The Root
Today’s world is full of problems: political, financial, societal and more. Did everything go wrong for many different reasons, all at once? Or is there a common root cause for all the problems of the past year? If there is such a root it must be at a fundamental level of society. The only possible root is one that involves the religious faith of the people.
Americans have always been a religious people. They believed in God, some strongly, others not so strongly, and yet others very weakly. Very few held other faiths or were true atheists. Their common faith held the country together since its origin.
This faith, though, took a turn about a century ago. A new Bible, called the “Scofield Bible” was published. It taught in its notes a very different eschatology (doctrine of last things) than was believed previously. It taught that God changed His plans and we are now in the last days. It taught that God would rapture His church (all true believers) very soon and the rest of the world’s people would be lost to Satan and Hell’s fires.
God changed His mind? God reneged on his promises? Stop right there! Who is this that calls God a liar? He should have been set straight immediately by all of God’s people speaking in unison! Sadly though, God’s people were too weak, too biblically ignorant to call the blasphemer down. Instead, this incredibly weak population eagerly devoured the lies he spoke. They didn’t have sufficient knowledge of Scripture themselves and were so enamored with what he promised, they wouldn’t even listen to those that raised criticisms.
The great majority of God’s people believed these lies and now, a half century later, are still waiting for the promised rapture. They, all this time, have neglected to obey God’s command to teach the nations and make the world a Christian world.
Satan, of course, has taken advantage of their neglect and has gained control of the governments of the entire world. God’s people see this, though, not as the consequence of their failure to trust and obey God, but as something God just did. They believe in Scofield’s little god instead of the God of the Bible who never needs to change and never changes His mind.
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6).
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)
So, the common root of our true problems today is not the great strength of Satan’s people but rather the failure of God’s people to obey God. Yes, the loss of our freedom and the loss of our once free country is due to the gross neglect of God’s people themselves. Wake up Christians! As the notable philosopher Pogo said: we have found the enemy and he is us!