Are our best days ahead of us, truly?

Moses wrote about Noah and the flood:
"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (Gen 6:8 KJV)
"Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he." (Gen 6:22 KJV)
"And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation." (Gen 7:1 KJV)
"And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him." (Gen 7:5 KJV)

Jesus said the people of Noah's day went on with their daily lives as if all was well:
"They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." (Luke 17:27 KJV)

Moses wrote about Lot and the cities of the plain:
"And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt." (Gen 19:29 KJV)

It is recorded in the New Testament about Lot and the people of that day, also living unaware:
"They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all:" (Luke 17:27-29 ASV)
"God reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, condemning them to total ruin as an object-lesson for the ungodly in future days. But he rescued Lot, a good man distressed by the dissolute habits of the lawless society in which he lived; day after day every sight and sound of their evil ways tortured that good man’s heart. The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and to keep the wicked under punishment until the day of judgement." (2Pet 2:6-9 REB)

Isaiah records a judgment upon Israel comprising 23 horrible verses in chapter 3:
"Now the Lord, the Almighty LORD, is about to take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything and everyone that the people depend on. He is going to take away their food and their water," (Isa 3:1 GNB92)
"The men of the city, yes, even the strongest men, will be killed in war. The city gates will mourn and cry, and the city itself will be like a woman sitting on the ground, stripped naked." (Isa 3:25-26 GNB92)
"Say ye of the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him; for what his hands have done shall be done unto him." (Isa 3:10-11 ASV)

Jesus speaks of the destruction of the temple, maybe a pattern for the end of the world as well:
"You will then be handed over for punishment and execution; all nations will hate you for your allegiance to me. At that time many will fall from their faith; they will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many; and as lawlessness spreads, the love of many will grow cold. But whoever endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the earth as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come." (Matt 24:9-14 REB)

What are we to make of "America's best days are ahead"?

"The visions that your prophets saw for you were a false and painted sham. They did not bring home to you your guilt so as to reverse your fortunes. The visions they saw for you were delusions, false and fraudulent." (Lam 2:14 REB)

"The Lord answered me: These are lies the prophets are prophesying in my name. I have not sent them; I have given them no charge; I have not spoken to them. The prophets are offering false visions, worthless augury, and their own day-dreams. Therefore these are the words of the Lord about the prophets who, with no commission from me, prophesy in my name and say that neither sword nor famine will touch this land: By sword and by famine those prophets will meet their end. The people to whom they prophesy will be flung out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword: they, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, and there will be no one to bury them. I shall pour down on them the disaster they deserve." (Jer 14:14-16 REB)

Is there a pattern in God's judgments in history that fits us Christians in America and the west? Is the solution in MAGA? Are we of MAGA truly godly?

America's worst days are ahead, but fortunately that is not where our citizenship lies.

Hebrews 11:13
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

We are the Bride and Church. Our glorification and wedding awaits!


1 Thessalonians 5:9
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Yes there is a pattern in the judgements of GOD. Stiff warnings of his displeasure towards a evil heart.
All judgement is directed to return to the Lord in truth and sincerity.
It is only by GODs hand and grace that any peoples, towns, ,states, nation can prosper.
It is not found in any mans thinking or abilities.
The U.S. when first founded made a covenant with God which was declared in the States of Massachusetts and Connecticut publicy. Few are aware of this.
In short it was agreed on by the founders that this nation was to be a light to the world. To spread the gospel and to live according to the word of GOD. How far we have fallen.
How blessed we have been for a young nation of only 200 and plus yrs establised to become the most poweful nation in the world.
Now look at us. We have faild to trust and obey his commandments. We have failed to bring up our youth in the ways they should go.
We have turned to our own ways. We have allowed much leaven to creep into the very house of GOD.
We have taken God out of our schools, out of our laws, out of our decision making.
Creating chaos, hardship, lawlessness.
We have called evil good and good evil. The nations ask where is your GOD now?
We fail miserable by lack of knowledge.

The world is doomed, so everything is downhill.

It's a great question and one Christians to be woefully pessimistic concerning. I'll never understand that response.
MAGA or any other political entity, or for that matter any entity of man, will never be the answer.
Every generation either honors and serves God or does not. But that isn't the end. The book of Judges is a repetition of generations following God. Then slowly they move away from the Lord and a generation arises that knows not the Lord. As sin multiplies God brings increasing judgment. When the judgment reaches a certain point, the people again cry out to the Lord. And God graciously forgives and blesses.
We seem to be at the point where God's people need to cry out.

That would be pure fantasy. Substitute "worst" for "best".

Oyster, solid words of comfort there. I often sing the words of the old song "This world is not my home I'm just passing through".

Even though we are warned not to put our trust in man, it is necessary that myself and fellow believers actually live the life of Christ as we should, and we are men. I confess I have a sharp tongue and very little patience and I know that is not good for those around me, in person. "From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so." (Jas 3:10 RSV) I strive to do better. I have a comfort from a personal experience from someone who came to know me well. I was described as someone who struggles in trying to live biblically, yet the sincere struggle seeking God and His word was observed and surprisingly ended up being a good influence on this person. A faulty witness I suppose I am, but I pray God can use me for his glory in some way.

