America in the Balance
Are We Past the Point of No Return?
By Tim Moore

Download Magazine Flip Thru Magazine
Imagine the President of the United States hosting a state dinner for a major foreign head of state. Gourmet food is served on the White House’s finest china as wine flows and military bands play. Suddenly, in the middle of the formalities and festivities, a man’s hand appears out of thin air and begins writing on the immaculate walls: “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.”
Would anyone be surprised if the president’s face grew pale as his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack while his knees began knocking together? That was the description of Belshazzar’s reaction when God sent a hand to write on his palace wall in the middle of a great feast (Daniel 5). The king’s conjurers, Chaldeans, and diviners could not decipher the inscription or make known its interpretation, even when promised great wealth and authority. Then the prophet Daniel was summoned before the king.
Daniel declined the king’s gifts and rewards but agreed to read the inscription and make its interpretation known. He first offered a brief history lesson from the life of Nebuchadnezzar, demonstrating that “the Most High God grants sovereignty, grandeur, glory, and majesty” as He desires—and that He deposes those who are full of pride and arrogance.
The alarming message contained in the inscription was this: Belshazzar’s kingdom would come to an end because he had been “weighed on the scales and found wanting.” Indeed, his kingdom would be divided and given over to a dreaded foe. The prophecy’s fulfillment was not long in coming; Belshazzar was slain that same night and his kingdom was given over to Darius the Mede.
Surely that Couldn’t Happen Here
I became aware of politics when Ronald Reagan was ascending to the national spotlight. The disastrous Carter administration had left America feeling weaker and more confused than at any previous moment. Jimmy Carter’s personal claim to Christian faith did not translate into an inspiring vision. Proverbs 29:18 was demonstrated during his tenure: lacking vision, America became unrestrained, or as some translations indicate, the people ran amok.
President Reagan was not perfect. As Governor of California, he signed legislation allowing nofault divorce and abortion in certain cases. He came to regret the unintended consequences of both laws. They bore tragic fruit that haunts us still today. But Reagan had a deep and abiding faith—in God and in the ideals upon which America was founded. For a brief, shining moment, the Nation embraced the hope expressed in his 1984 campaign slogan: “Morning in America.”
Forty years after his presidency, the drift that began in the 60s and 70s has become a headlong rush into post-Christian paganism. Neither Reagan nor Carter—nor any other Republican or Democrat from the early 1980s—could have imagined our country so morally confused that our leaders now celebrate sexual deviancy and cannot even determine what a woman is.
And yet, against all reason, what would have been dismissed as a dystopian nightmare by former generations has become our reality. Our culture and many of our leaders clamor to be shed of the Lord God and His Anointed. Here. In America.
At the Precipice or Over the Edge?
During our 2024 Bible Conference, Pastor Terry Cooper offered an urgent message entitled, “Point of No Return.” Like David Reagan, he believes that America is either past the point of no return or teetering on the edge of a great precipice. His presentation was lauded by some and rejected by others. But no one can argue that our culture and society have not largely rejected God. In a very practical but tragic sense, millions (including most of our education and entertainment elites) reflect the foolish attitude of the kings of the earth in Psalm 2, “[taking] counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us’ “ (Psalm 2:2-3, NASB).
Are we past the point of no return? Or are we dangerously close to witnessing irrevocable harm to America? As important as that question is, I submit that we will not know until we have the advantage of hindsight, just as no Roman could anticipate the moment the Empire was doomed to fall. Unlike crossing the proverbial Rubicon, there is no geographical boundary to indicate when a line has been crossed to unavoidable disaster.
In a previous Lamplighter magazine, Bob Russell told of three men seeking to serve as the Pharoah’s charioteer. Asked how close they could get to a cliff while carrying the Pharoah, only one man was wise enough to respond that he would not risk the Pharoah’s life by getting close to the edge of a cliff in the first place. He got the job.
