Why This Election Will Not Stop The Great American Decline

Sorry for the reference to The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," but I've been through enough elections to know that the results of this election will not bring sweeping change to our country. The United States has been on a downward trajectory for years, and it has less to do with whom we elect, than who we are.

Our elected leaders stink, because we stink. Our government is dysfunctional, because we are dysfunctional. Our society crumbles because we removed the bedrock foundation that made it great. I don't care how magnificent the structure, you remove it's foundation, and the whole thing falls.

The foundation of American society was faith. Faith in God who built this country and blessed it. Faith in the American people who built this country and defended it. Faith in the American dream which built the greatest society and economy the world has ever known. Faith.

In his book, Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville noted the role that faith played in the American experiment. Faith, he wrote, was essential to democracy working, because it was the faith of Americans which convicted us that we had a responsibility not only to ourselves, but to do right by others.

Following de Tocqueville's logic, if you remove faith, then America descends into a conglomeration of warring factions, with each group and individual seeking pleasure and power at the expense of others. The nation degrades into a group of fractured demographics, all of which are opposed to the others, with leaders seeking the support of these warring factions until ultimately the country tears itself apart.

This is not Obama's fault, and it's not going to be solved by Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. This crisis will only be resolved by a revival in our country.

This Decline Is Evident In The Foster Care Crisis

Every week, I read stories about the supposed "failing" foster care system in Texas. There aren't enough workers, foster homes are overcrowded, and of course, there isn't enough money.

The problem with the foster care system, at least in Texas, is not that there's a lack of money, foster homes or case workers. It only appears such because we have an abundance of parents, who, after having rejected faith, have elected to abuse drugs and their children. Right now, there are approximately 6,000 children in the Texas foster care system awaiting adoption. That's not including the children who were taken into care last month, or those whose parents' rights have not been terminated. Think about that, there are enough children in foster care in Texas to populate a small city. That means that thousands of parents have shirked their responsibilities, and actively harmed their children.

The increase in abusive households is not the fault of the federal government, government policy, nor is it the fault of Child Protective Services. The increase in abusive households is the result of the degradation of society brought on by the abandonment of faith.

Poverty

The fact that, with all the prosperity we see in America, poverty affects families across generations is another sign that our foundation has been compromised. America is the land of opportunity. Despite all of our complaints with the tax system, welfare state, and corporate corruption, America is still the one place that you can go from rags to riches in one generation.

While millions of people find themselves temporarily in poverty, perpetual poverty is the result of the foundation of faith being removed from American society. Once again, if you remove faith, you remove hope, and you remove personal responsibility.

Currently, we have millions living in multi-generational poverty, when the formula for escaping poverty is as simple as it has ever been. The left-leaning Brookings Institute has released three steps to escaping poverty. Basically, if you follow these three steps, you will escape poverty without fail.

These three steps are: (1) Graduate high school, (2) wait until you turn 21 to get married, and don't have children out of wedlock, and (3) get a full-time job.

Yet, we have generations of Americans who are dropping out of education, who are having children out of wedlock, and who refuse to do what it takes to get a job. These decisions are influenced, not only by a lack of hope, but a never-ending list of voices who tell the impoverished that there is no hope, they are not responsible to make good decisions, and that their plight is caused by the rich man. These dishonest voices are motivated by greed, as an entire class of activists and political operatives draw their power and income from the plight of the poor. Once again, faith has been removed, and ruin follows.

Calling Good Evil, and Evil Good

America is going through a time of transition where our values are fundamentally changing. The institutions that made America great, the church, higher education, the family and the community, are metamorphosing in ways we never imagined. In order to remain relevant, many churches are abandoning orthodox teachings and normalizing sinful behavior. Many avoid standing on moral principle, or standing for God's word, by employing a "judge-not" philosophy on life.

Higher education no longer seems to challenge the thinking of its students, electing rather to avoid hurting anyone's feelings. (That's really a shame. Though I had liberal professors who challenged my conservative Christian views, it was through defending those views to said liberal professors that I learned to think for myself, and construct my own world view, which is even more in line with scripture, and more conservative than it was prior to going to college).

The family is being redefined from a mother, father, and children, to any group of people who happen to live together. This arrangement diminishes and even negates the responsibility to raise children, which gets relegated to government schools.

As these changes progress, the American world view degrades into a cesspool of self-loathing, moral ineptitude, and rampant sin, which will ultimately result in the loss of America's greatness.

I could go on...

... but I won't. I could address how rampant sexual immorality is victimizing today's children, thus perpetuating itself to the next generation, or how the abdication of personal responsibility is leading us to communism and the loss of all freedom. I could talk about the evaporation of the American economy as companies are less interested in creating value and products, and more interested in automating financial reports. I could discuss our fascination with violence, the loss of decorum, the rejection of truth, and the admiration of evil. But I won't. That would be running up the score.

So, if your candidate loses, don't lose heart. If your candidate wins, don't celebrate too much. The real problems in America originate with our hearts, and not in the Oval Office.

It's time for America to repent. It's time for us to turn from our sin and turn back to the Lord. It's time for us to renew our faith in God, our faith in each other, and our faith in the American way. If we fail to do that, even a resurrected Ronald Reagan won't be able to help us.

Renew your faith, and I'll see you in church on Sunday.

Lessons Learned from the Japan Earthquake

A fire rages at the Cosmo Oil refinery
in Japan following the earthquake.

As the nation of Japan comes to grip with the destruction caused by the unprecedented 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami, and as heroic engineers work tirelessly to prevent a core meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, much discussion has ensued about emergency preparedness and safety.

Over the past few days, I have heard claims that this quake was nature's way of telling us that she's in control, and the ridiculous claim that the earthquake was Mother Earth's way of telling us that "nuclear power is wrong."

All kinds of ideas and agenda's are being extrapolated from this tragedy, from a push to stop nuclear plant construction, to plans to upgrade emergency preparedness. With all of these things on the table, it is interesting that few people are discussing the glaring lessons that should be obvious to the evangelical Christian.

1. God is STILL in control - Over the past several decades, technology has propelled man to new heights. From the large amounts of power generated from nuclear power, to the internet, to on-demand publishing, to high-powered personal computers, to a global communications network which links every one together via the voice and data capabilities of their smart-phones. We have learned to tap renewable energy sources, have made transportation more fuel efficient, and have globalized our market place. Our buildings have safer construction, our highways are more efficient, and commercial airliners can virtually fly themselves. These advances, along with medical advances, political advances and educational advances have moved mankind beyond his imagination.

However, we should be reminded that in spite of all of our advances, our destinies still lie in the hands of the almighty God. There is no technology that he can't put down. There are no medical advances that will keep Him from calling His saints home. There is no predicting His movements upon the earth, or when the next big event will take place. Therefore, we need to place our faith in Him, not our technology.

2. Get Right with God - It's amazing to me how many people flooded the church buildings of America on the Sunday following September 11, 2001. The brazen attack on American soil was bound to spark an American war in the Middle East, and many feared the end was near. No doubt, people wanted to know if the end was here and wanted to be in the right place if it was.

The truth is the end is always near. Hebrews 9:27 says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." We never know when it is our turn to go. Thousands of people were going about their lives in Japan when the quake struck, and the tsunami followed seconds later. Many had approximately a minute to react to the coming flood waters. Many were unable to escape. The fallacy in the thinking of many people is that life goes on as normal, and we can see death coming. The truth is that death can hit you in an instant, with no warning. So repent of your sins now, and trust Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Don't wait for a major event, or a sign that you might be dying.

3. Don't be selfish - One of the remarkable things about watching events unfold in Japan is how the people are all handling the tragedy. They are banding together, conducting themselves in an orderly fashion. Looting and rioting are non-existent. Contrast that from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. What's the difference? Culture.

Japanese culture is one of being polite, and one of doing your part. American culture is one of pursuing your own dreams and ambitions and only pitching in if you can get something in return. Granted, not everyone in America thinks this way, but by and large we have a greedy culture. That sort of self-centeredness is not a Godly virtue. How many times does scripture warn against covetousness.

I wonder what would happen in American companies if workers did their jobs as if they owned the place, as if their performance directly impacted the business health of the company. I wonder what would happen in American churches if the members came seeking how they could serve the Lord, and not what they could get out of services. I wonder what would happen in American communities if people actually cared about their communities instead of expecting someone else to make the difference. We have case studies in each of those scenarios where everyone brought something to the table, and the entire group was better as a result.

In conclusion, I would like to offer my prayers to the people of Japan, and I would like them to know that I am pulling for them to be able to make a speedy recovery from this disaster. Also, I would like to set everyone's mind at ease. The Fukushima plant will not destroy the world... we have many more prophecies to see fulfilled before that takes place.

