By Jim Josephsen
Back in 2008, just one day after the Presidential election, we posted a Word From article on the GTAEA web site entitled “Change is Coming to America.” In it was written the following: Change you can believe in was the rallying cry. Change, like never before is coming to America. … The campaign is over, the lot has been cast and the people have spoken. Looking at the blue and the red states, analyzing the numbers, reveals a divided America. Interestingly, a new generation, a younger generation has arisen demanding a new way of thinking. The ideology and educational values of the past forty years have taken root and come to fruition, and like it or not, America will be forever changed. Bold new initiatives are demanded and will be undertaken. A new approach toward governing America will commence.
Continuing: Still even more Americans are euphoric, feeling liberated, emotional; feeling a sense of elation, sensing a brand new day has come to America. A new generation, a high tech generation is excited because new blood will now lead this country. Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Whites, women, young, liberals, moderates, gays, straight, this melting pot America is anxious for the changes that are promised by the President Elect. The reaction of the general media avails a sense of reassurance, hope, cooperation, and peace ahead for America. … Now a new liberal, inclusive genre will head this country.
Back in 2008, the consensus among the voting public was America needed to put away the old regime. Americans were tired of a faltering economy and the failed policies of that Administration. Americans were tired of fighting a war “over there” with no exit strategy. Americans were tired of a political party characterized as chumming up to big business, favoring the wealthy, while causing distress and angst for the disenfranchised, neglecting the poor.
Looking back, it is apparent that America’s morals and religious values, sexual orientation, culture, music, entertainment, business practices, life styles, class structure, ethnicity, political leanings, social struggles and penchant for civil unrest has altered, presenting a challenge to the status quo. These changes however, did not just come about during the years of the current Administration. These changes have been generations in the making.
Traversing history, back to the 1860s through the 1900s, as education, industry and capitalism expanded, morality adjusted to fit the situation. Marching into the roaring twenties; then the geo-politics of the 1930s, then the Second World War. Continuing into the 1950s through the 1960s and new philosophies, then the 1970s with the me generation and the struggles against authority, getting high, sexual freedom, abortion into the 1980s and 1990s, America’s morality and social values, intellectual leanings were ever transforming to eventually become what is now common and acceptable in the 21st Century. Over these decades, God has been pushed away.
November 2012, Americans once again, apparently approving of the changes already implemented, with new morals, new values, new political ideology, a new progressive way of thinking and a new socialist way of governing, granted President Obama another four years to work his agenda. Or was there something more at work?
There is an interesting similarity, a correlation between an event that took place in the 11th Century BC in the nation of Israel and that, which has occurred in the United States in 2008.
As recorded in Christian and Jewish Bibles (1 Samuel the 8th chapter), the people of Israel were tired of living under a Theocracy. No longer did the citizens of Israel want God or His prophets involved in their governmental affairs, telling them what to do. The people wanted a King to rule over them and judge for them; to fight their battles and tell them what to do. The people wanted government to be their way. The people wanted to be like the nations around them. Beyond just government, the people of Ancient Israel did not want God meddling in their lives. The people of Israel rejected God.
Now of course, the United States of America has never been governed by God. A Theocracy has never been the form of government, directing this country.
From its inception, the founding fathers decided that neither a monarchy, nor an oligarchy, nor even a democracy would be the form of government to govern the United States of America. Likewise, the framers of the United States’ Constitution made sure a Theocracy or the rule by and from God would never be the form of governance to direct the United States of America. The founding fathers determined that the rule of law and a Constitutional Republic should prevail.
Comparing the forms of government between Ancient Israel during Samuel’s day and the United States of America in 2008, there is no similarity – there is no resemblance.
However, there is a parallel, a correlation, a similarity between the United States of America today and the nation of Israel back then. Just like the citizens of Ancient Israel, Americans do not want God telling them what to do. More Americans are even now beginning to question if God even exists.
That reality is ever more apparent as witnessed by a recent Pew Research Center poll. Released on May 12, 2015, a Pew Research report illustrated the religious changes taking place within the United States. To summarize the findings, Christianity has declined sharply while those now labeled as “unaffiliated” and those of non-Christian faiths continue to grow.
