Friday is for Heart Songs
Bill Bauer, a great friend and mentor posted the following on his Facebook page. Bill is a wise man. I think he captures in just a few words and a poignant quote, this particular moment in time in which we find ourselves after the 2012 elections. De Tocqueville is widely quoted as saying that he …
“sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
We now know that the quote does not appear in de Tocqueville’s major work but regardless of its source, it is a powerful analysis of the source of American exceptionalism. Bill’s words and quote are in blue. …
America has reached de Tocqueville’s tipping point:
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”
Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee (15 October 1747 – 5 January 1813) was a Scottish lawyer, writer, and professor. Tytler was also a historian, and for some years was Professor of Universal History, and Greek and Roman Antiquities, in the University of Edinburgh.[1]
Think about that quote. Tytler, the one to whom the quote is attributed, surveyed history and said the average of the world’s great civilizations has been 200 years. We are beyond that. We are living on borrowed time. Is there hope for our nation?
None.
Unless we repent.
ChosenRebel's Blog 
Like I said over at my blog, the only power that can reverse the inertia of dependence and greed in America is the light of Christ. I hope the American Church gets as serious about Revival as it is about getting the Democrat out of office.
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Many of us consider ourselves (humbly) sincere and humble “followers of Christ”. Since when has America the so-called best hope of the world exemplified this? By ignoring the broken, poor, abused and marginalised of their society? Interesting that many countries who do less trumpeting of their flag and Christian faith actually are closer to the message of Christ the carpenter’s son than some American Christians who spend more time wrapping themselves in the flag, but very little time ministering non-judgementally to the whole people of God. Interesting that Christ loved the prostitute and the thoughtful, ardent Dives the rich man (who at that time he addressed Christ was not up to the challenge of his message), but condemned the “whited sepulchers” of the Pharisee priestly caste for their hypocrisy. Seems to me there are many people in the world today not up to the challenge of the Saviour’s message, especially in America.
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Moyra,
Completely agree. I have worked for years for a wholistic ministry that stands solidly on biblical truth that spans both “right” and “left” shiboleths . You might be interested in a series of articles that starts here (https://chosenrebel.me/2010/06/13/we-are-a-cross-bought-people/).
Bottom line however, we have to come to grips with gross decadence, immorality, greed, envy, sloth, and violence of our culture. Only Stalin’s Soviet Russia, and China have murdered more people than the United States. A low estimate is that over 50,000,000 children have been aborted in America. We are now raising the first generation in America where gambling is the norm of their culture. Justice is perverted in the name of “rights.” I just read an article about a man claiming to be transgendered, walked naked through girls locker room where some girls as young as 10 were present. When parents complained, and called the police, the man claimed his transgender “rights” and was let go.
In Chicago, young men are killing one another with record-breaking efficiency. Marriages are desolving with little regard for the carnage on children as parents pursue their own selfish path to fulfillment.
In our government, both parties posture and lie about one another with regularity. Meanwhile we are spending not just our children into debt but their children as well. Our national debt might plunge not only our nation but the global economy into depression. Our media has forgotten how to tell the truth and instead, manages the news that they want to tell and withholds, buries or releases late anything that does not suit their own agenda.
We are far from God. And Christians need to get serious about living passionately for and like Jesus.
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Was God surprised or disappointed last tuesday? His will be done, His kingdom come.
“Unless we repent”
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God was neither surprised nor disappointed last Tuesday. The results last Tuesday are a summons to the people of God to repent of their sin and proclaim the gospel. Increasingly, we need the spirit of Daniel and his brothers to withstand the tidal wave of corruption in our culture.
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Promotion of the Gospel of Jesus is individual, one-on-one, one life lived before another. It requires that Christians (I) individually reach out to neighbors and assist needy within their (my) sphere of influence. It is not the job of the government to assist my neighbor. If we wait, we will both starve waiting, just look at New York and NJ now 12 days later and hundreds of millions spent. Shame on me for not assisting my neighbor and holding accountable my neighbor, but also sharing the gospel one-on-one with my neighbor. I can not wait for the church in general, the local body or the govenment to do what is set in front of me. Today is the day of salvation (or at least witness in word and deed), but the fruit is of the Lord.
I repent.
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