Wake Up, America!

By Thomas Ripaldi

Financial collapse. Family breakdown. Future uncertainty. For many, the American Dream has become a living nightmare.

Wherein lies the hope for finding not just a road out of further decline; but a brighter future? In Wake Up, America! Thomas Ripaldi presents a godly vision of what life should be like, and a grounded plan for getting there. As such, it is both a call to action and a manual for change.
 
Drawing from the Bible, history, and 25 years as a counselor and licensed therapist, he outlines principles and practical steps for navigating difficult transitions, overcoming adversity and capitalizing on the opportunities that lies within them.

From personal development to cultural challenges, you will find inspiration and tools to help you realize all God intends for His people and this nation.

We are facing a mountain. Wake Up, America! is a map and a guide to take you to the top.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Creation House
• Release date: Jun 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781621368021

Book preview

reality.

INTRODUCTION

TWO HUNDRED YEARS ago, our forefathers founded this country on the premise of one nation under God. Today, we have become more of a melting pot, made up of people from all walks of life and diverse ideologies. We are, therefore, no longer united under the guidance and direction of a single God whose utmost desire to bless us, made us the wealthiest and most powerful nation on the face of the earth. Instead, we are a people who have gone astray for having gone our own way.

As a result, economically speaking, our nation is said to be living on life-support. Meanwhile, corporate and governmental greed, mismanagement, and corruption continue to abound. In the midst of all this lies an even greater and more daunting challenge: the ever increasing decline in cultural values and social mores. In the face of such decline, many have succumbed to the vain philosophies of man to the extent that the continued existence of family, community, and church as we once knew it is now being placed at risk.

In spite of the paralyzing blend of dismay and resignation that permeates our atmosphere, the good news is that not all is lost. For God Himself designed a way—not just for temporary relief or for mere recovery, but for renewal. Won’t you come along with us on this amazing journey? In so doing, you will reap the harvest that comes from living the way God intended your life to be lived—regardless of how steep the climb or hard the time.

SECTION I

MAKING THE CLIMB BACK OR HEADED FOR TOUGHER TIMES?

Chapter 1

THE AWAKENING

Nothing ever becomes real, till awakened to its existence.

IT HAS BEEN said that life is a mountain to climb. If this is true, then at no other time in our history has that mountain been such a steep climb, nor have we ever been at such tremendous risk for economic collapse, further ethical and moral decline, and a myriad of threatening terrorist attacks. At the same time, because we are living in such perilous times, neither has there been a greater need for awaking to the awareness of God’s presence, the guard of His protection, the grace and mercy He freely provides, the guidance of His principles, the hope of His promises, the opportunity to share in His blessings, the wisdom that arises from seeing things from His perspective, and the joy that comes from seeking to live the life He is calling us to.

Whether we make the climb back from what we will in the very near future be going through greatly depends on not only how well we navigate our way through these difficult transitions, but also on the approach we take toward recovering from them and whom we rely on for guidance. That is to say, we can either continue to band-aid our way through, all while continuing to live life as we please and pretending there are no consequences; or we can take the path that leads to true renewal and lasting recovery. Up until now it would appear quite clear, given the outcomes we see arising from the approaches we are taking, that our current strategies are not working. The reason they are not working boils down to the fact that they are motivated by desperate attempts to find quick fixes to get us out of the messes we are in, when what we should be seeking is a way to get off the path we are on.

One needs to look no further than Capitol Hill to see the shortcomings of such band-aid approaches and quick fixes brought about by the shortsightedness of our policy makers—shortcomings that will set us further back than we already are. Examples of this include continuing to raise the debt ceiling, borrowing and printing more money, and levying increasingly heavier taxes on the wealthy and middle class. Other examples include shortsighted attempts at healthcare reform and restriction of religious practices that, while sounding in our best interest and politically correct, in the long run take us in a direction that sacrifices our freedom of choice and inalienable rights. As history will attest, doing so is a surefire way to eventually shut down the economic and social engines of any society.

