Author: John Page 165 of 166

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.  And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Statistics clearly demonstrate that the younger generation is drifting further away from God, and is doing so at an accelerating rate.  They accept things that are clearly unbiblical and ungodly.  The older generations are shocked by such deviations from fundamental Christian values.

Why should we be shocked?  We have failed to stand strong for Christ-centered principles and values ourselves.  As the world has moved away from God, so have we.  As the gap between the world and the Lord has grown, we have tried to keep our gap with the world constant so as not to appear too radical or fundamental.  We have taught our children more about tolerance than about faithfulness.  All the while, we have clearly demonstrated through words and actions that our values are negotiable.

And so the younger generation has continued the trend, beginning their journey from the initial conditions that they inherited from us.  Why is America so different from the past?  It is because of us, and our failure to teach our children as the Lord has commanded.  PLEASE PRAY THAT WE UPHOLD OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOD’S WORD.  Otherwise, we have no right to be shocked as America continues its march away from God.

James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

As the boundaries of our nation have drifted away from God’s established plan, recent American Christians have failed to properly resist.  As our nation has become secularized, we have failed to resist.  As radically liberal influences have invaded our communities, our schools, and even our churches, we have failed to resist.  As we have been pulled in the direction of the world and apart from God, we have failed to resist.

I once had the honor of hearing the following two great Americans speak at a military event.  Major General Charles Bolden, a member of the Marine Corps and the astronaut corps, described his desire to quit the US Naval Academy as a plebe.  His parents’ advice during their weekly telephone conversation was simple – resist the temptation to quit for one more week.  This advice, followed week-by-week, carried him on to graduation, commissioning, and an amazing military career.  Colonel George “Bud” Day, United States Air Force fighter pilot and POW in Vietnam, shared a similar story.  His technique to resist torture-laden interrogation – resist the temptation to give in to his captors for one more hour.  This tactic, followed hour-by-hour, carried him through his extended period of captivity and allowed him to return with honor.

We should heed these practical demonstrations of a firm Biblical principle and be dedicated to resistance against those things that would degrade our Godly purpose.  Please pray that we would collectively resist the forces that would move us, and our nation, away from the Lord.

We have a Lord who is forever unchanging.  In Hebrews 13:8 the Bible reminds us of this important truth: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”  If our Lord doesn’t change, then neither do his expectations of those who identify themselves as Christians.

It is clear that American Christians have steadily drifted away from the Lord, following in the footsteps of an aggressively liberalizing society.  How did we, both as a people and as a nation, arrive at such a position that is largely unrecognizable from where we began?  The answer is a series of small compromises.

Our path is indistinguishable from that of a budding criminal, a rogue nation, or a strong-willed child.  The best tactic to expand the boundaries of the acceptable is to slightly exceed those same boundaries.  Small infractions, not met with resistance or punishment, become the new norm.  Following this iterative process over time creates a set of boundaries that are fundamentally different than the original ones.

Please pray that we cling to the unchanging truths of God’s word, the eternal constancy of His nature, and the unmovable boundaries of His plan.  In a world of shifting boundaries, it is important to rest on the things that remain constant.

Titus 2:14: “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

Sadly, America and American Christians have become not particularly peculiar.  In fact, we have become characteristically common.  With that in mind, why should we expect to attract anyone?

Growing up unsaved, my biggest critique of Christianity came from my observation of ‘common Christians.’  These church-going people were no different than their non-church-going counterparts.  Without a certain level of distinctness, there was no reason to follow them.  Furthermore, a God too impotent to impart a change on someone’s life was not a deity worthy of my attention.  Logic demanded that real Christianity would have an impact on individuals.  Fortunately, later in life I discovered such impactful Bible-based Christianity.

Political scientist Joseph Nye Jr. coined the term ‘soft power,’ defined as a means of influence in which nations use attraction as a primary form of persuasion.  Unfortunately, America is losing its distinctiveness and its corresponding soft power as well.  This Christian-country is becoming not so different from its secular-country counterparts.  With diminishing peculiarity, we are becoming just another nation.

American Christians need to realize that the soft power of the gospel, reflected through a life that is indeed distinct, is the key to our influence.  Our nation desperately needs Christian influence within, in order to transform its waning influence without.  Please pray that we would return to being a people and a nation of peculiarity.

Prominent leaders, from John Winthrop to Ronald Reagan, have referred to America as “A Shining City Upon a Hill.”  They did so based on Matthew 5:13-16:

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?  it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

For many decades, the United States was a savory nation that illuminated the path of right for others to follow.  As a nation founded on Biblical principles, codified in the Constitution, American exceptionalism thrived for an extended period of time.  Yet, such a nation could only maintain its attractive position as long as a strong core of Christians upheld the principles of salt and light in their individual lives.  After all, a nation (its government, its media, its entertainment, its churches, its schools, its communities) is a reflection of its citizens.

Have we, as the Christian core of this country, lost our savour?  Please pray that we would be the salt and light that the Lord intends for us to be.