PROVERBS 14:34 - Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
I may not be a prophet but I sure can observe what is happening in our country and in the world around me. So does that make me a watchman? Then if so, I have an obligation to speak, else I will be held responsible by remaining silent.
Where is our spiritual mindset? Is it on God and serving Him? Is it on loving Him? Or is it just a Sunday ritual and are we in truth only serving ourselves instead of God and living for others? Are we hungering and thirsting after righteousness?
If we wear a cross, is it only a symbol, because we consider ourselves a Christian? Or is it an idol that we think offers us some protection or is it a prop? Or is it a sign of remembrance of what our Savior did for us and we live each day in that saving knowledge and act in a godly way?
Are we individually or corporately spiritually dull? Are we blinded by our own sins, seeking our own ways, our own goals, and doing our own thing?
We worry about the plastic drinking straws polluting our world yet we ignore the pollution of our mind by the content of books, movies, television, pornography, false doctrines, fantasy games, and the latest fad. We toy with cults, false religions, and some even fear a Zombie Apocalypse.
Where are our hearts? And how many of us are praying right now for our nation, its people, and its spiritual condition? Can we and, especially, the non-believers see the Church - the Body of Christ for the tares? Are we sharing who God is and what He has done for us, so that others who are called might hear Him?
We are living in a nation and in a world of the 21st Century where there are multiple cultures and religious beliefs but in reality just two competing ideologies. There are those who believe that there is a God in heaven who will judge people in an afterlife and those who don’t believe God exists and that life on earth is all there is. Those who believe in God, believe He created the universe which displays His amazing handiwork in design and beauty but it was flawed by man. There are others who look at the universe and all that is in it and claim that it happened by chance. They cannot see the amazing complexity of each living creature, plant, stone, and the interrelatedness of nature and how it is impossible for there not to have been a Creator responsible for the universe and their very existence. They are blind in their ignorance by choice and are aided and encouraged by the evil one who does not want them to see and recognize there is a God who provides hope, mercy, grace, and salvation in and through Jesus Christ alone. These two perspectives influence the behavior of this world and this nation in particular.
In the days of old even the heathen nations, those who did not believe in the God of the Bible, recognized that sin or violations of their cultural norms had an impact on their society. If there were defeats in wars, famines, catastrophes - either natural or man caused, earthquakes, and storms, they would sacrifice animals or people and they would cry out to their gods for mercy.
However, our world today has, in its enlightened state, has forgotten what life was like long ago. It has rejected the physical and societal consequences of sin because it believes that it is a primitive concept which has no portion in today’s world. By denying the existence of God and of sin, individuals fail to see what they are doing to themselves, their families, society, the nation, and the world.
The United States of America is in a crisis, a spiritual debacle of cataclysmic proportions. We are not united but divided but the world is any better. We see these divisions in our society, in the political situation, in the accusations about racism, and we hear about them daily on news broadcasts and on social media. America is terminally ill and nearly in spiritual hospice care but we don’t see it or ignore what is going on.
Let’s look at our nations’ sins.
Some of our other political leaders have committed adultery. Our nation’s leaders have made laws which exploit others and in their greed, they exempt themselves. Some leaders have been involved in conspiracies which are treasonous at their worst and, at the least, they have spent money to take down their political enemies or others who would stand in their way. They have abused their own staff sexually. They have become greedy and have become wealthy in their political offices. In the legislating, they have stolen money from our seniors and others which was to have been set aside for them and handed it away to other countries, spent it on less important things, or given to those who have not contributed to society but expect someone to bail them out from the consequences of their life choices.
Some of our nation’s spiritual leaders, whom we expect to be examples of Christian behaviors, have taken advantage of their followers to rob them; have preached false doctrine; or have twisted doctrine to their own beliefs to make it more palatable. Some have sexually abused, assaulted or raped children, teens or adults. This is a disgrace to their supposed faith in God and their hypocrisy exposes the church and God to ridicule, rejection, and denigration.
Some of us have killed others or destroyed others by our evil words, thoughts and actions.
