by Glenice Mills
These past couple of weeks I’ve had a burden for America. Before our eyes we are seeing how a once mighty nation has fallen (and is continuing to fall.)
This can be viewed negatively, perhaps as God’s judgment upon this nation, or it can be viewed as God’s hand reaching out to a nation to rescue it from itself and to show its people that the Lord is wanting to bring it back on track. It has always been viewed by its people and by other nations as one of God’s blessed nations. So often we think that when things are going wrong it is God’s punishment, however, we forget that it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance, and that God will use whatever He feels to use to bring His people back to Himself. God’s heart has always been, and will always be, about people and about relationship with Him. America acknowledges its Christian heritage and is one that readily boasts that it is a Christian nation. Perhaps the real test at this time is how Christian is America? Only in times of affliction can we really know this. It is the same with our lives. How often have ones fallen away from the Lord because it got too hard? How many have hardened their heart because they felt that the Lord had somehow let them down because they had a wrong perception and understanding of the character and ways of God? God has a timetable and what is happening to America does not surprise Him.
Many prophets have spoken the warning of what is now coming to pass. The prophets are speaking that there is still more tough times to come. This is correct, however, we need to know what the Lord is doing in this time and reveal His heart and His understanding to what appears to be a mix of many complex problems. The Lord happened to use the economy of America to expose the idolatry, the greed, corruption and love of mammon that has insidiously pervaded its way into the fabric of this nation. Perhaps America got ’too big for its boots’. In other words, it had got full of itself and in its pride thought it had no need of the Lord or only on demand to feed the pride and love of self. This is not a criticism but perhaps a challenge to look at what defines a nation and its people, what in its culture has led to it falling away from Truth and how has it grieved the Father heart of God. Just like our own lives as individuals, a nation collectively has to look at where it has been in error, repent and choose to change. The onus is on the church to come together in unity, to ask the Lord for the Spirit of repentance and to reveal what has grieved His heart. As pride has been an issue, humility needs to be shown.
A deep divide has come in the church over political issues, over the election of President Barack Obama and what he and his political party stand for. The truth is, that President Obama has been put in place at this time in history to accomplish God’s purposes for America.
Romans 13:1-2 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinances of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”
It is interesting to note that the Bible says let our ‘souls’ be subject to governing authorities. Our souls - our mind, wills and emotions need to come into line. It is our souls that rise up against governing authorities. God puts authorities in place. Sometimes His ways are not our ways.
When we read 1 Kings and 2 Kings in the Bible we see there were kings put in place - some were Godly leaders others were not. All the kings were required to pull down every idolatrous thing that were in the high places, they were to remove everything that was an abomination to God.
However, things are very different today, - but are they?
God still hates idolatry and He will remove every idolatrous thing that raises itself up against Him. That being so, does it still not require leaders today to still go after those things that are against God? God is the same yesterday, today and forever. His character and ways do not change. The church of America must look at this issue of idolatry, first as individuals and in the wider context of the church. Judgment first starts in the house of God and until, and unless, the issue of pride and greed are looked at and repented of, change cannot come to this nation.
An underlying problem is greed. Many, both in the church and in business have made huge amounts of money by dubious means. They have gone into huge debt and put a yoke upon themselves and their people. That is what needs addressing. It is rooted in the love of money, it is rooted in idolatry, and until or unless the leaders actually have the courage to address this and do something about it, the problem will only compound itself and America and the American people, including the church will get into a greater mess. In a nutshell the idol of greed has to be brought down and it has to take leadership and leaders who are prepared to make a stand, even if it means being unpopular to pull down this ‘high thing’.
2 Timothy: 3:1-3, “But understand this, that in the last days will come perilous times of great stress and trouble. For people will be lovers of self and utterly self-centred, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate greedy desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.”
God is addressing the ‘lovers of money, aroused by an inordinate greedy desire for wealth’ issue. God is going to continue to mess around with the money markets, with the share market, with finances with people and with nations until a point is reached that people will cry out to Him for help, until people realise that everything belongs to God and we are responsible for how we use it, whether that be as an individual as a church or as a nation. It is an issue of ownership, and the Lord will challenge this thinking and way for we must all be mindful that it all belongs to the Lord. It must start with us, the Christians, to see the hold that money has on us, repent of it and ask for the Lord to change our hearts regarding this.
We need to look at the fear and anxiety that is revealed because of the fear of not having enough, of losing control of the hold of money in our day to day lives, of the uncertainty in the future - re employment, and finances.
There is another issue that seriously needs looking at. It ties in with the finances but it is from a different angle.
There has been change in the government of America because the people had wanted a change. Change is not necessarily a bad thing, however it depends on the motive for the change. We can want change for change sake, but that does not necessarily mean that it is good for you. It depends on the heart motive for wanting the change.
There is huge discontent among people at this time. When change is wanted because of a heart of discontent it will not necessarily bring about a positive result. Again it is based in a selfishness, a selfish desire for more, for better. However, as we see an example of this in the Bible, the results are not good.
In 1 Samuel 8 we see that there is a problem. Samuel was old and the Israelites were looking for a leader.
1 Samuel 8:5-7, “All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah. And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint us a king to rule over us like all the other nations. But it displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to govern us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all they say to you; For they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be King over them.”
1 Samuel 8:19-21, “Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, No! We will have a king over us. That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
The reality is, there is that same thinking today. People do not want to take responsibility for their own lives, instead they look to the Government, to the leaders to resolve their problems with a quick fix. They are looking for a bail out measure, something that is painless and quickly mended.
