By: Pastor Bob Vale, Middlebury First United Methodist Church
Morality goes down when moral people do nothing, are the words of Martin Luther King Jr. years ago, when he fought the struggle of racial equality in America. Billy Graham often said, “when wealth is lost, nothing is lost, but when Character is lost…all is lost.”
I believe the moral character of the United States is fighting for its life these days. The struggle of morality and love for humanity and equality for all is in the balance in the next decade or so of our future. The devil is dancing in the streets of America, my friends.
In my short lifetime, I have seen tremendous changes in our American culture that looks so different, as if I am living in another country. Not a month goes by where the reporting of a deranged individual goes into a marketplace, school, mall, university, train station, or concert and begins shooting and killing people. We cry out for mental health reform with little to no change from our government (And the carnage continues!) Homelessness is at an all-time high all across our nation. The devil is dancing in the streets, my friends.
We’ve become numb to the violence of mobs of people running into stores and malls, smashing windows, and stealing merchandise and valuables. (Ruining small businesses!) People are being accosted, robbed, beaten or killed on the city streets. In some cases, our judicial systems are not keeping the criminals off the streets, allowing criminals to cause more mayhem on innocent people. We’ve seen riots in the streets and businesses burned to the ground in the name of equality and social justice. We’ve justified the burning of our cities as equality and social justice, and in some cases, did not prosecute the rioters. The devil is dancing in the streets, my friends.
Police brutality is on the rise and rioting is increasing in our cities, as our hatred of one another tears us apart. The good and hard work of a police officer these days has placed a target on their back and many have died by being ambushed and killed. It has become harder to hire new police officers in this new “defund & despise the police” environment. America now leads the world in gambling opportunities, with new casinos in nearly every state and online sports betting all over the internet. Currently and in the years to come, many will fall prey to gambling addictions that will tear families apart. The devil is dancing in the streets, my friends.
No longer can friends and family have a friendly discussion about politics, religion, or social issues without division and hurt feelings. Many long-time friendships have been destroyed by disagreements on these three topics, all because we don’t agree with this liberal or conservative point of view. Abortion kills nearly a million babies a year across our country. The rioting and violence of January 6th into the nation’s capital building was not a way towards peace and unity but has divided us as if we are in the middle of a cold civil war of social and political issues. Certain voices and groups are pushing God out of our American culture and all faith groups seem to be seeing more “anti-God” voices and actions against faith groups. The devil is dancing in the streets, my friends.
Racism has been pushed to levels not seen since the American civil war in the 1860s, or the struggles of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. We are again in the midst of an intellectual racial war and can’t seem to find unity and love of brotherhood and sisterhood toward racial reconciliation. We simply point fingers at each other and call each other names of the worst kind. Which does no one any good. The devil is dancing in the streets, my friends. God created all of us to love each other no matter what the color, creed, or background. Red and Yellow, Brown, Black, and White, they are precious in God’s sight. Jesus loves all of us.
Our American media of radio, television, Twitter, cellphone news, Facebook, and other electronic media outlets were supposed to bring us together and unify us. Instead, they have all become platforms to shout their point of view and keep us divided rather than united. It’s no wonder we’re so divided when these television and radio shows point out the extreme positions and call out hypocrisy on both sides and enrage our senses wanting to find honesty and integrity in our culture. The devil is dancing in the streets, my friends.
Drugs of all kinds infiltrate our culture like a flood, killing our younger generation with fentanyl poisoning. It flows across our open southern borders with ease and our political leadership does not seem to mind or care that over 100,000 American youth die each year. The devil is dancing in the streets, my friends.
The sexual revolution of the 1960s has progressed and taken us down a 60-year journey of tremendous change and ultimately given us the LGBTQIA agenda; which is also tearing us apart culturally. Children are being asked to change their gender at the youngest of ages…sometimes without parental permission. Most of the major churches in America are struggling on one side or the other on this issue. (Few know what the bible really says on this topic…or they don’t care what the Bible says. Holding on to a secular inclusion of all mentality.) Meanwhile, the family structure in America is hurting with so many broken families through divorce and so many single-parent situations. It has changed us in so many ways over the past 60 years. The devil is dancing in the streets, my friends.
This past week I watched the 65th musical Grammy awards. It was called the most “woke” and “inclusive” awards ceremony of all time. As I watched the show, there was a couple who sang a song called, “Unholy” in a red devil’s outfit and a top hat with horns, and was applauded as the first transgender winner. (Transgender: Kim Petras and gay male singer Sam Smith.) The performance was certainly unholy in the eyes of God and further illustrated the anti-Christian feeling in our American culture. I wonder if the LGBTQIA community was all that excited about the global audience seeing the red devil costumes and being forever symbolized with satanic overtones to this gay and transgender singing couple. I would expect not. My, how times have changed. The devil is dancing in the streets my friend; (or at least on the Grammy Awards stage!)
