Four Stages of National Decline; Two Prophetic Offers of Redemption in America

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias

A friend, PolitiJim, familiar to longstanding readers of the Bound, just referred this brief, newly released message from Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias. He describes the four successive conditions cited by God for judging His nation of Israel, resulting in its invasion by Babylon.

You may wish to listen to “Four Stages of a Nation in Decline,” but to whet the hearing, they are:

  1. ancestral disappointments (the failing of those who came before)
  2. prophetic duplicity (messages by religious leaders of their own inconsistent living, or overtly spoken deceit, which now in America includes but is not limited to condoning the oxymoron of “same sex marriage”)
  3. national desertion (exchanging the singularly true God for the gods of one’s self-defeating choices)
  4. personal disavowal (which would accomplish Satan’s mission for anyone, not God’s intentions, as one hews his own course to Hell)


In the midst of his message, Mr. Zacharias effectively took his reading glasses off to gaze into the faces of those bringing this nation down, here and now,

And I look at America today and I wish I could have just a thirty second look at some of the men who are betraying the trust, some of the women who are betraying the trust, and say to them, do you know who you are as a nation? Do you know what God has done for you as a nation over the years, so that all roads were leading here? Do you remember the speeches made by men like Abraham Lincoln, decades ago, warning us of what would happen if we ever forget who we are?

Sheets-Dutch-family-gavel

Dutch Sheets

And how does a nation recover? A few days ago, Intercessory prayer leader, Dutch Sheets drew from the Biblical account of God’s recovery of Judah seventy years after the demise of which Zacharias spoke. I recommend his entire article, “God Is Not Done With America.” In it, Mr. Sheets encourages,

Notwithstanding, Psalm 2 describes several terrifying things God does in response. First, He laughs a mocking laugh of derision toward them [wicked counselors, akin to many of our lobbyists]. Then, He asserts that His Son will rule the earth. Lastly, God takes His rod and begins to break and shatter kingdoms in order to reestablish His reign in the earth. The good news is clearly laid out here—in the end, we win!

Fellow warriors, we cannot fear that if we resist the government and the political activists, we might be taken out. Neither can we fear that we might go to jail, lose our government funding or tax-exempt status, or have our business shut down for speaking the truth or refusing to marry same-sex couples. Yes, these things are already happening—some are already paying a high price to stand for righteousness—but we cannot cower and live in a paralyzing fear. We must only move in the fear of the Lord.

Might Christians actually begin to work in conjunction with each other, in the fear of the Lord, rather than fear of man?

If the church wakes up from her slumber, heeds the voice of the prophets and begins to partner with righteous government leaders to take her stand, the Lord will make a way for our nation’s biblical foundations to be restored. His glory will fill our land once again. God’s desire is that you would contend for and see revival in your city and nation!

Church, we cannot become so busy making money and building our own houses, that we lay aside the often painful and sacrificial work of restoration required for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in America.

It is OK to grieve, like Jeremiah or Nehemiah, over the condition of our nation, but we must not give in to discouragement and fear. God is calling forth an army of faithful followers who will come up out of their discouragement to boldly push back the darkness.

Phyllis Ford

Phyllis Ford

Another prophetic minister whose writings have been informative and even instructional to me amidst the details of our time, someone who is not for everyone, but who is for those believing we still live in the age described in the New Testament, is Phyllis Ford.

Ms. Ford supplies messages month by month. Her “Word of the Lord for June 2014” might be summed up: in whatever it is which God has found for us to do, be busy.

It begins by her summary,

This month comes with great responsibility. In fact how we respond to what we are required to do and what we have been assigned to do will determine the impact and the path. A path that will run it’s course during the rest of the year…  During this window of time, we will encounter manifestation that will directly intersect our purpose and destiny.

And it continues, this time with quotations,

“You have been empowered by your positioning. You are coming into a time when when there will be transitions that will make way for even greater transitions. The movement now should be steady and consistent: don’t get distracted. Keep your consistency in what you do and that diligence will be what will keep you on track. I have positioned you to move you forward, to advance you and even to protect you. I have placed very key items of strategy upon your path and there are ways of escape for those who walk in obedience. As you proceed and the enemy strikes you will find yourself several steps ahead, but if you get distracted your inability to move forward it will open you up for unnecessary warfare. Don’t ask why, when, or where is it coming from. Keep your place in Me. Forward movement.”

elevatorOnce again, especially in this instance, I recommend reading the entire piece of Ms. Ford, especially if you see yourself involved in Mr. Sheets’ solutions to the problems related by Mr. Zacharias — or if you understand you should be involved. We should reflect upon all that constitutes what she is calling the “Time Redemption” which God is now offering us, witin the window of opportunity to return to His “original intent.”

Again set by her within marks of quotation,

“This is a not a time to call me to you but for you to come to me. There is a distinct difference. The most important things that you need now will come in that reaching out for me. In the realization that I am your key to getting everything in order according to the way I had always purposed for it to be….”

And here it is, nearly time for Phyllis’ July message. What can we start doing, or start doing better, by July 4, 2014? None of us who are Citizens of the United States of America can escape our sovereign duties as its principal decision makers and influencers of our society, after all. (And there is more on that here, at The Sovereignty Campaign’s site).

Speak Your Mind