Posted on 10/06/2001 7:02:31 AM PDT by Brian Kopp DPM
America Losing Her Purpose?
By Chuck Baldwin
October 5, 2001
All of my adult life has been devoted to the study of the Scriptures and American history. More than thirty years of study has brought me to the following conclusions:
1) The United States of America has no place in Bible prophecy. Readers do not need to send me a list of obscure verses with coded meanings, either. People who say they can find the United States in Scripture are fooling themselves. It is not there.
Obviously, many nations like Russia, China, Egypt, and Israel are easily found in end-time passages. Likewise, prophecy students can easily discern the existence of a united European nation in Eschatology. Look as hard as one wants, however, the United States is just not there.
2) It seems to me, therefore, that America's place and purpose in world history is contained to that period before prophetic events. After all, in the overall scheme of world history, a 200-year existence is but a blip on the radar screen. Furthermore, great and mighty nations of the past have disappeared from prominence overnight. (Does anyone remember the Soviet Union?)
As I see it, God raised America up for three basic purposes: to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to protect the state of Israel, and to preserve liberty. God blessed and prospered this nation because of our commitment to those three purposes. It seems to me that the United States is currently in the process of abandoning its commitment to those purposes and as such is in danger of losing its reason for existence.
*America must preach the Gospel.
It is undeniable that our ancestors brought missionary zeal with them to this land. Columbus, the Pilgrims, and the Puritans all came to this country (in part) to evangelize the unredeemed. Furthermore, it was a revival of religion that literally gave birth to our nation. The "Great Awakening" of the early 18th Century provided the impetus for America's declaration of independence. It is also true that America has done more for Christian evangelization than any nation in history. Some 85% of Christian missionaries worldwide originate in the United States. Tens of millions of Christian converts around the world owe their salvation to the faithfulness of American Christians to spread the Gospel.
Today, however, many churches and "Christian" ministries have traded the simple Gospel with strange and foreign philosophies. Turn on practically any religious television or radio program and all you hear are messages of prosperity, healing, anointing, etc. The story of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection is seldom mentioned.
*America must protect Israel.
God's warning to nations is clear: bless Israel and be blessed; curse Israel and be cursed. Since Israel reclaimed nationhood in 1948, America has been (and continues to be) her truest friend and closest ally. Without America's support, Muslim enemies would have drowned Israel in the Mediterranean Sea long ago.
Now I hear that President Bush has made it official U.S. policy to support granting statehood to Israel's enemies. It is incomprehensible that our government would send American young men to fight and die in battle against one terrorist, Osama Bin Laden, and at the same time, would send official diplomats to install another terrorist, Yassir Arafat, as president of his own country! What is worse, by helping to create yet another enemy nation for Israel, the United States invites divine judgment upon itself. The Promised Land belongs to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not to the descendents of Ishmael, Mohammed, and Arafat. It seems that America's leaders have forgotten that truth.
*America must preserve freedom.
Love for liberty has been an American passion since our country's inception. The cry of freedom has been our clarion call and has established this nation as the great "city upon a hill." Without freedom, America becomes just another despotic state; our purpose will have been lost. Therefore, it is more than disconcerting to realize that our government, in the name of security, is in the process of dismantling our Bill of Rights and smothering liberty in our land. Even more disturbing is the fact that a majority of Americans seems fine with the idea.
It is my studied opinion that America is perilously close to crossing the point of no return. If America truly abandons the principles that invoked Heaven's assistance, she may soon discover that she has no place remaining at the table of history. She would not be the first nation to have such a rude awakening. I pray she has another Great Awakening instead.
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We should heed our first president's words and avoid foreign entanglements. Israel can take care of itself. Anyone here who wants to send money to Israel out of their own free will may do so.
and at the same time, would send official diplomats to install another terrorist, Yassir Arafat, as president of his own country!"
