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The Wall Street Journal has reported that more Americans work for the government than in manufacturing, farming, fishing, forestry, mining and utilities---combined.
About half of all US households are receiving government benefit.
A record 8,733,461 workers are now on federal disability, continuing the trend for the past 20 years in number of workers actually employed and earning paychecks per worker who is not employed and is taking federal disability payments.
This week, we learned that states are now competing to sign up their citizens for federal food stamps.
We are becoming a dependant nation, growing more and more comfortable with the government taking care of us.
However, history tells us that dependency is the threshold to the total loss of freedoms---bondage.
How did we get here?
Can this trend be reversed? Or is it too late?
I'm talking more about this on the radio this morning live at 9 AM and rebroadcast at 7:30 PM, PDT.
You may listen live in Washington State at 9:00 a.m. or 7:30 p.m. on these stations or click here to listen on your computer or here via a free app for your phone.
Every state in America today, except for 2, Indiana and Wisconsin--- has more government employees than people employed in manufacturing industrial goods.
The share of people relying on government benefits has reached a historic high, in part to the recent recession and pitiful recovery, but the trend exceeds the current economic woes. There is a continuing drive to expand government and its control by secular progressives.
A record number of people are on disability---8,733,461, which is greater than the population of New York City.
In June 1992, the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed 118,419,000 people employed in the US and according to Social Security there were 3,334,333 workers taking disability. That equaled 1 on disability for every 35.5 people actually employed.
Last May, there were 142,287,000 people employed and 8,707,185 workers taking disability payments. That equals 1 on disability for every 16.3 workers. Obviously that trend is not sustainable. It is alarming. We are becoming the dependent nation Tocqueville spoke of.
This week we learned that states are now actually recruiting people to go on food stamps---aggressively recruiting them.
Alabama is advertising, "Be A Patriot. Bring Your Food Stamp Money Home."
Rhode Island is sponsoring bingo games for elderly people with the goal of signing them up for food stamps.
Other states are sponsoring parties to sign up people for food stamps "en mass."
Breitbart website published an actual conversation with a recruiter and a reluctant recipient. Please take a moment and read it.
This kind of aggressive government expansion has caused Florida's food stamp enrollment to more than double in the past 5 years, from 1.45 million people to 3.35 million.
The federal government is encouraging people to put aside their natural inclination toward self reliance in favor of dependency on the state.
Helping the poor is a high Christian virtue. Jesus spoke of it and the Bible is very clear in regard to our responsibility as Christians.
However, nowhere is there any scriptural teaching that a democratic government should become a caretaker of the citizens, yet, not only are secular progressives advancing this notion, so is the religious left. Jim Wallis and others are helping drive the expansion of government in the name of biblically helping the poor.
This practice is destructive to a free nation and to the individual.
God's people are called to minister to the poor, not the federal government. Providing a safety net for temporary assistance is very different from creating a dependant nation.
How did we get to this place? Particularly in light of our founding principles.
Every major culture in history has essentially followed the same arc of human events, including the United States.
Each culture has generally followed this 8 stage progression.
Bondage-Revolution-Freedom-Prosperity-Apathy-Dependence-Revolution-Bondage
If you view this in arc form, Prosperity is at the top, with Bondage at the bottom of both sides.
There are 3 things that happen when a culture moves from prosperity to apathy.
1. They move away from their religious moorings.
2. They move away from their founding legal system, original laws and founding documents.
3. They move away from fiscal responsibility by overspending and over-taxing.
All of the great civilizations have risen and fallen along this arc of human events. The extent and length of their prosperity and strength was in direct relation to how long it took for the nation to move from apathy to dependence.
That is where America is today.
We are violating these 3 fundamentals and we are moving toward becoming a dependent nation.
Some kind of revolution will follow. Either the secular progressives will prevail and ultimately destroy the nation or there will be both a spiritual and political re-set.
I am not suggesting nor advocating any kind of civil disobedience.
I am suggesting that unless America has a spiritual renewal, we will follow the 18 or so major civilizations that have preceded us into the dustbin of history.
The book of Daniel says, "The kingdoms of man rise and fall, but the kingdom of God is forever and ever."
So has America finished her course, completed her destiny?
Is there more for this country to do in the eternal view?
I believe there is. I personally believe there is yet to be a significant worldwide spiritual renewal and America with our resources and freedoms, should they be preserved, can be used in a special way.
But only if we choose the right way going forward.
I believe God may speak to us today through the ancient prophet Jeremiah, Chapter 6.
"This is what the Lord says: stand at the cross roads and look; ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
America was founded on biblical principles and laws. If we return to those ways, we will find rest and restoration.
The people of Jeremiah's day said, "No, we will not walk in those old paths."
The watchmen spoke, the trumpet sounded, but the people said we will not listen.
And verse 19 says, "Disaster came because they did not listen to the ancient words of wisdom and they rejected His law."
America stands at that crossroads---a nation beginning to show signs of decline. Moving from apathy to dependence to bondage.
The answer is found in returning to the principles and laws that have eternal value. Political restoration will follow spiritual restoration, but political restoration will not lead.
What should we do?
"Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants." Leviticus 25:10