Ancient Rome and the US now

Ancient Rome and the US now

When I was 12 years old, my mother and I went to Rome and I fell in love with it. I was so in love with it that I immediately began to teach myself Italian and didn't stop until I was fully fluent in it. When we got back from Rome, I got the book, "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire" and read it from cover to cover. I was even then struck by the similarities between the US and ancient Rome and have continued to study that for the rest of my life. So it was quite natural for me when I was saved to notice how the fall of Rome came about as they moved further and further away from God. One of the area's that caused their fall and ultimately will cause ours, was the degeneration of the family which came about believe it or not, through an ancient version of "women's lib" and then "homosexual rights". Sound familiar? It's true though, and there are places in the NT that were written to people because they were getting confused because of that ancient women's lib movement and the gay rights movement. I talked about that in the study I did on What God says for women.

Obviously since I just recently did that study, that's the area I was concentrating on in scripture. I had also just finished reading a fiction book and asked the Lord what I should read next for pleasure. He brought to my mind one of my favorite series that I haven't read for ages so I couldn't wait to get started on it again. When I did though, I burst out laughing because that series talks about these very same things! LOL God is just so awesome in the ways He helps us to understand what he's saying to us!

Last night as I was reading that book, (which by the way is called, A Voice in The Wind (Mark of the Lion series) by Francine Rivers) I came to a passage that I just have to share with you all. I even read it to Bruce last night lol This book came out almost 20 years ago and it amazes me how much the US has changed to be just like the passage I want to quote you about Rome.

In this passage, a father and mother who's children are now adults, were walking in a park and saw a homosexual couple sitting on a bench kissing which was just totally disgusting to them. Now these people aren't saved, (yet lol) but seeing that upset the father so much he just had to vent and this is what he said to his wife: (any comments I make will be in parentheses)

"Marcus (their son) believes nothing is true and anything is permitted. Julie (their daughter) thinks the only thing that matters is her own pleasure. I've worked my entire life in order to give my children everything I never had at their age--wealth, education, position. And now I look at them and wonder if my life is simple vanity. They are selfish, without the least restraint upon their appetites. They haven't the smallest fiber of moral character."....
...Rome tolerated every abominable practice, embraced every foul idea in the name of freedom and the rights of the common man. Citizens no longer carried on deviant behavior in private, but pridefully displayed it in public. It was those with moral values who could no longer freely walk in a public park without having to witness a revolting display. What had happened to the public censors who protected the majority of citizenry from moral decadence? Did freedom have to mean abolishing common decency? Did freedom mean anyone could do anything they wanted anytime they wanted, without consequences?

How sad...and how sad that's exactly where the US and many other countries are now too. Even if I didn't know anything about the Bible or God, just understanding history would cause me to believe that the US will soon fall. It has undermined the very things that held it together and made it what it was, just as Rome did. Things that are good are now called evil and those things that are evil are not only called good, they are proudly and smugly flaunted everywhere we go. After my salvation when I began studying God's Word it became quite obvious to me that the end times were ancient Rome all over again.

I've talked to the Lord many times about how bad it's gotten... how I can't even go on "family friendly" sites to look for a nice graphic without having to view dozens of vulgar ones, no matter what subject I'm looking up. How if we go out for coffee or to eat that we're forced to see homosexuals flaunting their decadence, etc.

What I've also wondered is if the US would fall before or after the rapture. It could happen either way of course since nothing has to happen before the rapture. At first I was thinking it was so bad now that the US would have to fall first, unless Jesus came this very very soon, but then I realized that although we think it's very bad, it's not quite there yet... almost...but not quite. Once we're removed though (by the rapture) there will be no (or very very few) dissenting voices to let even worse things happen here. So now I tend to think that the rapture will happen first and be a kind of catalyst bringing out the worst in those left behind. I'm just profoundly glad that I won't be here to witness it!

Sometimes I hate it when my mind starts thinking of the similarities between the US and ancient Rome cause it seems like everything I see and hear is just like how it was then: women's lib, abortion, divorce, homosexuality, increase in crime, increase in disease, increase in both "natural" disasters and man made ones, corruption of politics, and the teachings about "self" and that people should put themselves first etc.

Rome actually got it's "new morality" from Greece. Well, we know it came from Satan in reality, but it was the Greek influence that brought it to Rome after they conquered it. Rome was a lot like the US is now. In the past, when people immigrated to the US (legally) they came and loved this country and learned our language and our faith and became upright citizens. All of that's changed now. Now instead of immigrating here to become American's, they come expecting and wanting to stay what they already are, Mexican, or whatever, and keep their old ways and old beliefs. They have no desire to become an American. And now instead of rejecting those "old ways" the US has decided to embrace them and insist that the rest of us embrace them as well. So those of us who are American's are supposed to now be ashamed of the heritage of our country and put off our ways and accept the ways of these other countries. Just like Rome did. And just like Rome, because we're doing that, we'll fall.

 (Originally posted on  June 18th, 2011)