The Bible states it as, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
The Scripture goes on to say, “Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly” (Proverbs 16:22).
And, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 16:25).
And, “An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire. A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good. He winks his eye to devise perverse things; He purses his lips and brings about evil” (Proverbs 16:27-30).
Our pride, individually and collectively, knows no bounds. Since September 11, 2001, nearly twenty years ago, our national slogan has been “Build Back Better,” as Jonathan Cahn so lucidly wrote concerning Isaiah 9:10 in his book The Harbinger.
“The bricks have fallen down,
But we will rebuild with hewn stones;
The sycamores are cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”
Pride is one of those sins that God hates, and it really doesn’t matter on which side of the aisle you stand. Our leadership and our country as a whole are up to their necks in pride. Of the seven sins mentioned in Proverbs 6:16-19 that God hates, pride came in first place.
Alexis De Tocqueville stated in the 1800s in Democracy in America the following:
“I looked throughout America to find where her greatness originated. I looked for it in her harbors and on her shorelines, in her fertile fields and boundless prairies, and in her gold mines and vast world commerce, but it was not there. It was not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her success. America is great because she is good, and if America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
At this very moment, we are in a very dangerous position with God as a country. I love my country and shudder to think what is ahead for it. Am I a prophet? Absolutely not. Can I see into the future? Again, no, I cannot, but I can read, and when I read the holy Word of God, the Bible, it is clear that we are under God’s judgment.
No country has ever been opposed to God and won. He may not move in our time frame, but He will move. Unfortunately, we have not just opposed God, but we are attacking Him in every way Satan can devise.
Jesus said, “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:47-48).
No nation has ever been as blessed by God as we have, except Israel. Take just a minute to consider the agonies Israel has experienced over several thousand years because of their rebellion against God, and their judgment will not end until the close of the Tribulation.
We have not known true hardship as a country, but it is coming. God will use a much bigger hickory switch on us than other nations because we should know better. He has warned us, but we have not listened. So now, it’s time for the woodshed.
The greatest problem in our nation is not political or social. Our greatest problem is the insurmountable apostasy throughout our land.
Cole Richards, President of The Voice of the Martyrs, has stated, “The first step in becoming an ambassador is to set aside one’s personal agenda. It is important to remember that God does not come into our lives to help us achieve our goals. That kind of human-centered teaching may be popular, but it is not biblical. We are meant to spend ourselves in seeking God’s glory (not our own), achieving His eternal purposes (not our temporal goals) and bearing witness to His truth (not our opinions).” [The Voice of the Martyrs, Hated and Empowered Ambassadors for Christ, Page3, Paragraph 4]
Dr. J. Vernon McGee has said, “Now I am going to say perhaps the strongest thing you have ever heard: If a so-called church has a man in the pulpit who denies the Word of God, denies the deity of Christ, and denies that He died for sinners, it is not a church. It is a brothel – a spiritual brothel! I didn’t say that; God says that right here. This is the strongest language you can imagine, and you can understand why Hosea was not elected ‘Man of the Year’ in Israel at that particular time. He didn’t win any popularity contest in his hometown, you can be sure. He is telling his people, ‘You have become a brothel as a nation. You’ve turned to idolatry and have turned from the living and true God.'” [Thru The Bible Commentary Series, The Prophets, Hosea and Joel, Hosea 3:3 comments, page 43]
Thank God for the many faithful churches with pastors who are faithful to God’s Word, but they are so few among so many. Most of our churches have turned against the God they say they worship. To the contrary, they worship many idols and not the true God.
We are a nation of prideful people, and we have come to this point by turning our backs upon God. We think we can solve all our problems by more laws, education, money … our own efforts, in other words. We are corrupt to the core and the greatest contributor to other nations of our sinful deeds.
Every avenue in our lives is centered around, “What’s in it for me?” The Lord says through the apostle Paul when speaking of the Tribulation, “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
One of the many signs for the Tribulation is a great outpouring of apostasy. The fuel for apostasy is pride, and it is running on a full tank.
Our churches and seminaries are producing spiritual pygmies who are nothing but idol worshipers and spiritual harlots.
The Lord Jesus Christ will return soon, and many will be left behind due to the apostasy that surrounds us all. As I previously said, pride fuels apostasy, and our pride knows no bounds. Whether we consider the political arena, sports, entertainment industry, business world, or the average person on the street, few have any time for God.
There is no hope for us as a nation, but there is the promise of eternal life with the one and only true God for any individual who will swallow that pride and come to the cross in humility, seeking forgiveness.
Jesus said, “… Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
Grant Phillips
Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html