Our American church attendance has fallen and taken a hit all across America. Over the past four decades, Christianity in churches has lost the culture war in America. Over the past 20 years, so many churches have closed their doors and the church buildings are being turned into breweries, fraternity houses, daycare facilities, apartments, laser tag buildings, and community buildings. Many churches struggle to find young families to participate, as their Sunday morning attention has turned to youth travel soccer, travel baseball, travel basketball, travel softball, and many other local recreational youth sports that play on Sunday mornings. Our culture has changed drastically on this one issue that has greatly impacted church attendance over the past three decades. American churches are getting older and smaller as the younger population is saying no thank you to attending a worship service. The devil is dancing in the streets, my friend.
How do we kick the devil off the streets of the USA?
Good Question: I believe revival needs to take place in America. America needs to come back to God. Unfortunately, I believe that the USA may need to collapse just like the Russians did in 1989 – 1992 to wake us up. The Russians came to the conclusion that it was not good to push God out of their communist culture since the end of WWII. America needs to come to terms with the words of Jesus about the 2nd greatest commandment…”To Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.” We are not loving each other as ourselves, we are despising one another and fighting with each other on the issues of politics, religion, and culture. There is a new T.V. ad campaign titled, “Jesus gets us.” However, I ask the question, why can’t we get each other and love each other? Why can’t we be like ebony and ivory on the piano and live in harmony? In many ways, this is what the “Jesus gets us” campaign is all about, the 2nd Commandment of Jesus to love one another, rather than fight each other. The devil is dancing in the streets, my friend.
Today, the United States of America is in many ways the Divided States of America. The word indivisible within the pledge of Allegiance has lost its meaning and depth. Indivisible means that nothing can divide America. We are now at war with ourselves. Americans are canceling out each other’s opinions and voices, by getting people fired from their careers or having their views taken off the public square of Twitter or Facebook. Oh, why can’t we just be friends? The devil is dancing in the streets, my friends.
In 1965 Burt Bacharach wrote the song, “what the world needs now is love sweet love,” sung by Jackie DeShannon. The inspired lyrics still ring true today as a voice calling for peace, love, and unity in the midst of fighting and disunity. I believe the Love of Jesus is what can unify us. The Holy Spirit can melt the hardest heart towards repentance and forgiveness. I’ve seen it before.
One side of America wants nothing to do with religion and the other side of America is calling for revival and for the people of America to come back to God. We are in the same situation as the prophets of the Old Testament, crying out to God, asking our nation to come back into a relationship with God. (II Chronicles &:14 says, “ If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” This week, Revival is breaking out at Asbury college and seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. Could the dove of the holy spirit land on America again? I hope so. Are we witnessing the seed of change? Because we need God in America again! I believe that Jesus is the answer for the world today. Above him, there’s no other and Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) We need Christians dancing in the streets of America for Good and unity for all.
Billy Graham was once asked the question: “If Christianity is so valid, why is there so much evil in the world?” To this, the famous preacher replied, “With so much soap, why are there so many dirty people in the world? Christianity, like soap, must be personally applied if it is to make a difference in our lives and culture.” Notice that Billy said that we need to clean ourselves and not try to clean our neighbors. That is the Holy Spirits’ job and not ours!
Can a country change and come back to God? Yes, indeed. In the 1990’s many countries in the continent of Africa were warring together, as tribe vs. tribe were killing each other by the millions, with swords and knives. Yet a decade later, the dove of the Holy Spirit landed on Africa, and revival broke out. Over the past 20 years, people are finding God and churches are growing like crazy! Africa is now leading the world with the growth of Christianity. 40% of the United Methodist denomination now comes from the continent of Africa. Folks, if revival can happen in several countries in Africa when millions were killed in anger…revival can happen in America also, but hopefully without the loss of life.
I still believe in the good old U.S.A. and the wonderful freedoms we enjoy, including the freedom of religion to worship as we please. I still believe the career dream to do anything or become anything you wish to become is still alive. I still believe there are places and communities in America, like Middlebury, that are wonderful places to live and enjoy the American life. There are still pockets of churches that are growing and still proclaim the name of Jesus to the world and are making disciples for Jesus Christ. There are still amazing people with integrity in our government who are fighting the good fight on our behalf to make America a better place. I am proud to have served in the military during the first Gulf war as a younger man. I know there are military, police, first responders, teachers, hospital workers, farmers, factory workers, truck drivers, and many other hard-working occupations who we lift up as American heroes! I still strongly believe in the goodness of America. America is not perfect, but let us continue to work for a “More Perfect Union” for all people!
