RESTORE AMERICA: Introduction

Restore America. Most all Americans have a desire for the nation they remember from days gone by to return to its glory days. This is in my opinion an unattainable goal. We will never be the same however we can restore some semblance of morality. My prayer is for a nation that humbles itself before God adhering to his Word smd consequently living in God's Blessing..

When I write of restoration please keep in mind that any restoration we might experience in the United States or the world is temporary. Many believe we are living in the “End Times.” They believe Christ may come for his church at any time. I am not here to argue that point.I believe that we are truly living in the “End-Times” and as such sin in the world will be more ostentatious than man has ever seen. Matthew

24:6 (KJV) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For the United States to experience restoration, I do not see the nation returning to a time of “Father knows Best.” Lifestyle may moderate; however, the unbelievers will continue in their sin and wickedness. Luke 17:26-29 (NKJV). “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all”

Within my life time, I have personally witnessed a decline in morals, values, and spirituality. Just after World War II (WWII) our nation was prosperous and thriving. Immorality was almost non-existent or at least kept in private and shameful. Matthew 24:10-12 (KJV) “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”

After WWII Evangelist were sharing the Gospel across the nation. The Likes of Billy Sunday, Oral Roberts, and Billy Graham to name a few were filling tents and arenas as multitudes were giving their lives to Jesus. People literally flocked to their meetings or eagerly awaited to watch them on prime-time television.

The Pentecostal revival starting at Azusa street was gaining traction and the Holy Spirit was being poured out anew on individuals. Signs and wonders were accompanying ministries as they preached the Gospel. Many people experienced healing and restoration.

Families went to church together. My family went a minimum of three times per week. The pastor preached against sin and proclaimed the gospel of Christ loud and clear without compromise. They didn’t have to serve coffee, offer ice cream, or give away flat screen tv’s to get people to attend. The people came to honor God and in return God would manifest himself through the Holy Spirit through healings and restoring lives.

People could leave their homes unlocked and keys in the car overnight. People respected each other. Children roamed the country side from dusk to dawn without the fear of pedophiles or worse. High-schoolers would drive to school in the family pickup with a shotgun in the window or behind the seat. People could freely roam their town and streets without fear of crime or drugs.

Children knew their sexual identity and there was no attempt to change it. Boys were proud to be boys and girls were girly girls and the LGBT agenda had not yet been concocted. The Bible had a place of prominence in homes and people read it from time to time.

Politicians worked together for the better good of the people. People helped people rather than the needy relying on the government for handouts and freebies. To be on welfare was a disgrace. If you were on welfare you had to pay it back when you found work or they would put a lien on your belongings. There was a strong work ethic in the nation.

People were generally polite and honest showing respect for those in authority. If we did something wrong and got caught, our parents knew about it before we stepped on the porch and we were disciplined. I am surprised I do not have scars from being disciplined. But, I lived and am a better person for it today.

I am in awe of the changes that have occurred in our nation. I could cover an array of issues I see wrong today, but to what point? You see the same indiscretions that I witness. It makes me sad to see how far the nation has fallen.

I am writing hopefully to share what we as a people can do to see our nation’s morality and value system restored. Oh, that it might be restored in the eyes of God. That our nation might once again be in God’s blessing. I am praying that a mighty wind of revival might blow through this land in these last days before Christ returns for his church.

“Most people tend to believe that we can “fix this country” by getting the right politicians into power or by implementing certain economic or social reforms. But the reality of the matter is that our problems go far deeper than that. A moral collapse is eating away at the foundations of our society like cancer. If it continues to go unchecked, it will inevitably destroy America.” And if we are honest with ourselves, we see the evidence of this moral collapse all around us every day. Just consider a few of the news stories that we have seen recently…What would cause a high school kid to take two kitchen knives and go on a stabbing rampage through his school? What would cause a topless woman to ransack a McDonald’s in St. Petersburg, Florida? What would cause two 18-year-old boys to beat a 30-year-old mentally-disabled man to death with a baseball bat just so they could get his Xbox? What would cause a new father to put his 6-week-old daughter in a freezer to keep her from crying?100 Facts About the Moral Collapse Of America That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe; April; Michael Snyder; thetruthwins.com As I write, Charlottesville, VA is experiencing racial riots. The nation has been on steep moral decline and the headlines are just a reminder of how evil the world has become.

Commercials work on parent’s emotions because they did not have their son or daughter vaccinated at an early age to protect them from an STD from sexual contact that could cause cancer. “Did you know, Mom? Did you know, Dad? Would have been unheard of in the 50’s and 60’s. This was not as big of an issue as it is today as parents taught their children abstinence. Teenage pregnancy was frowned upon.

A Coexist movement is trying to take over our nation, where all paths (religions) lead to heaven. The scary thing is you hear no condemnation or even someone trying to set the record straight. They say, “Jesus was married, gay and had children?” This fake news was a problem way before President Trump took office. This idea of everyone getting along has been taken way too far. If you attack me, my family, my church, or my God I am going to have something to say about it. The problem is my one small solitary voice is not going to do much to deter the decline.

We are bringing trouble in the back door of our nation in the guise of humanity efforts. Why do we allow individuals into our country that will cause a further divide? If you do not agree with our system of government and our laws do not come here. Religion is the issue in that it drives their agenda, “Destroy the Great Satan!”

Our nation will not be overtaken by border attacks. It will be overtaken by allowing people groups intent on harm to take up residence within our borders. The groups will simply have multiple wives and 10-15 children to each. In no time at all their population will grow just as the Jews in Egypt prior to Moses. Exodus 1:7 (NLT)” But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land.” Do you think our morals and values are declining now? Wait for Sharia!