By the numbers, those who classify themselves as Christian now only represent 70.6% of the US population. This number is down some 7.8% from 2007, when approximately 78.4% of the US population considered themselves Christian. In 1990, some 86% of the US population laid claim to Christianity. The sharpest percentage drop was among those who are affiliated with Protestant denominations. Now only 46.5% of the US population considers itself Protestant. Catholic Christians, having decreased as well, are now at 20.8%.
Among those of non-Christian faiths, there was an increase of 1.2% within the US population, since 2007. The largest gain are among those of the Muslin faith; an increase of 0.5%.
The sharpest rise, which lends to the reality that more American do not want God in their business, are among those who are now labeled “unaffiliated.” These individuals, the largest percentage of which are the “Millennials,” are broken into three categories: Atheist, Agnostics and nothing in particular – or as called “nones.” The ranks of the “unaffiliated” have risen from 16.1% of the US population in 2007 to 22.8% in 2014. Today, approximately 56 million American adults consider themselves as unaffiliated with any religion and skeptical of the existence of God.
Among the contributing factors leading to the decline of the Christian faith is that of general hypocrisy exhibited by many within the Christian ministry. Issues like adultery, pedophilia, financial deception and covetousness, bigotry, ignorance, arrogance, mercilessness are becoming more obvious. In large part with the advancement of science and the institutionalization of evolution, it is becoming harder for stale old Christian concepts to square with the realities of higher education. It is harder to sell faith when culture and science seem more logical. Christianity has a form of godliness but that is about it.
The Christian faith is becoming ever more transparent, being seen for what it is; a religion laden with pagan tradition and not very faithful to the words of its namesake. Then add to the mix freedom of religion, as allowed in the United States. Then add gay marriage and moral shifts, sexual liberties, multiculturalism and freedom to speak your piece. Then add the fact that many traditional stories of American heroes and historical figures are being retold in light of new evidence. Obvious hypocrisy and deception, false teachings and error prevail within America and within Christian churches across America. The younger generation is witnessing all this perfidy and is simply just being honest about it. To be skeptical is only logical.
People, including Christians, do not like God telling them what to do. Just ask a Christian if the Laws of God were nailed to the cross? Ask a Christian if all he needs to do is believe on the Lord Jesus, allowing grace alone to save you? Christ said, if you will enter into life, keep the commandments. Yet that said, ask a Christian if he or she must observe and keep the Laws of God, especially the Sabbath Day? And you get my point!
Just like the new morality directing society and personal behavior, so the constant drone of Christianity’s deception has influenced a new generation to reject the values of the past and accept the new cultural changes and this new way of governing the country. It all goes hand in hand. When a generation or two, or three or four is not taught the truth, society accepts deception as the new truth. In addition, its leadership naturally does what it has been taught to do.
Those who are familiar with this web site and this end time work of the watchman, as a witness and warning to the modern day Children of Israel, of which the United States of America is composed, should not be the least surprised by the ill tidings and the radical changes so rapidly occurring to this country today.
The radical and horrifying events occurring now in the Middle East, Syria and Iraq by the likes of ISIS are only logical and natural to occur. With the United States losing its military might and withdrawing from the Middle East, after a decade of engagement, it is only natural for the void to be filled and the subjugated to rise up. The advancement of China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia is only logical, as the United States diminishes its global influence, as US leadership governs void of understanding, and ignorant of God.
These changes, now a part of everyday life, were predicted to happen by God Himself. God’s word is clear. God will make sure His will is done. God is giving America want it wants and He will allow these modern day Children of Israel to learn some very valuable lessons. God will not play games.
Biblical prophecy is pushing ahead. The Christian Bible (although Christians have a tendency to avoid the Old Testament and all that mean God stuff) reveals events that WILL occur at a time called the latter days or the time of the end. When speaking of the events to occur at the end time, Jesus Christ characterized them as follows: “for these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (Luke 21:22).
All things that were written will happen – so said Jesus Christ, who is not a liar. The vast majority of events prophesized WILL occur to the end time, modern day Children of Israel, those peoples in the nations of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, the Scandinavian nations and most prevalent, the United States of America. So why should we be surprised at the current events happening to the United States of America?
Since the beginning, God has been straightforward, logical and direct in His communication to His creation. To the children of Israel, He has simply stated, keep my laws, my commandments, statues and judgment and life will be good, rewarding and rather enjoyable for you. If you want my blessings, my protection; if you want to proposer and live a long, healthy, happy life, then listen to me.
