Most Christians know the biblical story of Abraham and Lot. Lot was Abraham’s nephew and righteous Lot traveled where God was leading Abraham. Tension started increasing between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot so they agreed to part company. Lot and his herdsmen chose to move to the plains where the cities were located. There the herdsmen mingled with the natives and they became influenced by evil people that occupied Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham stayed in the hill country and walked with God.
Not more than a couple of decades after Lot departed from Abraham, Lot’s herdsmen apparently became part of the problem. Lot’s herdsmen were all destroyed by fire from heaven along with the natives of Sodom and Gomorrah. Righteous Lot, his wife, and his two daughters were led out by angels so that they would not receive God’s judgment on those wicked cities. Lot’s wife hesitated and looked back as the judgment on those cities fell and she was turned into a pillar of salt. Lot and his daughters hastily relocated to the foothills as directed by the angels.
Such a division of people of the promise and worldly more wicked people seems to be now taking place in America in our own time. I would say from the moral breakdown in the big cities of America, that it is more likely than not that the big cities of America will be destroyed before the downward slide into wickedness goes much further.
I started thinking about this after reading this very informative article on City vs. Country. The article talks about the divide between the urban and rural people of America. The article is mostly correct in what it says, but I noticed an obvious bias against rural people in the tone of the writer. Since the article comes from liberal media, that is not surprising.
I knew there was a great division between how city people and rural people voted. Even so, I did not know that the divide was as great as was documented in this article. The article indicates that about 75 percent in the rural areas voted Republican. Obviously, just voting Republican does not make rural people moral. However, the Republican party does stand for most of the things that God-fearing people also stand for.
I happen to live in a rural area of the Missouri Ozarks, very much like the area described in the article. When it comes down to God and country and federal government intrusion into our lives there is a lot of agreement around here. I have lived in other rural areas of the country and saw much the same thing. Rural people generally are more religious, more moral, and are more conservative than are city slickers. They also are not fond of federal government telling them how to live their lives.
We should also be aware that rural people are becoming an ever smaller minority in America. Rural people are only 20 percent of the population of America. The definition of urban is cities that are over 50,000 population and it also includes urban clusters of 2,500 to 49,999 people. Those living in the 2,500 to 5000 category are only 1.6 percent of the national population so these smaller urban population centers are not much of a factor in my Abraham-Lot conjecture.
Sixty percent of the people in the U.S. live in just 153 urban areas with populations over 200,000. Most of these big cities are “progressive” (cultural Marxists). These 153 urban areas would be in the greatest danger from any attack on America. A nuclear attack from Russia or China would obviously target them. Something as simple and as likely to happen as the national grid going down for a couple of weeks or a financial collapse would end life as they now know it in these 153 urban areas.
Many talk about the division existing between red and blue state. Even so, there is a much greater division in our nation between urban and rural people in each state in the Union. If all 50 states became independent countries, the division between urban and rural people would remain.
One author suggested the solution to the conservative and progressive division in America is to make these large liberal cities into sovereign states of their own. These new city-states would have their own laws and constitution so what they do in these city-states would not impact those in the more rural conservative areas of America. A fitting name for this city-state theory is “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”. It is already happening to some extent. Cities are not enforcing some federal laws but on the other hand they take away national constitutional rights.
If city states became the norm, you might have a hundred or more states in America that cannot agree on anything other than the big cities would be socialist and the rural areas would remain constitutionally and morally conservative.
If city states happened, these city-states would soon pass “progressive” rules that would free them to become literally as evil and perverse as Sodom and Gomorrah. Without the influence of the more moral rural people, there would be no moral restraint on the urban dwellers.
That city-state solution would bring about the same solution that God came up with for the evils of Sodom and Gomorrah. That actually is where we are heading. If it does not happen sooner in America, it will happen during the great tribulation when all the great cities of the world fall (Rev 16:19).
It seems that those that do not want to follow Abraham are still choosing their locations of destiny around big cities. Modern cities can be very enticing places to those that love their sin and reject natural moral law. Many of these are given over to a reprobate mind (Rom 1). Those that believe God like Abraham, increasingly hate what is going on in America’s cities. Some are heading for the hills on their own.
