What is America’s greatest danger?
That question and related others are being asked more and more frequently these days as the United States shakes its fist at God and rebels against His Word. The 412 Church senior pastor and host of the Hope For Our Times video program, Tom Hughes, has written an insightful book titled America’s Coming Judgment: Where is Our Hope? in response to this crucial question. We were blessed on Christ in Prophecy to have Pastor Tom as our guest on our television program to discuss this vital topic.
Facing Great Danger
Nathan Jones: Tom, on page 136 of your book America’s Coming Judgment: Where is Our Hope? you say that there is a great danger to the United States. Can you tell us what that danger is?
Tom Hughes: Yes, but first let me back it up a little bit to back in the 1700’s so we can understand a little bit about our foundations even pre-Declaration of Independence and pre-Constitution. When America in its beginning stages began in teach their kids publicly, one of the school books used was the primer. I found this fact phenomenal while in my studies. These primers actually taught kids how to read based upon the Bible.
For example, when learning the ABC’s, you started with A for Adam for “In Adam’s fall we sinned all.” And the kids went all the way through the alphabet like that. B was for Bible, and so forth. They got all the way down to Z with “Zacchaeus climbing the tree, and Jesus he would see.” Wow! Can you imagine if today’s public schools taught from these primers?
Dr. Reagan: Back in the 1950’s, when I was in high school, our senior English reader contained Bible stories that told a moral at the end. That was in the mid-1950’s, not so long ago. That’s how fast the decline has occurred in the public education system after we threw God out of the schools in the early-1960s.
Nathan Jones: That then is our nation’s greatest danger, a switch from teaching Christian values to teaching secular values in our national school systems?
Tom Hughes: Yes, it really is. Fast forward from the 1950’s and you hit the 1960’s when God was essentially kicked out of the schools. But, I’ve heard it said that as long as there are math test there is always going to be prayer in schools. So, no matter how man attempts to remove prayer from schools, the individual will keep on praying as long as there are tests.
Nathan Jones: My daughter was doing a lot of praying this morning before her Spanish test!
Tom Hughes: Yes, no kidding, my son prays a lot before his tests as well. I tell him, “You’d better pray over this because you sure need the help!”
God being removed corporately from our public school systems has resulted in a great moral decline that has affected every aspect of American society. Some claim an underfunded military is our biggest problem, or the debt-ridden economy, or the increase in earthquakes, or the damage from multiple hurricanes. I disagree. The biggest danger to the United States is our waning morality. We have removed God from our schools, and now society is reaping the whirlwind.
#God being removed corporately from our #publicschool systems has resulted in a great moral decline that has affected every aspect of American society. Click To TweetAll the dangers to our nation have started with how we’ve mishandled God. These have been conscious decisions that our leaders have made in order to subvert God from His position in the affairs of our nation.
Again, we can look all the way back to ancient Israel. The prophet Daniel loved God. His friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego loved God as well. The Old Testament prophets loved God, but the nation of Israel still underwent judgment because their leaders were the ones who were making the decisions. The leaders had turned from Yahweh and removed God from every aspect of their society. They introduced the legal killing of babies resulting in the dissolution of the family. From there, society unraveled.
The United States has reached the dangerous point where the Israelites were morally just before their first exile. Sure, there are still some wonderful people in our country, but for the most part, our leaders have said they don’t want God present in the national conversation, and so we’ve seen our nation speedily turn towards the dark side.
I live in California, so it breaks my heart that California seems to be leading the charge on everything that is immoral. I have two young kids, one is in high school and the other in junior high. I watch them carefully because to me they’re wonderful kids and I know what is being taught. I know there are wonderful teachers out there who love the Lord, but the humanistic system they have to work in is so hostile to God and biblical values.
Dr. Reagan: It broke my heart to watch California when they were debating whether or not to approve same-sex marriage. The churches organized and millions of dollars were spent on defeating the push to legalize gay marriage. The people won the vote with Proposition 8 — twice — but then one single judge overruled millions of voters.
Tom Hughes: Our American system of democracy allows its citizens to speak and the right to vote. California voters voted in favor of traditional marriage, but then one lone judge disagreed and ruled against the will of the people. And there you have it. Now we are watching still the pendulum of thought in California swinging further and further towards the immoral side since the rule of law continues to be unbelievably overturned.
Nathan Jones: The result of sin, when man pulls away from God, we reap what we sow. What we are reaping is what?
Tom Hughes: America is reaping what the prophet Joel warned the Israelites about. You sow to the wind and you will reap the whirlwind. This is exactly what we’ve done as a society. We’re now reaping the whirlwind.
#America is reaping what the prophet Joel warned the Israelites about. You sow to the wind and you will reap the whirlwind. Click To TweetI own a large garden. I love to garden. I plant all kinds of fruit trees and vegetables. If I’m going to plant a particular type of tomato plant, the plant is going to grow a particular type of tomato. Likewise, we reap what we sow. Joel warned that when we sown to the wind the immoral things, we will inevitably reap the destructive whirlwind.
Another example, look at our prisons. Look at our schools. Look at our courts. Look at the judges. Look at what is going on in Washington D.C. right now. They’ve all become an absolute, immoral mess!
You are so right about everything . I grew up in the late 50’s and graduated in 1965. In high school we and my friends would walk across town and not get home until dark. My parents never worried about things that are happening today. I lived in a small town, however, even today small towns are going thru terrible conditions and not safe. I went to Church with my grandmother when I was young and have always believed in Jesus Christ and His giving His life for us on the Cross, always believed, but wasn’t baptized until about 4 or 5 years ago. I worked for over 35 years and had a hemorrhagic stroke on my right Thalamic that has left me with a horrific pain condition for 18 years. The pain increased as the years went by, but I am not one to give up but i am in so much pain with this rare condition, that I spend more time in bed and watch your wonderful programs and others every day learning more about the Bible that has helped me get thru these later years of my life. I have trouble reading, something I’ve always enjoyed but because of not being able to retain a lot, even though I do read my religious magazines, listen to CD’s and pray all thru the day. I had Scoliosis do bad in my late 60’s,have metal in my back from top to bottom, which only causes more pain, but wanted to do something for the Lord and joined the Church’s Prayer Chain and pray for the sick and find how many other good Christians are suffering also. Since my hands shake so bad, I am not calling others, but a. Wonderful lady from our Church still calls me so I can pray for all our members so I feel I’m doing something for the Lord. We worry about Our younger grandchildren in school because of our laws. Our youngest daughter teaches high school English for 20 years. She hasn’t been the same since College and went to a college that was religious, but she will not talk to us about what her agenda is now not discuss what the young ones are taught. They are both Honor students and are wonderful, beautiful, well-behaved, thoughtful kids, one will start high school this year. My husband and I pray for both our daughters and their families. I pray I can get back to Church again so they are able to see howuch we love the Lord. Our entire families on both sides came to our baptisms and my 5 brothers and sisters are all Christians.
Please know how much my husband and I have learned from you and. Dr. Reagan. Thank you so much for all you do. My medications have been cut and I wish I never had to take them,but was able to do more. We’ve both had heart surgery too We went to Church until the pain became so bad, certain clothing, sounds, hot and cold, along with my other constant burning, stabbing, aching, paralyzing pain got so bad. We pray we are able to get back to Church. I’m so thankful for people like you.
God Bless You. AMEN…….
I want to thank you for your good articles!