And yet, today, many who know the Word of God are blasé about the judgment we are risking. Some are even repulsed whenever someone like Terry Cooper sounds the alarm. They would rather have their ears tickled and hear assurances of “peace, peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). But the lessons of Scripture are clear: If God was willing to punish and reject Israel and Judah—His chosen people—for their idolatry and sin, why should we be any different?
Faithful to warn before pouring out judgment, God has been sending prophetic voices to America for generations. From Peter Marshall to Francis Shaeffer to Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, they have all sounded a consistent theme: America is abandoning its first love, casting itself adrift on a sea of moral confusion, and forgetting God.
But unlike the ancient city of Ninevah, that exhibited penitence from the king to the lowliest citizen, America has thumbed its nose at God. We have sown the wind and are just beginning to reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7).
If My People, Who Are Called by My Name
Whenever I sound this warning, I’ll hear from dear, committed Christians who will cite to me the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people, who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will listen from heaven, I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land.”
I have participated in many “National Day of Prayer” ceremonies where that verse was read as an ironclad promise to 21st Century Christians. But the Word of God offers us clarity through the context of that ancient text. The LORD appeared to Solomon following his dedication of the temple and declared that He had “chosen this place for Myself as a place of sacrifice” (2 Chronicles 7: 12). His promise to hear His people followed the pronouncement of various calamities that would ensue if they strayed from Him in their pride and wickedness.
The Shekinah glory of the Lord had already filled the temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 7:1). And God’s specific promise was directed at His chosen people, Israel. But even God’s patience has limits. Later, the Lord would proclaim judgment upon Israel through His prophet Ezekiel:
Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and put all your abominations upon you. For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will put your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am Yahweh! (Ezekiel 7:3-4).
In the following chapters, Ezekiel describes the tragic vision of the glory of God leaving the temple, departing Jerusalem, and rising from the Mount of Olives (Ezekiel 9:1-4; 10:4-5, 18-19; 11:22-24).
Yet, even as God was preparing to destroy the city, He commanded an angel to mark those who were anguished over the abominations taking place in the midst of the city (Ezekiel 9:4). God always preserves a remnant for Himself.
In recent months, I’ve cited Elijah’s great contest with the prophets of Baal. Elijah prophesied 275 years prior to Ezekiel—calling out Ahab, the evil king of the northern kingdom. Ahab had embraced the pagan gods of his wife, Jezebel, and led the people into wanton sin and wickedness. God sent Elijah to confront the king and declare a drought upon the Land for a period of years—a devastating blow to an agrarian society. The aftermath of that account reveals the providence of God in the midst of discipline.
Following the demonstration of God’s power on Mount Carmel, Elijah fled to Beersheba, fearing Jezebel’s threat on his life. He bemoaned the apparent futility of his zeal for the Lord, complaining, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts… And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:10-14).
God’s response conveys a truism that continues to this day. He told Elijah to keep on serving Him faithfully and to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet. And God declared that there were “7,000 in Israel” who had not bent their knees to Baal. In other words, God preserved a faithful remnant, even amidst the wickedness infecting the Land.
But there is another critical lesson here. Those 7,000 who had not bent their knees to Baal were undoubtedly praying to the Lord for forgiveness and relief. As His people, they remained humble before Him. God had noted and, in the language of Ezekiel 9:4, marked them. Still, drought and devastation were visited upon the land because of the wickedness of the overwhelming majority and the evil perpetrated by their king.
We Will Not Die
Wherever you live in 2024, consider the clear implications of God’s Word on our contemporary situation. Will the God who held His own chosen nation accountable for their flagrant wickedness turn a blind eye to those who wantonly rebel against Him today? Are nations and peoples who have been exposed to His goodness and grace held to a higher standard if they turn away from Him?
Jesus’ words to Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum indicate that “it will be more tolerable” for cities like Tyre and Sidon and Sodom on the day of judgment (Matthew 11:20-24). The clear implication is that, just like my parents when I was a child, God expects more from those who “know better.”
