Dear Editor,
We hear a lot today about reclaiming America for Christ. This is a great slogan and it would be an absolute miracle from God if it were to actually happen.
See, when someone says, “We need to reclaim America for Christ”, they usually mean that we need to get people to live more godly or moral lives. They may mean that we need to take people back to the way of our founders and live more like they lived.
What people do not seem to realize is the people who came to America in the late 1400’s and early 1500’s were Christians seeking a New World where they could freely live out their Christian faith.
The founders of the united nation of states, that we know as America today, were coming out of the “Great Awakening” on the mid 1700’s.
This awakening, brought on by some mighty preachers speaking the Word of God, was a time of people repenting and turning back to Christ as Lord of their lives.
If reclaiming America is nothing more than educating people about our past and trying to convince them to live morally, we will never see America as it once was.
See, to reclaim America for Christ starts with people hearing the “Good News” that Jesus came to save individuals from their sin. When people realize that they are living in sin against a Holy God, then they will be convicted of the heart and turn from their sin, returning to the Lord as their God and living in a manner worthy of this high calling.
For the most part, the reclaim America crowd, is not preaching a message that will miraculously convert a person from their sin natured life to a Holy Spirit led life that will transform the way they think and live.
See, trying to take over the government and making laws more in line with God’s Word will not reclaim America. We may be able to legislate out some of the sins that our society commits against God but that won’t change the hearts of individuals.
What America needs is another spiritual awakening. The only One who can bring about such an event is the Lord God. We are totally and completely dependent upon the Lord to open the hearts of individuals to hear and receive the true message of Christ.
If you really want to reclaim America for Christ you must begin taking the Good News of the Gospel of Christ to individuals. When enough individuals are reached with this Good News that saves and changes lives, then we will begin to see America change.
In the late 1700’s by far the majority of people were spiritually reborn Christians. According to some of the polls taken in America today, less than fifteen percent of the population would be considered to be spiritually reborn.
So, as you can see, to reclaim America we need to get the message of Christ to people and pray fervently that God will open people up to receiving this amazing gift of salvation. Then we will see America change.
If we continue down our present path, trying to get people to live morally without a miraculous conversion from God, America may, which I doubt seriously, begin to look better but it won’t ever be reclaimed for Christ.
 Pastor Thomas R. Swain
First Church of God
Great Bend