[OBW]

I think that there is quite a bit of muddling of this thread with the one(s) where the law is being discussed. There is a link, but it is rather small. This one is suggesting that instead of looking at Israel and the Jews, we should refocus the prophecies concerning Israel so that they point to the US (and more importantly, to us).

There is no doubt that we should pray for our leaders, as should all Christians of all countries pray for their leaders. Pray for peace. But unlike the hints that it would come, then the direct discourses through the prophets to repent and return the nation to following God (speaking of and to Israel/Judah) there is no modern equivalent because the kingdom of Israel, an earthly kingdom with God as its head, has been replaced by the kingdom of God which has no earthly center, but is found in the church under the headship of Christ.

And the last time I looked, the US has never come close to being a church. It is a kingdom of the earth. It was established by a collection of men who included some Christians. And it included some that wanted a moral society that looked a lot like the morality of the Bible.

But other than fishing around for things that we can "back-fill" to line up with something OT, there is nothing in the Bible that says any of it is meaningful. It may indicate that some thought they could add a pinch of this and a dash of that and get favored-nation status. And whether or not anyone actually did all of that 200 years ago, others are now scouring history, architecture, etc., looking for things they can backfill to create a myth — another genealogy — by which to call down God to do our bidding.

It is absolutely correct to pray — for ourselves, for others, for the nation, and the world. Those prayers should be related to the kingdom of God. To the furtherance of the gospel. To the ability to live lives in peace.

But the kind of myth about the US and its supposed position with God, or the one they believe it could have, is a variant on the prosperity gospel. Just has a less personally selfish goal.

Ask us to pray for peace. Ask us to pray for the lives of men. Ask us to pray that people would return to God.

But don't ask us to pray for a myth that imbues any kingdom of the earth with the benefits of a theocracy. That is busy trying to find markers of goodness that will make it special to God. Seems the best you will get it a nation that doesn't even rise to the spiritual level of a Thyatira — unless you execute or incarcerate everyone who does not live the Christian life. Or at least push their immorality out of the public eye. And then you have to consider the spiritual degradation to have done that.

A lot of cleaning of the outside of a filthy cup.

Let's pray for the people. Live our lives in the manner that we have been commanded. Seems that we despise that charge. But it is the one-talent command that we all have. Not everyone is called to go to Africa or Asia as a missionary. Or be the guy on the street corner preaching to whoever will listen. Or just seeking out opportunities to speak. But if we can't live the life of an image bearer of God in our regular living, how are we expected to be much more than a curiosity when we open our mouths and this incongruous collection of words comes out. Like the guy who just pummeled his opponent in the ring and then gives "the glory to God." Really? God helped you do that? Beat another human nearly to death? Probably going to have early onset Alzheimer's or MS or something like that? That was for the glory of God?

Reminds me of the guy I used to work with that was the most vocal concerning his Christianity, yet every year he drove to and from NYC using yet another radar detector that he immediately returned under the 30-day money-back guarantee. He had no idea how everyone laughed at his alleged morality. That one is blatant. But what about the rest of us? Do we live as God commanded? Or just claim God's grace and forgiveness and hope it will get better? Salt and light is not about preaching the gospel. It is about living right. That is the gospel — changed lives.