Such shortcomings are not limited to those in high places. Each of us has our own shortcomings as well. We live with regrets or we develop rationalizations to justify our actions. We live with the hope that we can do better and improve our lot in life, but aren’t sure how. We have the faith that we will not repeat the errors of our past, yet we do. Because we do, we know all too well from experience the pain that can be suffered.

The truth of the matter is, a country cannot recover or be revived if its people are sleeping. Why? Because until we are willing to be awakened to our shortcomings, not much can occur. Once awakened, it then becomes a matter of whether or not we are willing to once more seek the path that points us toward God as the means of hope for us as a nation and renewal of ourselves—otherwise nothing else will work.

And what is it that will be found along the way? It is our knowledge of the truth. And why is such knowing of the essence? Because, it is in our knowing of the truth that we are set free (John 8:32). What many of us fail to realize is that we must first be awakened to the truth, before the truth can work in our lives. And second, we must then act on what we know to be true, if we are to be set free from the collision course we are headed for. As Aristotle wisely said: We become just by performing just action, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave action. Now is the time for brave action.

Perhaps we would be more poised for taking action were we to keep in mind the words of Patrick Henry as well: the battle . . . is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave . . . [and has a] God who presides over [them].¹

Instead of being poised for taking action, based on what has transpired since the great recession of 2008, it would appear that to most Americans everything seems calm, and that we are enjoying an economic recovery. Thus the greater majority of us have not only become complacent, but our concern over the possibility of future crisis has subsided. Therefore, seldom do we ask, What can we as a people do to save our nation’s future?

And why has it subsided to the point where we no longer ask such a poignant question? First, because it is easy to become complacent when we are lulled asleep by broken promises, repetitive stalemates, and the status quo. And second, because we choose to believe our government has everything under control. When the truth of the matter is, nothing could be further from the truth.

Focusing in on just one of the above examples, namely our economic system: the fact of the matter is, if something doesn’t change—and quick—we are about to see a major collapse in our monetary system and major changes in our present way of life. Terry Keenan of the New York Post recently stated in a July 5, 2014, article that the odds of another recession are greater today than ever before.²

According to a growing number of economic experts like Erskine Bowles, the Democratic co-chair of President Obama’s National commission on fiscal responsibility; Simon Johnson, professor and advisor to the senate Budget Office; and Nouriel Roubini, professor of economics at New York University; it’s not so much that the odds of another recession are greater that concern them as it is the fact that when compared to the 2008 financial crisis, the 2008 crisis could look like a summer storm.³

And how can this be happening? For many years now, our government has been borrowing money to such an extent that it will in the very near future no longer be able to pay the interest alone on the debt. The reason for this lies in the fact that with every month that passes, our government returns a deficit. With respect to this year (2015), the Congressional Budget Office is forecasting a deficit of $500 billion for the full budget year ending September 30. The debt is accelerating at such a pace that it has doubled since the year before Barack Obama took office. If we include the $5 trillion in assumed debts, we are now over $20 trillion in debt. At the rate at which we are spending, according to Douglas Elmendorf, the director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), our path of indebtedness is unsustainable.⁴ Analyzing the CBO’s projections for the net interest payments on US federal debt, it is estimated that by the year 2050, our debt interest will equal our entire military budget.

Meanwhile, if our government were at all serious about implementing a plan that would truly set us free from the incumbencies that now plague us, they would be motivated to move beyond temporary band-aid approaches and quick fixes, and begin to return to the God-given principle upon which this country was not only founded, but built. Given that they are not, it’s our move to ensure that they become so. For unless we put God back into the equation—not just when it is convenient or when a crisis arises, but make Him the Prime Mover (to borrow from the theologian Paul Tillich) behind all we say and do—nothing else will work.

This is easier said than done because of what will be required of us. However, unless we do, both as a nation and as individuals, the Bible clearly states, we labor in vain (Ps. 127:1). It goes on to say that not only do we labor in vain, but we are like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed (James 1:6, KJV).

The underlying assumption of this chapter is that the first step for such doing comes about by way of raising awareness. This in turn raises a question: Are we as a nation willing to bring God back into the picture? Before saying yes, we would be wise to consider what this will entail. Before saying no, we would be wise to consider the consequences. If your answer is yes, the first thing it will entail is an awakening to the following.

