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When President Obama was sworn into office, he promised to "remake America."
On the 100th day of his first term in office he returned to Missouri, where his campaign for office had concluded the evening before his election, and told the people, "I'm here to report the remaking of America is well underway."
The "remaking" continues.
He is leading the parade to redefine marriage by killing DOMA and imposing his view of marriage on every aspect of society. This view shakes its fist at biblical teaching, traditional and historical understanding of the most basic human structure--marriage between one man and one woman.
Natural marriage is foundational to every successful culture in the history of the world, and affirmed by every major religion in the world.
In our process of "remaking America," we are "redefining" what cannot, in fact, be redefined. We are shaking our fist at the God who created us. And marriage.
In heeding the call of the 2% who practice homosexual behavior, the President is conforming our nation's military to something it never was, nor should be.
Our military is now forced to represent the President's views on homosexuality at gay pride parades, while he tells the graduating class at West Point last week, their assignment will likely be more toward climate change prevention than traditional defense of the country.
Public education has become more a Petri dish for social experimentation and indoctrination than a place for educating our children.
Who is killing America?
The President?
Or is it something else...or someone else?
Here are some facts about the path to destruction and the path to restoration.
Last week, June 1, the last living child of Sir Winston Churchill passed away.
Lady Mary Soames was his youngest daughter. She was 91.
Her son, Nicholas, referenced a familiar phrase at her memorial. He said of his mother's passing, "It is the greatest swing in history."
Understood.
However, the "greatest swing in history" is not merely the passing of generations, it is the historical pattern that historian Arnold Toynbee and others have spoken about.
In fact, Rev. Rafael Cruz, the father of Senator Ted Cruz, does an entire teaching on this "swing of history" from the book of Judges. He calls it the "Model of civilizational life and death in Old Testament Israel."
Wallace Henly, pastor, professor and author, has written a book which includes some of these thoughts, titled "Globequake". I recommend it.
I am talking more about this on the radio today. Join me live from any where in the world at 9 AM PDT, or rebroadcast at 7:30 PM PDT. Here's how.
There are 9 cycles in the great swing of history as revealed in the book of Judges. They are as follows:
1. A Nation Is Founded On Values and Principles Centered On God.
This is a period of truth. The culture is anchored to a solid belief system whose values form the national consensus. Judges 2:7
2. A Relapse Of Memory Occurs.
The old values system dies and a new values system emerges. A new consensus forms around those values. Judges 2:10
3. There Is A Time Of Rebellion Toward God As The Source Of National Blessing.
Influential elites in the culture rebel against the founding vision, its underlying truth and values, and they form a critical mass of activists to advance the new truth and values. Judges 2:11-12
4 . Rebellion Creates A Time Of Confusion And Chaos, Then Comes A "Refining Fire."
People begin to see the consequences of rebellion against God and godly values, like The Ten Commandments, and begin to take not that the foundations of the culture are crumbling. Judges 2: 14-15
5. This Crises Spawns A Desire For Remembrance And Recovery, While Insightful people Understand The Times And Begin To Take Action. Judges 3:9
6. A Critical Mass of Leadership And Citizens Repent And Turn Themselves, Their Institutions And The Nation Back To God And His Truth.
In a society such as ours, founded on biblical principles and values, those who still hold those values become a stream of blessing for an entire society.
It is said D-Day turned the history of the world. I believe it did. Many believe the act of public prayer on national radio by President Franklin D. Roosevelt invoked God's blessing and our success. Judges 10:15-16, and II Chronicles 7:14.
7. Spiritual Renewal And Restoration Begins Across The Land.
Substantial numbers of people within the society join in the spiritual movement toward repentance--renewal follows.
This happened in the mid 1940s as church services (revival services) continued every night in churches across the country.
The ministry of Billy Graham was birthed during this time and has since touched millions with the gospel. Judges 5:1-3
8. Restoration Of God's Principles In The Culture.
The society returns to the fundamental beliefs of its founding. Respect for the institutions that advocate for those principles and values returns. The culture is restored to its roots.
Ben Franklin, not necessarily a Christian leader in his time, wrote in 1740, following a number of services held by evangelist George Whitefield, of the effect those sermons had on every day life.
He wrote, "It's was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants; from being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seem'd as if the world were growing religious; so that one could not walk thro' the town in the evening without hearing Psalms sung in different families of every street."
That time of restoration of God's principles provided the courage and conviction to declare independence and fight the Revolutionary War, giving birth to the greatest nation in the history of the world. Judges 5:9-11
9. The Land Has "Rest" Until A New Generation Rises And Forgets God.
"Rest" is not indifference or national "malaise" because everyone has simply given up.
It is a time characterized by stability, cultural peace, productivity and prosperity.
The 1950s gave us a brief time of this kind of "rest." During the 1950s, "One Nation Under God" was added to the Pledge. Other advances of Judeo-Christian values occurred during those post war years. And America experienced unparalleled prosperity.
In Germany, there was a massive effort to transform the textbooks and other tools used by Hitler and the Nazis to poison the culture. Following this time of repentance and restoring, West Germany became one of the most prosperous nations in the world.
The came the 1960s.
Free love, rebellion, sin was in---morality was out.
Another great swing of history, but by the late 60s and early 1970s, another great swing began.
Pastors young and old spoke to the culture with the truth of God and 5, 6, 7 and 8 above began to happen. Chuck Smith preached on the beach in Costa Mesa, Ca., while others of us ministered from our churches in Southern California. Prominent personalities were converted to Jesus Christ. The "Jesus People Movement" spread across the nation from California to Minnesota to Florida to New York, resulting in the cover picture on TIME Magazine. A simple picture of Jesus, while the featured story told of the hundreds of thousands of young adults marching through the streets of Hollywood for Jesus, whom many had just met.
I have seen it. I was there.
Where are we today?
The greater part of the answer is, "Where are you today?" Where am I?
What do we value? What do we worship?
Rev. Rafael Cruz says the key for any nation is found in what it worships, for that gives rise to its value system and its beliefs. Judges 3:11
It is time for another "great swing in history." God is willing, as His people take prayerful action.
God help us.