Can Christians Change The Fate Of A Nation Under Judgment?

by Paul Benson

Are Americans Without Hope Of A Future?

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. -Paul an apostle of Christ

As human beings it is quite natural to take concern for the future; for our own, and also that of our children and grandchildren. We want to live a peaceable life, and to have an assurance that our offspring will grow up in a culture where they can thrive and prosper as they raise families of their own. But these days many are wondering if there will even be a future for them to live in!

The prophets of God have long since been testifying of the coming destruction of this nation. Looking around at the current condition of our society: the economy, food and oil production, industry, religion, education, and now outright acts of terrorism (not to mention the tyrannical turn our government has taken) it becomes quite apparent the blessing of God has been removed from this country.

As the realization sets in among the Christian community that we are in fact a nation under God’s Judgment the question arises: Can America be spared? Is there any hope for mercy; and for a future for this nation?

Is America’s Destruction Set In Stone?

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.   Jeremiah 13:23-24

Although I don’t deny a touch of the prophetic upon my writings, and have at times been used of God to deliver words of a prophetic nature, I do NOT claim to be a Prophet. I do not have from God a ‘Thus sayeth the Lord’ about the fate of this nation other than the pattern of God’s dealings I see expressed in the Scriptures. And in that light, it’s not looking good for the USA.

But can that path be changed; can the prophesied destruction of this nation be avoided, or at least mitigated? America seems to be pretty firmly entrenched in her sin and rebellion against God, and it is quite clear to me that is the path of destruction. It would take repentance on a massive scale to avert the horrible destruction prophesied against her; BUT although national repentance appears not a probability, I do see it as a hopeful possibility. I do see a chance that it could still happen, though most likely in the form of a temporary reprieve rather than a commuted sentence. All nations will be eventually judged at the Return of Christ.

Along with the numerous prophesies about the eventual destruction of America many have spoken of a wave of revival sweeping this nation in the days ahead. I have a great hope for this to come to pass; but also a serious concern over what it would take to bring about such an awakening.

After 9-11-01 we saw a remarkable upsurge of religious conviction that was quite evident albeit short lived. The events of that day made little change to the day to day affairs of the average citizen. And consequently, for most the trauma of that day, as well as the troubled conscience, was soon a thing of the past. If 9-11 did not do it, what will it take?

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  2Chronicles 7:14

What if an event, or series of events, brought a sustained hardship upon the people of America? A serious change in day to day life that kept the hearts unsettled and the conscience stirred. Food and fuel shortages; or serious prolonged risks to health and well being. Or the trauma of enormous destruction and massive loss of life in our midst by a major earthquake, major acts of terrorism, or possibly a nuclear explosion in one or more of our cities. Would that be enough to spark revival?

How could such things affect the spiritual climate of this country in anything but a remarkable manner? But would it be enough to cause the American people to cry out for mercy in the midst of Judgment? Would it bring about a nation wide ‘revival of righteousness’? I would like to think so, and I pray it does; but sadly America may be too reprobate to turn back to God.

(FOOD 4 THOUGHT: The nation of Israel, and specifically it’s capital Jerusalem, underwent years of oppression and hardship (even to the point of starvation!) in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. But they remained proud in their sin and ignored the call of the prophets to repent; and it led to their eventual overthrow and destruction. The parallels between the Jerusalem of that era and the USA today are quite apparent. It is amazing the vice like grip that sin can have upon a people when it is allowed to flourish and mature in their midst!)

Regardless of how slim the chance seems of America repenting we should not stop praying; because that is the right thing to do. And regardless of the spiritual climate of our nation as a whole, thankfully we can as individuals cultivate a spiritual climate upon which God can pour out his blessings upon us in a personal manner.

Overcoming A Fatalistic Mentality

I recently posted the following comment on another website which deals with end-time prophesy:

I have grown so weary with the fatalistic mentality I am hearing so much of today; which always sounds something like: ‘Why should we pray for America when Judgment has already been decreed?’ or ‘Why should we continue to warn a nation which has ignored the warnings given it thus far?’. My answer: Because that is our calling and responsibility as believers, that’s why! My admonition to the ‘Why pray? – Why warn?’ crowd is this: GET UP OFF YOUR DUFF! There is much work to do. Let’s not lay aside the plow before our work is complete!

As believers we are ALL called to be intercessors on one level or another. National repentance begins with the repentance of individuals; we all have a role and responsibility in it. We need to clean our own house, so to speak, and then travail in prayer that the sanctification expressed in our lives will spread out and have an influence upon others and our surroundings. A ‘what’s the use?’ attitude will never see that happen. This is not a time to grow weary in well doing. It is a time to redouble our efforts; a time to seek God in a desperate fashion!

We need to have a confidence in the promises of God that desperate prayer (and a holy lifestyle) will move Heaven on our behalf. Even if it does not ultimately result in national deliverance, it WILL affect your life, that of your loved ones, your immediate sphere of influence, and possibly even your general locale (city, county, etc.) in a remarkable way. It will cause God to see YOU worthy of his blessing even though you might live in a nation that is not. This will become increasingly crucial as things progress.