Listen to what I tell you and I will keep you safe, secure and alive. In every real sense, this is exactly what Jesus Christ taught. He taught we are to do the will of His Father. He taught we are to keep God’s laws and commandments. He taught we are to hear His words and do them. Doing all these and more will keep one in good stead with God. Christ taught obedience to the law and faithfulness to God is the key to a successful and prosperous life. Whether for an individual or a nation, if one is obedient to God, that individual or nation will be pleasing to God and proverbially, “will have God on your side.”
On the other hand, God has made it clear. If you do not obey my voice; if you do not keep my commandments, laws and living principles (that only and always bring peace, security and prosperity to the doer); then it will not go well with you. You will suffer and your nation will go into captivity. You and your nation will wither away; you will be destroyed.
Today, God is allowing foolishness to govern this nation. God is allowing the “right people” (both leaders within the nation and foreigners from without) to work His will. God is well aware of the changes occurring to the United States of America and He is allowing these changes to happen, as the beginning of the punishment due this disobedient nation.
It is with this understanding, we knew, back in 2008 that changes were coming to America. And we know more changes are yet to come to this beloved country. That is why our witness and warning, our preaching and what we cry out to those who will listen, is that God requires repentance and obedience to Him.
It is with this understanding that we do not tremble or get all paranoid like the many conservative, right-winged radio and television commentators who deceive their listeners into thinking that in order to save the country, all we need to do is get back to the Constitution and the principles of our founding fathers. We do not promote the deceptions of the many Christian preachers who mislead their lay members in thinking that the only way to save this country is by going back to church (on Sunday, of course). The only hope for this nation is complete repentance and obedience to God.
The words God conveyed to Moses were spoken and recorded some 3400 years ago, but their fulfillment are the realities of today. What God proclaims will happen, WILL happen, for God is not a liar. The changes now occurring to the United States, as well as to the modern day Children of Israel, are happening simply because God said they would happen. There is common cause and effect at play. And God’s hand is now at work.
As paraphrased from Deuteronomy 28, here is just some of what God said WILL happen to His nation. “However, if you do not obey God and carefully follow His commands and decrees, His laws and statutes, then all these curses shall come upon you. … Your cities will be cursed; your fields and food supplies and stores will be cursed. Your health will be cursed. God will send you vexation (annoyance, displeasure, emptiness of purpose and lack of enjoyment of life). God will not bless you in all that you do. God will make sure you perish quickly. God will disrupt your weather and your agriculture.
God will cause you to lose your battles, to be smitten before your enemies, to run in fear and tremble like a little baby in fear for his life because of the ferocity of the enemy. Your sons and daughters shall be given over to others. Your families will be broken up. Your marriages will not be honorable or respected by God. Of all you do, other nations will do better and you will be brought down. You will become a byword, outdated. Other nations will not respect you or trust you. The strangers, the aliens, the illegals will get up very high within your gates and will overtake you.
Because you do not serve, worship and obey the only true and living God and keep His commandments, God will make sure you serve your enemies, which God will send against you. God will bring a nation against you from afar, as a swift eagle that flies, a nation whose tongue you shall not understand. The nation, which God will send against you, will be of fierce countenance, cruel, terrible, mean and inhumane. Your enemies will not regard old people nor the young. They will care less what you think. They will care less about your human rights and personal freedoms. They will destroy you. As God rejoiced to do you good, so He will see to it that you will be destroyed and go into captivity because of your sins.”
Why are all these changes happening to the United States of America? Because as a people, the United States has hardened its heart against God. This country does not obey God nor keep His commandments.
Just how did we know? We knew changes were coming to America because we know the truth of God. The new Administration of 2008, one very representative of the people it serves, has been allowed to govern this nation. God has allowed these people to come to power, because this nation, in the majority, has rejected God. To think the elections of 2008 and 2012 were an anomaly or a simple fluke is to not know the will of God. God has allowed the will of the America people to prevail. Because the people have spoken, God will let them have their way and suffer the consequences. The lot has been cast and the changes coming to America are final.
For now – your only hope is to repent and obey God and save yourself from the destruction ahead.
