For those of you who are unfamiliar with him, Ben Carson was one of America's most skilled neurosurgeons (thank you spellcheck!) for a number of years. I got to talk to him very briefly at a book signing he had in Amarillo back in 2015, and I asked him if he would run for President if enough of us asked. He just laughed, but of course his book tour was largely an exploratory endeavor to help him decide whether or not to do just that. You may remember that he did run but was a distant second in his parties' primary to the guy who did in fact win the Presidency. I believe much good came out of that failed run, as he became our Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and has done a lot to help clean up that organization. He has made strong and effective attempts to help minimize racial tensions, not only in that particular branch of the government, but I believe in the nation as a whole.

He spoke this past week in Canyon, Texas at an event held at West Texas A&M University. His message was one of hope, but also one which emphasized personal responsibility. Dr. Carson has done a lot to try and wake up my generation (the Baby-Boomers) to the need for a political revival in America that can only succeed if it has its roots in the more important area of a spiritual revival. He is now doing his best to bring that same encouragement to the current generation of college-aged students and young adults. It is this message that I want to briefly share with you today, because I believe it is a message that is not only one of a hope for America (and the rest of the world), but which is in fact a message that speaks to the only hope for this confused world. 

That hope, of course, is a revival that can only be accomplished by a return to God and to Christ.

Dr. Carson is a firm believer that America can only remain the land of the free if it is also the home of the brave. Forces have been hard at work even before the era I was born, to place the nation under a socialist and authoritarian rule, rather than a democratic republic. These nefarious people who hate our Constitution had a plan. It was a plan to divide and rule at its essence, and it has been largely accomplished by those who have infiltrated first the colleges, then the media and Hollywood, then the government and even the church. 

Needless to say, they have been largely successful. 

Popular culture teaches that perversion is normal, natural, and healthy. And despite the fact that both God's Word and scientific data have proven this claim to be false, our young people have been pounded with the idea that perversion is normal, and that normalcy is perverse. Further, this effort has included a push to denigrate the unborn to the point that this being with a beating heart is actually not a being at all. This is a vital part of the lie that has allowed abortion to become a new "right" in America. The people who have drunk the Kool-Aid on this false premise have not only become hostile to their unwanted unborn, but they have become hostile to those who would point out the fallacy (and wickedness) of their delusions. 

Which brings us to another point Dr. Carson has so powerfully made for a number of years: The Gospel of Christ has been largely supplanted by a "social gospel" which espouses these twisted false beliefs. He pointed out that many so-called religious leaders have embraced this false doctrine that perverse is normal and that right is wrong. He made a strong call for preachers to stop preaching this demonic social gospel and have the courage to preach the truth again.

Dr. Carson also revealed some extremely positive information about the current administration that I think all righteous people will find to be encouraging. He said that many within the President's Cabinet along with a number of Senators are meeting together on Wednesdays for a mid-week Bible study and prayer session. On a separate note, he related that he once asked our President how he was able to maintain so much energy at an age when most people are retired to their rocking chairs. The President responded that he believed that God would give him the strength he needs.

It is these types of stories that I believe show that there is still hope for America. But I also am convinced of this: That window of hope is rapidly closing. The forces that Cleon Skousen warned about in his 1950's book, "The Naked Communist" occupy most of the seats of influence in our current culture. They are the college professors, the news media personalities, and our favorite movie stars and entertainers. They have saturated most of the high-ranking positions within our government, and especially in the bureaucracy (thanks again, spell-check) that they have put together over the years.

Dr. Carson emphasized duty in his talk, and it is that sense of duty that we are going to have to follow if we are able to accomplish what this nation, the world, and especially the church, are in such desperate need of in our times. And what we need more than anything is revival! Such a revival can only begin with the individual, and that's where you and I come in. If we will do our God-given duty, I believe that revival can spread to our churches, to our communities, and even to the nation and the rest of the world. Failing that - failing to do our duty - can only result in one thing: An America that is doomed to failure. We cannot let that happen, at least not without a fight. 

Once again, I think it is useful to recall Ben Carson's warning: America cannot remain the land of the free unless we are first the home of the brave. Such courage can only be instilled by God, and you and I need to seek His divine help and then begin to take the righteous and courageous stands that will be required to save this nation. One final thought: If love for country does not motivate you to action, perhaps a more vital love is needed: A love for God and a love for our children and grandchildren!