Revival and Patriotism

If I were to tell you that true revival and patriotism don't mix, you might want to tar and feather me. All I ask is that you hear me out before reacting too radically. There is nothing that stirs my soul quite like the phrase "God and Country." I grieve over the things that have happened in our beloved United States of America over the past 45-50 years, especially as I observe the haste with which we seem to be slipping into an abyss of immorality and godlessness. I'm sure many of you feel the same way.

I have viewed a number of blogs, websites and articles that suggest the only way to bring America back to her righteous foundation is for revival to happen. This is a message to the church in America and many influential people from the religious/conservative side are urging her to awaken and enjoy her finest hour. I echo that message, but I depart from it in one critical area. I honestly believe that the USA may have gone beyond the point of no return. In that respect, I can identify with Jeremiah as he prophesied to and wept over his beloved Jerusalem. So much of the talk about revival seems connected to a restoration of America.

The subtlety here is that many Christians would like to see America return to righteous foundations so that along with their Christianity, they might enjoy the American culture of prosperity, entertainment and excess. Steve Gallagher, in his book Intoxicated With Babylon states, "One of our primary problems as American Christians is that we allow the mores of our society to influence our lives more than God." He goes on to say, "We have been systematically indoctrinated to pursue the 'American Dream' with all our might while failing to recognize that the spirit of kosmos is driving our pursuit.

Kosmos is the transliteration of a Greek word meaning, "order, arrangement, adornment" of the earth and the human race. This order has an age, or period of time (Greek = aion)in which Satan functions as god (2 Corinthians 4:4) We American Christians are cautioned to not become or remain too enamored with the kosmos during this aion. Right now, so many huge decisions are being made and formulated in the seats of power which make absolutely no sense, even beyond the fact that they defy God's moral Law. How can this be?

2 Thessalonians says that as we move ever closer to the age of the Antichrist that God would send those who do not love the truth so as to be saved a powerful delusionso that they will believe the lie. It's already started. And God will allow our faith to be tried and tested like gold in the refiner's fire that it might prove to be genuine. Do we love Christianity plus the toys, or do we love Christ enough to depart from any cultural pattern that interferes with the life of sacrificial love which Christ commands us to live?

I believe that the days ahead will reveal each one's answer to that question more than any rhetoric ever could. May we each commit to shutting down the world's avenues of infiltrating and indoctrinating our minds. May God make it crystal clear what each of us should do to separate from kosmos, that our lives might be hidden with Christ in God.