themselves believe and how many of us morally and spiritually live our lives. We have been willing to overlook their ungodly conduct and policies because "character does not matter, it is the economy stupid."
Well, God will NOT be mocked. That said, He holds out this promise:
13 "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,
14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:13 - 14)
We as a nation, founded upon faith in Christ Jesus and biblical principles have replaced Him with other "gods" (which are NOT gods). Many have made a concerted effort to reject Him and tear God out of the very fabric of our society and personal lives. We have tended to treat the Lord Jesus like a "dixie cup" which we use and throw away at our convenience. We expect God not to judge us while asking Him to run to our rescue and protect us from our enemies.
I have an honest question I would like you to answer, whether you agree with me or not. Before the events of September 11th took place, were we as individuals and as a nation living righteous and godly lives? Lives pleasing to God who is Holy, absolutely righteous and totally just? Or had we chosen to forget Christ, spurn His Word and do whatever was right in our own eyes? If the answer is the latter, then no matter how painful it is, the truth is this: We are being judged, as a people for our sin. It is not my intention to offend but we can not use God and expect Him to be at our beck and call. Nor can we call upon Him to "protect" and "defend us" when it is convenient or politically expedient and spurn Jesus and His Word the rest of the time. There is a simple yet profound principle in His Word and it is this: God is not mocked, you reap what you sow and what you reap is multiplied. That is true for individuals, it is also true for nations.
Another question that is being asked boils down to this:
How could God use a nation or individuals even more evil to judge another nation less evil than itself? ... Because He loves us! He did this numerous times throughout the Old Testament. Israel (the Northern kingdom) had turned away from following the Lord and He allowed the Assyrians to overcome and conquer them. The Assyrians were brutal beyond comprehension. They ripped open pregnant women and dashed their babies against walls and pavement, they impaled their living victims, skinned them alive and crushed them under huge threshing sledges. This is just a small sample of what they did to Israel. The Southern kingdom of Judah was later conquered by the Babylonians. A wicked nation, totally given over to idols, worshipping their own strength, and immorality. Why did God allow this? Because His people had persisted in wickedness and in rejecting Him. God is loving, gracious and long suffering, but there comes a time when His patience is at an end. God is not only a God of love, He is also holy and just. He must judge sin, even the sin of nations. History has shown that no nation can spurn God, reject His Word and law and get away with it. Not Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Israel, or the United States of America.
Has God forsaken America?... absolutly not. Fortunately, there is hope, it is not too late. God loves us and holds out this promise to us as individuals and as a nation:
13 "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,
14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:13 - 14)
What has happened is an unprecedented tragedy, but we are not without hope. I believe that God can use these events to produce spiritual revival throughout America if we respond in humility and repentance. We have been given a wake up call and a window of opportunity. How we respond is up to us.
One other issue must be addressed. Our nation has been mercilessly attacked. Thousands of civilian citizens are dead and whether we like it or not we are at war. Those responsible, along with those who sponsor and support them must be held accountable and punished. The sword of justice must be now be applied and applied strongly and swiftly upon those who have made themselves our enemies. Otherwise the events of September 11, 2001 will be repeated on an ever-increasing level throughout our land in the days ahead.
Dr. S
I am no cuter than the spirit of the one addressing me. Son of Enlightenment.
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