The Cure For America

President Trump's mantra has been "Make America Great Again."  That's certainly something that I want, too.  But there's only so much that the President and Congress can do to save America.  To stop America from deteriorating into something that it was never intended to be, and from becoming a place where we don't want our descendants to live, the church is going to have to do what only the church can do.  The church is America's only hope.

Here are nine things that Christians need to do to save America's future.

First, Christians must fight to restore religious liberty.

Religious liberty is the first liberty, the most important freedom of all.  Everything rests on this.  This, more than anything else, is what has led to America's greatness.  And why?  Because of what Os Guiness calls the Golden Triangle of Freedom.  Freedom requires virtue (a moral populace); virtue requires religion (for virtue to thrive on a mass scale); and religion requires freedom (for religion to flourish).  In short, Christianity will struggle to thrive without religious liberty, and if Christianity is not thriving, then the populace will become more immoral, and as immorality rises, freedom falls.  If people are not responsible for themselves and respectful of their neighbors, then they will cry out for more government involvement and control.  Religious liberty is under attack like never before.  Christians must ensure that the government does not minimize religious liberty to the freedom to believe, or the freedom to worship, but must protect every citizen's right to live and work according to their beliefs.

Second, Christians must build healthy churches.

The health of our nation depends on a strong church.  As stated above, a strong church leads to a virtuous populace which decreases the need for a growing and increasingly controlling government.  What is needed to revitalize America's churches?  Two things, primarily.  First, bold, uncompromising, culturally relevant preaching.  Preachers must declare God's word as it relates to all arenas of life, including politics and culture, rather than avoid all topics that might encourage people to leave.  America's prophets must grow a backbone.  Second, Christians must make church participation a priority.  The average church attender in America shows up once a month.  That's not going to cut it.  There's no way for the church in America to grow and flourish if it consists of uncommitted members.

Third, Christians must reject socialism.

America has been drifting toward socialism since the early part of the twentieth century with the government attempting to solve more and more of our problems through the forced transfer of wealth.  Socialism must be rejected because it is theft -- stealing one man's property to give to another.  It must be rejected because it is slavery -- forcing one man to work for the benefit of another.  It must be rejected because it decreases human freedom -- as the government grows it takes more of people's money, and more control over their lives.  It must be rejected because it is not compassion, but compulsion.  It must be rejected because it doesn't work.  Everywhere it has been tried it has been a total disaster.  Government is necessary, but it is necessary that government remain small and limited.  As President Reagan said, "The scariest words in the English language are often those that follow a knock at the door.  The words are these:  'I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you.'"

Fourth, Christians must uphold the freedom of speech.

Free speech is under attack.  Many want to create "hate speech" laws that would make it illegal to say hateful things.  The problem with that should be obvious to everyone.  Who gets to define what speech is hateful?  Answer:  Whoever is in power.  "Hate speech" laws would inevitably lead to the criminalization of Christianity, because those who most want "hate speech" laws also hate many of the core doctrines of Christianity, such as "Marriage is the union of one man and one woman"; "God made sex only for marriage"; "God made people male and female"; "Jesus Christ is the only way to God"; and "All who reject Jesus Christ will spent eternity in hell".  

Fifth, Christians must fulfill Dr. King's dream.

What was Dr. King's dream?  That people would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.  Unfortunately America is moving further and further away from that dream, and it is doing so in the name of Dr. King!  Affirmative Action rewards people because of their race rather than merit.  Churches are being accused of racism because they are not "diverse" enough, and in response they are intentionally hiring people of color just to prove that they are not racist.  Many claim that white people are racist by default, even if they don't know it or mean it.  Many claim that any and all problems faced by black Americans are caused by racism.  Many claim that white people have an unfair privilege and therefore people of color should be given special advantages.  Many claim that it is impossible for white people to experience racism, and that white people are unqualified to speak about racism.  Many people openly voted for Obama because he is black, such as Samuel L. Jackson, but if a white actor admitted to voting for Trump because he is white, the actor would be kicked out of Hollywood for life.  This double standard is very obvious.  Black people are allowed to say things that white people would never get away with.  For example, Spike Lee said that he didn't like interracial marriage, and that when he sees interracial couples on the street he gives them "visual daggers" to make them feel uncomfortable.  Imagine if a white celebrity said something like that.  He would be burned at the stake.  Quarterback Colin Kaepernick was fined for calling a fellow teammate the n-word, but if a white player would have said the same thing, he would be out of a job and branded as a racist for life.  The nation that repented of the oppression of black people is now the nation that openly hates white people.   

Sixth, Christians must have more children.

The Satanic ideas that children are a burden, that large families can't give children the proper care, and that the world is overpopulated, have crept their way into the church.  More and more Christian couples are choosing to have fewer kids, or not have kids at all.  Christians must return to the Bible's teachings about children.  Children are a gift from the Lord, and the more you have the better (Ps 127:3-5).  Children are one of God's greatest blessings!  God has commanded us to be fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:28).  America is not in any danger of overpopulation.  Our birth rate is currently at its lowest point in history, far below the replacement rate.  And while Christians are having fewer kids, Muslims are having as many as they can.

Seventh, Christians must be better parents.

The church's best opportunity to reach people for Christ is in our own homes -- our children.  But for far too long Christian parents have abdicated the responsibility of discipling their kids, relying instead upon the church and the Christian school.  While the school and the church can certainly help, parents must disciple their children in the home.  In particular, Christian fathers must make it a priority to sit down with their kids several times a week for intentional, systematic discipleship (Deut 6:4-9; Eph 6:4).  Christian parents must lead their kids to Christ and train them to be fully devoted to Jesus.  As well, Christian parents must do a better job of protecting their children from the world.  The days are extremely evil, but most Christian parents are launching their kids into the world before they are trained to resist the enemy.  Our children are sent to secular schools, handed the remote with a TV in their bedroom, and are given their own computers and mobile devices with unrestricted access to the internet.  Is it any wonder that the world does a better job of reaching our kids than the church does of reaching the world? 

Eighth, Christians must put an end to abortion.

A nation that not only permits, but glorifies abortion as "health care" and a woman's "right" only has a short time before it falls under the terrible wrath of almighty God.  Every vote for a pro-choice politician is a vote for legalized infanticide.  Human beings are created in the image of God and are of inestimable value at every stage of life, regardless of their size, ability, age, or mental capacity.  The beginning of human life at conception must be acknowledged and abortion for any reason and at any stage must be abolished.  The same nation that rejected the dehumanization of black people must also reject the dehumanization of the unborn.  

Ninth, Christians must get involved in politics.

Far too many Christians are civically unengaged, sitting on the sidelines of the political battlefield, just hoping that the good side will win.  But the good side only wins if the good people fight.  How many ungodly politicians have been elected, how many unjust laws have been created, and how much human suffering has occurred simply because Christians in America did not take the time to vote?  How can we avoid politics and at the same time love our neighbors when the well-being of our neighbors is so highly impacted by politics?  We need Christians to vote, to stay informed, to speak up for what is right, and to run for office.  

America is the greatest nation in the history of the world, with more freedom and prosperity than any nation before it.  But if we want our kids and grand kids to enjoy her beauty and bounty then we must do what only the church can do.  Remember the words of President Reagan.  "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."