Words of Wisdom
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” (Ps. 33:12)
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Prov. 14:34)
“When the righteous rule, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people mourn.” Prov. 29:2)
“By the blessing of the upright, a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.” (Prov. 11:11)
“The government is downstream from the culture, from the church, from ‘We the People’, and from God! When any one of those streams becomes polluted, our government becomes corrupted as well.” (Rakazzi)
“The Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth nor knowledge of God among them, and the land is in mourning. They have sown the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind (because) they have forgotten their Maker.” (Hosea 4:2,3 and 8:7,14)
From a Slough of Despond to a New Hope for America?
In recent years, and especially during the eight years of the Obama administration, we witnessed an accelerated departure from our God-given, Judeo-Christian heritage in favor of a secular state that rejects God as well as the constitutional principles on which America was founded.
As a part of that, we have too often been forced to bow down before a Supreme Court that includes members who appear to believe that they know better than God and His Word about what is Right and what is Wrong. As quoted above from Hosea, “They have forgotten their Maker.”
For example: In 1962 and 1963, the Supreme Court decided that school sponsored Prayer and Bible reading could no longer be permitted in our public schools.
Then in 1973, the Court decided that God’s incredible design for Life could be ignored in the Roe v. Wade case to legalize abortion, a decision that was then aggressively promoted during the Obama administration.
Again, in 2015, the Court decreed that God’s design for Marriage between only one man and one woman could be “expanded” in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges to include same-sex “marriages”. That too was then aggressively promoted during the Obama administration.
More generally, we have also seen the growth of Big Government as our new Provider “from whom all blessings flow” and to which we are now beholden for all of our rights – in place of our Creator.
As a result, we have mortgaged the future of our children to a national debt that is now over $35 trillion – more than $106,000 per citizen — so we can live in the styles to which we have become accustomed.
Taken together, it reflects a growing trend in America toward what the people of Israel experienced when “There was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Against that background, and like the people of Israel referred to above in Proverbs and in Hosea, we too are in mourning. Therefore, it is tempting for us to slide, like John Bunyan’s Christian, into a Slough of Despair and Despond.
We cannot let that happen, but what can we do? Where is our hope for the future?
The Golden Arches: A New Vision for America
That is our challenge, and our original Crossroads radio team will again this weekend reaffirm our vision for new Great Awakening in America aimed at reversing the trends described above. It complements the series of programs we just aired from Rita Dunaway’s book entitled Restoring America’s Soul.
This vision carries us through Seven Golden Arches, beginning with Remembrance and then on to our final destination — a National Restoration and a Golden Gate of Rejoicing.
Although we have seen a dramatic reversal of many of these tragic policies under former President Trump in ways that give us fresh hope, one thing remains very, very clear. We cannot have political Reform unless and until we have a new Great Awakening and spiritual Revival in America.
It won’t be easy but, with willing hands, obedient hearts, and the help of Almighty God, it can be done, as described below with periodic references to Scripture for background.
Arch No. 1 — Remembrance: We must know where we came from in order to know who we are and where we are going. We have a rich Judeo-Christian heritage in America going back to the Pilgrims and the Puritans and continuing on to the Founding Fathers. Therefore, like the children of Israel in the Old Testament, we must keep that flame of faith and freedom alive. (Deut. 8 and Ps. 105)
Arch No. 2 — Repentance: As Israel did so often (Ps. 106), we too have disobeyed God in many ways. So, like them, we too must humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. Only then will God hear our prayers, forgive our sins, and heal our land. (II Chron. 7:14)
Arch No. 3 — Revival: Just as the two Great Awakenings in the 18th and 19th centuries were spiritual events that stirred Americans to throw off the chains of British tyranny and the shackles of slavery, so we too must have a spiritual revival and a Third Great Awakening that returns us to our Godly heritage.
Arch No. 4 — Righteousness: The Bible contains 515 references to “righteous” or “righteousness”, including those cited above from Proverbs. That means a complete transformation of our spiritual, moral, and political culture in surrender to God as we work for a rebirth of Righteousness in America.
Arch No. 5 – Resist and Rebuke: With hearts revived and on fire with righteousness, a confrontation with evil is inevitable. Just as the prophets of old resisted evil kings, and as our Founding Fathers stood up against tyranny, so we too must now stand up and speak out against evil in our culture. (Phil. 2:15)
Arch No. 6 — Reform and Rebuild: Like Nehemiah as he worked to repair the broken-down walls of Jerusalem, so we too must now work to restore America to its Biblical foundations as “One Nation under God” and promote our values of Life, Faith, Family, and Freedom in our culture. (Neh. 1-13)
Arch No. 7 — Restoration: As George Washington emphasized in his Farewell Address, religion and morality are indispensable supports for our political prosperity. On those two great pillars, we can again reclaim and restore our early settlers’ vision of America as a shining “City on a Hill”. (Mt. 5:14)
At No. 8 — The Golden Gate: Rejoice! Once we have passed through these seven Golden Arches, we can praise God for all He has done, reflecting the words on top of the Washington Monument: “Laus Deo”! And then, like the people of Israel after they had rebuilt the broken-down walls of Jerusalem, we too can celebrate with a joy that can be heard around the world! (Neh. 12:43)
Crossroads: Where Faith and Culture Meet
To that end, please join our original Crossroads team of Rita Dunaway, John Sloop, and me again this weekend on one of the following Valley radio stations: WBTX (1470 AM and 102.1 FM) on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and again on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., followed by WSVA (550 AM and 92.1 FM) at 8:30, ESPN (1360 AM and 106.9 FM) at 9:00.
You can also listen online by clicking on the appropriate Crossroad’s link on our home page at www.valleyfamilyforum.org.
Crossroads is almost entirely listener supported, and we are so grateful for your prayers, your encouragement, and your generous financial support. If you would like to help, please send your check to Crossroads at PO Box 881, Harrisonburg, 22803. All donations are tax-deductible.
Thank You, from Dean on behalf of the Crossroads Team
And yes, Working and Walking Together, We too Can Make a Difference, for God and Country!