The Slow Painful Death of America
America is slowly dying. The great social experiment - the wonderful, idealistic, impractical yet potentially world changing idea that a Government could exist which answered directly to the people it served. The idea that the Government existed only at the will of the people and that this was guaranteed by a document, a contract between the Government and the People acknowledging that certain inalienable rights existed which came not from the Government nor the People, rather, from the Creator Himself and therefore were beyond the touch of either the Government or the People.
This required that the People exercise due diligence by refraining from excess and by constraining the Federal head of the Government and those who were elected to Represent the people to only those responsibilities, those areas of life, business and the common defense to which they were assigned by the Constitution of the United States. Everything else was a matter for each State to deal with as its voters deemed appropriate.
For some time this worked. The constraints of the moral absolutes found in Christianity kept the majority of the citizenry of this, then Christian Nation, mindful of things bigger than themselves. With God’s blessings the country grew in size, wealth and power. Unfortunately where there is wealth and power there are those who would disregard their fellow man and seize more than their due. As our country waxed fat on its success so did its people. When it came to minding their Government they became lazy, bestowing upon the Federal Government control over certain areas of their lives so that they, the citizens, could enjoy the fruits of success without the bother of attending meetings and sitting on committees. The founders warned of this quite specifically. Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Jackson. All wrote extensively on the subject of personal responsibility toward oneself, one’s family, business, God and Country. A Government by the people and for the people cannot succeed if the people neglect their responsibility to govern. If they sell their God given rights for a bit of temporary safety or worse, for the sake of convenience they will never get them back. That has proven so.
Which brings us to today where we live under the rule of a Federal Behemoth, a monstrous beast glutted on the proceeds stripped from those who, by their ingenuity, grit and determination created success out of nothing. Even those barely eking out a living, scraping by month to month have a significant portion of their labors sucked into the black hole of taxes, fees, special tariffs, surcharges, assessments etc. When Income taxes and all the other “hidden” taxes Americans pay it is estimated that the United States has one of the highest tax rates in the world per capita. Ironically enough, this huge endowment largely pays for public benefits and so called “entitlements” which are growing exponentially. A historical writing had this to say:
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
I do believe that describes this country to a ‘T’. It also heralds our doom. From ancient Athens to Rome, no form of social government has survived much beyond 200 years wherein the citizenry could vote “entitlements” unto themselves.
Because of the sheer size of the Federal Behemoth waste, excess and corruption abound. Instead of the limited responsibilities delineated by the Constitution, today’s Federal Government has crept into almost every facet of American life and business. From selecting your health care (whether you want it or not) to dictating the curriculum your local schools will use, the modern Federal Government has usurped many of the Liberties guaranteed us by our constitution. Those of most concern lately regard the right to privacy.
It was recently revealed that every American has been exposed to one level of surveillance or another over the past decade. Most have been exposed to multiple levels of surveillance though they have committed no crime, no warrant was issued nor are they even under investigation. It is simply the nature of our Intelligence agencies to collect vast quantities of telecommunications, computer data and video camera footage most of which includes the activities of innocent American Citizens along with those under suspicion.It is too late to undo this without an all out Civil War or an act of God.
Speaking of God or, specifically, Christians: Sadly, those who love and follow the true and living God are becoming fewer and fewer. This may not seem to be the case when one looks at Joel Osteen’s Mega Church or Kenneth Copeland and “his Church’s” fleet of private Jets. However, it takes only a moment or two to realize that, though these false teachers and others like them use the title of Christian and occasionally pull a verse or two from the Bible (out of context) to support their false gospel, there is nothing Christian about their teachings. They are simply using the same techniques Motivational Speakers use to sell people on the latest Multi-Level Marketing scam sprinkled with some Biblical sounding language and boom, they fill stadiums with those hungry to fill that empty space in their heart.
Instead of feeding them on the pure soul filling word of God, saving them from Death by convicting them of their sin, teaching them of the identity, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, of repentance and the committing of one’s life to the Lordship of Jesus and leading them to salvation for eternity, instead they fill them with feel good, self-affirming psycho babble that feels wonderful for the moment but leaves them empty even as they are driving out of the parking lot.
What has this to do with the dying of America? The fall of this country began, I believe, with Roe v. Wade. As Americans have gradually turned away from God and become openly hostile toward God and Bible-True Christians we are seeing the same results other societies have shown after rejecting God. First we have seen society embrace idolatry of every kind and more recently we have seen sexual perversion forced upon the entire country. We are seeing the results of this turning away for just as we reject God, we reject His blessings and His Divine protection as well. I have had Christians argue that I am wrong. That God is loving and merciful. He is that and more. But He is also Holy and Righteous. While I do not believe that America has come under judgment yet, I do know that God will not force Himself upon a Nation which rejects Him. This includes His blessings and Divine protection. America now faces the forces of a fallen world with the same odds as anyone else who has said “no thanks” to God.
