July 3, 2021
We tend to admire strength in leaders and we obey strong people who have authority over us. Leadership from the beginning was based on the stories of God. No one had seen Him but all nations had heard of the One who destroyed the world with a flood and promised to do it again by fire to a disobedient world. From the time of children, we respected the ability of parents to enforce discipline upon us and we know that it is part of the power of God reaching down to us to teach us to obey. We respect the line of authority and stay in line because of the wrath of God that will eventually get us if we do not obey. Nobody can drink that much water or withstand a world on fire, so we learn to respect order.
What happens though when we put wrong leadership in place? What message does that send? The ancient Greek began to make gods of men: some good and some evil. It was a bad concept and we know what happened to them. God, the Creator of the world is good. The devil, as an apprentice in heaven, turned to evil and became a leader of rebellion. He leads a team that rises up from time to time and shows great strength. It is easy to get confused on who is the God we should follow because it depends on the example that has been put before us and what we have developed faith in.
America has gotten confused on who is God. With the ability and liberty the nation has to make her imagination come into existence, our people can make God or the devil seems like the greater power. Just look at the cartoons the children watch! The bad guy gets a lot of press and seems to run the show. Where is God in the cartoons unless the cartoonist decides to let good win? What lesson is it teaching the children? What if those children grow up and decide that the bad guys win, are the strongest, or are the heroes? We put people into leadership positions. What kind of people are they? Look at the people we put in Congress to represent a city or state. We give a lot of power to our political leaders and we often do not know how they are wired. Some of them have come out with some strange stuff once in office. Who do they serve? Who do they say is God?
America has gotten to the point where it follows the orders or the lead of whoever is in charge. That is what got us in trouble at the Capitol, where an insurrection developed against America. No one understood it. How did it happen? It happened because a man who seemed to have strength and had done things few men have done appeared on the scene and wanted to lead. America is used to strong leaders running things; and as a nation, follow orders from the top down. We are a nation that is administered to by words or commands and we respect authority. A police officer is supposed to be a righteous leader coming from righteous authority but what if he is not? We are used to taking orders from leaders as Americans.
The strongest person is not necessarily the righteous person. Righteous people were always supposed to lead in America because: “In America, right matters.” What if it doesn’t anymore? What if we have allowed evil to become our north star. What if someone along the way decided to change the system and make evil god? The system would still work; orders would still flow down for people to follow. The only difference is that we would eventually experience that fire promised to destroy the whole world if we are wrong.
God is not a wimp, but neither is He a bully. He does not force us to do good. America got confused and thought for a moment that evil strength, that is able to make things happen, must be God. How long has it been since we have seen a good man stand up in strength and show us how God would behave if He was flesh and blood in the earth? Where have the good men gone? We allowed someone to lead who pretended to be a god because he had confidence (from faith in evil) and did big things (Mt. 24:4). He was a fake! Our leaders along the line were supposed to call foul on him long ago, but they did not. That is why America is in the dumps today. We forgot what God looks like. Preachers no longer tell us what God looks like. They stand in His place and make it all about the money (1Ti 6:10); and people got on board with that because we all want money and things.
The devil took us on a ride and the nation was willing to go along because of the promise of things (Mt. 4:9). Trump did not think he was evil because that is how he was brought up. His father is reported as having been somewhat of a monster that made him comply. I often wondered why God had not shut him down sooner. Trump needed to learn that there is a God, who is not like his earthly father was. Trump is used to doing big things on a big scale so he needed a big lesson (Rom 2:4). America was supposed to be able to teach him that lesson, but all the authority figures caved. So, he met a flesh and blood man that finally made him give respect to a god of sort. He met evil. He met Putin and bowed down to his god. We all wondered what would make the most powerful man in America bow down to Putin. You would too if you met your god.
America got caught off guard because we no longer used our own heads to think and make decisions. We just follow the path. We have been led too long to just follow the leader without question. We have been taught lately to be politically correct. Be on the team! Don’t make waves! Just go along and get along! It was all a lie! It deceived us and made us weak and susceptible to a coming evil leader (Mt. 24:4). We are there now. We fell for it!
Now, let’s turn things around. Speak up! You know if you have a sell out as a leader or boss. If you are that sell out, resign! Clean house, America, because the shakings of God are not pretty and only His mercy protects us from real devastation. May God bless America and May We bless God!
Truth and Life Ministries of Christ with Apostle Joyce Reba Payne 