Eradicate: Blotting Out God in America

In an interview last week on a Christian radio talk show, the final question the host asked me was: “What are you thankful for?” The first thing out of my mouth was “Freedom in America.” I have to admit, my own response caught me off guard. In the past, I would have listed a dozen things I’m thankful for, starting with God, family, and friends; but many of us understand that things are changing in the country we love, and we better stop taking our God-given freedoms for granted.

This week, Franklin Graham boldly stated America is in the quagmire we’re in because we have turned our backs on God. I agree with his assessment; though the Democratic Party as a whole has removed God from their platform, Republican leaders and candidates have not been mentioning our need as a nation to ask the Most High God for help. Graham stated, “The more we turn our backs on God, the bigger our problems become.”

About a hundred and fifty years ago, Presi­dent Abraham Lincoln recognized what he believed was God’s hand of judgment on America “for our national perverseness and disobedience.” People were falling away from God and Lincoln declared the first national “Day of Thanksgiving and Praise.” In his 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation, he stated:

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and pros­perity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. …We have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeem­ing and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”

In 2012, America seems even less grateful. We need to remember God never changes and He is not surprised that we’ve chosen culture over Christ. We have conformed to the world instead of influencing our godless culture.

We have steadily abandoned the morals and principles that once made us great. Those who oppose God have assaulted the American family, attacked Christians, rewritten our history, and have eroded the foundations of our liberty. Because of our own apathy combined with this anti-Christian agenda, we are reaping the consequences.

Many of us were shocked four years ago when Americans elected the most liberal, secular-progressive president in our history. We could hardly imagine surviving four years of policies that threaten our religious and economic freedoms, support anti-biblical causes, disrespect Israel, and irresponsibly increase federal spending, but here we go again. America has not yet been brought to her knees.

Four years is a vapor. To the Lord, one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day (2 Peter 3:8). Up to now, God has been patient. We must cultivate hearts of gratitude and understand how good He has been to us. We still have so much to be thankful for in America. Look around the world and it won’t take long to recognize despite our flaws and apathy, we live in an exceptional country.

Because of the faith of our founders and their vision for this country, America has done more for the world including needy countries than any nation on earth. We are a compassionate people. American churches and charities have reached out to countless souls world-wide, and in our short history the Gospel of Jesus Christ has reached millions because of the United States.

Let’s remember the God we have forgotten.

Battling the elements and the challenges of living in a new land, the Pilgrims made many more graves than huts, and yet these brave pioneers thanked Almighty God by setting aside a day of Thanksgiving! This is the American spirit. The Bible teaches us to give thanks in every circumstance as the testing of our faith produces endurance.

It’s easier to thank God when times are good, but trusting His sovereignty we are to find joy and be grateful at all times. “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Thanksgiving isn’t a time to be busy and distracted with planning, shopping, or feeling obligated to buy presents; it’s a time to humbly lift our hands to the One who is always faithful and promises to provide all our needs. It is a time to analyze and evaluate our priorities and get right with God if we have personally strayed from Him. It is a time to encourage others to cry out to God for mercy and to save America from self-destruction.

John Adams once stated, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Let’s get back to the basics of faith, family, and freedom; back to loving King [Jesus] and Country. We still live in a beautiful land and we have much to be thankful for: “O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife. Who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life! America! America! God shed his grace on Thee …”

Trust the Lord that you and I are here for such a time as this. We can be thankful His love for us and His purposes haven’t changed.

Giving a presentation to a battle-weary Tea Party audience in Wisconsin a few days ago, I reminded them how we have strayed from our faith and conservative principles. I concluded by saying if our hope is in people, politics, or possessions, we will always be disappointed. If however, our hope is in Jesus Christ; if He is our Lord and Savior, then our perspective can be one of gratitude no matter what is happening around us. Happy Thanksgiving!

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever; …But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Psalm 106:1, 1 Cor. 15:57)

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.  2 Corinthians 13:5-6

The Apostle Paul wrote this to Christians in the church at Corinth whom he was preparing to visit for the third time. After getting to know them and hearing about their behavior he basically told them to make sure they were saved! Does the same admonition apply to Christians in America today?

Some believers had conformed to the world instead of resisting ungodliness and sin. Paul felt it necessary to confront them about exactly what they believed. This holds true today where it is even more necessary to challenge Christians – especially those who have become too comfortable or complacent in their faith – with this same message. Why? If you take a good look at our culture it is obvious Christians are losing influence. This must be addressed; if a majority of Americans profess Christianity why aren’t we seeing more fruit in culture?

We should never back down from the truth. Lukewarm Christianity is spreading across America right now: apathy over abortion and defending traditional families, the weakening of marriage and the advancing agenda of homosexuality; the perversion of prime time television and the entire entertainment industry; government corruption, greed, and the mishandling of our money, and complacency about social issues and absolute truth.