The truth is the problems are much more deep rooted than this.
No man, or woman, leader of a nation or gatherings of people are going to resolve this. We cannot look to a man, we must look to God. I would like to bring up a concern also related to this.
The Americans voted for Barack Obama, that is the leader they wanted, God gave them the leader they desired. It is good that he is an African-American and that has in some way resolved the underlying racial issues of America. However there is a deeper problem in America.
Like the Israelites they demanded a leader, a leader to resolve their issues. Was he the leader that the Lord wanted, I don’t know, but I do know that the Lord gave America the leader they demanded, whether it be for their good, I can’t say. What I can say is, he is the leader that God has put in place, He has answered the demands of the people, and His plans will come to pass.
The truth is sometimes God answers the call of the ungodly so His Kingdom plans can be outworked here on earth. It will ultimately be His Kingdom come, His will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. It will be about salvations, about the preaching of the good news, that all may hear of the Lord Jesus Christ and His love, grace and power to save. The big problem is that many Americans have looked to the man, Barack Obama to resolve their problems, and not to God. A concern I see is that they are putting him in a ‘saviour’ position when he cannot and is not the Saviour that America needs.
There is only one Saviour for America. It may be a Godly nation, or purports to be one, however God will severely challenge that thinking in the next decade.
Barack Obama needs prayers like never before. There has not been a leader who needs the Lord’s wisdom, insight and knowledge in a greater measure for these times that we live in. He is not only America’s leader but he is a leader of great stature in the world. He has a huge responsibility upon him.
Unfortunately it is one that people have also put upon him. It will not be easy for him as he leads. There have been many words spoken that there will be attacks on his life because he is African/American. I fear that there could be loss of his life, not because he is African/American but because man has placed him in an idolatrous position, as the ‘one’ who will make everything alright. We dare not put any man in a position where he can be taken out because we look to him instead of to the Lord. The Christians in America need to be aware of this and they need to pray for his protection, not only because he is the leader of America but because he is also a husband and a Dad to his two beautiful daughters.
How Godly a nation is America really?
On their dollar notes they have inscribed ‘In God We Trust’. They will be severely challenged in this, particularly financially, like never before. God will remove every idolatrous thing that exalts itself against the Name of God. He is dismantling the financial systems so change can come, so that the foundations can be re-laid on right principles, on Godly principles. God’s kingdom purposes will come to pass.
We know we are in a time of huge change, it is like a fast flowing river, we must go with the flow, we cannot resist it, if we do, harm will come. The leaders of nations need our prayers like never before. They need ones placed around them who speak wisdom, who speak the word of the Lord, who have insight to resolve issues so a new foundation can be put in place.
We are in a time of the Apostolic/Prophetic, it has been prophesied that there would be much pulling down in areas of governance.
We should not be surprised by what is happening in America and in the world. However it is imperative that we pray that the right foundations be in place, that the right people be put in pivotal positions to be instruments of those changes.
The media have a power at this time to speak for good or for evil. The words that are written and spoken have power to sway a people’s thinking, whether that be hope or fear and anxiety. They have an important responsibility at this time to report accurately and to be careful how what is happening is reported wisely to avert any panic. Did the media pick up on the discontent of the people and report this to bring about the changes in government or did the media create the discontent of the people to bring about their own agendas to bring about governmental change? Only the Lord knows, however it is a critical time that the media do all they can to report accurately to avoid any major problems. They also need our prayers. There also needs to be journalists placed by God to report accurately, to speak truth so God’s will can be done here on earth at this crucial time in history.
America has been viewed by the world as a ‘super power’. I don’t know if that is a role that America necessarily wanted to play but it has resulted in other nations looking to America as like a saviour. Is this right? I don’t necessarily think so because it gives power and position to another that maybe they were never meant to have in the first place. If this is so, then other nations also need to take accountability for where they have looked to America for their needs to be met when maybe there were other ways these needs could have been met.
This is not an Anti- American word, but these issues are ones the Lord is wanting us to address in these times in history, so America can be free to be the mighty nation God always intended but also that other nations take up their rightful position as leaders in their own rights.
This is also so with the American church. Sadly churches all round the world have looked to America as an example of how church should be modelled, but maybe they are the ones that now need to forerun and be their own unique expression of God. America is not the only nation that has God’s anointed, that moves freely in the Holy Spirit, displays signs and wonders and preaches truth. We, the churches from other nations have been and are complicit in this by placing the American churches and their leaders in positions that we may be required in God to now fill. Therefore we also are in sin for placing the American church in an idolatrous position, for looking to America to meet our spiritual needs, for believing the lie that somehow they have a greater truth, and that we couldn’t possibly have what they have. The truth is the Holy Spirit is all around the world doing amazing exploits through various vessels that aren’t necessarily from America. Maybe they are the holders of the next measure of truth and we dare not shut them down because they are not from America!
The Americans are a very patriotic people and this is not necessarily a bad thing, however, like any way it must yield to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Patriotism can cross a line where in pride it can become a wrong stronghold of thinking. It can bring falsehood which blinds the people and brings deafness and a closed mindset.
It is God’s mercy and grace upon America that is sustaining it and this is a time when the Lord is wanting to bring a new revelation and expression of the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord upon the American church. There is new ground to be broken and new foundations put in that will bring such change that America will arise and be all that it is meant to be in the world and part of God’s new wineskin in an ever changing church that is advancing to take back ground the enemy has had.
America needs our prayers at this time for it is on God’s heart and we all have a part to play to uphold this mighty nation and its people!
