I’ve been to quite a few Donald Trump rallies as he’s campaigned for president. Every one was huge, with tens of thousands of people in attendance. In every case, there were lines of people so long that the venues couldn’t hold all those who wanted to be there. The rallies were enormous because the majority of Americans are desperate for some good news, an optimistic message, a little hope for a return to the good, old-fashioned American dream. And “Make America Great Again,” with an emphasis on rebuilding the foundations of our country’s glory days, resonated with so many.
Of course, there were also the Liberal Leftists out there protesting; their message was (and continues to be) that America was never great in the first place; that we’ve always been a nation run by oppressive, tyrannical white Christian males who rose to power by trampling the less fortunate, making sure the “downtrodden” remained “downtrodden” as they built obscene fortunes on the backs of the poor workers.
This is what’s been taught in American History classes in our public schools and colleges for decades. And certainly there are some examples of this within our history, but for the most part, our nation was built on hard work, diligence, innovation, and a deep, abiding faith in God to lead, guide, and sustain us as a diverse people — one nation under God. Our American ancestors — from the first colonists who left their homelands to sail to the New World, to the pioneers who traversed the harsh wilderness and put down roots in the West, to those who endured the Great Depression and Dust Bowl Days, to those who lived through two World Wars — all had one thing in common. They were united.
Our US Constitution, written in 1787, begins with, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…” Yes, we were united as a people, and the Stars and Stripes meant something. God had blessed our people and our new nation, and we honored and revered Him. We recognized and were thankful for His blessings.
On April 30, 1789, in New York City, our capital at the time, George Washington was officially sworn in as our first president under the Constitution. He knelt down and kissed the Bible on which he took his oath of office, and finished his oath with the words, “So help me, God.”
Certainly, America has never been a perfect nation; there’s no such thing. After all, nations are made up of imperfect people. And yes, we can look back and see plenty of blemishes on the legacy we’ve left in history. But for a couple of centuries, we were a God-fearing people. As a nation, we did our best — for our families, our communities, and our neighbors. We were also a lighthouse to the world, sending missionaries to hostile lands to share the Word of God, sending aid and comfort to those impoverished and in need, even sending our young people to fight and die for freedom in countries that were attacked by vicious enemies.
I’m especially impressed with the way our ancestors survived the Great Depression and World War 2, because my Grandparents raised their families during the Great Depression, a time when nobody really had anything they could count on, except God’s mercy and grace. I think it’s safe to say they “prayed without ceasing,” and God saw them through. And, at age 17, my Dad enlisted in the US Navy and went to fight in the Pacific during World War 2, while my Mom worked as a “Rosie the Riveter” in a McDonnell Douglas factory, building war planes that would defeat the enemy.
Like most Americans, for most of their lives, my parents learned to live with very little in the way of material things. Americans scrimped and saved. They conserved resources, recycled everything, didn’t indulge in luxuries, lived within their means, and gave generously — and oftentimes, sacrificially — to others in need. And as the closing line of our Declaration of Independence says, “…and with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” Generations ago, our children used to have that phrase memorized because real American History was taught in our schools, and it meant something. “Divine Providence,” by the way, refers to dependence on God, our Creator. “Sacred Honor” meant a person’s integrity, reputation, and moral standing.
But oh, how things have changed. Reverence for God is all but non-existent in America now. There’s no fear of the Lord. That’s been replaced by luxury and ease, self-indulgence, recreation, and an attitude of entitlement. We no longer “pledge” anything to our neighbors and fellow citizens. Certainly not our lives or fortunes. And “Sacred Honor?” What’s that?
There are eight stages that all nations go through during their existence. This has proven to be true throughout history, and here’s how it goes: First, Bondage — People live under oppression, instability, and poverty. Like the Israelite captives in Egypt, our ancestors were suffering in bondage under crushing religious oppression. Then comes Spiritual Faith and Courage, because hardship produces resilience, shared values, and determination. And just as the Lord freed the Israelites from Egypt, but certainly not without hardship, He also freed the American Pilgrims from bondage through their faith and courage.
