Handwriting on the Wall! On July 4, the United States, currently the most powerful nation in the world, celebrated 234 years of independence. The following day, on Monday, July 5, British-born Harvard professor and economic historian Niall Ferguson opened the 2010 Aspen Ideas Festival with a stark warning that the American “empire” could suddenly collapse—possibly within the next two years—due to the country’s rising debt! Citing historical examples, Ferguson pointed out that economic debt can lead to a loss of military power and global respect—which he saw firsthand on a recent trip to China—where China’s leaders were not interested in being lectured by Americans about economics or democracy. He noted that the recent financial crisis “has accelerated a fundamental shift in the balance of power with the U.S. shedding power and China absorbing it.” A number of factors are coming together—tax cuts, two wars, the financial recession, the resulting federal stimulus and bailout programs, and the growth of entitlement programs—that spell trouble for America in the days ahead. This is what Bible prophecies have long foretold. When nations forget God and turn away from His laws there will be serious consequences unless they repent (see Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28). The Scriptures, the Church of God and prominent historians have been warning for decades about the direction that America and other Israelite nations have been going—yet, those warnings have gone unheeded. Hopefully, we can learn from this and make the changes in our lives we need to make—before it is too late!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
