If You Were Asked?

Good day to each of you, for I want to ask you the following: How would you define America’s national greatness?

I read a very interesting article from Gerald Flurry @ The Philadelphia Trumpet and it got to me to thinking about that very question and how I might answer that question.

Take a moment and ask yourself that very question for this question is devoted to you, those living in the USA.

Yes, it’s that time for some humor from https://southcountychurches.com/funnychurchhumorstories.html

A man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday-School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, naturally… I assumed you had stolen the car.”

An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening of religious service when she was startled by an intruder. As she caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables, she yelled, ‘Stop – Acts 2:38!’ (. turn from your sin…). The burglar stopped dead in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, ‘Why did you just stand there? All she did was yell a scripture to you.’ ‘Scripture?’ replied the burglar, ‘She said she had an AXE and two 38’s!’

God looks over the millions of people and says ‘Welcome to Heaven. I want the women to go with Saint Peter, and the men to form two lines. Make one line of the men that dominated their women on earth, and the other of men who were dominated by their women.’
There’s much movement, but eventually the women are gone and there are two lines. The line of the men that were dominated is 100 miles long. The line of men that dominated women has only one man.
God gets angry and says, ‘You men should be ashamed of yourselves. I created you in my image and you were all dominated by your mates. Look at the only one of my sons that stood up and made me proud. Learn from him!’
He turns to the man and says, ‘Tell them, my son. How did you manage to be the only one on that line?’
The man says, ‘I don’t know, my wife told me to stand here.’

And, you can’t fool the kids in Sunday school, they are way too smart…
‘If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would I get into heaven?’ I asked the children in my Sunday school class.
‘NO!’ all the children answered.
‘If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would I get into heaven?’
Again, the answer was, ‘NO!’
‘Well, ‘I continued,’ then how can I get to heaven?’
A five-year-old boy shouted, ‘You gotta be dead!’

I do hope you enjoyed this bit of humor and if you have a funny and clean Christian jokes or stories, please send them to me and I will add them to the next column.

Now to the question, how would you define America’s national greatness? Let’s see what President Trump says per Microsoft Co-pilot Search —

How Donald Trump Defines America’s Greatness

Donald Trump’s definition of America’s greatness is rooted in economic strength, national pride, and historical periods when the U.S. was dominant and unchallenged. He often frames greatness as a time when the country could act decisively, was respected globally, and had the resources to expand its influence.

Historical periods Trump cites
In a 2016 interview, Trump identified two key eras of American greatness:

• The turn of the 20th century, when the U.S. was building a powerful industrial and entrepreneurial machine, a “pretty wild time” for the country American Enterprise Institute – AEI.
• The late 1940s and 1950s, when the U.S. had just won World War II, was respected worldwide, and could “do whatever it felt it had to do” without being pushed around American Enterprise Institute – AEI.

He has also expressed admiration for 19th-century U.S. presidents like William McKinley and Andrew Jackson, and in his second inaugural address, he linked his vision to a return to being “a growing nation” that increases wealth and expands territory World Politics Review. This aligns with his “Make America Great Again” slogan, which he has interpreted as pointing to the late 19th century rather than the Reagan era World Politics Review.

Core characteristics of greatness in Trump’s view

• Economic dominance: A strong, self-sufficient economy driven by entrepreneurship and industry.
• Global respect: A position of strength that allows the U.S. to act without fear of being dominated.
• Expansion and growth: The ability to increase wealth, territory, and influence.
• National pride: A sense of invincibility and self-confidence, as seen in the post–World War II era American Enterprise Institute – AEI+1.

Rhetorical framing
In speeches, Trump often pairs “America” with words like “back,” “winning,” and “unstoppable,” portraying the nation as a force reclaiming its glory Times of India. He uses hyperbolic language to emphasize that his policies and leadership are about restoring that greatness.

In short, for Trump, America’s greatness is not about moral virtue or liberal ideals, but about economic power, territorial and economic expansion, and a global posture of strength and confidence—qualities he associates most strongly with the late 19th century and the post–World War II decades.