Biblical truth must be the foundation of our worldview and affect everything we do. Paul knew what many of us know today; If Christians were truly saved and sanctified, we’d be advancing the kingdom of Jesus Christ and bearing fruit for eternity. I can’t help but believe how Christians vote and the recent presidential election reveals a lack of fruit – or rotten fruit – in America.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.  John 15:7-9

Are we truly seeking Him first and living what we believe? Our worldview must start with believing the Bible is the source of all truth and moral absolutes exist; Jesus lived a sinless life, became the perfect sacrifice, and as a result we have salvation through Him by grace. With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who believe this will live accordingly.

If Jesus changed your heart, now let Him change your mind. Regardless of whether the message is accepted by others, you and I are called to be His messengers in word and deed. Let’s examine ourselves to make sure we are in the faith and good fruit will follow.

America has chosen another four years of President Obama and I’m glad it’s over, but what led to his victory? This presidential campaign has been the most malicious in our history. Mitt Romney is a good man and I hope David Axelrod is proud of himself. I’m reminded how divided this country is, but this is just one election and we need to keep things in perspective.

It will be interesting to see how far to the left the Obama administration will take us in the next four years. As Christians, one thing we need to remember is we’re not without help and hope, and God is always with us. In His sovereignty, God has allowed Barack Obama to be president for another term. Perhaps it’s what we need to humble us or maybe it’s what we deserve and this is part of His judgment. I’ve been telling friends this is as God would have it. In His mercy He is shaking us and giving us yet another wake-up call. How will we respond?

A Christian woman messaged me early this morning telling me she bought a few copies of my new book and said, “We may have lost that battle, but we won’t lose the war.” We need to remember Jesus Christ’s return is nearer and the ultimate victory is everlasting life for those whose faith is in Him. Since we are in the midst of a war for souls there will be many more battles for America.

What are some things that led up to the perfect political storm for Obama to be re-elected?

The Media: I have never in my life seen the media practically campaign for a politician as I’ve witnessed this year. Journalism has fallen to a new low and according to Pew Research, today’s media has the lowest level of the people’s trust in American history. They have protected the Obama administration on Fast and Furious, on broken promises, Solyndra and other stimulus failures. They have minimized the failing economy including unemployment, record deficits, and spending; record food stamps and government reliance, and turning our back on Israel.

Since Obama could not run on his record, the media attacked Romney and the Republicans swaying just enough uninformed Americans to win. Obama did however, offer people free stuff. Plus, the media covered his gaffes. According to Media Research Director Rich Noyes: After the president in a June 8 press conference declared that “the private sector is doing fine,” the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts gave it just one night’s coverage, then basically dropped the story.” Obama was wrong – there are 23 million unemployed in America. It’s government jobs that are doing fine.

Benghazi: Swift action would have been taken and a Republican administration would have been grilled and questioned non-stop over the assassination of four Americans including our U.S. Ambassador in Libya. Facts would have been reported immediately, but instead of an “October Surprise,” the networks campaigning for Obama successfully performed what Rich Noyes calls “October Suppression.” The Obama White House knew within 24 hours the deadly attack was planned and coordinated; it was not a spontaneous protest over a stupid video. But uninformed Americans fell for the cover-up. Americans died. The White House lied.

Hurricane Sandy: MSNBC’s Chris Matthews said, “I’m so glad we had that storm last week because… The storm brought in possibilities for good politics.” This reminds me of Rahm Immanuel talking about never letting a good crisis to go to waste. The Obama campaign quickly got their photo op with the president in New Jersey looking as if he cared about hurting Americans all along. The storm slowed Romney’s momentum and allowed Obama to take a break from partying and campaigning to promote his fake leadership for a few days.

I recognize God allowed this natural disaster and people are really suffering on the East Coast (and nation-wide under the economy as a whole) however, the Democrats used it to their advantage and the liberal Democratic media went along with the game plan.

Campaigning: Republicans need to take notes and adjust their campaign strategies and I’m sure this will be discussed often in the next four years. Kudos to the Democrats for knowing how to spin Obama’s horrible record in office and get people to focus on distractions. They did a great job of spinning attack ads and scaring minorities and the elderly; and lobbying women on the subject of abortion choice, rights and freedom. The Dems also know how to deliver the right amount of speeches with little substance and entertain young people by touting hope, hype and how evil Republicans are.

The Numbers: If there’s one thing I still don’t understand is how could this election have been as close as it was? I was convinced Romney had gained voter enthusiasm and Obama was losing support and credibility. This will be analyzed for years. About 2 million people divide the popular vote. As I wrote in my book, Eradicate, remove the liberal and leftist strongholds of Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas, Detroit, and New York City and Romney or any candidate wins easily.