We have forgotten our widows and orphans and neglected our poor. Although, our vocabulary and historical knowledge link the Biblical nation cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to homosexuality, the prophet Ezekiel makes it clear that the reason why they were punished was not for this activity but for their neglectful attitude towards others. (That behavior was a consequence.) Ezekiel 33:49-51 states “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it. Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they. Thus you have made your sisters appear righteous by all your abominations which you have committed.” And look what else is said in Jeremiah 23:14- “Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.” We as a nation have turned a blind eye to what is happening in our country. We revel in our leisure activities after acquiring wealth. We ignore those who are hurting around us and go golfing, playing tennis, fornicating, partying, drinking, spending hours sitting with others playing video games, watching TV, or sports and so much more without burden concern to those who need our help.
We have ignored the plight of our veterans and have cast them aside. We have dishonored our elderly and parents and put them in assisted living places or nursing homes. Rarely do we visit them so we don’t have to deal with their decline as they grow weak and frail.
Many are looking for the big score in gambling, game shows, contests, seeking the perfect house, car, the “perfect job”, or whatever in our greed. We have tricked people out of their money through shady investment strategies and scams and have encouraged people to buy cars, houses, and investments that they cannot afford and we reap from their ignorance. We see opportunities and steal from our neighbors, strangers, our employers, or the government to feed our unending desires.
We say we have the right to do what we want with our own bodies and we have reaped neglected, abandoned, or drugged/destroyed children; obesity; disease; identity confusion; drug addiction; and mental illness and more. Divorces, separations, and alienation have occurred because we don’t love the other person as ourselves since we put our needs, desires, and pleasures first.
Men and women have exploited women, girls, and children and young men by threatening them, seducing them, and convincing them that by having sex, it is to their advantage and sadly many, believing it is in their best interest, agree. This leads to self doubt, ruined lives, unplanned pregnancies, loss of confidence, drug abuse, and suicide. Due to a cultural transformative mindset, virginity is no longer regarded as something which is precious, and so our perspectives on love and fidelity have become contaminated resulting in abortions, sexual promiscuity, teen pregnancy, divorce, and messed up lives as we search to retrieve what we have given away in our ignorance. In the United States alone, since the 1960s, although birth control has become more reliable over 60 million babies have been murdered because people do not recognize that sexual relations are not to be taken lightly and they use abortion as their contraceptive mechanism of choice when all else fails. The Sexual Revolution has destroyed people’s lives with disease and more and has created multiple societal problems which have divided this country. Because of limited employment opportunities and lust, men and women participate in acts of sexual nature to survive by selling the only thing they think they possess - their bodies. Sadly, so many women are so hungry for companionship and friendship, they live with men or have sex with them in hopes hanging on some kind of a relationship. This is not love but prostitution. A book came out a few years ago in which the author suggested that men and women go on dates in the hopes of them ending up in bed. Think of the pressure that leads to if that is the expectation.
Others of us have misused our nation’s freedoms and laws to perform evil deeds and many have watched and approved while others have been silenced, slandered, ridiculed, and persecuted for exercising their religious beliefs. What is openly paraded as freedom of expression and speech, if objected to, is considered hate speech and is declared illegal.
In rejecting God, Jesus, the Bible, and basic morality as outdated, churches have allowed the world to influence their teachings. With the discarding of so many historical core expectations and principles, faith in God has little relevance today for so many. People attend church not to worship God but to placate their hearts and to hide their own sins; convinced that their behaviors, activities, and beliefs are acceptable to a righteous and holy God. As a result, the belief in a heaven and hell is suppressed and people focus on grabbing all the gusto here and now so they live lives searching for something on earth having meaning instead of living for God, who gives life meaning so we can live with a purpose of love.
We have taken the name of God and used it as a curse word or in slang. We have neglected a day to stop and rest and worship the Creator. We have sought other gods to worship - like pleasure, adulation, money, power, and success. We have created gods in our own images so that we can get away with anything we chose to do.
Yet many “live” day to day, going to work, ignoring the squalor in our lives, in our cities, and in each other and ourselves. We think, if we can keep going and doing, that somehow we will get through it all untouched. And many when they discover or do not recognize the fallacy and the futility of their actions, situation, and condition turn to drugs, alcohol, and even suicide to deaden their pain or their despair.
Individually and nationally we have reaped what we have sown! Looking carefully at the list above, it should be very clear, we have failed. We have ignored God, we have rejected His laws on so many levels. Our Supreme Court ruled we could not have The Ten Commandments in our schools, in courthouses, in the public square, or in public buildings. Yet aren’t these exactly the spiritual laws we have broken and the consequences are clearly evident. Some might say, that after Jesus came, the Ten Commandments were no longer valid for Christian believers, yet they reveal God’s design for a person’s and society’s well-being and for living. The Law may have been given to the Jews but the commandments clearly reveal fundamental principles by which most cultures follow to a great degree.