I am a MAGA person in the sense that I supported the main policies that President Trump promised and then delivered on, and I am astonished at the lunacy infecting our nation at every level and how fast it is happening so I am compelled to be MAGA. What concerns me is the public display of the faith. Is it a Christian testimony to publicly kneel in prayer on the football field, professionally played on the Lord's Day so some churches even juggle worship times to meet the schedule? Is it real Christianity to ostentatiously hang the cross or crucifix around one's neck, when even mobsters apparently do that in the movies? Is our faith only a show, a display? Is the MAGA movement with so many women in the lead, truly an indication of the biblical faith once for all delivered to the saints? How can it be when it contradicts the explicit commands of Scripture and the faith of the church for almost 2000 years. When President Trump's spiritual advisor is the thrice married heretic Paula White, with her prosperity gospel, is that a good sign or evidence of a false religion? It is a sad state of affairs.

In the book of Judges, Israel over and over sinned, was punished and then pleaded with God for a deliverer, which God gave many times, and 1 out of 12 was the woman Deborah, who God raised up. Every man was doing what was right in his own eyes as the last verse of the book reads. Can we expect our Lord to bring us revival, or are we at the end? The church was in a mess prior to the Protestant Reformation, but God brought revival. We can pray for that again and wishing for the continued growth of the kingdom of God, I hope and pray that is the case.

My general prophetic view is post-mil, so I wonder are we in a period similar to just before 1517? Revival is coming? Yet, at the end of the post-mil view of the millennium, there is "... [Satan] should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be loosed for a little while." Rev 20:3. It certainly looks like Satan is loosed in our day, but is it what was prophesied in that verse and we're approaching the end of the world, the last day?

I know my post-mil view is extremely rare in this day, but I try to imagine what the saints of biblical times would have thought to see the advances of the churches of Christ since the Reformation, and the type of living standards that developed where the biblical gospel was voiced loud and clear. The advancements of mankind developed in parts of the world where the gospel was heard and believed, yet parts of the world where the Bible was not revered as the inerrant word of God did not prosper. Is the current state of the churches of Christ showing a reverence for the clear commands of Christ given to us through the Apostles? I do not see it!

Good point/post..
- I agree.
----
Sometimes, it started with a few people..who were broken..
- seeking/praying & waiting..
- in Christian history.

Two things that always accompanying a true moving of the Spirit are a return to holiness and a preeminence of Christ. May we all fall upon our faces daily and call upon the name of the Lord. My guess is that if we do, He will hear.

Luke 18:1...Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.

Be encouraged saints, God is not distant and uncaring, but is a near and present help.

The Supreme Court overturned roe vs. Wade so haven't we followed God. I would expect He would bless the USA.

While I am greatly encouraged by this, the ruling merely sent the issue back to the states. Abortion is a long way from ended. And America's list of woes is extensive.
I say this not to dampen your enthusiasm, but to spur you and all of us to greater resolve and persistence in all that God might do.

You are spot on with your post.

Praise be to God for making us a part of His family. No longer citizens of this world but earnestly expecting our heavenly home, with Christ. Caring for this world and it's corrupt system, is like Lot's wife looking back at what she had left behind and we know what became of her.

By God's Grace, let us not become embroiled in the matters of this world but keep our eyes on the prize and upon the heavenly things. The world will do what the world does but let us do what we were called to do.

two worlds brother

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
‭‭John‬ ‭18:36‬ ‭


“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:19-20‬ ‭

if we’re looking for an earthly kingdom we’re looking in the wrong place to the wrong government for Hope and truth

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:1-2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Sadly the world is blindly opposed to the gospel it is a mirage a subtle deception cloaked in darkness and death men rise to power and fall repeatedly corrupting themselves and the world again and again but our kingdom is not of this fallen place

my point is if we are trying to save this world and it’s ways we’re looking to the governments of men if we are trying to inherit the kingdom of God we have to let him be our lord and guide

I know what you mean by the "two worlds", but I found out we can get into trouble being too simplistic with the word "world" and its use in the Scriptures. I had a WatchTower type explain to me that since Satan is the prince of this world, we should not involve ourselves in any way with politics or we'd merely be playing the devil's game. We do have to be careful to define "world" in the contexts we find it and of course the JWs do not know what "context" means.

The 1828 Webster's has 22 different definitions for "world". When kosmos for world is found in the NT, the BDAG gives 8 different meanings with several sub-headings and for aion sometimes translated world it gives 4 different meanings with several sub-headings.

I think more in terms of "kingdoms" when I think the church and the nations, or world in that sense.

"And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (Dan 2:44, ASV)

"And the seventh messenger did sound, and there came great voices in the heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of the world did become those of our Lord and of His Christ, and he shall reign to the ages of the ages!'" (Rev 11:15, YLT)

Israel, the one nation, was God's people, the OT church before the first advent. To compare we must compare for example, Israel with God's people today, the NT church which is Israel continued. But isn't the gospel powerful enough to make true advances in other areas of life. The western civilization has succeeded because of the spread of the biblical gospel, the Bible. It is true that we as believers focus on God's kingdom and all else will fall into line.

"For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt 6:32-33, ASV)

When I read the model prayer that Jesus gave his disciples, I do not see that God's will being done is restricted to the body of Christ -

"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth." (Matt 6:10, ASV)

It certainly is true that politicians, the humanistic methods of man are NOT the answer, the world's approach. Even the MAGA movement which boasts a strong evangelical base, certainly is not the answer either. I've ended up with a Republican female who was a stripper and frankly a mental case as my option against the Democrat/Socialist, AND SHE WAS ENDORSED BY TRUMP. I'm afraid there are too many of these types mixed in with the godly MAGA folks. I fear we, me included, have not been careful enough in screening the MAGA politicians and their Christian(?) lifestyle. Yet God instructed his OT people to pray for the heathen nation that held them captive, so it is sincere prayer we need. Maybe prayer for ourselves before prayers for others. I know I stand in need of further sanctification and love of Christ for my prayers to be heard. Woe is me!