America is at a crossroads. Never in our short history has our nation been so divided, either racially, politically, spiritually or ideologically. Jesus made it abundantly clear that a nation divided cannot stand. What that last straw is that will forever break the back of this nation nobody knows for sure. What we do know is that we are either heading for revival or revolution.
Yes, I voted for Trump for president; however, I was not caught up in the vitriol like so many of our evangelical leaders that considered Trump God’s anointed.
When Israel rejected God as their King and demanded a king like the nations around them, God anointed Saul as their king. I believe, like Israel of old, the church likewise rejected God and sought out a man to be their political savior. Speaking of Saul, I see many similarities between Saul and Trump. Saul was proud and bombastic about his accomplishments.
He even went as far as to build a monument to himself. Trump likewise likes to boast about his achievements. Saul was thin-skinned and lashed out at those around him. Trump likewise loves to be honored among the people. Saul was quick to turn against his own son as well as David. Trump too has turned against those who helped him win the election. Saul failed to obey God or seek after Him and thereby lost his office and anointing. Trump could easily do the same.
Prior to the presidential election, I recall writing that if Hillary became president, she might doom America but save the church. On the other hand, if Trump became president, he might save America and doom the church. In other words, my fear was, and still is, that the church will settle back to her complacent state, thinking to herself, Thank God we dodged that bullet, meaning Hillary.
Hillary would have been a disastrous choice for America, but might have provoked the church to turn back to God and cry out for revival. Only time will tell if Trump is/was God’s anointed or if instead God gave us the desires of our heart while sending leanness to our souls (see Ps. 73:25).
Regardless of who is in office, only God can change America. Unfortunately, the church has failed to fully comprehend its true potential. Jesus made clear that He intended to build a church that the gates of hell could not prevail against. Why then is hell prevailing at every turn?
One reason is clear, and that is that we have placed our trust in the office of a man rather than in the power of the living God. King David learned that lesson the hard way. After numbering Israel’s military capabilities, he was instantly convicted and cried out “I’ve sinned exceedingly”. Why didn’t David say “I’ve Sinned” as he did after committing adultery with Bathsheba?
The greatness of David’s sin is measured by the severity of God’s judgment. His sin of passion cost him one life but his sin of pride cost him seventy thousand lives. Little wonder he cried “‘I have sinned greatly in doing this thing'” (1 Chron. 21:8a). David failed to acknowledge God’s protective power when facing his enemies and chose rather to trust in his “chariots and horses” (see Ps. 20:7).
The church in America may well be taking a page from David’s folly and placing her trust in Trump rather than God’s promise to heal the land of those who humble themselves, pray and turn from their wicked ways (see 2 Chron. 7:14).
Only the other day, I was reminded again of God’s promises. An old Scottish writer was quoting from Exodus 34:7a “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.” The writer went on to say, “He is faithful who promised.” Do we bear sufficiently in mind another truth of equal fidelity: He is faithful who threatens? Ponder that solemn word, “He will by no means clear the guilty!”
With 52 million aborted lives on our record, is God going to simply turn a blind eye to America’s devilish sin against the unborn just because Trump is president? I don’t believe so. I know there is the belief among some in the prophetic community that God would never destroy America because of all the good she has done; I’m not of that belief.
Our choice is simple: We either repent and cry out to God for mercy or face the wrath of God as He promised so long ago. I was pleasantly surprised to hear while visiting Singapore recently that there were many churches there who prayed earnestly for our presidential election last year. The tragedy, though, was to have to tell them I knew very few congregations in America who set time aside to pray for our own election.
Prior to my father’s death in ’94, he would say, “If America doesn’t concentrate in prayer, they will pray in concentration camps.” President Trump was elected to govern in the natural arena; the church was birthed to govern in the spiritual realm. Our power and authority is far greater than any Congress, Senate, Supreme Court or president. If we fail to take our place, America will miss her day of visitation, like Jerusalem of old. It’s time to rise up and take our rightful place before the throne of God and implore God for a mighty move of His Spirit.
Revival or revolution? The church will decide.
Copyright 2017, David Ravenhill, Charisma Media-All rights reserved
