"Are We Cowards or Watchmen? There is a saying that one generation plants trees for the next generation. I'm concerned that instead of planting, we are removing and destroying the very covering that protects us. As a result, our legacy as a great and noble nation has all but been forgotten. For instance, most schools no longer teach students about the spiritual foundation that has guided America throughout her history. Consequently, America's moral and religious heritage is often deleted, grossly distorted or revised altogether. Students often miss the critical connection between America's unparalleled greatness, her rise to world leadership and the spiritual foundation that made it possible. This should concern us. The ideas of the classroom in one generation will create the ideas of government within the next. Today, our culture promotes relativism, and man does what is right in his own eyes. Again, according to Scripture, to his own destruction. God's Word says to confront, confess and turn from our sins; relativism encourages us to ignore, overlook and continue in them. Although this position may seem radical or extreme, we are living in extremely critical times. Make no mistake about it: We are witnessing the rapid deterioration of a nation right before our eyes. But there is hope. 2 Chronicles 7:14 calls out from the past with resounding clarity to America today: "And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. There are times to encourage, motivate and uplift, but there are also times to confront, challenge and contend for what is right. That time is now. Let it not be said of us today: "And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord" (Judg. 2:10b). The day of the silent pastor who is more concerned about nickels and noses must end. Are we pleasing God or men? Are we cowards or watchmen?" - Shane Idleman
Wow. As a former teacher of American History and a minister of the Gospel let me just say this is wildly incorrect on both fronts. We built our initial wealth and expansion upon the backs of the slaves we owned. When we became industrialized, we expanded our growth on the backs of sweatshop workers, colonialism and eventually wars for greed. I still believe America is the best experiment amongst all pagan nations in history but please do not elevate it higher than it should be. Understand beloved, this is the heart of the warped mindset of the NAR dominionist. They actually believe that evangelicals landed here on Plymouth Rock and sought to establish a theocracy. They believe that as they honored God, God rewarded the nation with great material wealth and land, apparently at the expense of Native Americans who had done nothing wrong. It appears that while they were all worshipping one day, someone left the back door open and when they awoke in the 20th century all of these other people with their other religions had apparently snuck in and settled down. These people apparently contaminated the gene pool and soon we were all sinners across America demanding homosexual abortions with our morning tea. Now they are on a mission from God (yes that is a Blue Brothers reference). That mission is to revive this once great bastion of evangelicalism by forcing their beliefs upon the heathen "others" and stealing Supreme Court seats.
Snarkiness aside, Shane still does not get it. Because his predicate is wrong, his entire vision is ridiculous. The people who settled this land did so not to establish a theocracy. You cannot revive what was always dead. Shane is right about one thing. We are witnessing the rapid decline of society. One of the primary drivers of this decline however is the apostate church abandoning the Gospel, such as Shane Idleman and the NAR. It is expressly because pastors refuse to preach the Gospel and are instead wasting their time on such trivialities as politics, that we see this decline accelerating. That is actually what the Chronicles verse means! Shane is still so blinded by his worship of this country that he cannot see it. It is the church that must repent! The land is healed when the church behaves as God has outlined it to behave. Do you honestly believe that you are being a watchman by preaching Donald Trump? Teaching Republican Party righteousness is not brave Shane. It is demonic. I can think of few greater schemes that the enemy has hatched against the church than to convince it that preaching about Donald Trump is more important than preaching about Jesus Christ. What evangelistic plan starts with alienating half the listeners?
Seventeen days left beloved. I can guarantee you one thing. On the morning of November 4, 2020, God will still be on the throne. He will not be surprised. He does not need your help to conquer cultural mountains and He never did. He has only charged the church with one task. Preach the Gospel. Maybe we can get back to that when this nonsense is over but I am not holding my breath. Carnality breeds further carnality. The flesh profits nothing.
Reverend Anthony Wade - October 17, 2020
