LCG Reflecting on the USA on the 4th of July
Has the USA Chosen the Wrong Path?
In his latest commentary, LCG’s William Bowmer reported:
Christians understand that our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). In one sense, it is absurd to proclaim personal or national “independence” when human beings are utterly dependent on God.
But this does not mean we should not observe national holidays. Indeed, we can often learn important lessons from them. For example, the Old Testament book of Esther introduces a Jewish national holiday known as Purim, honoring virtuous Queen Esther who saved her people from the plotting of the king’s chief servant, Haman.
Scripture also alludes to Hanukkah (John 10:22-23), which commemorates the Maccabees’ successful struggle against Syria’s King Antiochus, and is also associated with the tradition that God kept a ceremonial lamp burning eight days with just one day’s oil. Jesus Christ Himself came to the temple on that national holiday, also called the Feast of Dedication, showing by example that Christians can give proper honor to their nations without dishonoring God.
Like the Jewish people at Hanukkah, Americans on July 4 can thank God for what He has done for them. America’s expansion and prosperity, properly understood, is not a sign of righteousness, but rather of God’s fidelity to His promises. God told the Israelites that He would withhold His promised blessing as punishment for their sins, for 2,520 years after they went into captivity in 721bc. His promise, however, was unconditional—so, beginning around 1800ad, the United States and Britain began to receive this long-withheld blessing, and these nations entered into a period of unprecedented wealth, expansion and world leadership.
Today, more than 200 years later, the British-descended nations have fallen from the heights of their wealth and prominence, and the U.S.—though still the world’s only “superpower”—is no longer the unchallenged moral, political and economic leader of the “free world.” Much of the world sees the U.S. as a corrupter of youth and an exporter of culture-destroying filth, not as the paragon of democracy and freedom so many celebrate every July 4.
Even so, millions across the U.S. will rejoice on July 4. In stark contrast, on August 9 this year, millions of Jews will soberly observe Tisha B’Av—the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av. On that date, over the centuries, the Jewish people have suffered many tragedies. Both the First Temple and the Second Temple were destroyed on Av 9; the first in 586bc by the Babylonians and the second in 70ad by the Romans. Those tragedies alone would justify a national day of mourning. Yet Av 9 has gained further sad significance. In 1492, King Ferdinand of Spain demanded that all Jews leave his kingdom. Their deadline was Av 9. More recently, World War I began on Av 9 in 1914, setting in motion a time of European turmoil leading to the Holocaust.
The U.S. and British-descended nations still enjoy many God-given blessings. But how have they handled them? Have we carried out a Holocaust of our own? Fifty million aborted babies would say “yes”—if they could. Bible prophecy shows that the English-speaking nations will, sooner rather than later, reap what they have sown, as they become pariahs in world affairs and many true Christians face horrific persecution—even martyrdom—for their faith.
So, while America is enjoying its Independence Day celebrations this weekend, thankful for its blessings, we may also want to reflect, by contrast, on the sober anniversary of Tisha B’Av. God does not guarantee that America’s times of remembrance will always be joyous, and Scripture warns that the English-speaking nations face severe trials ahead. As we rejoice, let us also remember the Source of our blessings, and our need for repentance—nationally and individually—before Him.
To learn more about God’s role in the rise and fall of nations, read our booklets The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy and Prophecy Fulfilled: God’s Hand in World Affairs.
Those who live in the USA may wish to re-read its Declaration of Independence as its current government not only seems to have a disdain for more of the law of God, it also is probably more guilty than the old British rule for committing many acts that caused the colonists to revolt in the first place.
A few years ago, I read my family much of the Declaration and commented upon how the current USA federal, state, and local governments had committed most of the same actions that the USA’s revolutionary leaders objected to from the British king against our family (directly and/or indirectly) within that year or so.
Interestingly, if it was written today and adopted, I suspect that the USA Supreme Court would probably rule the Declaration unconstitutional as it starts out with the following statements:
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
And the Declaration ends with the following statement:
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
And while simply restoring practices consistent with the Declaration will NOT stop the USA from going down the path that will lead it to destruction, ignoring God as well as documents like the Bible and the ten commandments will insure its destruction.
National repentance is the only way to prevent it, and that does not look likely. The advocacy of homosexuality, abortion, and increased indebtedness that we have seen in 2011 suggests that national repentance is about the furthest thing on the minds of the national political leaders and most of the mainstream media in the USA.
Personal repentance, however, is still possible. If you are an American, your personal future can still be much brighter than that of your country.
Some articles of possibly related interest may include:
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
Prophecies of Barack Obama? This article gives eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? This is the longest and most complete article on this page on Barack Obama prophecies. Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled if he is elected president?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Were the Ten Commandments in Effect Before Mount Sinai? Some have said not. This article provides biblical quotes to answer this important question.
Job and the Ten Commandments Was Job written prior to Mount Sinai? Did Job know about the ten commandments? This article provides biblical answers to those questions.
What Did Jesus Teach About the Ten Commandments? This article quotes what Jesus actually said about them (His words are in red).
Were the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross? Some have said so. This article provides some biblical quotes to answer this important question.
What Did Paul Actually Teach About the Ten Commandments? Many say Paul taught against the ten commandments. Is this true? This article quotes Paul with his words in green.
Are the Ten Commandment Still in Effect? This article quotes the ten commandments and combines some of the previous articles into one article about the ten commandments. The commandments are shown at Mount Sinai, before Mount Sinai, in the teachings of Jesus, after the crucifixion, and in the teachings of Paul. It addresses the most common “traditions of men” regarding them as well.
Were the Pharisees Condemned for Keeping the Law or Reasoning Around it? Many believe that the Pharisees were condemned for keeping the law, but what does your Bible say? If they were not condemned for that, what were they condemned for?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings.
 |
Tweet |
|