And yet, we recoil at the idea that our own nation would be held accountable—especially when others seem even more wicked in our eyes. That was Habakkuk’s response when God declared that He would raise up the Chaldeans to punish wayward Judah. Shocked, Habakkuk rationalized, “We will not die” (1:12). But God’s decision was locked in. As with all the prophecies He has revealed, He affirmed, “the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3, NASB).
What About US?
What about us—the United States (or any nation that is straying from God)? Have I built the case from Scripture that we are past the point of no return? No, only God knows where that line is and whether we have crossed it.
But all of us who have not bent the knee to the modern Baals manifesting throughout our land have to take our cue from the Word of God. To that end, let’s speak frankly about our reality, our responsibility, our resolve, and our hope.
Our Reality
The truth is that although we like to claim that ours is a Christian nation, that is no longer demonstrably true. An argument can be made that we were founded upon Christian principles and once aspired to Christian ideals (albeit imperfectly throughout our national history). But that is no longer the case.
When our president makes the unfettered slaughter of unborn children a central theme of his administration, undermines God’s natural order relative to man and woman, upends the God-established covenant of marriage, and celebrates deviancy at every turn—with widespread approval within our culture—such a claim mocks God.
I say this with a broken heart.
Does that mean that we should not advocate for our nation? Of course not! John MacArthur says, “Complete noninvolvement would be contrary to what God’s Word says about doing good in society.” Wherever Christians live, they should be dedicated to the betterment of their family, their community, and their country. That is also a biblical mandate (Galatians 6:10, Titus 3:1-2)
Our Responsibility
The most dramatic example of tough faith in the midst of a pagan society—and the responsibility that the people of God bear—is given to us by Jeremiah. The “weeping prophet” was forced to witness the devastation of his beloved homeland and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. He had faithfully warned the people of Judah that they were doomed if they did not return to the LORD (3:12-14), repenting and putting away their detestable things (4:1-2), and circumcising themselves by “[removing] the foreskins of [their] heart” (4:4).
Our first responsibility is to sound a clear warning to our wayward nation. “God will not be mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7, KJV). Many have been deceived into believing that flaunting wickedness has no repercussions—in this life or the next. Even in the Church, some Christians have bought into the lie that God is no longer holy and righteously indignant. They have turned the mercy of God into an unspoken or insinuated license to sin.
We must take up the message of John the Baptist: “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near!” (Matthew 3:2, NET). Whether God’s wrath is kindled against individual nations, or the Rapture occurs and the world descends into unrestrained godlessness, or individual sinners step into eternity and fall into the hands of an angry God, this is our urgent message.
Second, while we are living in a pagan land, we can harken to the same words of encouragement God offered the exiles living in Babylon through the prophet Jeremiah:
Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and father sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may give birth to sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. Seek the prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its prosperity will be your prosperity. (Jeremiah 29:5-7)
In other words, live! And while you are living and raising your own family, seek the welfare of the society in which you live.
That means that when an election occurs, support and vote for candidates who will promote the greatest good—at the local, state, and national level. Advocate earnestly for policies that honor God’s provisions for the flourishing of mankind—and respect the inalienable right for Christians to serve the true and living God.
Billy Graham said, “I also urge you to vote for another reason. I believe it is a God-given responsibility. Understand the issues… know where the candidates stand on them… ask God to guide you—and then vote. Beyond that, however, pray for our nation and its leaders—not just the President, but all who’ve been entrusted with public office.”
Frankly, that does not mean that Christians can only vote and pray for Christian candidates. Obviously, if the choice is between a convictional Christian and a pagan, I will vote for a Christian every time. But, if the contest is between two whose faith in Christ is unclear or obviously lacking, I will support the candidate who will best respect Christians as they serve the Lord and who most closely follows Christian principles. And, I recognize that despite carefully produced campaign propaganda to the contrary, no candidate—Christian or otherwise—is perfect.
Christians in other democratic nations face this challenge in every election. Indian Christians might have to choose between a fervent Hindu and a radical Muslim. Should they decline to vote? Of course not. Sitting out an election might ensure the victory of the more threatening of the two candidates. Instead, they should prayerfully consider which candidate aligns with the principles I outlined above.
