NOTE: This was first published in October 2004, but may be more relevant now.
“This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” .” Jer. 29:4-7 (NIV)
Christians in America are being held captive in Babylon. That’s right, captive in Babylon. Freedom in America is rapidly declining because our U.S. Government is choking the life out of “we the people”. Whether the issue is confiscatory taxes, the wickedness of those elites who control public schools, the murder of unborn babies, or other ungodly decisions of the courts that defy the wishes of the people it should be clear to all that we have little choice in such matters.
During the time of Jeremiah the prophet, Israel was so rebellious that God had many of the Israelis “carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.” God allowed them to be captured by King Nebuchadnezzar. It was obviously God’s will at that time for the rebellious people of Jerusalem to be captured and taken away. The people had plenty of warning from prophets that they would have to pay for their disobedience if they did not change. So, in essence God sent them to the corner for a 70-year time-out.
The way we reject God in America causes many to wonder when God’s judgment will come. I’m not so sure we are not in the midst of that judgment right now. Is it not likely that the multitude of problems we have in our society is due to the fact that God has already lifted his hand of protection from America? Most of the social ills in this country can be directly correlated with our efforts to kick God out of our lives, our schools, our communities, and even our churches. Some who masquerade as pastors are surely being lead by demons from hell.
The exiles in Babylon were not slaves because they did have some freedoms. I find it interesting that God told the people of Israel to build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce, marry, have children, and even find spouses for their sons and daughters. He told them to multiply the numbers in their families. He also told them to seek peace and prosperity in their place of captivity. He didn’t tell them to cause trouble in Babylon. There were no voting guides, citizen surveys, petitions to the ruling authority, no picketing, and no letters or phone calls to the king to influence his decision making. In fact God told them to pray for the prosperity of Babylon so that the Israelis would also prosper. The time-out God chose for Israel was to focus on family and prosperity.
God furthermore told the people through the prophet Jeremiah, “This is what the LORD says: ‘”When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”‘ (Jer. 29:10-13, NIV)
So the Israelis were disobedient, were sent to Babylon for a 70-year time-out, and were to concentrate on family, peace, and prosperity. Afterwards God said, “you will call upon me, and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”
I can honestly say that for during the past two years I felt that the Lord has been showing me that America needs about three generations of Christians to concentrate on family, especially the Christ-centered training of our children and grandchildren. Should we abandon political activism? Absolutely not, but compared to God/family emphasis we should spend a minimal amount of our energy trying to change our culture through letter writing to politicians, filling out petitions to influence this group or that group of people who aren’t Christians. We need a change in people’s hearts. A threatening letter won’t do it, a vote for John Doe won’t do it, and money piled a mile high won’t do it. I have had a vision of 50-80 years to get the desired result. I’d say three generations and 70 years fits about right. America didn’t get in trouble during one election cycle, or even during one generation of people. We would be wise to note that more than one despot has affected change by first controlling what children are taught. Consider the following quotes:
Vladimir Lenin
“Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.”
“A lie told often enough becomes the truth.”
Adolph Hitler
“When an opponent declares, ‘I will not come over to your side,’ I calmly say, ‘Your child belongs to us already… What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community.”
Joseph Stalin
“Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.”
I see homeschooling as the top priority with private Christian schools as the only viable alternative. Children need to be trained by parents, and the training should never end. As foreign as the idea sounds to Americans, we need to do our level best to help our sons and daughters find their lifelong wife or husband.
Since God has said we should have an interest in our children’s children we should take heed. We have a responsibility for the generations that follow us. I’m convinced we are too caught up in what WE (or I) can accomplish rather than planning for two to three generations in the future. This type goal won’t be too popular for people raised with microwaves in the kitchen, cell phones in the car and communication for business, shopping and letter writing just a mouse click away.
It will take a paradigm shift, for sure. We must think differently because what we have been doing for the past 40-50 years is not working. Getting more Christians out to vote (especially when we vote for the lesser of two evils) will not change this country any more than increasing the amount of money spent on public schools has improved the education children are currently receiving in such environments. We Christians must wisely choose the things for which we should fight, and we need to get our act together over the long haul, not just get super excited as a presidential election nears. Maybe if we spend about 70 years with a disciplined plan to focus on God, family, and country we will turn our country back toward the days when godly men using godly principles guided our nation. Just as God has said, “Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34, NIV) I am not advocating that Christians should not vote, but I think we can conclude that voting does not exalt a nation? When we get our collective hearts in the right place we will not have to worry so much about the results of an election.