The American people are the only ones to blame for the dying of America. They became lazy and greedy. They ignored the warnings of the founders and of modern watchmen who have been shouting from the walls for decades that America must once more become responsible for itself and that, most importantly, it must turn back to God. However, the people didn’t listen. They sold their liberties for “entitlements”. They gave up their rights counting on an uncaring Government to guarantee their safety. Now they have neither liberty nor safety. Instead we live in a country that has been infiltrated by Jihadist terrorists, Narco Gangs and Agent Provocateurs sent to turn our college kids into Fascist militants.
The American people allowed their government to steal their gold and scam them out of control of the country’s money via the Federal Reserve. Rights once reserved to the states over education, health care and more have been usurped. Even now the Second Amendment is in peril and the First Amendment has been essentially rendered impotent as the right to free exercise of religion has been undermined by the courts as Same Sex couples sue those whose convictions don’t allow them to partake in the ceremonial glorification of perversion and freedom of speech is no longer sanctioned on University Campuses or Government Offices.
Anyone who cannot see that this country is in its death throes is simply in denial. The mountain of debt looming over this country ready to topple at the slightest breeze is just one of a hundred crisis’ that can and will eventually undo the USA.
After all this you will think me crazy when I stress that none of this is cause for alarm! In fact, as scary as this all seems there is reason for great hope and excitement as well as an urgency to reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus gave a very specific description of the state of the world immediately prior to his command to look up - for our Redemption Draws Nigh…
1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. 2 Tim 3
And:
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21
(emphasis mine)
Note I highlighted ‘begin to come to pass…’. Not, when they are fully engaged, but when they BEGIN to come to pass. I look around and I see the world as described in 2 Timothy all around me. As for the passages in Luke 21, we have seen many signs in the heavens, distress of nations with perplexity. The sea and the waves have been churning with devastating Tsunamis in Asia and hurricanes and flooding in the US, South America and Africa. Brave men have been frozen in fear at what they behold.
Begin to come to pass.
I believe in the imminence of the Rapture of those who truly love Jesus and believe the Gospel. I believe it could happen as I type this or it could happen a decade from now. Either way it spurs me to reach all I can with the message of Salvation in the Gospel of Christ. We must reach as many as we can for we know not how much time we have. I have heard it said that the Pre-Trib Rapture is evil because it lulls Believers into a false sense of security and, hence, we supposedly feel no urgency to reach the lost and/or will be unprepared when the Rapture doesn't happen and the Tribulation catches us off guard.
I disagree! In fact I believe Imminence drives us harder to reach the lost. As for the Tribulation, I’m not concerned, for though I believe these verses, Revelation 3:10 and Zephaniah 2:3 refer to the Pre-Trib Rapture, the end result is the same - our loving God keeps us from the outpouring of His wrath. In fact, I wish Christians would put this debate aside. As long as we agree on the essentials of orthodoxy: The Gospel of Salvation, Deity of Christ, the Resurrection and Inerrancy of Scripture, the doctrine of the Rapture is a side note. I believe. I am counting on it. But if it doesn’t happen in my lifetime nothing changed. I will continue pursuing the lost as I have, believing that any day everything could change in the twinkling of an eye.
If you’re reading this and you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then please, please look into who Jesus is. Find what He did and why He did it. If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He was born of a virgin and, though He was the Son of God in the form of a man and had all His divine Godly attributes, He chose not to exploit His divinity but rather to live as a human in obedience to the Father and That He went to the cross after being tortured and humiliated, that He was lifted up on the Cross where He took upon His sinless self all the sins of man. When He died on the cross our sins were erased. He paid the price for us. When He was resurrected three days later the bonds of death and hell were broken opening the way to eternal life for us by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ. If you confess with your mouth Jesus Christ is Lord and Believe in your Heart that God raised Him from the Dead, you will be Saved!
Carm.org is a good place to find the Bible references for all of this so that you can read and pray and, God willing, find Jesus in whom we have eternal life in Heaven, among so many other wonderful things. If you are interested here is a video that will help greatly in explaining it all.
God Bless You! And, do not be afraid for our Redemption draws nigh no matter what end times scenario you believe. If you don’t know what to believe, please, watch the video. Visit www.carm.org - learn about Jesus, read a Bible, talk to a Christian Friend. Whatever you do please do not put off this important issue any longer.
Be at peace. God is in control!