The stakes in 2024 are higher than they’ve ever been. I suspect that if the Lord tarries for another four years, the stakes in 2028 will be even higher. Unless America collectively turns back to God, we will stay on the precipice—or find ourselves suddenly in total freefall as we cross God’s red line.
One of our greatest responsibilities is to advocate today for the kind of nation we want our children and grandchildren to live and thrive in tomorrow—free to worship the Lord and serve Him with all their heart and soul and mind.
Let’s not go wobbly.
Our Resolve
When I served in the legislature, one of the “dry” counties in Kentucky went through a series of “wet/dry” votes. Advocates for unrestrained alcohol sales regularly solicited enough signatures to put the issue before the voters.
The first time it happened, area churches united to defeat the measure soundly. A few years later the churches banded together to turn back the effort again, but their energy level had diminished. The third attempt saw only a handful of churches engage proactively; the county remained dry by a very slim margin. On the fourth try, only one pastor stood against the tide and by a surprising majority, the voters embraced liquor sales. The county has been wet ever since.
Satan is willing to play the long game, attacking time and time again until he wears down his target. We must be determined to persevere, even when those arrayed against us seem overwhelming and our numbers appear insufficient for the battle at hand.
In his first inaugural address on January 20, 1961, President Kennedy cited Romans 12:12 as he called Americans to a “twilight struggle, year in and year out, ‘rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation.’ ” He was describing the Cold War. But our fight is against “the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Talk about a twilight struggle! And yet we have a Champion. And He has given us armor. We cannot grow weary in this battle or withdraw from the battlefield due to fatigue or self-pity.
There is another reality we have to face. In this life we will have trouble—”little-t” tribulations as Jesus warned in John 16:33. Our assurance is not that we will win every battle, but that He has already won the war.
This too should stoke our confidence and inspire us to keep fighting. Satan would love for us to give up. He conspires against us at every turn—and He seems to be gaining ground in this world. That is exactly what God’s Word tells us will happen in the End Times. Should we be surprised? Of course not! But neither should we be disheartened, for we know it’s getting “gloriously dark.”
No matter what persecution arises and what troubles befall us, we can cling to the bold faith of Job: “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15).
Our Hope
This brings us to our final hope—our Blessed Hope.
Do we really trust Him? Or do we merely honor Him with our lips when times are good, while our hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:8, citing Isaiah 29:13)?
My hope is not in the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. It is not in Donald Trump or Kamala Harris—or any other candidate in this or any election. Thank goodness! All of them fall short of the glory of God. All of them will disappoint—to a greater or lesser degree.
I will be voting this November. It is my right as an American and my responsibility as a Christian. I will advocate for policies and platforms that respect God’s position on life, on marriage and morality, and on what best allows for human flourishing. Through my voice and my vote, I will plead for America to step back from the precipice and return to God.
But I will not be devastated if my preferred candidate loses, or if my beloved nation strays even further from the Lord, or if I am subject to persecution, troubles, and tragedies—because all those things are fleeting. My true citizenship is in Heaven, and I am eager to live eternally under a worthy and anointed Monarch.
Our Deliverer is Coming
Although Jeremiah had to witness the destruction of his nation, God promised to deliver him (1:19). Likewise, all of us who trust in Jesus will be delivered from the wrath to come.
We may have to witness greater paganism and wickedness. If the Lord tarries, I am sure that we will. But He is waiting because He does not wish any to perish. What a great opportunity we still have to proclaim Light to those groping in darkness, hearing to those who have not yet heard the Shepherd’s voice, healing to those beset by sickness, and life to those walking in death.
America is in the balance. More importantly, millions of souls hang in the balance. Let’s be about His work, proclaiming our Blessed Hope until He comes, praying that by “turning a sinner from the error of his way [we] will save his soul from death” (James 5:20). If we focus on that task, there might just be hope for America as well.