Obstacles To Success In Building A House, Nation 0r Life

Common Sense Commentary:  "...We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that "except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it". I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel..." --BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Another wise man later commented on what would destroy the "house", nation or life.

At the turn of the Nineteenth Century, one of America's leading newspapers addressed the following question to many notable persons in Great Britain: "What in your opinion is the chief danger, social or political, that confronts the coming century?"
The General, who was invited among others to reply to the question, sent the following:  "In answer to your enquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost; Christianity without Christ; forgiveness without repentance; salvation without regeneration; politics without God; and Heaven without Hell."
The War Cry - 5 January 1901 p7, col.2

The General cited, was William Booth (1829-1912), founder of the Salvation Army. This quotation has been authenticated from original source documents and confirmed by the official Archives of the Salvation Army in England.

Webster defines "success" as, "favorable termination of a venture, a good outcome or result".  The obvious, yet misunderstood, time element of success
is certain only at it's end .  When the venture is finished or the life is lived.
Temporary, short term "success" may be claimed prematurely, before the final outcome has time to fully incubate.  Woolworth, Studebaker, Rome, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union appeared to have succeeded for many years but, in the end, those ventures finished unsuccessfully.  Judas, was treasurer for Jesus and His Apostles ... until his term ended ... with failure.  When Jesus said, "One of you will betray me", the Apostles answered, "Lord is it I?" None realized it was Judas.  He looked like success to them.

Marjoe Gortner, ordained at age four, "preached", "healed",  and "spoke in tongues" ... in front of thousands of his deluded followers, grew rich and famous nation-wide, and was the most "successful" healing evangelist in America for a time.  He was adored by his followers, handsome, fluent, rich and famous, but recorded himself mocking and laughing at them all, behind the scenes, and with it, won an Academy Award for "Best Documentary" of the year.   None of his followers recognized his "healings" and "tongues" as a fraud. He did all the things he preached against and became a Hollywood actor. Has his life been a success??? Has it had a "favorable termination"?

The true measure of "success", for a person, will not be known until God's judgement day when His definition of "success" will  be very different than the world's. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness ..." Matt.6:33.

The American "experiment", with a Constitutional Republic, assuring freedom, free enterprise, and a bill of rights, within a democracy, was quite successful until the turn of the millennium.  All the progress our United States made for 200 years has, in the past few years, been compromised, undermined and betrayed by radical "change".  Already engraved upon our nations grave stone is "Hope for change became hopeless change".  Majority vote (democracy) lives on but the Rule of Law (Constitutional Republic) is dying and will be dead Nov.6 if the Socialists are re-elected.  If they are, the rule of Antichrist will have lost it's chief, earthly opponent, Christian America.  Our Republic will not survive another four years of ignored Constitutional violations with criminal impunity. RB