The Real State of the Nation: 2013

Last weekend, the Creation Museum hosted our annual Children’s Ministry Conference. The conference for leaders involved in ministry to children was a great success, with over 250 attendees from several states, including California. (By the way, we’ll be hosting a similar conference again next year, so mark your calendars for March 21–22, 2014.)

During the conference, I spoke on the state of the nation and said that we are observing Romans chapter 1 playing out in the USA right now. I have heard many people say that if America keeps murdering children in their mother’s wombs (over 50 million babies since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973) and eliminating God from the culture (as by and large has been done in public schools and in the culture as a whole with the removal of crosses, nativity scenes and Ten Commandment displays from public places), then God will judge this nation. Well, I suggest that America is already under judgment, and a sign of this judgment is the increasing homosexual behavior (and the “gay” marriage issue) in the nation, reflecting that God is turning the culture over (as Romans 1:24 and Romans 1:26 describe).

I also declared at last week’s conference that the state of the nation actually reflects the state of the church. Frankly, I believe it is largely the church’s fault that the culture, from a Christian perspective, is collapsing and is coming under judgment. For example, there is so much rampant compromise in the church with its increasing acceptance of millions of years and evolution. This has led to generations of children in our church doubting and subsequently disbelieving the Bible. Today, two-thirds of them are walking away from the church by the time they reach college age. It only takes one generation to lose a culture, and we are seeing this happen before our very eyes.

The church is not influencing the culture in America as it once did. That is mostly due to the fact that the culture has invaded much of the church. Much of the church’s “salt” has become contaminated. And we know what God’s Word says about such contamination: it destroys.

But it’s not just happening in America! Our Western nations—once dominated by Christian thinking—are embracing sinful acts, such as abortion and homosexual behavior, and is now calling these evils “good.”

If you want to know where America will be in the not-too-distant future, look at the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. The churches there are largely spiritually dead (though I rejoice in the small pockets of Christian life there). All across Europe, countless church buildings have been turned into stores, nightclubs, temples, etc. Sadly, America is on the same path.

So what is the solution? How can America reverse the catastrophic direction of this downward spiral? The solution is that church leaders and Bible scholars need to repent of rampant compromise and return to the authority of the Word of God beginning in Genesis.

Sadly, even many theologically conservative pastors have compromised God’s Word with millions of years. Or others think it’s not an issue to even discuss! But it is an issue—an issue of authority. These pastors, even though they may preach the gospel, are contributing to an undermining of biblical authority in the nation. Unfortunately, many of them can’t (or don’t want to) see it.

The presentation I gave at the conference was not just a warning about what is happening in America, but it is a wake-up call to the church in particular. It is a wake-up call to pastors and other Christian leaders to stand their ground on God’s Word and stop being intimidated and brainwashed by the secularists who are out to destroy the Christian faith.

I urge you to watch last week’s talk on the real state of the nation (and the church). I trust it will equip you to help stem this tide of compromise in the church and help preach the gospel with the truth of God’s Word. You can watch it below.