Voter Fraud: It’s time we admit that it happens every election especially in larger cities and urban areas, but it’s more of a concern when elections are so very close. Because of the time it takes to investigate, indict, and prosecute, there are few consequences and the results of fraud cases are almost never reported by the media if they’re reported at all. There were irregularities all over the map on Election Day from openly Democratic poll workers to government vehicles being used to bus people to polling places to people voting more than once. Tell me again why Democrats refuse to consider Voter ID laws when we have to show ID for practically everything else? There were also reports of military members being denied voting rights.

After voting, as I walked through the parking lot, a woman with a Russian accent told me how she grew up in Russia and came to America as a youth to escape the very communism she sees taking root in our country. She said she left Europe for a free land and for the first time in her life, in the last four years under Obama she’s becoming more afraid of losing her freedoms most American citizens take for granted. I agreed that we’re an apathetic people and told her I hope more of us wake up before it’s too late.

The Church: Finally, I believe it did come down to not only the lack of Christians voting, but a divide among Christians over Bible truth. Too many justify supporting the sins of abortion and homosexuality by voting in favor of eliminating life in the womb and same-sex marriage. Many Christians also have an uninformed view of government-based social justice which leads to more government control and less freedom of religious expression, a Constitutional right. This shows me the country is losing its Center-Right positioning as more citizens accept secular-progressive changes.

Romney’s Mormonism: This was an issue for some folks, but by not voting at all or by voting for an Independent candidate, people pretty much endorsed Barack Obama. That’s just how this flawed political system works in America. And don’t even get me started on the electoral college chaos. One thing to take notice of is Romney is not a conservative and I’m disappointed in the Republican establishment that refused to learn the lesson from 2008 when moderate old John McCain gave it a go. Whether we will nominate a true conservative, and preferably a Christian in the next election remains to be seen. I’m not holding my breath.

A friend from Canada posted her concerns on line saying she and her husband were “sickened” and “stunned” by the election results. She warned: “To choose this by the American people is laughing in the face of God. I watched the crowds dancing and cheering and wondered what the hoot is wrong with you people? Dead Americans, the slaughtered unborn, gross fiscal negligence, BLATANT disregard for our Lord God, unnatural affections being lifted up. One day, and I hope it’s sooner than later, he [Obama] will have to face the Truth. Get ready people, the train is coming and it’s going to be unlike anything we’ve ever known. Birth pangs. They’re here.”

I completely agree. Christian conservatives have plenty of work to do. The groundwork must begin with us hitting the floor with our knees and humbly asking for God’s mercy and forgiveness. We must resist complacency and renew our mission. We also may need to adjust our strategy and find conservative allies. Will you consider joining the growing corps of citizen journalists who will share the truth the media ignores? Of course, we need to know the Word of God above all else.

This is not the time to give in to the agenda to blot out God from America, to stop fighting government growth, or throw in the towel on media bias! Many of us felt this way four years ago and we may go through this again. When our faith is tested, it develops perseverance and we need to remember our calling is far greater than politics and worldly things. We are to shine the light of Christ in the darkness of America. And it’s getting darker. We are His messengers and our purpose never changes regardless of circumstances. We may be down, but don’t count us out. To give up is not patriotic.

When asked about President Obama’s faith on an MSNBC interview, Franklin Graham responded, “You have to look at what a person does with his life. Anybody can say they’re a Christian.” According to Pew Research, Only about one-third of adults (34%) think Obama is a Christian, down sharply from 48% in 2009. About 20% believe he’s Muslim. Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama’s religion is.

The president claims the Christian faith and this confuses some folks, particularly the less informed. For this reason and because we have a pivotal Presidential Election Tuesday, it is vital we address the issue and measure his actions against the Bible. If just five percent more Christian conservatives vote in this election instead of staying home, it’s over for Mr. Obama.

Some believe Obamacare is the most important 2012 election issue and according to polls, the majority of Americans oppose it. Catholic hospitals, universities, and churches are being ordered to provide coverage for abortion-inducing drugs violating their religious beliefs. As Ann Coulter stated, “The reason we have Obamacare is not because the public was clamoring for the federal government to take over health care. It’s because the Democrats had 60 senators.”

America has never been as divided and polarized as it is today under a president that promised to reach across the aisle, unite people, and heal the world.

In 2008, American citizens, many Christians included, refused to use common sense and wisdom and judge Barack Obama by his own words, his anti-biblical stances, and by his questionable Chicago associations, history, and liberal activism. Why do people of faith continue blindly supporting him and the current Democratic Party platform?

