Are America’s Foundations Crumbling?

Are America’s Foundations Crumbling? – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config/2020/11/6/the-foundations-are-crumbling According to the notes of Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, a lady asked Dr. Franklin this at its conclusion, “Well Doctor what have we got, a republic or a monarchy.” Benjamin Franklin replied, “A republic . . . if you can keep it.” This quote has been ringing in my ears since I heard about the election fraud taking place in many states. If this coup succeeds in ousting our legally elected President from office, we will be well on our way to losing our republic, our freedoms, and our way of life. The foundations of our freedoms are crumbling as I write. I feel similar to how I felt on September 11, 2001 as I watched the two towers of the World Trade Center fall to the ground. Within our trust of the Lord, I believe there’s room for sadness as we watch political corruption prevail in the country we love. Psalm 11 has come to mind several times this week. There David, the anointed king of Israel, gives us a window into his heart as he faced great danger from King Saul and his armies who wanted to kill him. At the end of Psalm 11, David voices confidence in the Lord and it’s a hopeful message for me and I suspect for many of you as well. THE ATTACK OF THE WICKED In Psalm 11, David’s advisors tell him to run away; they say, “. . . for behold, the wicked bend the bow; / they have fitted their arrow to the string / to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart . . .” (Psalm 11:2). The picture here is of the wicked operating in the dark looking to ambush the righteous. Is this not an apt picture of what happened in several states as we slept in the early hours of November 4 under the cover of darkness? Things have not changed much since the days of David; the wicked still attack the righteous with greed in their hearts. The language in Psalm 11 is similar to Psalm 37:12-15 but includes a much different outcome. There, David says that “the Lord laughs at the wicked, / for he sees that his day is coming “ (v. 13). Then he adds that “their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken” (v. 15). Those intent on making anarchy a way of life will ultimately fail although they may succeed for a while. The Bible tells us that the agenda of the globalists will eventually succeed in making their New World Order a reality. This is the final form of the beast in Daniel 8 and in Revelation 13 that will dominate the world under the direction of the antichrist. Could the attempted coup to oust our duly elected President be a part of their plan? I believe it is. Although the wicked may succeed for a while, the message of Psalm37:1-20 is that in the end, they will do more harm to themselves than to the righteous. TRUST IN GOD VERSUS LIMITED OPTIONS Those advising David saw no way out of his current predicament other than to run far away, “. . . if the foundations are destroyed, / what can the righteous do?” (v. 4). In other words, they told him he options were limited, if even that. He needed to flee from the danger. Bruce K. Waltke, in his commentary on Psalms for The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, states that “foundations” in this verse represent a “metaphor for the order of society . . . the established institutions, the social and civil order of the community.” Is this not what we see this week in the United States? Make no mistake, the election fraud is an attack against the “civil order” of our nation and if those behind it succeed, they may do irreparable damage to the basis of our liberties. If we cannot trust states to accurately report the results of the elections in their states, then we are surely in danger of losing our republic as Benjamin Franklin warned about so many years ago. David, however, did not let his limited options shake his confidence in the Lord. THE LORD REMAINS SOVEREIGN David did not place his confidence in what he could see, but rather in the One who sees everything and remains in control of all things. In Psalm 11:4 we read, “The Lord is in his holy temple; / the Lord's throne is in heaven; / his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.” David responded to his dire situation by voicing his trust in God’s absolute sovereignty. Nothing escapes the notice of our all-knowing and all-powerful Lord. The One who loves justice (Psalm 37:28) sees all the corruption and violence that we see and so much more! David continued by saying that the Lord “soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” Bruce Waltke adds this about God’s hatred for the wicked, “The holy God may not immediately judge the wicked, but his holiness excludes any love for those who ‘love violence’” (v. 5). We may not see the end of those seeking to wreak havoc on our freedoms, but God sees their fate as though it’s happening now. The word for “violence” in verse 5 includes the implication of “unjust gain.” The ESV translation captures this usage of the Hebrew word in Proverbs 1:19, “Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; / it takes away the life