The Solemn Atmosphere and Purpose of Memorials

Vietnam War Memorial

During a visit to Washington, D.C., the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of high school, I was given the opportunity to visit the Vietnam War Memorial, the Iwo Jima Monument and the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

These memorials stand in honor of those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Americans, and the freedom of people around the world. When we, as Americans, visit these monuments, we respectfully remember and consider the sacrifice of those who lost their lives fighting for our freedom. Veterans who survived those wars, men and women of whom I have the utmost respect, are overcome with emotion and reverence toward their brothers in arms who died saving freedom.

Tomb of the Unknowns
Arlington National Cemetery

I remember being in awe. I remember the feeling of reverence toward those fallen soldiers, and the ones who survived who staffed the memorials, and others who were visiting. My visit to Washington, D.C. actually motivated me to explore the option of a career in the U.S. Armed Forces. I later decided not to follow through.

That is what memorials are for. To honor the fallen, to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, and to remind us that freedom is not free. These memorials are all about the men who served and sacrificed, and are not about the visitors to the memorials.

When Jesus instituted the Lord's supper, He said, "This do in remembrance of Me."

Just like the war memorials in Washington, D.C., serve to remind us of the sacrifice that our soldiers made during wartime so we could be free, so the Lord's supper is a memorial of how Christ died for us, sacrificing Himself, so that we could be free from sin and be given salvation freely. Our freedom is not free.

Iwo Jima Monument

Now, if I began to sing and dance at one of these memorials, people would be offended and the veterans who staff and monitor these sites would probably escort me out, and rightfully so. Why? Because I would be desecrating the memorial, not discerning the sacrifice that was made for my freedom. If I were to talk on and on about how much I loved visiting the memorial because it made me feel so special, no doubt folks would be offended because I would be glorying in myself, not the sacrifice made on my behalf by these soldiers.

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 11:29 "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."

Most interpret these verses to mean that you shouldn't take the Lord's supper if you have unresolved sin in your life, and rightfully so. However, the major sin is taking the Lord's supper, "not discerning the Lord's body." When you take the Lord's supper, you should take it as a memorial to Christ, not as a show of fellowship, not to show love for the brethren, not to feel closer to God and not to feel more spiritual. It is ALL about memorializing the sacrifice Christ made for us, and being reverent toward that.

Those men who gave their lives in combat to save our freedom didn't accidentally go into perilous situations. They willingly went, knowing they would probably die, but also knowing that is what it would take to win the war and keep America free. That thought takes my breath away. It doesn't make me feel special. It makes me feel inferior because I am not sure I could have made the same decision.

Christ didn't accidentally wind up on the cross. He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). It was His idea. He knew it would take His death on the cross to save us, and He willingly died that death so we could be with Him in eternity. The Lord's supper doesn't make me feel more spiritual, it reminds me that it was my sin that put Christ on the cross.

When I break that bread (at Grace Pointe, we literally break unleavened bread) before we pass it to the congregation, I feel the effect of my sin being taken out on that body. When I take that cup, I see the cup of His suffering. Therefore, I don't feel the need to take the Lord's supper every week, or even every month. It is a memorial. I take it, but I take it remembering what it means.

Don't take the Lord's supper for the wrong reasons. Don't take it to show fellowship, or to "feel closer to God." Take it as a memorial to the sacrifice that Christ made on your behalf. If you do that, you will take the Lord's supper discerning His body, and God is pleased with that.

Upset over politics, again

Well, early voting is underway and it appears that Barak Obama is getting the upper hand in many of the battleground states. If this nation, indeed, elects Barak Obama, then we will get exactly what we deserve.

This is a man who had a 20-year association with a preacher who spewed anti-American venom. This is a man who owed his political career to a man whose organization bombed the pentagon. Though those events happened when Obama was 7, or 8, that same individual was lamenting that they should have bombed more buildings in the New York Times on Sept. 11, 2001 of all days. Had his views been moderated during the days he helped Obama get into politics? I think not.

Obama is a man who favors killing unborn babies, favors bombing Pakistan where we have allies, yet will sit down with our enemies without preconditions, and prefers being a citizen of the world over being an American citizen.

If we indeed elect this man, who disregards life and owes his allegiances to anti-American parties, it reveals that America is morally, intellectually, and mentally weaker than we previously thought. Furthermore, it shows how dilusional we really are. May God have mercy on us all.