We have rejected God, created other gods, in our idolatry against God we have followed after other gods which do not satisfy our true needs and desires. We raise up fallible people to be our role models, people who are sinful and unreliable and we worship them. However, when they fail to live up to expectations, we don’t reexamine why we worship idols/ idolize these people who are but humans like us instead we look for a new idol or become disillusioned and wallow in self pity.
Most of no longer use Sunday as a Sabbath rest and treat it like any other day of the week. No longer holding the day special, not only neglecting to worship God or listen to His message to us, we do not pause to give our bodies an opportunity to recuperate? Just as a body needs daily sleep, we need weekly spiritual refreshment at the very least although daily would be better.
We have disobeyed our parents and have not honored them as we should.
We have murdered our strangers, neighbors, and our unborn children. Their blood has polluted the land and cries out for vengeance and retribution.
We have committed adultery by fornicating with someone’s future or current wife. Some of us have abandoned the wives of our youth which has innumerable emotional and physical consequences on our children and collectively on society. Do we flee sexual immorality or do we embrace it or toy with it, via pornography?
We have coveted our neighbor’s wives, daughters, sons, husbands, houses, land, and goods and we have robbed, stolen, and raped to our own advantage.
We have lied and born false witness as we blame others for the plight of our nation or our situation while ignoring our own contributions to its decline. We lie when we deny God exists. We rejoice in what we have accomplished. The Lord God has blessed this nation, as we have asked in political speeches and in song, yet we as a nation refuse to acknowledge that fact.
These and more are our sins! America’s sins! There is physical social turmoil in our cities and throughout our country over what is acceptable and righteous and what is not. The reason for the condition we are in, is because we are in the midst of a spiritual crisis which is destroying our nation.
Three Bible books (Daniel, Nehemiah, and Ezra) have chapters nine, which contain the recognition by the author that they themselves have sinned and they are a part of a bigger problem as a nation. They repent and pray in sackcloth and covered with ashes. There are other chapters like Nehemiah 1, Isaiah 59, and Ezekiel 33 where the authors cry out about their nation’s sins and the consequences and condition they are in, recognizing that this is directly linked to their situation.
How can we not suffer for the consequences of our sins? When a people or a nation rejects or ignores God’s laws and His salvation, grace, and mercy in Jesus Christ, they put themselves back under the law which exposes their corrupt behavior. Do we think we can get away with this? Do we think that no one sees what we have done? Especially God, how can He ignore it!? When we whitewash or deny our sinful behavior these actions impact us, our families, our communities, our churches, our cities, and our nation. Sadly, by having so many Christian denominations, with various beliefs and many culturally and socially/politically correct influenced doctrine, the non-believers are unclear as to what is the truth. Who is actually a Christian is interpreted, taught, and believed in multiple ways because of the smorgasbord of churches. All of this reveals man’s confusion over who is saved because they are basing their beliefs on man’s perspective versus what is in the Bible.
So —
Where is our outrage about our own sins?
Where is our ardent passion for the Lord and what He desires for us?
Where is our desire to share the Good News of His love for us?
Where is our anger and shame as we look upon our nation and what we are doing to it and each other?
Do we truly love God with all of hearts, minds, and spirits and do we love our neighbors as ourselves?
If we determine that the old has truly passed away, do we follow Jesus 100%? Because even when we follow Christ, some of our old nature is still there and so are some objectionable behaviors which God is still dealing with as He sanctifies us.
Individually, and as a nation, we need to seek God’s mercy and stop asking for His blessing on our nation which we don’t deserve. We need to cry out to God and admit what we have done. The societal results are here and now but the spiritual consequences are eternal! We need to seek His face and repent and change our ways or else our nation will die spiritually and become a historic footnote like nations which we read about in the Bible! May God hear our prayers and heal our land. May God grant that others recognize and agree and seek His face that we truly show that we belong to Him and we take to heart the need to tell others of what He have done for us and in us. Only God by His Holy Spirit can wake us up as a nation to turn us from our wicked ways. Can you also, pray with me? —-
Almighty God, I have sinned against you and I am surrounded by sinners! I have wronged you, oh, God and have gone my own way so many times. Have mercy upon me! Please God, change and transform me and America, the country where you have placed me!
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