Pray for yourselves and for our country that has changed so much over the past 50 to 60 years! Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. With God’s help, I believe we can change our own personal corner of the world for Christ. Let’s slowly kick the devil off the streets of America. Let us follow the words of Jesus and let’s become the light of the world and the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13-16) You can do it.
Agree, read the book from 1958 “THE NAKED COMMUNIST’ and look at the goals of Communism & where we are today & I guarantee that it will shock you on how we have fallen into their trap. A lot of of their goals have been accomplished by our lawyers & First Amendment protection interpratations.
The Right is not helping the cause, when many believe that the people arrested & charged for storming the Capitol on Jan 6th were innocent people and should be pardoned. You should do the time if you commit the crime.
One of Communism goals is to get rid of our churches & our belief in GOD.
Thanks for saying this.
What does the FR. stand for in your message? If it means “Father”, please remember: Matthew 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
AMEN! We were founded as one nation under God and least we become one nation gone under (quote by President Ronald Reagan), it’s time to get back to our Christian foundational roots, and pray for a heart like Christ’s to love one another as He has loved us.
We moved to a small mountainous town from an urban area end of April 2022, and our new home is more like the America I love and grew up in in. We are very blessed to belong to a growing Christian church in our new community, and folks often greet each other out and about shopping, dining etc., whether they know you or not!
Don’t all people simply crave acceptance and love, a longing within every soul that Christ fulfills and has charged His followers with doing likewise? I’m far from perfect but not afraid to try.
To Pastor Bob Vale , Truly great article you wrote, very important work. I appreciate the way you presented the matters that are at the foundation of the crisis in not only the United States of America, but the entire world.
I am 72, raised as a Catholic , Since 1975 I have described myself as a believer in the the teachings of Christ.
Some may use the term non – denominational Christian, I prefer to simply say that I am a believer in the teachings of Christ. The Sermon on the Mount , the parable of Christ about the lamp , and the miracle on the Sea of Galilee are the parts of the story of Jesus Christ that provide a significant amount of my Faith. I have been a toolmaker for most of my life, making tools for use with navigation instruments, weather instruments, microscope technology, as well as for carpentry, plumbing and mechanical use. If you are not familiar with it I would like to recommend an essay written in 1961 by Jenkins Lloyd Jones entitled ” Who Is Tampering With The Soul Of America ” I could say that it blends with what you have written. It is an appendix in a book entitled ” Criminal Law and Society ” by Frank D. Day .
So, I sincerely hope that many will read your article, In the spirit of everything that encourages good character, good citizenship , respect for law and the will of God, respect for Life and Liberty.
Excellent article.
Putin was right when he said that under U.S. current administration that perversion, pedophiles, homosexuality, anti-GOD, crime, hate America, destroying education, and other things have become the norm for destroying the United States from within.
Read the book — Return of the Gods by Jonathan Cahn. This book explains what has been happening to the country over many years.
The problem in America is the liberal mindset running amuck.America would be far better without her left arm!
FR. Vale…Thank you for your message..I truly agree with all you have described. I’m in my 86th year of life and have never seen our USA and the World in such horrific shape. Your message needs to be read and digested by everyone. Thank you.
ALL libs = CANCER AND ARE THE ENEMY OF OUR NATION
Oh, my! Such an inspirational article by Pastor Vale. I totally agree! Prayers for change for the better in our land!
There is only one way to get the devil off the streets and you know who they are! Liberalism (socialism) has been distroying this country for the last 50 years. They have been brainwashing young people and blacks for years. Let them control education and this is what you get: men can have babies, drag queens are good, no responciblity for your actions, on and on and on!!
We’re like the israelites who refused to deal with the evil among them because itwas going to be hard. Evil is never static. Its either on the march or in retreat. Leave a bit of it in place and it quickly grows back. We accepted the lefts right to exist and promote their causes and now we reap the inevitable result. Prayer may be essential to personal growth but it will not do our dirty work for us. Maybe along with prayers for revival we should pray for the return of the spines we lost along the way.
Very well written article. Praise God that He is in control and that gives me peace. Keep praying everyone, praying for a great awakening! God is surly moving in America and around the world. Remember, because of Jesus, Satan has already lost!
Yes, only the love of Jesus Christ can heal us. That’s it in a nutshell.