Jesus Christ taught believers to analyze and evaluate a person’s life by looking at what they do and how they live. You will know them by their fruit. If we listen to what President Obama says regarding Christianity and then observe what he does, it can be confusing; things don’t add up.

For example, most Americans – I’m not even talking about just Christians here – believe abortion is wrong and considered a sin. The president holds the most extreme views on abortion including refusing to give aid to a baby born alive during a failed abortion procedure. Many consider this infanticide. Obama voted against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act as an Illinois Senator.

It’s no surprise that in the 2012 campaign and election cycle, Planned Parenthood (who receives federal funding) has spent $13 million in attack ads against Mitt Romney in efforts to re-elect Obama. Some may argue Planned Parenthood provides counseling services. It’s true. They are an abortion business that councils women to have abortions. The ratio of abortions to adoption referrals is a shocking 340 to 1. But I digress.

Let’s look at just a few of the Obama administration’s actions and policies in the last four years. President Obama was the first president in America’s history to mention non-believers in an inaugural address when he said, “We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers.” In his first year in office, Obama ended National Prayer Day services at the White House. President Truman signed the first National Prayer Day proclamation and President Reagan made it permanent. For years, it was a staple on the White House calendar.

The Obama administration required the rewriting of govern­ment documents and a change in administration vocabulary to remove terms deemed offensive to Muslims including jihad, jihadists, terrorists, radical Islamic, etc. With the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Obama allowed homosexuals to serve openly in the military, reversing a policy originally instituted by George Wash­ington in 1778.

Before he was president, in an interview with Cathleen Falsani for the Chicago Sun Times, Obama was asked about his faith. Falsani asked him, “Who was Jesus to you?” He responded that “Jesus was an historical figure for me.” Obama continued, “I think it’s perfectly consistent to say that I want my govern­ment to be operating for all faiths and all peoples, including atheists and agnostics… I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell.”

When asked simply “What is sin?” Obama replied, “Being out of alignment with my values.” Also from the interview, Barack Obama stated, “I lived in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, between the ages of six and ten. My father was from Kenya, and although he was probably most accurately labeled an agnostic, his father was Muslim…I’m rooted in the Chris­tian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place…”

It’s important to note that in the city of corruption, somehow Obama ended up following the Chris­tian tradition under controversial, anti-American preacher Jeremiah Wright and Black Liberation Theology for twenty years.

Obama said there are many paths to the same place. The Bible clearly establishes there is one narrow path to eternal life through faith in Christ. Jesus was not vague when in John 14:6 He said He alone is the way, the truth, and the life. The Apostle Paul wrote there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

Barack Obama said Jesus was an “historical figure.” (Not Savior, Messiah or the Son of God.) Also in the interview, Obama empha­sized living his life the best he can (salvation by works) to maybe get rewarded someday, and he seemed to think our government was inefficient for atheists and agnostics. He does not respect our Judeo-Christian roots. Finally, to Obama, sin means being out of alignment with his own values – not the values of Jesus Christ or the Bible.

The question we have leading up to Tuesday’s election is this: how will Christians and other people of faith vote their values? Sadly, some may not vote at all. If you are a Christian and refuse to vote you are endorsing Obama and another four years of damaging consequences and policies and you’re implying you are satisfied with the direction America is headed.

In 2008, American citizens were warned (just not by the elite media) time and time again that if elected, Obama would push the most leftist, radical policies in American history. But millions voted for charisma and eloquence in order to make history, rather than voting for character and experience and sadly, many citizens didn’t pay attention to the issues.

President John Quincy Adams once said, “The hope of a Christian is inseparable from his faith. Whoever believes in the Divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures must hope that the religion of Jesus shall prevail throughout the earth. Never since the foundation of the world have the prospects of mankind been more encouraging to that hope than they appear to be at the present time. And may the associated distribution of the Bible proceed and prosper…”

Let’s not be afraid to acknowledge that President Obama may accept parts of the Word of God, but his policies reveal a different worldview of Jesus and Christianity than many of us understand. By his own admission, he does not believe the Bible is inerrant and God-breathed. Barack Obama seems to have built his own brand of faith on a foundation of liberalism, Marxism, social justice, and post-modernism.

He needs God’s forgiveness just like you and I do, and if he is a backslidden Christian, he needs to return to the Lord and humbly repent. If, however, he is sincerely living out a differ­ent gospel than what the Bible teaches, then he’s turned his back on the truth and is leading many naïve Americans astray. God is not fooled.

Our faith and Christian worldview should influence our politics, but our politics should never influence our faith. This is our wake-up call! For those of us who claim to be Christ followers and do our best to sincerely live our faith in public, we cannot leave Jesus outside the voting booth on Election Day.