Then comes Liberty. This is when the people win freedoms — spiritual, political, economic, and social. But Liberty deserves a little more attention here. 2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us, “…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Paul was telling the Corinthians that God’s Holy Spirit provides freedom from spiritual bondage, freedom from fear and condemnation, and transformation of the inner person. Yes, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Those who view God as irrelevant, or claim not to even believe He exists, should pay special attention to this. So, I’ll say it again: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty. The Spirit of the Lord was with those whom God brought out of bondage to a new land, which would become the USA.
But, the cycle continues. Liberty then produces Abundance, as freedom and productivity create wealth and prosperity. But if a nation forgets where that Liberty came from (the Spirit of the Lord), Complacency comes next, because success reduces urgency, discipline, civic responsibility, and most importantly, reverence for God.
The next step is Apathy. When people have abundance, luxury, and ease, they become disengaged from public life and institutions. They forget where they came from, how they got here, what their ancestors endured, built, and defended. They no longer care. A once-God-fearing people not only forget God, but they often begin to despise Him, preferring instead to be their own “gods.” The Spirit of the Lord departs. And without the people even realizing it, history is either forgotten or rewritten, to facilitate the nefarious agendas of the enemies within.
This Apathy leads to Dependence, with increasing reliance on the State, Elites, or Political “Leaders.” Now, they not only rely on government for their sustenance and support, but they also view those things as “entitlements.” And once a nation reaches this point, they quickly return again to Bondage. And so, the cycle comes “full circle.”
Where do you see the United States in this cycle? We once had liberty, abundance, freedom, productivity, wealth, and prosperity. When did apathy begin to creep in? I’d argue that it began in 1962 when the Supreme Court outlawed prayer in public schools. And a year later, they did away with Bible reading and reciting the Lord’s prayer.
In 1964 and ‘65, Lyndon Johnson launched his “Great Society” and “War on Poverty” plans, creating Medicare and Medicaid, funding bills for so-called “education,” and various environmental programs. This also led to government programs like the Job Corps, Head Start, food assistance programs, and a myriad of community action agencies. Of course, this led to dependency on Big Government, which has kept millions (especially the black voters he was targeting) in our inner cities as virtual slaves for multiple generations.
But that was only the start. Today, this dependence on government for basic needs has expanded to the point where 25% of our young people prefer Socialism to Capitalism. And one in four Americans, across the board, now receive some sort of government aid or welfare. Not only are they dependent, but they’re also expectant…they feel they’re entitled to their “benefits.” It used to be that a person might receive “benefits” as part of a job package. They’d get their paycheck, and also some additional benefits for work well done: insurance, a retirement plan, vacation time, and bonuses. Now, those things are expected as “entitlements” by those who don’t work, may have never worked, and don’t know what work is.
Compare today’s society to that of those who came before us. This is not the nation our ancestors built. We escaped bondage, experienced prosperity and liberty, built one nation under God, but have now returned to bondage, by our own choosing. The Spirit of the Lord has departed our land, and so there is no more liberty here.
As I’ve stated before, throughout the history of the world, the average lifespan of a nation or empire is 250 years. For us — the US — that’s this year. Big celebrations are planned for the 4th of July. In Washington DC, they’re planning for the world’s biggest fireworks display. Trump is releasing commemorative coins with his image on it to mark the event. Sadly, most Americans — especially our young people — don’t even know what we’re celebrating.
Yes, a lot of people love the concept of “Make America Great Again,” but they have no interest in putting in the work to do it, as our ancestors did. Today, we’re dependent and expectant…we expect Trump to do it for us. Trouble is, he can’t. We’re no longer “one nation under God.” We’re now one of many nations under God’s judgment. Instead of pridefully celebrating, we should be mourning, in “sackcloth and ashes” for what we had, and what we lost. Or should I say, voluntarily gave away?
There are many who will say that America’s greatest years are still ahead of us. They’re optimistic about our future. Even many church-goers expect a massive revival to occur, though they’re doing nothing at all to help make that happen. Meanwhile, people continue to expect politicians to fix it all. Friends, there’s no fixing it. America is beyond bankrupt, and not just financially. The Spirit of the Lord has departed because of our complacency, apathy, laziness, selfish entitlement, and pride. The good news is that anyone who will can still repent individually. Anyone who turns to Christ as Savior AND Lord can and will be saved. But as a nation, clearly America’s days are numbered — and the clock is ticking.
