Hi Friend,

Columnist Mona Charen wrote about a tour group of elite intellectuals visiting Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington.  The tour guide was David McCullough, the historian, who presented a compelling picture of the character of our first president and our founding fathers.  At the end of the tour, standing in front of Mt. Vernon, these distinguished scholars expressed awe of these men of wisdom.   Mona Charen asked, “How is it that this unique group of great men came together at the same time, in the same place to form this country?”

McCullough answered, “It was providential.”

It is both a measure of insight as well as humility that McCullough recognized the divine factor in the founding of America.

It is reminiscent of the words of Daniel when God punished Israel and set up Nebuchadnezzar to rule them.  Then God humbled King Nebuchadnezzar.  Daniel wrote, “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives (the power to rule the nation) to anyone he wishes….'”  (Daniel 4:17)

Back to the insight of David McCullough. Given that America was founded by men of Godly character, what happened?  Look at our congress-our governors and mayors.  Are they the equals of the founding fathers?  Can you see the Speaker of the House crossing the Delaware in freezing weather to lead a rag tag band of farmers in a surprise ambush to save our country against trained Prussian mercenaries? Or advocates of lawlessness sitting in Freedom Hall debating Jefferson and Harrison?  Or one of the religious heretics bowing in prayer to God as Ben Franklin called for the assembly to pray-in a prayer that lasted for over two hours?

The current leaders make no apology for hating our founding fathers.  The halls of congress lack people with the character to protect the freedom others sacrificed to give us.

Ancient Israel once stood on the brink of civil war.  God intervened and the nation divided into two countries, Israel and Judah, without going to war.  That in itself was a miracle.  God promised Jeroboam, King of Israel, that he would become a great king and his name would be equal to King David if he obeyed God.  But Jeroboam failed-miserably.  He forsook God and chased after the pagan gods of surrounding nations.  As a result, God withdrew His support from Israel and gave them poor leaders.  I Kings 12:31 says that “Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.”

In other words, Jeroboam installed politicians as leaders of the people.  They were people without values.  They were lackies who cared only for their own wealth, their own power, and they lacked wisdom to govern a civilized people.  Chaos erupted, violence in the streets was common and Israel eventually fell into slavery.

The comparison to the United States is frightening.  A friend posted an article from Chen Yuan Snider, an immigrant from China.  Ms. Snider sees a dark horizon for America.  She grew up in a country where the leaders lied to the people.  They promised a Marxist utopia that ended in slavery to the vilest tyrants in the world.  She sees the same thing happening to America.

Her words are sobering.  America may have the basest leaders we have ever seen.  They are people without values.  Men and women of character would not think of doing what our officials do.  They don’t blink at murdering babies!  They pay women to have babies with one condition-they don’t marry the father.  They enter public office as paupers and leave as multi-millionaires.  We have cities burning while mayors and governors oppose any action to stop it.  We have become a violent nation of murderers, yet we prosecute the police who protect us.

WHY?  Because, like Israel under Jeroboam, we have the lowest of people for leaders-men and women with no values.

To return to the original question, what happened?  How did we get such reprobates as leaders?   America rejected God and He has acted as He has acted throughout history.  When a people reject Him-He rejects those people.

We began with a quote from God spoken through Daniel-but I left out the end of the sentence.  Daniel says that God rules in the kingdom of men and gives power to rule to whoever He chooses-but notice the last words of the sentence-“even the lowest of men.” (Daniel 4:17)  When a people reject God, He gives them the worst of people to rule over them.

On September 26, Jonathan Cahn is sponsoring an event in Washington, D.C. called The Return. Notable men and women will gather to encourage the nation to return to God who gave us this great nation.  The date falls on the Sabbath between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.  It is the time of repentance-the time Ancient Israel was called to self-examination. He promised to heal Israel if the people would return.  He will do the same for us.

Maybe He will intervene and give us men and women of Godly values in the coming election.

Until next time,

Jim O’Brien

P.S.  Join us online on September 26 as we simulcast the events in Washington D.C.  You can find us at www.cogcincinnati.org.  Stay tuned for a detailed schedule for the day.