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 Whither America?
July 4, 2020
On July 4, 2020 we celebrate the Independence of the United States of America from Great Britain. Though the first permanent colony founded in America was that of Jamestown in 1607, it was not the most important. More significant was the founding of the Plymouth Colony in 1620 by Pilgrims seeking to worship God without interference from the English government. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued a unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America. The lead sentence of the second paragraph began as follows: 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 ....
This nation was based on what the framers of that Declaration called “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” But that starting framework has long been eroded step by step. The first schools in the fledgling nation used the Bible as a textbook. But the Bible and prayer have been banned from public elementary and secondary schools for decades now. And atheistic secularism has prevailed in our educational system, our news media, our entertainment, and, increasingly, in our laws and courts. Now, using race as an excuse, revolutionaries are intent on tearing down the very founding fabric of this nation. The planned, pre-meditated violence pervading our country is using race as a smokescreen to tear down America and replace it with atheistic Marxism. That is my opinion, of course. As I watch what is going on, I am discouraged, but not disheartened. I see God doing exactly what He said He would do when people turn their backs on Him. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians (Rom. 1:18), The
wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness
and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
He continued (Rom. 1:21-23), 21
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave
thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish
hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became
fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to
look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
We are more sophisticated than that, but not really. We have exchanged the true historical narrative of God’s having created us for the myth of the Evolutionary Tree. That is what we worship today. As a consequence, God has given our country over to three things. He has given us over to sexual impurity (Rom. 1:24-25). Next God has given us over to shameful lusts, men lusting after men, and women lusting after women (Rom. 1:26-27). Finally, God has given us over to a depraved mind, being filled with such things as wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. And the list goes on (Rom. 1:28-32). Again, I am discouraged when I see what is happening. It is God’s judgment on a once great nation. But I am not disheartened. My first loyalty is not to America anyway. My first loyalty is to the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ, to be headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel (Psalm 2:4-9; Isa. 2:1-4; 9:6-7; 11:1-10; Zech. 14:9, 16-21). It will be a kingdom of universal righteousness, justice, and peace. And because its foundation will be solid, universal prosperity and goodwill shall prevail. I encourage you to embrace the King of Peace, Jesus of Nazareth. Claim Him as the answer to all the world’s problems, including your own! Though everything around you crumbles, you can lift up your head with a smile. You are working for the King of Kings and His Kingdom. He will inevitably win and conquer evil. Join His Kingdom, and recruit as many as you can to join with you! James T. Bartsch WordExplain.com July 4, 2020 Email Contact: jbartsch@wordexplain.com Return
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