Shane Idleman: A Biblical Perspective on the Destabilization of America
It seems that everyone is sensing the destabilization of America. Even billionaire Elon Musk recently commented, “We must get to Mars. Civilization isn’t looking all that stable here.”
Books could be written on how we got to this point, but let me offer just a few thoughts from a biblical perspective. You can also hear the sermon, “The Destabilization of America,” here.
Destabilization by false information. Unless you have beaten Musk to the punch and have been on Mars for the last decade, you have clearly seen how many in the secular media purposely create false narratives and use lies and carefully edited half-truths to push their agenda. They withhold information, such as all the black police officers who have been killed recently, and deliberately fail to highlight the positives alongside the negatives, creating the illusion of an imbalance where one does not exist.
For example, two years ago, a deputy sheriff who attends our church had to pull over on the 101 freeway and resuscitate a black female suffering from a drug overdose. I tried to contact several news outlets, but no one wanted to run the story. The lesson here is to be very careful about where we get our information.
Much of the media is owned by large corporations who would love to see America fail. One recent headline read, “CNN sticks to liberal script, ignores black police officers killed in riots.” This is appalling and should not be tolerated.
Destabilization by the enemy within. Many are coming to believe that what we are witnessing is an orchestrated attempt to destroy our economy and disrupt the November elections. Peaceful protests are infiltrated by hate groups paid by individuals with deep pockets to create confusion and chaos.
Why is there such a huge upheaval? It’s simple. The current administration is working to minimize the murdering of babies. They are also very concerned about race issues and trying to do the right thing the right way. They are being a terror to terrorists and are bringing the Bible and God back to Washington and the nation’s schools. They want to remove the pulpit-silencing Johnson Amendment.
Christians with godly values are being promoted to some of the highest offices in America. The president is surrounding himself with godly counsel. There is a love for Israel. They are honoring hard work and minimizing free handouts. The list of biblical accomplishments is impressive. Now you see what the real battle is: A battle for the soul of our nation.
God doesn’t judge a nation based on the character of one man; He judges it based on the spiritual health of its people. Never forget that.
Destabilization by intolerability: Those waving banners of tolerance are often the most intolerant of those who oppose them, as one Birmingham pastor recently discovered. Tony Perkins writes, “A handful of likes were all it took to make the biggest church in Alabama homeless.”
Believe it or not, “a local English teacher decided to catalogue” the pastor’s likes on Facebook and then share them with the press. This motivated the local high schools to revoke the lease of the church. Am I the only one who sees the hypocrisy of school district “leaders” and teachers who behave in this manner while crying out for tolerance and justice?
Destabilization with class warfare: Even though Rasmussen recently reported that there is a 40% approval rate for our president among black voters, if you listen to the secular media, you would think that it’s closer to 4%. Yes, racism runs deep in America, but only a changed heart can solve that.
And keep in mind that revisionists began to rewrite history many years ago, portraying all white people as racists. The actual numbers are very small; the vast majority are not racists, and there are black racists too. We realize that we are all Americans and must unite against our common enemy. It’s a sin problem, not a skin problem.
White people feel the dynamic too. There are certain places in my community such as parks where I can no longer go for fear of being profiled because the media created a false narrative. You won’t find it in many of the modern history books, but the truth is that many of the Founding Fathers in America abhorred slavery and fought against it.
Destabilization fueled by the passive pulpit: I recently saw a survey on Facebook that asked: “Do you feel that most church leaders speak up about the real issues facing us today?” The overwhelming response was a very loud and clear “No!”
Pastors, our people are looking to us to lead the way, but many of you are exchanging truth for tolerance, boldness for “balance” and conviction for cowardliness. Many don’t want to offend for fear they might lose their audience. Pastors and Christian leaders alike, we must take responsibility for the spiritual health of our nation—and make no mistake, whether we accept that responsibility or not, God Himself will hold us accountable.
The pulpit inevitably sets the tone of the religious climate of the nation. A culture void of God simply reflects the lack of conviction in the pulpit as well as the pew. The silent pulpit is not God’s pulpit. We must bend when needed, but not capitulate.
Destabilization because kingdoms are colliding: I believe that the next hammer to fall will be a spike in COVID-19—that is, if the riots don’t accomplish their intended purpose first. There is also a great deal going on behind the scenes with generals and other elected and unelected officials divided against President Trump.
The real reason, in many cases, is because many of these people are holdovers from the last administration (what is commonly referred to as the deep state). So, of course, they are upset and seeking to be divisive; it is a strategic play designed to protect themselves. Subpoenas are being served; crimes are being investigated; perversion is being exposed. This is why there is a huge upheaval. Kingdoms are colliding. All this is a clear demonstration of Romans 1.
People are rejecting God, and He is giving them over to a debased and corrupted mind. How else can they justify killing children while promoting deviant sexual behavior? There is no fear of God in the land.
Patience Is Not Approval
What’s happening in America is called “psychological warfare, and it may get worse before it gets better. The goal of some is to elevate stress to the point of exhaustion (stay at home) and then fuel fear so that people give up their rights (riots).
To win the psychological battle (the battle of the mind), we must saturate our minds in the Word and ways of God. We need to look up at God and not look around at what is going on. Churches need prayer meetings and worship nights, even if it’s just a small group of people. God doesn’t look for huge crowds; He looks for broken hearts. America’s heart needs to break so that deep repentance takes place.
Yes, much of the chaos does have to do with Donald Trump’s reelection, but do we really think that we can flood our homes with porn; murder millions of children; satisfy the gods of alcohol, lust and addiction; mock God’s Word; declare war on the family; excuse racism; promote self-centered politicians; and idolize celebrity pastors who tiptoe around sin and expect a wonderful life for our nation? No, we cannot. What also is coming down is an ungodly foundation. Isaiah 30:1 (NASB) sheds much-needed light on what is happening: “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin.”
As in the prophet Joel’s day, today “joy has withered away from the sons of men” (Joel 1:12b, MEV). Instead of complaining, we need to obey God, who says, “Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly, assemble the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord” (v. 14).
In a sense, God is saying, “How badly do you want deliverance?” Will you turn to Me with all your heart? Will you starve the flesh in order to be filled with the Spirit via prayer and fasting? Will you humble yourself and repent?
If we do, we are reminded that God is merciful and slow to anger, but we must stop confusing His patience with His approval.
Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California. More can be found at ShaneIdleman.com, and free downloads of his books are available at WCFAV.org. Visit him on Facebook and subscribe to his new podcast.
