Howard Green | Rapture Ready
It seems that everyone’s attention is on the upcoming presidential election this November. Everywhere you look, people are focused on the two candidates in the race. Behind the candidates, their campaigns, and even the important issues of the day, there is one factor that is being ignored by some people. This factor is so monumental and critical to America’s future, obscuring it for so long has brought us to the tipping point. This nation kicked the Lord God out decades ago and now judgment is forthcoming. America, God has given you over.
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32
Although this nation was founded on godly principles, we hardly resemble the same country birthed only two hundred forty years ago. That period of time is just a millisecond compared with the lifespan many nations and kingdoms both past and present. Americans are relying on the continued blessing from God on a wicked and perverse nation that is a mere shadow of its former self regarding honor to the Creator.
As the beautiful song goes: America, America, God shed His grace on thee. Indeed, there was a time in history when the Lord seemed to be blessing our nation. This is conjecture on my part but perhaps this apparent blessing was because of a number of the following factors.
From its inception, the U.S. and for the most part, it’s leaders have honored God in our words and deeds. Many of our founding documents give glory to God and His word. This nation has historically been a safe haven for a great number of the world’s Jewish population. For approximately two hundred years, America has honored the institution of marriage, the sanctity of life, and the place of God in our institutions. Much has changed in just five short decades, so much in fact that practices once widely considered unthinkable are now protected and even applauded.
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:24-25
In the 1960s, we had the sexual revolution and the birth of the so called Women’s Liberation Movement. In 1962 the Supreme Court ended prayer in public schools. In the late 1960’s we had the birth of the drug culture. In 1973, Roe v. Wade legalized abortion and in just forty three years, we have viciously murdered at least 54 million babies. Seven appointed Supreme Court Judges made the wholesale slaughter of unborn children permissible and the practice is now widely viewed as “women’s” health care.
The sexual revolution in the 1960s birthed another revolution. The homosexual movement has transpired over several decades and now the lifestyle is not only widely accepted now, but greatly applauded and celebrated by many. The LGBT movement is militant, mobilized, and at war with anyone who stands in their way.
“For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” Romans 1:26-27
There is another factor in God’s giving America over. As a believer it pains me to say this and I’m not in any way employing dramatics when I tell you that I believe the American church as a whole is also coming under judgment if not there already. For the most part, mainline denominations are dead and their membership numbers are in sharp decline.
I don’t believe it’s any coincidence that the championing of liberal social issues, the wide spread acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle, and even placement and ordination of homosexual ministers has led to the demise of these once thriving God honoring churches.
What’s worse is now we have “leaders” in the evangelical churches promoting the soft sell, seeker sensitive, purpose driven, ecumenical false gospel. Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Tony Campolo, and Andy Stanley are just a few of the men who are unfortunately revered by many in evangelical leadership. If the evangelical leadership including many pastors can’t see through obvious deceivers like these men and instead emulates them, we are in deep trouble.
Judgment begins in the house of God and it may not be the obvious catastrophic judgment one would expect. These men’s “movement’s” may appear to be prospering given the numbers involved. The Bema Seat Judgment may reveal it was indeed all about the numbers, not winning and discipling souls. By and large, we have an apathetic apostate false Christianity in America cleverly disguised as true Christianity and many are following a different Jesus.
“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1:Peter 4:17
The bottom line is this: God didn’t spare the ancient Canaanite nations surrounding Israel who were sacrificing babies. He didn’t spare Babylon when it defiled His holy items from the temple. He didn’t spare Israel when after repeated warnings, they continued to worship false gods right up to 586 BC. He didn’t spare Israel a second time in 70 AD after Jesus’ repeated warnings.
My question to all of us is this: If God didn’t withhold judgment from all of these nations including many I didn’t list. If He didn’t spare Israel and judged her for unfaithfulness to Him, what make us think God will spare the United States? There is no biblical precedent or reason to believe we won’t be judged. I’m not a prophet and won’t say, “Thus saith the Lord” unless He says. So I don’t know when judgment is coming. I simply believe that it is certain and may in fact be in its beginning stages.
The U.S. is murdering millions of babies annually and legalizing gay marriage. We have kicked God out of our society, schools, and public square, yet we run to Him for help like a genie in a bottle after a horrific national calamity strikes. How can our Congress sing God bless America on September 11th at the Capitol steps, then turn their back on Him while legislating on the floor of the same Capitol?
Wanting God to help doesn’t last long and before we know it, apathy and indifference toward Him sets in yet again. Many of our churches are apostate and it’s probable that millions professing American Christians are worshipping a completely different Jesus. The good news is that God always has a faithful remnant woven throughout many churches, across America, and around the world.
I love America because it’s my home. My hope, desire, and longing is for my eternal home though. Heaven is my real home and I’m simply passing through. With that in mind, shouldn’t Christians look at the November election and even America’s future differently? Voting is a right and privilege so do what you wish with that. We should pray for those in authority as the Bible commands. We should pray for our nation to turn toward God. Beyond that, we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom and we should live here as such. Your party affiliation and patriotism pales in importance to how you should be living for Jesus.
With the little time we have left before Jesus’ return, we should be evangelizing and making disciples. What we do for Him is the only thing that will matter in 100 years. Knowing that America has thumbed its nose at God by allowing the mass murder of the unborn, defiling the marriage covenant, and sanctioning gay marriage, it has not only opened itself up for God’s judgment, it’s begging for it. It’s time for true Christians to live for Jesus with renewed boldness because this nation is coming under judgment and America has been given over.
All for Him,
Howard