Good article, but I am surprised that a true Christian would consider watching the Grammy’s, or the Super Bowl halftime show…and countless other totally depraved things on the television. If enough people refused to watch this garbage, perhaps the sponsors might take a look at the ratings and sales of their products.
We are all experiencing a “fall of the Roman Empire”, except on meth. The United States is falling and all because of its unipolar desires…unipolar with llb-con political machinations. The world has grown tired of Americas forced hegemonic designs on every other country. Finally one country says “no” and the US and its slave countries in western Europe go full bore hysterical sacrificing every male in Ukraine in a failed power tantrum.
The nation as we knew it will soon be gone. We can now only hope that the rebuilders look in any direction but back when rebuilding.
Biden is the new Nero but our version can’t play fiddle
That was SPOT ON !!!!!
In one way I can’t blame people for not attending church, they probably won’t hear the gospel preached if they do go. 2 COR 4-4 The devil is the god of this world. How long has it been since you have heard that scripture quoted?
I’ve believed and said since Clinton was in office that America has lost her moral compass. It is getting worse. We are in Spiritual warfare. The cure is Spiritual revival. That will begin when Christians repent of our sins, and commit ourselves completely to Jesus and obey Him.
the churches began FAILING in the late sixties when congregants stopped showing up, unable to find “Bible based” churches; only milk-toast, indulgent churches, full of fear that “The Word of God” was causing the shrinkage in their pews. whatsoever the sowed, they are now reaping. it’s obvious and not complex.
I believe the reason the left does nothing against crime and actually encourages it is because they want to lower the population. So by citizens killing each other they accomplish what they desire n the name of global warming. As for the migrants, they’re counting on their votes to stay n power. That’s why they try so hard to make laws to legalize them. I’m sure they have plans to ride the world of them also after they’ve gotten what they want especially if they get absolute power. Think like the devil and U’l figure out how they operate.
I believe we are simply seeing the Communist Agenda come to life throughout America. In the 1950’s the Communist party in America stated specifically that it would destroy America from the inside. I believe that ALL of the problems we are seeing can be attribiuted to the Communist’s.
Like yur article, but the restraints on the devil are coming off one by one. Tribulation just around the corner.
I don’t know how the writer survives in the United Methodist Church. I was once a candidate for United Methodist ministry, but the District Commission on Ordained Ministry kept me hanging for a couple of years, and then finally terminated my candidacy when I said two simple sentences: “The Bible is true.” “Jesus is the only way to the Father.” They appeared shocked and then told me I was unanimously terminated for being “too narrow.” That was very depressing, since I had been saved in a United Methodist church. I am now a pastor in a church belonging to the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches.
Love the article but before the 2nd commandment where Jesus told us to love each other is the !st commandment, which wasn’t mentioned! Love God with all your heart, soul and mind! Without the first you can’t do the second! Selfishness has taken over too much of America cuz too many an shoved God out of their lives! We all must come to Jesus and then learn from Him how to love others! Lent is here for many and coming for others, this is a time for repentance and forgiveness. Let all of us commit to this time for change!
It was interesting that the works of a corrupt Government and legal system was NOT mentioned. It’s interesting that the word “SIN” is NOT mentioned very often or at all. A three letter word that is being expunged from the English vocabulary and considered a hate crime in certain Countries. The Apostle Paul was quite clear when he wrote to the Corinthians, telling them that he knew NOTHING ELSE except Jesus Christ crucified, buried and resurrected, now in Glory! That’s the Gospel, friends. Christ was clear that little man is NOT bringing peace to this Earth, Jesus Christ is, when He sets foot back on this planet. HE is the Prince of Peace, The Great Hope, not you or me. Before you start taking to heart this, Jesus Gets Us movement, you might want to research their founding funding, doctrines and beliefs. Instead, we might want to ask ourselves the question, Do We Have Jesus Christ?
I know of no church that would have me. Moreover, I know of no church that holds my three key scriptural doctrines; not many hold one of them.
“He that believeth on me [Jesus] hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47)
“yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; (1 Cor. 8:6a)
“No half-bred [mongrel] may be admitted to the assembly of the Yahweh; (Deut. 23:2a)
It certainly is not United Methodist since it rejects all three. Should I compromise my beliefs to join a church?
excellent. Well done
Sure hope that America does not need to “collapse first” before we wake up. Jesus will need us to help kick some devil butt! The socialists can kiss mine!
Being very excited and enthuistac about the Revival in Asbury College in Kentucky. At church Sunday I was telling everyone about it. Noone seemed to care, one responce was, Oh yes i heard about that, then back to talk about Tursdat Bible Study, this is not wrong. A Revival iscomes first. My preacher did not know either??? The church has towake up some time, before it,s to late.