I just completed reading Will Durant’s “Caesar vs. Christ” as part of in his multi-volume “The History of Civilization.”
Several thoughts were generated from reading this tome which I invite you to ponder on.
Will Durant (a brilliant historian - 1885-1981) made these statements which in several ways describe current day America.
Rome was full of men who
lost their economic footing and their moral stability.
Soldiers who tasted adventure and had learned to kill.
Citizens saw their savings
consumed in taxes and inflation and war.
Citizens waited and hoped that there would be
a return to the affluence they once knew.
Women were dizzy with freedom,
multiplying divorces,
abortions, adulteries, and childlessness
were all spreading as the ideal of
a declining vitality and a shallow sophistication
which prided itself upon its pessimism and cynicism.
The invading barbarians merely entered
where
weakness had opened the
door and where the
failure of biological, moral, economic,
and
political statesmanship had left the stage to
chaos, despondency, and decay.
This was not a full picture of Rome,
but a dangerous disease burning in its blood.
Internal causes were unseen protagonist.
But here is the kicker Durant spoke, and it was a surprise to me…..
Because Rome was dying – Christianity grew rapidly.
If America is in its last days because of its abandonment of God and it’s entering a vortex of evil, idolatry, and rebellion against God as ancient Israel did many times, will American Christianity possess the strength, will, discipline, commitment, wisdom, and loyalty to Christ and His Kingdom to rise up and grow rapidly to represent a transformative element to give hope to a culture of decadence, greed, materialism, idolatry, and sexual exploitation?
Durant said that Rome……
“……lost its economic footing and their moral stability.”
Are we presently seeing this condition in terms of our federal government being trillions of dollars in debt (102 trillion - U.S. Total Debt issued by the US Debt Clock.
America sad to say is not able to pay this enormous debt which results in having to raise the debt ceiling every few months, borrowing from other countries to meet the budget requirements, and raising taxes in order to fund the government’s profligate spending and debt crisis like there is no tomorrow?
America has become a debtor nation to the point that an economic disaster of immense proportions looms not too far off. We are being warned over and over by financial experts that the America government cannot sustain its current spending habits and its continuous raising the debt ceiling without an eventual total collapse of the financial system.
In addition, are we witnessing more than at any other time in American history a loss of moral, spiritual, and civic stability resulting in the rape of a nation which has lost its connection with God?
Has America turned away from God and chosen to go it alone without dependence on Him? Has an apostasy spirit taken over where America has shifted from a path of righteousness to a path of wickedness inviting the judgment of God which could include God allowing America to be taken captive by its enemies?
I would say yes to the above questions. It is my belief that America
does not have the moral or spiritual stability to restrain its excesses in term of spending itself into oblivion as well as being awash in and I repeat….. materialism, sexual deviance, extreme consumerism, greed, corruption, selfism, abortion, evil laws, and moving away from its foundation of a republican form of government to a Socialistic/Marxism/Communism direction.
For instance, in an email sent by Dr. James Dobson, he quotes Dr. Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who delivered a sobering warning about communism in America. He quoted from a 1963 book, The Naked Communist, which listed communist goals in our country. Among them were:
· Capture one or both political parties.
· Get control of the schools and use them to
advance socialist and communist propaganda.
· Put the communist world view in school textbooks.
· Infiltrate the media, TV and Hollywood
· Discredit the family as an institution.
· Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
· Undermine parental rights over the education of children.
Carson rhetorically asked the audience,
“Does any of that stuff sound familiar?” Sadly, it sounds like a perfect description of what is happening in America today.”
“Dr. Carson reminded the audience, as we (Dr. Dobson and his organization) have said time and time again, that our country was built on Judeo-Christian ideas, including the core belief that our rights come from the God of the Bible – not from government. Dr. Carson urged Americans to be courageous and oppose the growing Marxist/socialist movement in our country. We strongly agree!”
America has a “dangerous disease burning in its blood” for it is no longer under the blood of the Savior, the Christ of God, the Christ of the cross, and Christ the Messiah of the world. America is at the crossroads of choosing life (Christ) or choosing death (a nation apart from Christ). Is America grasping for its last breath?
If America is dying from the inside, let me ask these questions?
…..will there be a remnant
of born-again Christians who will survive and
raise up the Christian banner and say,
“America,
this is the way you need to take to
escape your destiny of hell on earth
or
death to your nation?
…..will the church rise-up
as it did when the Roman Empire fell apart and declare that Christ, the Lord and Savior is the answer? Let me add, the only answer!
There is no other answer but Christ and His Kingdom.
…..will America and the church
pay heed to the prophets of God who are sounding the daily warnings
and
to those who are walking in righteousness
to come back to the God who
once covenanted with America?
…..will the church be strong
enough to wave
the banner of Christianity
(My comment-pointing to Christ, the Son of God who is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, the Lamb of God, the Savior of the World, the Light of the World, the Alpha and Omega, the One and Only Ture God)
and
cause the nation to shift from
the Tree of Good and Evil
to eating from the Tree of Life (Christ)?
Durant held that by the end of the Roman Empire……
CHRISTIANITY
“…..contributed to this shift
(My comment-from Romanism/Paganism to Christianity)
by making the populace less interested in the worldly here-and-now because it was willing
to wait for the rewards of heaven.”