It frightens and enrages non-believers and I really am at a loss about what the right thing to do is. Is it better to remain with relating the good news of the gospel, or get in depth into areas that cause profound fear and/or rage?
I disagree with your disagreement. Talk about anything you care to.
Very good question. I have attempted to explore this very question, in general, on Free Republic, in the form of several threads:
Freeper Wars: Bible Christians Versus Roman Catholic/Orthodox: A Question For All
Clarion Call to Christians in the Freeper Wars: How to Win the Culture War--Who, then, is Our Enemy?
I have specifically tried to explore the issues of faith relating to the terrorist attack with these threads:
Must God Apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah?
MOTHER ANGELICA PLEADS FOR PURGING OF "OTHER" TERRORISM IN U.S.
ATHEISTS REJECT COUNTRY'S TURN TOWARD PRAYER
Regarding Falwell, Baldwin, Mother Angelica's statements and God's Role (?) in WTC Terror attack
Personally, I think any "Conservative" political movement in America must be animated by a continual reference to, and analysis of, the intersection between faith and politics.
"Conservatism" needs definition on a forum like this:
Main Entry: con·ser·va·tism
Pronunciation: k&n-'s&r-v&-"ti-z&m
Function: noun
Date: 1835
1 capitalized a : the principles and policies of a Conservative party b : the Conservative party
2 a : disposition in politics to preserve what is established b : a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change
3 : the tendency to prefer an existing or traditional situation to change
Personally I believe that a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions in America is, by definition, based on Judeo-Christian tradition and social stability.
Therefore, I do not shy away from calling those self proclaimed conservatives here on FreeRepublic.com "A Conservative News Forum" back to the very roots of that "Conservatism, " namely Judeo-Christian principles and belief. Christianity is integral to the continuance of Conservatism in America and thus The Necessity for Christianity on Free Republic.
As I see it, God raised America up for three basic purposes: to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to protect the state of Israel, and to preserve liberty. God blessed and prospered this nation because of our commitment to those three purposes. It seems to me that the United States is currently in the process of abandoning its commitment to those purposes and as such is in danger of losing its reason for existence.
When anyone starts to tell me who or what God is or what He want us to do,Im a bit skeptical to say the least.
If you read Jeremiah 50:21-46 and go on to Jeremiah 51, in Jeremiah 51:7, Baylon was given a "golden cup" that made all the earth and nations drunk. Keep in mind the prophecy in not against Nebuchazzar's Babylon, but the DAUGHTER of Babylon in Jeremiah 50:42.
Isaiah also has God prophecy against this daughter of Babylon in Isaiah 13-14:1-23. Now here is the thing. In Isaiah 13:10, it uses the same wording Jesus used when he taked about His return in Matthew 24:29-31 (aslo in Mark 13:24-27 and Luke 21:25-28)
It gets even better because in Jeremiah 51:7, when it talks about the "golden cup", this cup is also in the Revelation 17:4. Read on to Rev 17:5 and you will find the name Babylon again. If you combine Jeremiah 51:7 and Rev. 17:4, you may come up with the view that this Babylon or Mother of Harlots (Mother of harlot churches) has this "golden cup" in her hand; it is filled with the blood of saints and martyrs of Jesus and was drunk on that blood and made the earth and nations drunk on that wine (blood).
It is possible a "babylonian pagan powerful nation" or a "phony pagan christian government controlled powerful nation" (say what??) will soon rise to power and begin killing the true christians. Why?? Probably when certain christians reject being forced to worship on sunday because sunday worship is not biblical or something else. I am only making a guess. I can only look at events that will transpire.
America is designated as an Eagle and Great Britain is designated as a Lion. Not only are we there, it is very evident we are there.
If you want to know what our place in Biblical history is, you can read: "The Jews, The Nations and The Church" by Billye Brimm.
I believe most Bible bookstores carry the book. This woman travels to Israel all the time, and has even learned to speak Hebrew while living in Israel. I would consider what she knows much more relevant than someone who has never been to Israel.
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