THE AWARENESS OF HIS PRESENCE

As history will attest, those who have either achieved great things or conquered insurmountable circumstances sought the presence of God. Why? Because they knew that while God’s sustaining grace did not exempt them from struggles, it did fulfill the promise of His presence. Today, it would appear that many of us only seek His presence when caught in the midst of a storm. Why? Because God’s presence is only real when needed, whereas it is so real that when faced with the woe of life, it is about the only certainty we have.

It was none other than Moses who asked God, show me your glorious presence (Exod. 33:18, NLT). So God did. When He did, Exodus 34:8 states that Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped (KJV).

The more we are awakened to the magnitude of God’s presence, the more we come to see and know that He is far more than what we had thought Him to be. Because He is, He is able to do more in, with, and through our lives than we give Him credit for.

When we choose to see God for less than He is, we live in a world of shadows, never realizing that true recovery begins when we step outside the shadow of our circumstances and into the light of His presence. For when His presence is within us, meaningful, comforting, and empowering, He paves the way to a reality that goes far beyond what this earthly life can provide.

THE GUARD OF HIS PROTECTION

One might ask, Why do we even need God to make the climb back when the result of modern man’s interaction with society has brought tremendous strides in science and technology, economic abundance, unprecedented medical advances, and spectacular space explorations? The reason is, such interaction has not been without consequences. Outwardly, these advances have also brought the threat of thermonuclear war and terrorism, global recession, the devastation of natural disasters, world starvation primarily due to overpopulation, poverty existing alongside affluence in many industrial nations, and the wanton depletion of our natural resources.

Given such consequences, it would appear quite clear that in today’s world, the guard of God’s protection is needed as much as is His presence. For without it, to whom or what else can we turn for protection?

THE GRACE AND MERCY HE FREELY PROVIDES

Meanwhile, it seems that the larger we grow as a society, the more government control we have, and as a result, the less significant and more expendable we become as individuals. Small wonder that while such growth has allowed us to live in the golden age of seemingly limitless opportunity and diversity, it has also ushered in an age of restlessness and uncertainty. Because of an ever-growing preponderance of ignorance, deception, greed, corruption, self-interest, mismanagement, and the abuse of power, the very survival of our economy and our way of life is being threatened to the point where one might even say we are on life support.

Thus it would appear that the grace of God—our continuing to reap the blessings of what some of us don’t deserve—is in jeopardy. It is in this sense that instead of turning from our wayward ways and asking for mercy as a way of avoiding getting what we may well deserve, it seems that more and more among us prefer to continue to go astray for having gone our own way.

THE GUIDANCE OF HIS PRINCIPLES

As a result of having gone our own way, many are becoming anxious and depressed over the fact that as times get tougher, not only are they not realizing their potential, but they are finding it increasingly harder to merely hang on to what they once had. This not only greatly affects our state of mind, but eats away at our very souls to the point where it diminishes our spirit.

It does so to the point where instead of moving onward and upward to the loftier place in life where we once thought we were headed, we have been veered off course by events beyond our control. So far off course, in fact, that things like the imbalance of supply and demand, investor-inflated prices, the devaluation of the dollar, and the inability to remain competitive, just to mention a few—coupled with our desire to continue to live above our means—has nearly caused us to collapse.

And what is it that has caused us to veer so far off course? Simply put: we have gotten away from the guiding principle set forth in God’s Word.

When looking back on this period in our lives, will we see the same old thing—nothing new—or will we have learned from what we’ve gone through?

For the great majority of us, unless some sort of intervention occurs, it would appear that we will have only repeated its mistakes. Why is this so? Simply because we find ourselves continually returning to our same old ways of getting by without ever knowing true success and God-given abundance that comes from availing ourselves to the guiding principle that made us the wealthiest and most powerful nation on the face of the earth.

THE HOPE OF HIS PROMISES

I’ve written this book to send a clarion call: to state unequivocally that unless we wake up and change our ways, not only will we condemn ourselves to even harder times, but we’ll find that the spark of life—which has often been the only thing that’s kept us going—will soon diminish and eventually be snuffed out for the lack of hope.