If you are from another country, how would you view this question? Would you view Americans with power, wealth and economic dominance? Why was the USA blessed with such an economic dominance and global respect?

Let’s get to the core of the matter and ask, was it because Americans created such a path with their ingenuity and intelligence? Were we “at the right time and moment?” Has the press made us feel guilty of these advantages such as how we live, plenty of food for all, better education and freedom to speak?

President Trump named the economy, global respect, expansion and growth of US based companies and national pride, so what is missing? As you read below, I know that you will agree that none of this would be possible without God at the forefront and it was thru God that America has wealth and power, but who is getting the credit and where is the humility?

But not so long ago, a mere 160 years ago, America was divided, so divided that brother fought and killed brother as this republic was facing the greatest collapse every known.

President Lincoln, a man of great Christian faith, made a proclamation appointing a National Day of Fasting:

https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/fast.htm

Washington, D.C. March 30, 1863 Senator James Harlan of Iowa, whose daughter later married President Lincoln’s son Robert, introduced this Resolution in the Senate on March 2, 1863. The Resolution asked President Lincoln to proclaim a National Day of Prayer and fasting. The Resolution was adopted on March 3, and signed by Lincoln on March 30, one month before the fast day was observed.

By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.

Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.

And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward, Secretary of State.

President Lincoln and his fellow countrymen faced insurmountable odds to put a country back together.

As you read his speech, note the humility he shows for both God and his fellow man. In the second paragraph, President Lincoln looks to be quoting 2 Chronicles 7:14 and for the people to humble themselves before God and confess their sins and transgressions before God. President Lincoln then assured everyone that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon.

President Lincoln says that the sublime truth is announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.

Let me stop right there for here is how we define America’s national greatness– Yes, the truth is announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.

America’s greatness has been when God is the Lord over this land and when God is no longer, then America will see its devastation.

President Lincoln said it all so well when America forgot God for, he said, “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!” 

America, where is the humility from our people who take full advantages of all we have to offer and yet, as a stiff-necked people pat ourselves on the back.

We are presently in a war with Iran, a war where we have lost nearly 20 military personnel, a war that has nuclear capabilities, a war that is draining our economic resources, a war that is draining our strategic oil reserves, a war where no end is in sight, and a war with a country that has been warring since man has been on the earth.

With the cards dealt, our president saying that we must stop this country from using nuclear weapons and utilizing diplomacy to arrange an agreement.

Again, here is man trying to seek peace with other countries which biblically God says there would be no peace for nation shall go against nation.

So, let’s compare, do you think we have another Abraham Lincoln in the oval office today? Would this present president take the same steps to invoke a National Day of Prayer and Fasting?

Where is the modern day, Abraham Lincoln? Would peace and unity come if we were to humble ourselves and create a National Day of Prayer and fasting? What will it take for America to get down on its knees and ask for God’s forgiveness and humble themselves?

As history has shown, America the greatest republic ever placed on this earth has forgotten its beginnings from 250 years ago along with a present day president who has forgotten not so long ago of an assignation attempt that could have ended his life. 

This same president and the leader of our great nation have forgotten who gave us this wealth and power and has shown no humility publicly and yet took credit for how America has become so great again.

Being boastful and full of self is going against what the Bible teaches us and it is so sad that we have those in office who beat their chest flaunting all their great accomplishments and never giving the credit to their maker.

When looking in the mirror and reflecting on the greatness of this country, let us review and hold in our hearts what President Lincoln issued on March 30, 1863 when a divided America was at its crossroads.

Greatness comes when one humbles himself before the Almighty God and credits him (God) for all his blessings, both great and small.

Yes, I used this Bible verse many a times, but it fits so well for 2 Chronicles 7:14 says if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

President Lincoln knew America needed to be healed as He faced the Civil War and like Lincoln, Donald Trump hopefully knows that our country needs to be healed for we are facing a great divide and the one and only one to fix our land and make it great again is God and God only!

Pray that God raises up a leader like Abraham Lincoln and pray for our leaders in the hope that they will put 2 Chronicles 7:14 into action.