I think the people living in these 153 areas will be in great physical danger as the moral slide continues. You might want to get away from these areas as soon as you can. If you can’t, but believe and fear God, maybe God’s angels will take you by the hand and lead you out of Sodom and Gomorrah before the fire falls. Don’t look back.
Editor note: This is a rewrite of an article on my old blog by a different title.
Good article Don, sadly the moral collapse of the cities in the US is pretty far down the slippery slope. I live near Dallas and it is surprising how far down into the morass of progressive behavior that city has dropped. One topic not mentioned in your article is that the cities no longer produce anything of material value. The major employers in the cities are bankers, lawyers, insurance adjusters, pornography, and government bureaucrats which in our society, I consider similar to ticks on my dog. They suck out the life blood and contribute no meaningful production. No longer do you read of Pittsburgh steel, Akron tires, Detroit automobiles and such. Production has moved out, either to the suburbs or overseas. Would any rural person really miss anything produced in any large city? I think not. They have become parasites sucking the lifeblood from the land. I think that is somehow connected to the moral collapse possibly because those occupations available in the big cities do not favor honesty or integrity.
To limit the “city state” syndrome, some states, Texas being one, are passing state laws which overrule the city actions. We had to pass a sanctuary city law to remove from office those law enforcement officials which choose not to enforce the immigration laws, for example.
I think there may be a second civil war brewing if Iran or the N Koreans do not cause us to go to war. Governments have been known to start a war to help internal unity so the US starting one is not impossible either.
Don,
I would love to relocate to a rural area, and in fact my family has some land, but there isn’t enough work to provide a decent income. I guess I could become a farmer?
I often wonder if America survives into the Tribulation, or if she is dealt a death blow prior to. Surely if the great fault under Yellowstone erupted, we could have total chaos, or from any other situation you have named. I know the Graham family has been pretty vocal about judgement that must come upon America. I guess we shall see, hopefully we will be out of here before it gets too crazy.
Hi Phil,
If we got in a war with N. Korea, I can see riots soon happening in our own big cities protesting our military actions. Just watch what will be happening in the next few weeks for much lesser stupid reasons.
Hi Steve,
What would Abraham do (WWAD)? Become a cowboy or sheep herder?
This is more than likely not of His spirit, but possibly in the exhaustion of David, I seem to be asking God: “What’s taking so long?”
Yes, His patience is quite greater than mine.
No matter, the degradation of America and the world is spiraling downward at a pace that surprises even me, and I’m expecting / anticipating it.
I wasn’t expecting Trump to flip so quickly, but he’s only marginally brighter than Jezebel (‘er, Hillary).
I see that Treudeau and company to the north are so insane that they are attempting to make true science illegal to promote their junk science agenda.
Yes, what *is* taking Him so long?
Don:
I’ve read this article, or a very similar article, a good while ago, and yes, it really does feel like a Sodam Gomorrah type deal coming up in the near enough future… it is a VASTLY different world between city folk and country folk in terms of religion and morals and sanity…
I was wondering how I would fare in case of catastrophe in this town 50 mi. west of Ft. Worth so I looked up the demographics. Pop:14,826 but another 3000 in the adjoining county are in the city limits. 75% White, 26% Hispanic or Latino, 7% Black, 2% Asian and 1% Native American. 18 same sex male households and 7 same sex female households. There are more men than women according to the census. It looks like we might tip the scales toward the Republican side.
As far as judgement on America for it’s sins is concerned how does that compute with the Bible’s teaching that everyone pays for their own sins? I asked because of statements like the Grahams and others have made. They seem to single out America for God’s judgement while giving a pass to nations who are still immorally one or two steps ahead of us.
Hi Caitlin,
Individuals are judged for their own sins, nations are judged for collective sins.
Other nations more wicked than ourselves were judged and will be judged in due time. Check out world history. Also, where more knowledge of God is given more obedience is required.
The prime example of that is ancient Israel. Not all in Israel rejected their Messiah but Israel still ceased to exist in the land for nearly 2000 years. Were the dispersed Jews then persecuted for their individual sins or just because they collectively were of the nation of Israel?
