The American Uncivil War

On July 13, 2024, a would-be assassin attempted to take the life of former President Donald Trump during a political rally in Butler, PA. Narrowly avoiding death, Mr. Trump raised his fist in defiance of the attack and encouraged the rally attendees to "Fight, fight, fight!" Though he had been grazed by the bullet, he was spared certain death by a providential, slight turn of the head. Unfortunately, the 20-year old assassin didn't miss others in the crowd, killing one man who sheltered his family from the hail of bullets and seriously injuring at least two others.

I became aware of the events when my daughter, Allison, who was away visiting a friend, called and informed us of the events, and so we like so many others watched history unfold right before our eyes. In an instant I was taken back to March, 1981 and attempt made upon Ronald Reagan's life, the last such attempt on a U.S. President, or in Mr. Trump's case, former President.

It is these type of events that are burned into our memory. Forty-three years later, I can still remember where I was and what I was doing when I first heard the news about Reagan. Similarly, I remember where I was on the morning of September 11, 2001 when I first saw the images on television of the terror attacks in New York, Washington and, oddly enough, Pennsylvania.

In Reagan's case, it was only later that the world learned just how close to death he actually came. By his own admission, had it not been for the mercy and grace of God, he would most likely have died. Having survived that brush with death, Reagan concluded that God had spared him for a purpose. From everything I've read and learned about the man, this experience transformed somewhat in regard to his faith and his intent to serve God in his capacity as President.

It is fair to say that Reagan didn't wear his faith on his sleeve but it could also be said that he didn't hide it under his bed either. Reagan was very conscious of God's role in America and outspoken regarding our need for God's favor upon us. On one occasion he said “If we ever forget that we are One Nation under God, then we will be a Nation gone under.”

When he said that, there was no huge outcry from the secular media; no one accused him of being a religious nut. I would dare say that many Americans of that era, perhaps most, agreed with him. But that was over forty years ago -- a generation. In one respect, it was not that long ago, but long enough that the many of the values Americas once held dear, especially love of God and country, are on the cusp of fading away, maybe forever. That brings to mind something else Reagan said way back in 1967 as Governor of California: “Freedom is a fragile thing and it's never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.”

I dare say that we, who have inherited the freedoms we enjoy in America, have been so accustomed to them that we don't really appreciate what it means to have them. I say that because relatively few of us understand the sacrifices that have been made in order to secure them. Men and women have fought, bled and died for the opportunity to live free, and those people, more so than most, acknowledged our desperate need for God's favor and assistance. It is a fact that, in times past, when this country was in the midst of a national crisis, spiritual and political leaders alike would call upon the nation to humble ourselves before Almighty God with prayer, fasting and repentance.

For example, when the fledgling nation faced the overwhelming might of Britain, Americans realized that they could not prevail in their own power and so it was that men like Hancock, Adams and Washington entreated their countrymen to join them in an appeal to heaven for mercy and favor. The fact that an ill-equipped, underfed and numerically inferior Continental Army prevailed over Great Britain's might gives testimony to the reality that Almighty God honored their prayer, fasting and sacrifice. This dependance upon God continued as the nation grew. On April 15, 1799, John Adams once again appealed to the nation to pray and fast.

“This day should be observed throughout the United States of America as a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that the citizens on that day abstain, as far as may be, from their secular occupation, and devote the time to the sacred duties of religion, in public and in private; that they call to mind our numerous offenses against the most high God, confess them before Him with the sincerest penitence, implore his pardoning mercy, through the Great Mediator and Redeemer, for our past transgressions, and that through the grace of His Holy Spirit, we may be disposed and enabled to yield a more suitable obedience to his righteous requisitions in time to come; that He would interpose to arrest the progress of that impiety and licentiousness in principle and practice so offensive to Himself and so ruinous to mankind; that He would make us deeply sensible that “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Decades later, when the nation was facing another national crisis – Civil War – leaders once again called for every American to humble themselves before God and to repent of our errant ways. In one such appeal, Abraham Lincoln designated April 30, 1863, as a national day of fasting and prayer saying:

