A palpable sense of anxiety is growing in the United States. Tensions are higher than ever, as the nation the entire world watches has to make a decision about its future.
Among the most passionate voters in America aren’t just far-left social influencers, but also deeply religious, conservative Christians. A question that many are asking is, “Can the nation survive whatever happens next?”
I’ll answer that question with a question. “Are you in Christ?”
This pivotal question changes everything.
If you aren’t “in Christ,” then you have reason to worry. According to Paul, those who aren’t “in Christ” have “no hope and [are] without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). They are not “hidden in” or protected by Christ (Colossians 3:3).
Evidently, since even before human beings existed, Satan has been prowling or walking about like a lion “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This reality didn’t faze Jesus. He was not fearful of or discouraged about Satan’s agenda or warfare. In fact, He said that the “gates of hell will never prevail against the church that He is building” (Matthew 16:18)!
Believers need to remember that the Bible says that God is the one who “changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings” (Daniel 2:21). This Scripture makes it clear that God is sovereign! He never allows a king or ruler to come into power who can thwart His purpose and plans. God alone is the one who ultimately gives authority and the right to rule, just as Jesus made clear to the Roman governor, Pilate (John 19:11).
This doesn’t mean that believers should be apathetic about what will happen in the next election. The prophet Hosea indicated that our input does matter.
“They set up kings, but not by Me;
They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them.
From their silver and gold
They made idols for themselves-
That they might be cut off.” —Hosea 8:4
Yes, God is in control, but He wants His people to look to Him and take their guidance from Him, not their own plans or agenda. Scripture calls this idolatry. This was God’s accusation and assessment to the people Hosea wrote to.
When we as a nation turn from God to idolatry, when we begin to push for leaders that God in His perfect will would never desire for us, God will sometimes allow us to experience the consequences of life apart from Him and His purpose and plan (Romans 1:28-32).
Regarding the upcoming presidential election, believers should vote for and seek after leaders who honor the Lord and support His standard of righteousness. However, if a nation is bent on pursuing wickedness, the church must separate itself from the world and pursue full devotion to God. As long as we do this, God will cover His people in a spiritual “Goshen” of protection (Exodus 8:22, 9:4, 9:26).
Many Christians are praying for revival in America! They’re asking God to fulfill the words of the prophet when He wrote that God would turn “the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6).
I still believe there’s hope for this country! In its pre-Revolutionary days, even after the First Great Awakening, church membership was quite low. During the period of the American Revolution, around “70 to 90 percent [of the country] … remained unattached to any church” (Carnes, Garraty, Williams, Mapping America’s Past, p.50). However, with the Second Great Awakening, church attendance and committed Christian faith rose dramatically!
Sometimes the work of God takes time!
Perhaps the Pentecostal movement of the early 1900s, the healing revivals of the 1940s, and the charismatic movement of the 1960s are all precursors to another “great awakening” for America.
Over the coming months, the church of Jesus must prevail in prayer and believe God for “His will to be done” in this election and in our country, and “His kingdom to come” in this world.
To hear more about the future of the United States and studies on parallels America has with ancient Israel and Rome, see Perry Stone’s course “History of the Future” at ISOW.org.
To view courses in Spanish, click here.
Matthew Foley
Staff Writer