Most of us can handle things getting tougher. The difficulty lies in knowing how to keep the spark of energy and enthusiasm burning when things do get tough. Because most of us don’t know how to do this, the eagle we once were is soon reduced to the meager existence of a caged bird with clipped wings. Once that happens, our unlimited potential for rebounding is never fully realized, and we are left wondering why.

When this happens, random occurrences and circumstances beyond our control can take hold of us and affect us in unforeseen ways. As conditions worsen, instead of feeling motivated to move onward toward achieving our goals, we find ourselves turning to whatever seems safe and secure. Because we do, we are more willing to give up our freedoms for the sake of security. How does this gradual exchange take place? First we concentrate on maintaining the status quo; then we retreat; and finally, we either lash out at others or we just plain give up out of sheer exhaustion. One only need look among the unemployed to see how many of them have given up on seeking employment. Meanwhile, many among them are now on disability.

It’s during times like these that we need to find hope. The kind of hope, that is, which comes from relying on the promises of God. Promises that are like no other, and afforded us by none other than God Himself.

It has been said that hope without a strategy is merely wish fulfillment. Therefore, many of our gurus nowadays advocate that we not rely on promises lest we succumb to false hope. Instead, they advocate that we seek to form strategies. Based on the false promises we are being handed nowadays, there is truth in what they are saying. But what if man’s best laid plans aren’t working—then what? Those who limit themselves to the strategies of man are missing out on both the nature and power of hope when based on the bedrock promises of God.

If we search Scripture and draw close enough to God to trust Him to fulfill His promises on a daily basis in our lives, we will see, when either attempting to make the climb back or trying to navigate our way through hard times, six major promises that reveal the hope of God.

First is the promise that even when headed for the worst of life’s storms, the one thing we can count on is the bedrock assurance that we are not alone. For He Himself said in His Word that I will never [no, never] leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5, NKJV). Because we are not alone, if we will but call on Him in our time of need, we would be so much the better for it.

Second, God promises us that when we are trying to navigate our way through trials and tribulation, if we will invite Him to join us on the journey, they will not overtake us. In Isaiah 43:2 we find these words: When you pass through the [rough] waters, I will be with you; and through the [turbulent] rivers, they will not overflow you (NAS).

Thirdly, in the midst of your darkest moments, He has promised to shed light on your darkest places. In Psalm 18:28 we read these words: The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness (KJV). It is most interesting to note that many go around looking for a light from without, when what we need to seek is enlightenment—which comes from within. When enlightened, we will come to see that it’s only in the dark of night that we know the stars are there. Knowing who put them there, no longer are we afraid of the dark from without. Instead, we are able to focus on getting rid of the real darkness that lies within our hearts and minds.

Fourth, He has promised, as mentioned above, to provide you with His protection. In Isaiah 32:2 we find these words: [And He] will be like a refuge from the wind and a shelter from the storm (NAS). What comfort in knowing that regardless of how bad things get on the outside, we have the reassurance that we can be at peace on the inside. Only God can promise us this kind of peace that the world cannot take away.

Do not misunderstand, such peace does not lead to passivity—just the opposite. Rather, it is because we have such peace that we can awaken each morning refreshed and ready to take action.

Which brings us to the fifth promise: namely, that God has promised to deliver us from whatever circumstances we may be headed for or are presently in . . . if we call on Him to do so. In the Book of Joel 2:30, 32 we read these words: I will display [my] wonders . . . and it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered (NAS).

Deliverance with God is not necessarily the same as when UPS or FedEx delivers a package to our door. When it comes to the door of opportunity God presents, we can not merely stand by and wait for Him to deliver the goods. Such deliverance comes about more as a result of God being in us and working through us. When He is, and does, no longer will we live with despair and resolve ourselves to passively enduring all things. Instead, we will live with a blazing spirit whose hope translates into perseverance.

SHARING IN HIS BLESSING

The opportunities God sends does not awaken he who is asleep.

—SENEGALESE PROVERB

The good news of the hour is, His promises do not end here, for God has given us yet another promise. He has promised to pour out His blessing upon us. For He Himself said in Malachi 3:10, Test me now in this . . . if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows (NAS).

