What's Happening to Our Country?

While I am an eternal optimist, the scripture tells us to be watching and ready. At some time the predicted end will come. Will it be in our lifetime? Will we be the generation that sees the fulfillment of scripture regarding the end times? Some generation is going to see it. Could it be this one?

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. (2 Tim 3:1-5)

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. (1 Tim 4:1-3)

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time. (Matt 24:3-25)

The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. God will not be mocked.

Will God remove (or has already removed) the hedges that He had placed around the United States? While Israel is His chosen people and the apple of His eye, He removed the hedges around them when they rejected Him. Isaiah 5 tells us the story of His vineyard. He removed those hedges and allowed them to be trampled. They became a wasteland. Isaiah 5 gives us multiple woes indicating the condition of the nation of Israel that ultimately brought the nation down.

Are these same issues being seen in the United States today?

1. Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field ... and live alone... We are a materialistic nation. We have turned a corner where our personal wealth is the ultimate goal even at the expense of our fellow Americans. Corrupt companies, investment firms and even politicians have exploited their power at the expense of the average citizen.

2. Woe to drunkards (Isa 5:11-12). Revelry and drunkenness are rampant in our country. We care for our own pleasures and have abandoned any concern for the Lord. Even in the church the concept of grace has overtaken the need for holiness and separation. One example is the spring break craze. Young people have given way to their passionate lusts and are doing that which is right in their own eyes. Where is the fear of God?

3. Woe to the doubters of God (Isa 5:18-19). Out of the same mouths come blessings and cursings. We want God to heal our nation but we don't want to change our lifestyles. We want God to act but we don't want give up our sinful practices. A spiritual change must precede God bringing healing of a nation. If my people, who are called by my name will "HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND SEEK MY FACE AND PRAY AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS" then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land. (2 Chron 7.14)

4. Woe to those calling evil good and good evil (Isa 5:20). We are a nation of perverted values. What was once considered evil is now looked upon as good. What was once looked upon as good is now looked upon as evil. We are a morally backward nation. At one time the McGuffy reader was used as a text book in our public schools, now we can't even pray in school. At one time television would not allow even the flushing of toilets or couples to sleep in the same beds (even though they were married) as in the Dick Van Dyke show. Now there is nudity and obvious sexual intercourse being seen.

Romans 1:32-2:1) Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

5. Woe to conceited ones (5:21) We are an arrogant people in the United States. We think we are so clever and we think we can deliver ourselves. We have no need of God. We have no need of His standards.

6. Woe to the drunken bribe-takers (5:22-23) Rather than being heroes and good government authorities, many leaders were known for their heavy drinking. They were ready to be bribed, not caring for the people they were ruling. They were more concerned for their own pleasure than for the rights of the innocent. Our court system has fallen. We are now seeing judges ruling the country from the bench.

There is no doubt that the whole world is in trouble. But, the United States is not innocent of these woes delivered to the nation of Israel thousands of years ago. God will once again restore the nation of Israel but it does not come without a cost.

Let me give you three things to think about today.

1. God is all powerful. He could change things if He wanted. The same God who created the heavens and the earth is able to save.

2. God is all knowing. He knows the situation we are in as a nation and personally. He is not unaware of what is going on.

3. God is good. He still is watching over His people and all things will work together for our good and for His glory.

There is no need to fear for the child of God, however, there is a need for us to be true followers of Jesus Christ. He calls us to be His disciples, to live holy lives, to come out from the lifestyles of this world and live lives worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus.

Let us run the race marked out for us and let us not get weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.