The Bridge Christian Fellowship
Steve Farnworth
The Pastor’s Pen
Someone recently posed a question to me: “Steve, do you think that America is headed for a second civil war?” This question caused me to pause, consider, and reflect. Honestly, I have no idea. But, I must admit that, in my life time, I have never observed such sharp division and seemingly unreconcilable differences between opposing views on myriad topics. A truly divisive and dark spirit has gripped our nation and is suffocating the life out of our republic. I am reminded that, “A house divide cannot stand.”
As a Bible believing follower of my Lord Jesus Christ, I do not hesitate nor apologize that my convictions are rooted in the eternal, revealed Word of God. Each time I examine the Bible regarding the end times, I am reminded that there is no mention of our nation. For whatever reason, the USA will not be factor at that appointed time. Is it because we, as a nation, will no longer be an influence in international events and policy? Or, could it be that we will no longer exist?
If we no longer exist, will our end be due to attack from without or rot from within? God long ago warned mankind: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” John Adams, one of our founders, declared that “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
I was born in 1953 into a home in which both my dad and mom had just recently become followers of Christ. They were both vibrantly alive in their newfound faith in Jesus Christ! But it was not just the home into which I was born that shaped me; the culture of the 50s and 60s played a major part as well. Most places of business were closed on Sundays; youth sporting events were never scheduled on Sundays; discipline and respect were modeled by adults and demanded of youth; the school calendar had “church night” typed in for every Wednesday night, and no school activities were permitted to compete. The pledge of allegiance was quoted every morning, patriotic hymns were sung in school, and copies of both the constitution and the Declaration of Independence hung on the walls of the classrooms.
If we placed the American culture of 1953 on the wall, and then placed the American culture of 2018 right next to it, most people would be shocked. Was 1953 a perfect time in our nation? Of course not! Man is sinful by nature, and his pursuit of pleasure, self-sufficiency, and self-determination often put him in direct opposition to the eternal will of God. However, the influence of the healthy fear of God made the culture of 1953 a far safer environment than that of today.
There were no terror attacks; there were no mass shootings; there was corporal punishment both at home and school; there were many chores; children were expected to work and contribute (and we did); there were 3 TV channels that operated from 6AM till 11:30PM; there were no flat screens, no cell phones, no laptops, no computers, no video games, no violent entertainment options, and few private telephone lines. There were no legalized abortions, two sexes (you could actually tell them apart); no drug epidemic; most homes had both a dad and a mom; there were few divorces; very few who lived together outside of marriage, and crime rates were very low. Children could play outside, ride their bikes all over town alone, and never fear abuse, rape, abduction, and worse.
I read recently that 70% of all millennials do not believe in the existence of a personal God. I do not blame them. They have been raised in a post-modern culture dominated by a God-hating secularism that has systematically used education as a means of moving our culture away from faith in God. But do you remember what John Adams said? “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Why is our country turning against itself? Why the mass shootings, the drug epidemic, the immorality, the anger, the riots, the discontent? Why are we even considering the idea of a civil war? “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Our problems are not political, so they cannot be resolved by politicians. Our problem is a spiritual one, and only God can evoke the transformation that we need. May I encourage you to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5, 6
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