of its possessors” (emphasis mine). While violence may be the means of those seeking unjust gain (Prov. 1:11-18), their ultimate motive is to steal what does not rightfully belong to them. THE LORD IS THE ULTIMATE JUDGE Not only does the Lord see everything that happens, but He will also judge the wicked, those who remain hostile to Him. In verse 6, David describes the end of the wicked. “Let him rain coals on the wicked; / fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.” While David’s desire sounds quite harsh to modern ears, it rightly portrays the fate of the wicked who persist in rejecting the Lord. So many today refuse to accept the idea of God’s final judgment, but the Psalmist here correctly depicts the fate of all those who reject Christ and His sacrifice for their sins. It’s only by God’s grace and abundant mercy that we escape the fate of the wicked and inherit the very righteousness of Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). The words “But God” in Ephesians 2:4 sum up our salvation. Because of our place “in Christ,” Paul says that in the “coming ages” the Lord will “show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). I often think Ephesians 2:7 is the most overlooked verse in the Bible. It’s good that we emphasize the truths of Ephesians 2:8-10, of course. But so often we forget that the Lord intends to shower us with kindness through all eternity. This is over-the-top joyful news regardless of our lot on earth. FINAL THOUGHTS Although the election drama in the United States remains out of our hands, here are a few thoughts that I have as we face the peril that the election drama may pose for our freedoms. 1. Prayer is essential. This is perhaps the most important thing we can do as we wait for a resolution to the election drama, and it may be a very long wait. Pray for our President and for a just resolution to this serious crisis facing our nation. Let the Lord know how you feel and what you desire. 2. Spending time in God’s word is vital for us in such a time as this. I cannot emphasize this enough. It’s in Scripture that find our hope in Jesus’ appearing and know that someday we will reign with Jesus over the very nations that now reject Him and repudiate His Word. I read Psalms 37 and 73 when I feel tempted to fret over the injustice and violence I see in the world. Righteous indignation is not sinful, but it can become something dark when we hold on to it and do not let the Lord minister to our soul through Scripture along with the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 4:26-27). 3. It’s okay to be sad. As I write this post three days later, I remain quite sad over the events of the past week. This morning, the Lord reminded me of Nehemiah’s sadness after learning of the dire condition of Jerusalem. His sorrow appears to have lasted for over a month (Neh. 1-2). The Lord, however, used his grief to spark his desire to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 4. It helps to read passages that assert God’s sovereignty. I often turn to Psalms 46-47 when I feel sadness over what I see in the world. It helps me to recite Psalm 46:10 and imagine the Lord Jesus ruling over all the nations of the world as described in Psalm 47. We will reign with Him over the nations that now grow in their hostility to Him. I do not know what will happen in the coming months. I dare not even hazard a guess. Perhaps we will see a just result to the election, perhaps not. The Bible says that a world government will arise in the last days that will include all the nations of the earth, including America. I believe the attempt to steal the election in the United States is a part of the globalists seeking to make this happen. President Trump rightly stated at his campaign stops that as long as he remained the president, the socialist agenda for America would not succeed. This perhaps explains the concerted and well-planned efforts of the left to see that he no longer remains in office. The wildcard I see for us is the timing of the rapture. Scripture tells us that our departure from earth will happen before both the seven-year tribulation and the rise of the antichrist to world dominance. We know the rapture is imminent, but we do not know how much more of the world’s rush toward the New World Order we will experience before Jesus comes to take us home to the place He’s preparing for us (John 14:2-3). The road ahead may become difficult or even perilous for those of us who love the Lord and have also long valued the freedoms we have enjoyed in the United States. We are very much in danger of losing the republic as Benjamin Franklin warned about long ago. The foundations of our nation crumble a little bit more with each vote fraudulently counted in favor of Biden. Will this fraud continue undermining the United States? We do not know the answer to that question at the present time. Despite what we see, never forget that God remains sovereign and is a safe refuge for our soul when all looks lost. Proverbs 18:10 assures us of this, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Maranatha! VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM