One Nation Under God

So much for the erroneous bloviating of liberals shouting "Separation of Church and State!" There would be no "State" if the founders were not Christians.

I just finished watching, praying, and standing with leaders throughout our nation as they carried out President Trump’s wishes in rededicating America once again as “One Nation Under God.” So many wonderful prayers, messages, promises, and praises were lifted up from that stage on the lawn of the National Mall. I am hopeful for a new birth of freedom and faith in America - provided we embrace the moment and our calling as stewards of this thing called “liberty.”

It seems to me (in my limited knowledge) that this potentially nation-transforming event was not as well-known as I would have hoped. Many people, including some pastors, did not even know it was coming up (until I told them weeks ago). No doubt the Iran conflict and the President’s trip to China sucked up a lot of oxygen over the last number of weeks, so maybe these contributed to the lack of public knowledge to some degree.

Maybe. However, it’s no secret that the majority of news media don’t seem to be interested in such events either, and I suspect their disinterest in Christian-themed events plays a part in the silence.

We Dare Not Miss The Significance of Today

The significance of today’s national gathering to rededicate America as “One Nation Under God” needs to be recognized by all followers of Christ. Primarily because it was our current president who called for this rededication himself.

The Times of the Judges

In the Old Testament, we read of the ups and downs of the Israelites as a people, beginning with over 300 years under the various judges. As a righteous judge governed, the people followed the LORD. However, every time the judge died, the people returned to their idols and the gods of the foreign nations around them.

As a consequence of their disobedience and rebellion, the LORD gave their enemies power over them - all in an effort to awaken them to their sin and lead them to repentance. In some cases it took a few years of oppression before they finally awakened to the promises of God to hear and rescue a repentant people. In one case it was about 40 years, which means an entire generation died rejecting God before the next generation lifted their voices to God for deliverance.

The Times of the Kings

The same pattern followed as Israel installed a King. As the king went, so went the kingdom. Even the wise King Solomon was grievously led astray by his harem of pagan wives. He built altars to their pagan gods and led Israel into all forms of immorality, occultism, and child sacrifice.

But then, when a godly king arose “who did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God,” they led their kingdom back to serving the LORD. In doing so, they not only preserved their nation for future generations but also postponed the judgment that hung over them due to the wickedness of prior kings.

Although he is not a king as in the Old Testament, our President is the Chief Executive of our nation’s laws and numerous agencies designed to serve and protect this nation. We can see a similar effect on our society by the occupant of the White House.

Similar Reactions In America

In my opinion, Ronald Regan’s positive view of America inspired real patriotism and fueled economic growth that others said was not possible. People were proud to be Americans. After a one-term bit with Geo. H.W. Bush, along came the infidelity-in-Chief, Bill Clinton, under the mantra that “character does not matter.” It appeared to me that many within society latched onto that nonsense for a time, and we paid a price for character-wanting candidates and elected officials.

Likewise, Barack Obama’s leanings towards black liberation theology (blacks must expel whites from places of leadership because it is the black man’s turn), and Marxist beliefs (“You did not build that business yourself, the government made it possible”), did more to divide the nation than any other president in my lifetime. For example, he chose the race card when Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin (both black) were shot in their conflict with white police officers, both of whom were vindicated.

All of a sudden, all white officers were labeled as racists who were allegedly killing black citizens all across the nation. all these, and this began the “defund the police” movement that has been a catastrophe for the “blue” cities foolish enough to do so. When the stats were released, they showed that the number of unarmed blacks killed by a white police officer was not more than a couple of dozen, in an entire year across the entire nation! Even though these police officers were vindicated, Obama’s words had already (and unjustly) ruined their public image.

Trump: A Political Anomaly

President Trump is an anomaly among politicians, and that is why so many like him. As coarse as he can be towards those working to undermine his presidency (who could blame him), he has done more for religious freedom, standing up for the life of the unborn, and working to end the despicable practice of medically and surgically mutilating the bodies of minors than any other president. (Not to mention ended eight wars, and stopped a maniacal regime from getting a nuclear bomb).

Whether our president is a “born-again” Christian or someone who is just respectful of the Christian religion and the God of the Bible is not so important to me - although I want him to truly know the LORD. We are witnessing what it says in Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” (ESV) What I believe is that God, in His abundant mercies, has heard the cries of His Church interceding for our nation for many years, and He has chosen Donald Trump to be His instrument to lead us back to Him.

The only question is, will we return?

When the National Leader Leads the Way

Whenever the King of Judah called the people to return to the LORD and follow His ways, their enemies were defeated, and peace, security, and prosperity came to the nation. Our President is calling us to do the same, and if we do, there is a real reason for hope and excitement regarding the future for our children and grandchildren’s generations.

Some may be disappointed that it was Speaker Mike Johnson and not President Trump who led that wonderfully comprehensive prayer that ended in the words “We rededicate America as One Nation Under God…” As I contemplated this, I realized that the Speaker of the House is the most appropriate elected official to do so. The reason is that our founders established the three branches of government.

As we learned in “Biblical Citizenship” by Rick Green, the founders did not establish three “equal” branches of government; rather, they established a system with checks and balances. First of all, it is worth noting that Washington, D.C., is not built around the White House but around the Capitol Building, where the House of Representatives and the Senate do their work.

Of these two chambers in the Capital, it is the House that has the most power because it holds the purse strings and makes the laws (the Senate then confirms or offers changes). Furthermore, the House can withdraw funding from the Executive branch’s projects if it deems them not in the nation’s best interest. (Checks and balances)

The People’s Representative

The reason the House was intended to hold relatively more power is because they are closest to the people. Unlike the Senate, they have to be elected every two years from districts with roughly the same number of citizens. And so, one could say that the Speaker of the House is the people’s representative. Who better to stand in the place of “We the people” and rededicate our nation as “One Nation Under God” than the Speaker of the House of Representatives, above whose seat in the chamber is our national motto, “In God We Trust”?

The prayers, messages, and worship that flowed from the National Mall could begin something new and wonderful for our nation. But let’s not be naïve; there will be some hard-fought battles and even demonic-like opposition to a resurgence of Christianity in the public square and political spheres. But that conflict could actually propel that resurgence as the population sees the stark differences between leftist radical nonsense and conservative Christian’s common sense.

We must not shy away from this battle, for “if God is with us, who can be against us?”

Closing Points From My Last Post

You may have read the letter I shared, written by 18-year-old Ruth Stapp to complete her graduation requirements at “The Patriot Institute.” If not, you can read it by clicking here. She speaks with the wisdom and insight of someone in the latter years of their life, yet she has just reached voting age. The perspective she shares reveals the quality of her Classical Christian education and her own intellect. I pray she keeps growing and writing.

Ruth’s writing is filled with challenging statements such as these:

• Neutrality in the face of decline is not innocence — it is surrender

• A nation is not preserved by spectators

• Republics are not sustained by those content merely to observe from the safety of comfort

Today’s significance on the National Mall will be revealed in the coming months and years. What those months and years produce in the cultural fabric of our nation will depend upon the degree to which Americans personally rededicate themselves as “one life under God.”

Our posterity is (unknowingly) urging us to be faithful and courageous, for our cause is just and America is worth saving for the sake of future generations.