And how does God’s blessing come about? More often than not it comes about through the opportunities that are built into the very fabric of life. Life is full of opportunity. Because it is, within every happenstance and hardship, there is the opportunity to overcome, transcend, and be blessed. The problem is, we often miss them—and therefore God’s blessing. We do so for two main reasons: First, because we are asleep. And second, because we are, we fail to avail ourselves to the fortune; instead we remain focused on the unfortunate.

While opportunity is not invisible, it does not come with its value stamped on it. Therefore, we must proceed as blind men with only a glimpse of what is possible and yet to come. Blind, that is to say, in the sense that when looking back we will more clearly see that it was those who took hold of the opportunities God brought their way and along with God’s help turned them into realities, in a certain sense and way, who were the masters of their fate.

To awaken to the golden moment of opportunity, catch a glimpse of its possibilities, and behold the blessing that comes along with it ranks high among life’s richest joys.

SEEING THINGS FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE

What are the advantages of seeing things from God’s perspective? First, it allows us to attain higher ground than when trying to either make it on our own or follow someone else’s ideological belief system. It is of the utmost importance that we attain the highest ground possible, because the higher the climb, the better the vista.

Second, because the better the vista, the more accurate our worldview. Having an accurate worldview is essential because it enables us to make right choices. In the coming days, making right choices will be crucial, for the choices we make determine the behaviors which follow; behaviors, that is to say, which when deemed inappropriate condemn us to suffer even harsher consequences; consequences that, had we relied on God’s Word as truth in the first place, we could have avoided by choosing a different path long before our lives were reduced to less than His best for us. For when we rely on His Word as truth, we are awakened to the fact that ungodly lifestyles cast their shadows in the form of warranting signs long before the consequences actually show up. When we choose to ignore those signs, out of sure ignorance or because our hearts and minds are elsewhere, we must bear the consequences of a lesser life than God intended for us to have. Sadly, these self-defeating lifestyles could have been avoided had we been wise enough to not only heed their warning, but seek the life He is calling us to.

SEEKING THE LIFE HE IS CALLING US TO

The ancient Egyptians held a belief that when their souls got to the entrance of heaven’s gates, the gods would ask them two questions, the answers to which determined whether or not they would be allowed to enter. First, have you found joy in your life? And second, has your life brought joy to others?

I maintain there is a third question, one that you might do well to entertain not only in the coming days, but before reaching heaven’s gates—have you experienced the joy that comes from seeking the life He is calling us to?

Whether we are in the process of navigating our way through more difficult times or striving to make the climb back afterward, hopefully one of our main objectives will be to reap the joy that comes from seeking the life God has called us to. In doing so, let me caution you not to confuse joy with happiness. Happiness comes and goes, much like the weather, because it is contingent on everything from happenstance to circumstances; whereas joy is far more steadfast and can last forever.

When we begin to seek after a joy-filled life, our primary reason for living will no longer be the mere need to survive; thus, neither will our driving force be born out of the intent to bring about quick fixes, personal gain, greed, and in some cases even evil intent. Rather, it will be to seek a different way of life than that which we are presently experiencing. For far too long now we’ve been choosing (or chasing after) a pleasure-filled lifestyle that we thought would never end. Now we know differently. Now we know that the way of life we looked to for bringing us more of everything has actually brought us less.

The value found in seeking to live the life God is calling us back to lies in the fact that it allows us to access the spiritual realm. Proverbs 2:21 in The Living Bible translation reminds us that it is an eternal truth that accessing the spiritual realm empowers us to transcend the otherwise negative, depressing, frightening, or just plain mundane circumstances of our day.

ACCESSING THE SPIRITUAL REALM

No problem of human making is too great to be overcome by human ingenuity, human energy, and the untiring hope of the human spirit.

—GEORGE H.W. BUSH

If you were to take the time to review the history of America, you would see three things that are readily apparent. First, the pioneers and frontiersmen who built this great nation underwent a great deal of resistance and endured unbelievable hardship in order to establish their independence. Yet they stuck