By Hector P Torres
In June of 1996 my dear friend and then pastor Gary Kinnaman preached a prophetic message that to this day makes me think about the direction America is heading. Jim Nelson Black authored a landmark book called WHEN NATIONS DIE, AMERICA ON THE BRINK. In that book he identifies TEN WARNING signs of a culture in crisis that eventually lead to the death of a nation.
The three most significant areas that lead to the downfall of any culture are those that most influence their society:
Social Decay (Political, Government and Business)
1. Increasing Lawlessness
2. Lack of Economic Discipline
3. Rising bureaucracy.
Cultural Decay (Education and Culture)
4. The Decline in Education
5. Weakening of Cultural Foundations
6. Loss of respect for tradition
7. Increase in Materialism
Moral Decay (Family and Religion)
8. Loss of Moral Values
9. Decay of Biblical Values and Beliefs
10. Devaluing of Human Life
In the first area of Social decay; Increasing lawlessness: the 2010 National Statistics reveal that in a population of close to 310 million people there were 10,329,000 crimes committed, 1,250,000 violent crimes, over 15,000 murders, 9,000,000 property crimes, 85,000 forcible rapes, 800,000 aggravated assaults, 8,500,000 Burglaries and thefts reported and close to 1,000,000 vehicles stolen
In the area of loss of economic discipline the national bureau indicates that in 2012 our national debt is close to 16 TRILLION dollars an increase of close to 7 TRILLION in the last 3 years of the Obama administration.
That National Debt exceeds 100% of the National Gross Domestic Product, It is estimated that if we continue on the same path our national debt will be over 20 trillion dollars by 2016, which would be an INCREASE of 87% in just TWO presidential terms.
In the area of bureaucracy our Federal government keeps expanding at the fastest rate of growth in the last 5 years.
In the second area Cultural decay; America’s system of education is at an all-time crisis and has fallen well behind that of EVERY other major advanced economy. It has declined to 17th in Science, 25th in Math, 79th in Elementary School enrollment and now ranks 23rd in the world. Not even in the top 20.
We are number one in guns per capita, most crime amongst rich nations, by far the largest amount of debt in the world; we are also 1st in the world in Obesity, 27th in life expectancy and 18th in Diabetes.
We have lost all respect for traditional values, marriage, virginity, respect for elders, family values, decent language, respect for authority, obedience of laws, etc.
We live in a society lacking in virtues and abundant in vice plus enamored with consumption and material possessions.
Americans live in a pursuit of material possessions for comfort and entertainment, In spite of all this America is experiencing and increase in teen suicide, depression, divorce, disintegration of the family, bankruptcy and despair.
In the area of Moral and Spiritual decay we are rapidly falling into a morality cliff of decadence, Homosexuality, Lesbianism, sexual promiscuity, sister wives, same sex marriages, teen pregnancy, adultery, fornication.
Abortion on demand, Loss of Church attendance, Increase of Islam, persecution of Christian Values, False religions and philosophies, Satanism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism, etc. Divorce rates in the Evangelical churches are comparable and sometimes higher than secular marriages.
The prophet Habakkuk lived at a time when the nation of Judah was living one of its most critical periods.
The depths of violence, oppressive measures against its citizens, the collapse of the legal systems, treatment of aliens and the poor, Evil men were in control and the prophet cries out to God asking how long could this go on without HIS punishment. Does this sound like America?
How can this be changed? The Church MUST wake up and reverse its course.
IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME SHOULD HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND I WILL HEAL THEIR LAND.
We must repent and intercede for our nation.
We must also begin to bless the needy, the alien, the poor, the widows and the orphans, the homeless, the sick, the elderly.
We must come into a UNITY of purpose and vision.
Such unity requires an end to suspicion, criticism, judgementalism, jealousy, envy, pride, arrogance and most of all ETHNIC AND RACIAL prejudice.
We must serve God by serving the needy and seek HIS Kingdom.
Yes there is hope, we both seek God and pray or HE will bring judgment upon this nation that will cause HIS CHURCH to seek him and pray.
Either way, He is about to do something that even if it were told to us we would not believe it.
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