On American Decline

There is much talk today about whether America is on the decline.

There are good arguments for and good arguments against, but as a Christian attempting to approach life from a Kingdom worldview, I don’t get too worked up about it.

I recognize I’m responsible to King Jesus for what happens in my sphere of influence, and my sphere of influence is in America.

But I also recognize that if the USA goes belly-up tomorrow, it would not be the end of the world or the kingdom of God. Not even close.

King Jesus is strategic. He planted the seed of the kingdom of God in the Roman Empire, then the most powerful empire that had ever existed. The Gospel transformed the Roman Empire, which the Lord then used as a mechanism by which to spread the gospel throughout the known world. The Roman Empire eventually died, but the kingdom of God continued to grow.

Later, the British Empire was used by King Jesus to spread the gospel of the kingdom of God around the world. The British Empire eventually declined, but it was not the end of the kingdom of God. It continued in those places the British Empire had taken it.

The seeds scattered by the British Empire took root in a new land that would eventually become the United States of America. The USA then facilitated the spread of the gospel around the world very successfully before it became better known for the spread of pornography and Coca-Cola.

If there is anything these three examples have in common it’s that they all involved powerful empires in which the gospel was embedded. That is why I am watching with much interest what is happening in China. It seems the Lord has planted seeds in China that are now coming to fruition.  The kingdom is spreading quickly in China despite severe persecution, just as it did in the early days of the Roman Empire.

It makes me wonder then, if America does indeed decline, and China continues to ascend, whether China will be the next powerful earthly administration the Lord uses to spread the gospel.

In any event, I will continue to labor for the advance of the kingdom of God in my sphere of influence in the USA, and even if America goes the way of other great empires, I won’t despair because the kingdom of God will continue to advance. GS

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