The Rise and Fall of a Democracy

This is something I have never done before, but I am sharing an article written by my friend Matthew Skariah. Matthew is one of the most powerful prayer warriors I have ever met. He heads up The World Prayer Band headquartered in New Mexico. We have much of the same heart and carry many of the same burdens. He has granted me permission to reprint his article, "The Rise and Fall of a Democracy" from The Prayergram as this is what I believe America needs to hear.

Matthew was one of five preachers to preach at The Great American Fast II. There can be no doubt the power of God rests upon this man.

From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from great courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back into bondage."

This progression and decline has happened to every democracy known to man. It would be foolish to think America will be different while we have been able to witness that America is in the last phases of the above mentioned quote. The martyred Christian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote many years ago, "The Western world is eager to repudiate her Christian heritage." Is it any wonder that we are in the midst of a moral and social calamity? Morality and decency are quintessential to the survival of any civilization. British historian Arnold Toynbee says that
"Western civilization rests upon the foundation of Christianity." Americans should be proud of their Judeo-Christian heritage, not be embarrassed about it. Now in the name of prosperity, technology and secularism, we are eager to throw away the mantle of decency, faith and humility that made America the greatest nation on earth. America is drifting away from God, and cozying up to secularism. Newsweek magazine had this to say in one of its covers: "The American century is over; the world order is changing." Bishop Lesslie Newbigin has this to say: "Today's society is not secular but pagan."

Secularism leads to paganism; pagans do not believe in morals. America is adopting religious pluralism. She is becoming increasingly atheistic. Biblical morality, puritan ethics and faith are being undermined, and Christians today boast about the indispensability of their existence, not realizing the brevity of human life. Charles Deguald was profound when he said, “The graveyard is full of indispensable men and women.” It seems our leaders are placed on the defensive all the time.

Secularism is on the rise in America today because many who were brought up supposedly in Christian homes have abandoned their faith, lost all hope and never saw the day-to-day practice of the Christian virtue and faith in their homes, and consequently caught in the trap of atheism. It is a disease that we catch by weird amalgamation of various cultures and beliefs. No Christian can take his/ her faith lightly, and every Christian is needed in this crusade for the souls of men that Christ died for. sand, to choose sides and show our true Christian character. Satan is very busy attempting to butcher Christianity into pieces, then to eat it at his leisure. Let us never forget that in Christ we have an anchor that can withstand against any recrimination from the enemy, and the only necessity is for Christians to be Christian in word as well as in deed.

It has been said that a nation rises and falls on its leadership. The Roman Empire that once stretched from England to India was destroyed, not by outside invaders, but from moral decay within its people. Today, America stands on the precipice of a moral and economic collapse.

God is never surprised at anything we do; we are surprised and perplexed, but not God. He needs no shock treatment. Many today boast about the indispensability of their existence, not realizing the brevity of human life.Charles Deguald was profound when he said, “The graveyard is full of indispensable men and women.” It seems our leaders are blinded by political expediency and they don’t realize that there is an enemy lurking in the background. Power has blinded them to the extent that they place every shred of decency on the auction block for the highest bidder, never minding biblical principles.

At the moment, it seems America is following the deviant philosophy of Western Europe. Secularism has become the popular creed there,and Christianity has become anathema to their so-called emancipated mind.

The words of Aristotle come to mind."That basis of democracy is liberty; that government is the servant of man and not man the servant of government.” Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth President, called the Word “the best gift God has ever given to man.” Andrew Jackson, America’s seventh President, referred to the Bible as “the rock on which our Republic rests.” He read from the Word daily—at least three to five chapters. Herbert Hoover, thirty-first President, said: “The whole of the inspirations of our civilization springs from the teachings of Christ and the lessons of the prophets.To read the Bible for these fundamentals is a necessity of American life."

Our fortieth President, Ronald Regan, was profound when he said, "When a nation ceases to be a nation under God; it will be a nation gone under." Make no mistakes that the bible has been one of the greatest influences in America's best-known, and most courageous leaders.

As a child of God, no matter what trials you may endure or what political party is in control, God is the indisputable preserver of life, liberty, truth, justice and mercy and compassion. Are we not always in His providence and under His matchless care? An aged Christian when asked if he ever feared death replied, “Yes, I sometimes tremble on the Rock, but the Rock never trembles under me.” Courage is the decision to put our faith above our fears. Do not give into unfounded fears.Never inspire fear; always inspire faith, hope and charity. “God begs you to
leave the future to Him, and mind the present.” (George MacDonald). The God who heard the prayers of our godly predecessors will hear us as we call upon Him in true repentance and contrition. We are not to sanitize the culture; but to Christianize it. Our culture is badly wounded. We must rebuild it for the sake of next generation and the generations to come. Now is the time to “kneel in triumph” and voice our prayers in defiance of the enemy. May we travail until we prevail!

May we give adherence to the profound words of General Omar Bradley, one of America's five-star generals, "We have become a nation of nuclear giants and moral infants. We have learned to develop the power of the atom, but refused to accept the Sermon on the Mount.” Can America survive as a viable and free nation without the Judeo-Christian precepts? May God protect our beloved land from Satan’s plots! May she have the courage to return to the God of her fathers and walk humbly with her God and follow Him till the end! I believe America’s finest hour is yet to come, if she repents and returns at once to the God of her fathers. Let’s not give any credence to our negative circumstances!

As a servant of Jehovah God, I am not conceding defeat to anyone. "O where are kings and empires now of old that went and came? But, Lord, Thy Church is praying yet, a thousand years the same.” God is ahead of every age, calling mankind to hear His Word and turn from the temporal to the eternal, from the changing to the changeless. His voice is being thundered across the world confronting man with a divine challenge and calling him to take up the Cross and follow Him. Rise up, O, my fellow Americans! Let our song of victory be that grand old song of hymn writer, Isaac Watts:

“When mountain walls confront thy way,
Why sit and weep? Arise and say,
Be thou removed, and they shall be,
By power of God cast in the sea ”

Copyright 2014 by World Prayer Band - used by permission