As the deadline approaches to what has been called the "fiscal cliff," the outcome is predictable. Tax rates will go up, Government spending will go up, the already 16 trillion dollar debt will go up and both political parties will stand up and proclaim how they each won the political stand off and averted the "fiscal cliff." While their political rhetoric may seem to lead us to believe that we are finally on our way to solving this nations financial dilemma, the fact is, nothing will be done to resolve our runaway entitlement programs so consequently the national debt will be higher in four years at the next presidential election then it is today-guaranteed.
There is no doubt that an approaching cliff is on the horizon for the United States. However, it is the moral cliff, and we may have already gone over that cliff. It is the moral failure of a nation that brings about all the other maladies of a society such as this nations out of control spending and debt that is being heaped upon future generations with no possible way of remediating the debt except for a total financial collapse.
There have been at least five great super powers in past world history that have risen and fallen that once were thought invincible. Assyria, Babylon, Medo -Persia, Greece, and Rome. It was not the fiscal cliff that brought them down, but ultimately it was their moral failure that led to their demise.
Pastor Randy Mason
In the 8th century b.c. Assyria came to power and ruled the known world of their day. They were known however for their cruelty, wickedness, and immorality. It was Jonah who was sent to Nineveh (a major city in the empire of Assyria) to tell them that unless they repented of their wickedness God was going to destroy their city. They did repent for a short period of time, but ultimately fell back into their old ways of sin, which caused their collapse.
Babylon then rises to power and defeats the Assyrians. Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian King then attacks Jerusalem, pillages the city, destroys the Jewish temple and kidnaps members of the leading royal family and forces them into the immoral customs of Babylon. In fact if they did not bow to King Nebuchadnezzar they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. God wrote on the wall one night during the kings drunken party telling him that the babylonian kingdom was coming to an end.
Medo-Persia then rises to power, but they are immoral and wicked requiring their citizens to follow the immoral edicts of the king or be thrown into a den of lions.
Greece then rises to power under Alexander the Great, but the culture was decadent. The gymnos (meaning nude) were created for the purpose of competing in the nude to encourage appreciation for the male body and a tribute to the gods. The Greek culture of Corinth established a temple of Aphrodite where men would engage in orgies with prostitutes to give worship to the love goddess Aphrodite.
The Roman Empire then rises to power and is the world power at the time of Christ. We are of course aware of the many wicked practices and immorality that permeated the Roman culture that eventually led to the Roman government crucifying Jesus.
Although each world power had their unique distinction there is one common thread that is woven throughout all of these cultures. The rise of decadence, immorality and the worship of false gods, or goddesses.
As we look at the culture of the United States we see a similar cultural trend that has developed. Most of us could certainly recite all of the moral pathologies that afflict our society today, but perhaps none greater than the breakdown of the family, which has traditionally been the foundation that has provided the framework for a strong moral culture. For the first time in our nations history there are more children born to unwed mothers (52%) then to married women age 30 and younger. Needless to say this will have devastating consequences on our society for many years to come as these children typically have much higher poverty rates, do more poorly in school, and become more dependant upon government welfare leading to a vicious cycle of more government financed social programs to try to offset the debilitating cultural effects.
Our solution as a nation to this "cliff" dilemma is not the passage of some "feel good" legislative bill, but we must do as the Apostle John said, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick (influence) out of his place, except thou repent." (Rev. 2:5)
God is love and is always the God of the second and third chance, but we must repent and change course immediately to avert the moral cliff. We as a nation cannot continue in the moral free fall that we find ourselves in and expect an outcome that is different from the previous super powers of Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, or Rome.