“We are shifting very fast from a world where right and wrong didn’t change to a world where right and wrong are relative,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “We are not all on the same page when it comes to morality. And we haven’t reckoned with what that means. Despite overwhelming fears of moral decay, 63 percent of respondents said legislation is not the answer to encouraging citizens’ moral behavior.” Survey: Americans Fear Moral Decline, Differ on Factors; Chelsen Vicari; May 19, 2017; juicyecumenism.com; What does scripture say regarding the last days? 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT) 3 You should know this,

Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

This scripture could have been written today it is so relevant to the actions of people today. It is sad to see the condition of people’s hearts as they pretend to know God but really do not know him at all. What is worse is they convince others to follow that same path. God’s judgment is being poured out on this nation.

Look at the number of babies killed in the womb. Vietnam was a war without reason where we lost countless numbers of young men. 9/11 was the worst terrorist attack ever on U.S. soil. Racist activism is at an all-time high. Shootings and stabbings are becoming a part of the culture.

In an attempt, to restore our nation. It will not be accomplished through legislation. You cannot legislate morality. Republicans and Democrats will not restore our nation to greatness. President Trump’s mantra of his political campaign, “Make America Great.” This greatness will not come to pass through legislation.

This is not a political dialogue. I believe our nation has declined as the nation turned its back on God. You can document from the 60’s forward how God has been gradually removed from view in our nation. Life is no longer sacred, with the advent of abortion and euthanasia (Roe vs. Wade). The misinterpretation of the separation of church and state, removing prayer and the Bible from schools, removal of monuments and crosses. Government intervention in the church. We can point fingers at the government, however we should not turn a blind eye to families. Parents have become too busy for church and teaching their children the Bible. Biblical illiteracy is a major issue in the decline of morals and values.

Deuteronomy 4 is ripe with advice for a new nation. This advice was certainly not adhered to in our nation. Deuteronomy 4:9-10 (NLT) 9 “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.10 Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai,[a] where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also.”

The people of our nation turned their backs on God relying more on government and patriotism than God for providence and guidance. Families that once filled churches have strayed, leaving a new nation biblically illiterate. They had forgotten God and forgotten his Word. This can only result in moral decline.

Morality must have a base. If you remove God and his righteous judgment, what reasoning is there for man to adhere to a moral code. If there is no heaven or hell why repent?

“When you say there is evil, aren’t you admitting there is good? When you accept the existence of goodness, you must affirm a moral law since which to differentiate between good and evil. But when you admit to a moral law, you must posit a moral lawgiver.” Ravi Zacharias, Can Man Live Without God (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1994), 182.

There is no basis for morality without God’s Word. God’s Word is necessary and vital for a nation to be strong and respected. As the nation has turned its back on God it has lost the respect of nations. Our nation has fallen out of God’s blessing. Disobedience has consequences for the nation. Psalm 94:23 (NLT)23 God will turn the sins of evil people back on them. He will destroy them for their sins. The Lord our God will destroy them.

Our nation is more divided today than anytime I dare say since the Civil War. An attitude of elitism, coupled with entitlement attitudes permeates the nation. Intolerance runs rampant through the land. There is no right or wrong.

What is interesting is Christians are accused of being intolerant while the world condemns Christianity for its beliefs. Yet Christians are persecuted and condemned for living out their belief system. Businesses have been forced to close due to the beliefs of the owners. As same sex marriage has been accepted and illegally made law, one must wonder how far we are from legalizing prostitution and pedophilia. Children in kindergarten are being taught sex education and how to come to terms with their sexual identity. Morality of the Bible has been replaced with this immorality.

Revelation 2:4-5 (NLT) “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first. 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.”

I will remove your lampstand from among the churches. The lampstand is symbolic for the Holy Spirit. What is being revealed in this verse is that because the church has turned its back on God, the Holy Spirit will be removed from the church. The Holy Spirit is what draws people to repentance to holy living and empowers the believer for service. If the Holy Spirit is removed churches will surely decline leaving the self-righteous to fill the seats.

Have you witnessed a decline in church attendance? When you attend these dying churches do you experience the flow and move of the Holy Spirit? The people have become lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God.

Oh, how our nation has fallen. It was once respected and successful. A nation when it was less than 200 years old travelled across oceans to stop carnage and war in foreign countries that the people might once again live in peace. Once a superpower we are now laughed at by countries like North Korea.

Our military supremacy has dwindled. Our response to terroristic acts have become non-existent. Our nation has failed to call out those responsible for terroristic acts. President Trump has stood his ground and will not give in to idle threats as previous administration have acted.

Peer Steinbrück, the German finance minister, said on Thursday, “The US will lose its status as the superpower of the world financial system. This world will become multipolar” with the emergence of stronger, better capitalized centres in Asia and Europe, Mr. Steinbrück told the German parliament. “The world will never be the same again.” US ‘will lose financial superpower status’ By Bertrand Benoit; September 25, 2008; ft.com.

Our national credit rating was downgraded for the first time in August 2011. This is significant as it is a warning sign that the U.S. economy once the strongest in the world is faltering. The auto industry was hit by a devastating financial crash which required the government to step in with a massive bailout. 2006 marked the beginning of a massive credit debacle that sent the mortgage markets into a frenzy. There has been significant damage to our financial market that some financial analysts feel we have yet to recover. Some fear we continue to be on the verge of a catastrophic financial collapse.

A question that resonates in my mind, Is the decline of the United States related to its decline in morals and values coupled with turning its back on God? If so do we have hope that it can be restored? Does God have a plan for restoration?