Hi Don,
I understand. I don’t understand how believers were to keep unbelievers from sinning. Because there’s a majority of unbelievers the Supreme Court gave us legalized homosexual marriage and legalized abortion; just to name two immoral laws.
I’m reading “Gosnell The Untold Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer.” For 30 years the guy got away with running a drug mill and performing illegal abortions. How many born-alive babies he actually killed is unknown. Thousands. He was turned in to the Pa. Dept. of Health numerous times but they did nothing but let him get away with it.
I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t feel inclined to want to pay for the sins of people who had the power; even collectively as a nation. Well, God is just and I don’t have a choice in His decision making.
Hi Caitlin,
God knows how to deliver His sheep through judgements on the wicked.
Hi don, I hope this isn’t off topic. But this keeps popping up on my Facebook feed. “Gods prophetic word” by Chris Broussard of “The last days truth.net”. He claims to be a prophet and that God sent him dreams of a food shortage and power outages made by man in the United States. It seems to me that one doesn’t need to be a prophet to know that this will more then likely happen at some point. But when it does, I can’t help but think that us rural folk will manage better then the urban slickers, for a time anyways. Have you ever heard of the above mentioned, if not maybe you can check him out and give me your thoughts.
Hi Nathan,
Anyone can claim anything and they do. However, how many people that claimed to be prophets since biblical times actually were? Zero. We now have the written word of God that contains everything that people need to know for salvation and Christian practice, so God is not giving believers new Revelation. It’s that simple.
I know this is a bit off topic, but thought I’d share this link to a really wonderful rendition of Amazing Grace I found on YouTube just a bit ago. Hope you enjoy it.
https://youtu.be/NG0vH4WYChQ
Did anyone listen to President Trump’s address to the UN? It took courage to call them out to their face. Now I’m waiting to see how the Progressives and Trump haters try to spin it against him as they will of course.
David L. The Amazing Grace rendition was nice but my favorite one is at the end of Mel Gibson’s “Maverick” movie.
Hi Caitlin, all,
I did read the highlights of the ultimate SmackDown speech, and WOW is all I can say. Poked his finger’s right in their eyes. This ranks right up there with the one Netanyahu gave few years ago.
And, I found the “Maverick Choir” version you mentioned. Not hard to find so much diversity of this song, considering it’s been rerecorded over 7000 times. More than any other song ever. https://youtu.be/EsLsr-ftP6E
I had forgotten about that movie. Still hard for me to picture Gibson in a western.
This is one of my all time favorite renditions for you pipes fans.
By The Royal Scott’s Dragoons Guard. Orchestral accompaniment.
https://youtu.be/M8AeV8Jbx6M
Hi, Don,
I can’t tell you how many times recently I’ve had this same conversation with people. You’re absolutely right: America is not experiencing so much a red-state/blue-state divide as a rural/urban divide. Nobody and no place is perfect, of course, but it does seem like no matter where you go in the U.S., most rural and small-town people are conservative with at least a semblance of Judeo-Christian values, while most urban people are leftist Romans 1 types.
Case in point: My family lives in rural Ohio, in a county that voted over 70% Republican in the 2016 presidential election. We just returned from a road trip to Northwest Wisconsin, and along the way, we stopped to pay tolls at a travel plaza west of Chicago. While standing in line, we talked with some very nice locals who made statements such as, “Chicago is its own planet. The rest of us are actually normal. Not all of us vote that way. Every 5 minutes, 500 people move out of Illinois. We’re outnumbered. We have no say in our state,” etc. In Northwest Wisconsin, we asked questions and were told that Madison and Milwaukee turn the state blue. Once again, the rural people we met were conservative.
I do see evidence that God-fearing Americans are “hearing the call” and fleeing the big cities while reprobate sinners are flocking to them. I can’t help wondering if all of this is playing out according to God’s plan and if we are witnessing the run-up to His impending judgment on our modern “Sodom and Gomorrahs.”
” Depravity, Frivolity, And Dissent: Are We Watching The End Of An Empire? “Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog,
article Posted on Zero hedge really highlights the depravity of our Western civilization in the current age but does not note the cause of it, ie. the removal of God from our daily life.
I wonder how much this current society as documented there could be referenced to the end of age biblical predictions of the bible?