A Righteous Nation Within A Nation

Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.   Proverbs 14:34

While there may, or may not, be hope for the nation known as the U.S.A., there is hope for YOU if you are abiding in Christ! As believers we are a nation within a nation; and a righteous nation definitely has good reason to hope in the mercies of God. Not an exemption from persecution or hardship. But a confidence that righteousness will set us apart from the wicked in God’s sight; and thus we can expect the good hand of God to move on our behalf. Let’s look at some biblical examples of this principle in action.

THE LAND OF GOSHEN:

Exodus 8:22  And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell,…

Exodus 9:4  And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel.

When God brought judgment upon the land of Egypt in the days of Moses he declared that his judgment would not manifest in the region where the children of Israel dwelt.

Exodus 9:26  Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.

Exodus 10:23 … but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

We see that the Lord kept that promise!

Exodus 9:20  He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:

Even those among the Egyptians who heeded the words of the Prophet were granted a measure of mercy in the midst of this judgment! I believe we will see something similar during the coming turmoil.

THE CITY OF ZOAR:

Not just Sodom and Gomorrah, but all five ‘Cities of the Plain’ were slated for destruction! BUT:

Genesis 19:21  And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.

Through the intercession of Lot the city of Zoar was spared; so that this man and his family could be kept safe from God’s wrath. Think about that: an entire city that would have been destroyed by fire and brimstone was not; all because of the prayers of a righteous man!

THE PROPHET JEREMIAH:

In the destruction of Jerusalem a righteous man of God named Jeremiah, and his faithful helpers, were spared (even blessed) in the midst of an outpouring of divine anger. For a more in-depth look at the division made between the wicked and the righteous during that horrible time of judgment SEE THIS POST.

Other examples of the deliverance and protection of the Righteous during a time of judgment would include: Rahab the harlot, those who heeded Jesus warning to flee Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and don’t forget the eight souls hidden away in an Ark of safety. These all found grace and mercy in a time when the wicked were being dealt with.

(SIDE NOTE: If you are a believer, and living right before the Lord, you also can expect to receive grace and mercy in the day of God’s anger!

I don’t know what form your mercy will take in the days of Judgment ahead. Maybe God will tell you to relocate to a place of refuge; or perhaps even to move completely out of the nation.

Or maybe the righteousness upon you, and in you, will spare an entire town as was the case with Lot and Zoar! You are going to have to get that direction from the Lord. I cannot give it to you.)

Something else to bear in mind is the fact that just because God judges a nation, even to the point that nation no longer exists, does not mean that geographical location will be uninhabited. There have been many nations fade into obscurity but their land remained inhabited. After the destruction of war (with casualties sometimes in the millions), and all the accompanying chaos had subsided, life went on and future generations were born.

(FOOD 4 THOUGHT: There used to be a very large country in southeast Europe called Yugoslavia. It no longer exists. Now we see a group of eight smaller nations in its place (Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, and so on.).

Could this be the future of the United States? Maybe. One thing we can understand for sure is that strong independent nations stand in the way of globalism. And we can expect this to be a factor in whatever events lie ahead for this planet.)

Discerning The Judgment Upon America

I DO NOT believe America is imminently facing complete annihilation. Many are saying America is *Babylon; and that the judgment we are facing will be this nation’s total destruction (as recorded in the Bible). Personally, I don’t buy that theory. These folks need to study their Bible. Babylon is not destroyed until right before the Return of Christ. It is one of the final end-time events, and takes place at the end of what is referred to as ‘the great tribulation’.

(*There is no denying the ‘spirit of Babylon’ is upon this nation, as it is upon many other nations. The same way the spirit of Antichrist was upon Hitler, but he was not ‘the’ Antichrist.

I do allow that a progressive judgment of God (verses an immediate one), as well as a progressive metamorphosis of society could very well eventually bring America, or what is left of her, to be a major part of end-time Babylon,)

We don’t know for sure what role America, or possibly some portion of the former U.S.A. (New York City?), will play in the end-time entity known as Babylon, but Babylon’s destruction is not what we are facing today. That destruction is still quite a number of years down the road. There are many events that must transpire first. The Judgment we currently face is a more immediate issue that concerns the sins of this nation today, and not the future Judgment of the Babylon entity.

I can’t tell you exactly what lies ahead for this nation. But I can assure you of this:

God is watching each of us closely; and he is keeping score!

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.  1Peter 3:12

For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.  Psalms 5:12

After Thoughts

Look at the conditions the early Church lived under. They lived in the very scenario many are afraid is coming to our nation. Israel had already fallen under God’s Judgment and been overrun by her enemies. They lived in a nation under the control of a foreign government; and a very oppressive one at that. Life was full of difficulty and danger; but Christianity thrived under those conditions.

God is well able to keep that which belongs to him!

There is no reason to think Christianity cannot thrive during a time of great judgment upon America (even to the point of massive devastation or possibly overthrow and occupation). And I see no reason to think Christianity cannot thrive in its aftermath as well. If you choose not to agree that is fine with me.

You ARE entitled to your erroneous opinion (sarc.). 🙂

Paul Benson

http://www.paulbenson.me

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