I can see some comparisons myself. Back in the day of kings in Israel, they would get a godly king who honored God, then they would get a wicked king who would undo all the godly king did, then they'd get a godly king, and the cycle would keep on repeating. Finally God had enough and let Israel be overthrown and taken into captivity.
You can't find the exact patterns in America, but they somewhat exist. We have had presidents who honored God and tried to do what was right for our country and for religious freedoms. We have had presidents who were praying men and were influenced by God and the Bible in their running our country.
And we have had presidents who claimed to be Christian to get Christian's votes and support, but did religious freedoms harm and fought for things that are damaging to our country, our families, and our children. They have done nothing to lead our country closer to God, but their policies help make our country more godless and anti-Christian.
We sing and pray for God to bless America and to shed His grace on our country, but what if the same thing happens to us that happened to Israel? What if God comes to the place that He has enough?
When Israel would go astray, there were a few things that really angered God. They always went to idolatry, often sexual practices God disapproved of, and there were times they even went to child sacrifice. And we are there.
We have our idols. Sports, entertainment, sex, pleasure. Even the recent ruling of gay marriage is rooted in idolatry. Homosexuality revolves around the worship of the male body by other males, and now we have legalized marriage of two people who are in essence worshiping each other.
We recoil at the thought of child sacrifice, but that is what abortion is, but only called a more politically correct name. Millions of babies have been sacrificed in the name of women's rights. They have been ripped apart in the womb because women - and men - don't want the consequences of carelessly having sex with no thought or desire of parenting a child that could come as a result of the sex they are enjoying.
We are addicted to pornography and pornography disguised as TV shows and romance novels. Entertainment and sports have become our god.
And we have made our own god, who is nothing like the God of the Bible. The god of America is a doting grandpa who winks at sin, who doesn't care what sin we commit as long as we attach a nice name to it. Everyone goes to Heaven, no matter what kind of life they lived.
Adultery has become an affair. An abomination has become "love." Murdering babies has become a medical procedure and "women's rights." Christians are mocked and made fun of by the president, congressmen, the media, TV shows, and everyone else. We have a president who says we are no longer a Christian nation, and that sadly seems to be true.
But does it have to stay that way? Are America's best days of freedom and godly principles behind us to stay?
Josiah was king of Israel. He followed a wicked king who had led Israel far astray. The books of the law were found and Josiah had them read to him. He tore his clothes in despair when he realized how far from God and His laws they had gone. Josiah had become king at the age of 8 and was now 26 years old. He repented and God promised not to send judgement until after Josiah died.
Imagine if that happened here in the US. If Obama really read the Bible - not just the parts he can use to try to get his agenda passed - wept at how far from God we have gone, and led the country in repentance?
Well, I don't think that is going to happen, but what if the church as a whole did that? What if we claimed 2 Chronicles 7:14:
"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."
We have an arrogant president, but too many of we Christians are arrogant also. We don't seek God's will enough in our lives, we go through our daily activities doing what we want, spending our time like we want, thinking we know what is best for us.
How often do we pray for God's leading as we vote? How often to we pray that God will have the right people run for office and pray for His will on who we vote for?
We have a government that is by and large godless and intolerant of any who want to truly live for God. Both parties pay lip service to God to get Christian votes, then vote the opposite way on most things that would be good for religious freedoms. The politician who would humble himself and pray and seek God's face is rare, but who says it has to be our political leaders who do that? If Christians stopped bickering and focusing on our differences, and went by this verse. What if we truly humbled ourselves, prayed, sought God, turned from anything that He was displeased with?
Our land truly needs healing. We have made a mockery of purity and virginity. God is a spare tire we use when things get tough. Marriage was desecrated and made a joke long before gay marriage with quick and easy divorce and couples having sex like rabbits outside of marriage.
Our government run schools have become indoctrination centers to turn all kids into liberal robots who have no desire to live pure or live for God. Our colleges are even worse with professors filling student's minds with anti-God and anti-America rhetoric.
We have a president who uses the Bible to try to pass amnesty and other policies that would hurt our country, who fights Israel and Christians, yet crawls in bed with Muslims, terrorist-related people and groups, and doesn't care about religious freedoms.
Congress is full of men and women who care more about their agenda and making people happy who give them the most money, than they are about helping Americans and pleasing God.
TV has become full of vulgarity, bad language, sex, and a pro-gay agenda and anti-family and anti-God rhetoric. Music is full of cursing and racial slurs.
Racism is worse under a black president than it has been since the civil rights movement, but instead of trying to unite the country, we keep reviving hate and division and would rather ban a flag than get to the heart of the matter.
We need to be more careful in voting, and vote for people who are pro-life, pro-Christian, and pro-traditional marriage that love America and don't want to "fundamentally change it", who wants equal rights for all, not for some.
But politics are not the answer. Getting the right kind of people in politics would help, but I believe it is our fault the country is where it is at. Jesus gave us some commands that the church has sadly failed:
1) To love each other
2) To be salt
3) To be light.
Someone has said the church is only 10 years behind the world. Whatever new taboo thing the world is doing today, the church will be doing tomorrow. There are no absolutes anymore. Once society accepts something, once Hollywood promotes it, just give the church time and they will accept it and do it also.
We have a nation going to hell in a hand-basket, and too many Christians are not standing up for anything. We are too busy pursuing whatever fad or form of entertainment the world is throwing our way to care about people's souls, to be the salt and light our country needs. The church is too busy being just like the world to win the lost, to be salt and light.
Gay marriage being legalized is a big blow to the church. I do believe it is going to cripple our religious freedoms and freedoms of speech. Christians who want to stand true are going to have to make some tough decisions and may likely face some persecution for just daring to say it is wrong.
But we should never have gotten to this place. This country that was founded on Christian principles and religious freedoms should never have come this far. Abortion should never have been legalized. Prayer and God should never have been banned in schools.
I am very cynical, but I do believe this: If Christians had truly obeyed these commands down through the years, I believe we could have had such an influence on the entertainment and music industries. We could have had a greater influence and voice in politics. Abortion and gay marriage would never have made it to the Supreme Court. Sundays would still be a day of rest and most businesses would still be closed on Sundays. Our churches would be filled instead of dying.
But somewhere the church became too much like the world. Instead of keeping the Sabbath, Christians do the same things sinners do on that day. Instead of boycotting movies and music with vulgarity in, Christians watch and listen. Instead of avoiding godless politicians who want killing babies to be legal, they voted for them.
The light is under a bushel. The salt has lost its savor, and Christians can find more to disagree and argue about than they can find things in common and love each other.
But if we, His people, will humble ourselves and pray. If we will seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, He will hear from Heaven, will forgive our sins, and heal our land. This America we call home. It is a promise, but it is conditional. We can't expect God to do His part if we don't do ours. Salt, light, and love. Humbling ourselves, praying, and turning from our sins. Are we up to it?
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