Will America follow the same path
at the Roman Empire by repeating the same or similar mistakes of Rome?
Solomon penned:
History merely repeats itself.
It has all been done before.
Nothing under the sun is truly new.
(Ecclesiastics 1:9)
Will some of the declining indicators
of Rome continue to be
repeated by America with America witnessing
a greater breakdown, chaos, despondency, lack of
direction, loss of faith, decay,
and
the death of morality,
as well as a decline in
civic responsibility,
common sense,
integrity,
fear of God,
and
diplomatic statesmanship?
Will the church be willing to suffe
r for the
Gospel of Christ in its witness and testimony
to a fallen society?
Will the church leave its hallow barracks
and
compromise, convenience,
“lukewarmness,”
and
easy living to awaken
to the tragedies that face the nation and
become a powerful light or
beacon
and
fresh salt of the Kingdom of God
to lead the way working along the side of
Christ to rebirthing
and
rebuilding America?
Will the church,
the depository of
Christianity,
continue to watch America
crumble while retreating within the four walls of the building called
“church?”
These are strong words and are not meant to offend but to stir up many who are sitting on the sidelines watching and placating themselves with one sermon on Sunday and a Sunday school class to boot while at the same time severely lacking in Bible reading and application, day and night prayer and intercession, and true worship and praise from broken and humble hearts who are continually seeking the Lord and His Christ?
Sadly, many are more committed to sports entertainment on Sunday than continually seeking and calling on the Lord to forgive America for its treason against a holy and righteous God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
There is no more room for the “passive Christian” when all demons of hell have been released to bring evil to every area of the America society from the White House to the Family House to the School House. God says to us through the Psalmist:
Who will
rise up for me
against the evildoers?
Who will
stand up for me
against the workers of iniquity?
Psalm 94:16 (AMP)
Apostle Paul declared:
Fight the good fight of the faith
[in the conflict with evil]…….
1 Timothy 6:12 (AMP)
He also admonishes in his other letters to ….. “Be strong,” “Be on the alert.” “Be on guard,” and “Stand firm in the faith.” I encourage you to read Ephesian Chapter 6 for how to dress for the battles and fight the “good fight of the faith.”
The spiritual war is at a fever pace and the soul of America is at stake as never before seen in the history of the nation. It is either “fight the good fight of faith” or surrender to the evil encroaching on every area of the America culture.
Christ is looking for “action-oriented end-time spiritual warriors” who will take the Sword of the Spirit or the Word of God and thrust it into a nation who has ruled God out and who are traveling down a road to possible ruin.
They will be the battle-ready warriors who will “rise up” and “stand up” against “evil doers” and “workers of iniquity.” They know nothing of fear of man or the fear of a government of tyranny, nor do they retreat when the heat of the battle is turned up. They march to the command of the Lord of Host – Christ Jesus. They march against the Jericho’s and take back what the enemy has stolen.
Therefore, they daily decree and declare what Joshua told His people:
Have not I commanded…. you?
Be strong,
vigorous,
and
very courageous.
Be not afraid,
neither be dismayed,
for the
Lord your God
is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9, (AMP)
They daily decree and declare what David told Solomon his son:
Be strong and courageous,
and
do it.
Fear not,
be not dismayed,
for the Lord God,
my God,
is with you.
He will not fail or forsake you …..
1 Chronicles 28:20 (AMP)
They daily decree and declare what Hezekiah told his people when faced with 200,000 troops of Sennacherib, King of Assyria coming against Jerusalem:
…..let not your hands be weak
and
slack,
for your work shall
be rewarded.
2 Chronicles 15:7 (AMP)
Be strong and courageous.
Be not afraid or dismayed
before the king of Assyria
and
all the horde that is with him,
for there is
Another with us
greater than [all those] with him.
2 Chronicles 32:7 (AMP)
These commands are God’s Word for His people then and for us today. As mentioned previously, the Devil has unleashed all the demons and principalities of hell to take down the nation and the church of America with his main target being the leadership in the White House.
So far, he is making great progress. He has to be stopped and God has given His “action-oriented end-time spiritual warriors” the power and authority to enter the battles and gain the victories.
There is no other pressing need in the Kingdom of God at the present time than for the remnant church of Christ to wake up, rise up, and take up the mantle of God’s power and authority and take down the enemies of God. To fail in this endeavor is to fail America.
Let us diligently pray for America and the church especially that the true remnant church will carry the Banner of God’s Kingdom into a fallen nation.
Again, this is not an easy word to write or to read. If it is too strong for you, then delete. If it stirs you and speaks to you, then seek the Lord what your place is in the end-time battles of the last days of this age.
Christ is coming and when He comes He will bring the host of heaven against all evil and set up His Kingdom for one thousand years.
In the meantime, “action-oriented end-time spiritual warriors” are being summoned by the Lord to pick up their Sword and enter the battles to replace evil with the righteousness of Christ.
"Are you one of the "action-oriented end-time spiritual warriors who will fight, fight, fight for the Kingdom of God?"
Rich Arnold
Servant of the Lord
311 Adelaide Ave SW
Hartville, Ohio 44632
330-704-9306
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