“We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our own hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own….It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”

Just two months later, the battle of Gettysburg – the battle that turned the tide of war – was fought and won by the Union. But for a few miscalculations and missteps on the Confederate side, it could have easily gone the other way and, frankly, almost did. If that had happened, it might have a precipitated a completely different resolution of the war -- one could have resulted a nation permanently divided into two separate nations. But to those of that era, and even to those of us who view this event in hindsight, the Hand of Divine Providence once again orchestrated the course of history.
Gettysburg wasn’t the end of the war but it certainly was the beginning of the end. Two more war-torn years would drag on before the nation became “one” again -- some might argue it was never restored and remains divided along the same line to this very day. Perhaps that is true, but how different might things have turned out much if the South had prevailed? What if Americans had not humbled themselves before God in advance of that battle? Would the Union have survived without a commitment to prayer and fasting? And then decades later, could two separate, deeply divided nations have been able to prevail against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan?

Unfortunately we are presently divided and, as a result, find ourselves in the midst of another national crisis. In fact, I would say that we are embroiled in another civil war – an uncivil war -- where man contends against his neighbor in a very hostile fashion. This time the enemy is not determined by geography so much as it is philosophy, meaning that your enemy might live next door – or maybe within your own home. America has become toxic and polarized -- socially and politically -- and is very close to a breaking point. In my view, this was made quite evident by the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

And on that note, I'm reminded of what my friend, Brad Scott, used to say -- Words mean things. The Bible says that words have the power of life and death, and so when words are used irresponsibly, they unleash something into the atmosphere that is eventually manifested in the earth. When someone repeatedly calls another “evil,” “Hitler,” “rapist,” “monster,” “dictator” and “a threat to democracy” -- whether you really believe it or not; whether it's political hyperbole or not -- those words are pregnant with power. Words such as these have the potential to result in what we witnessed on live television. Thankfully the intent of those words missed its' target, albeit by a hair's breadth. 

In recognition of that, Trump is quoted as saying, “I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead.... The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle.... by luck or by God. Many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here.“ As for me, I am convinced that God spared Mr. Trump from instant death and for all the world to see. Not only for us to see but, that we might hear what He's trying to say through these tragic events: I believe He is calling us all to repentance.

If the Almighty spared Donald Trump so that he might return to the Presidency, I pray that he will preside with eyes to see the Hand of God on him and this country and will recognize the great responsibility that goes with that. I pray that he will be motivated, not just with the goal of  restoring wealth and power, but by the need to restore morality to the land, and to inspire the people to do what is right in the eyes of God. I pray that his ear has been opened, figuratively speaking, to hear the Voice of Almighty God in a way unlike anything he has yet experienced. And not just him -- but all of us.

Many across the political spectrum are saying it is time to tone down the rhetoric; that we must return to disagreeing with civility. I believe that is needful as well -- but its going to require more than that if we want to continue as a united, prosperous nation. Yes, we should disagree with others in a respectful tone and manner, but as believers, we are compelled to acknowledge that wickedness will never coexist with righteousness. Righteousness should never tolerate wickedness for the sake of cultural relevance or political expediency. What, then, should our response to recent events be?

The events of July 13, 2024 accentuate just how dangerously close we are to an irreversible disaster and how desperate our situation has become. It is very possible that this nation came within a millimeter or two of being plunged into chaos and, who knows, maybe civil war. As for Mr. Trump, my prayer is that he, President Biden and so many others will be transformed by these events and recognize, not just in word but in deed, the necessity of humbling ourselves before the Creator and repenting of our national sins.

It's likely that many of the progressives on the left will scoff and sneer at such a notion -- it's expected. But to be fair, I'm not sure how many on the right really believe that we are in desperate need of God or, if they do, are willing and courageous enough to admit it. And so, regrettably, as this current crisis intensifies, very few are willing to publicly call upon Heaven for guidance because, if they do, they are ridiculed and maligned. But believing that we should diligently seek God for guidance and forgiveness isn't bizarre; it's not evidence of an unstable mind. On the contrary, those who would disdain a desire to seek God’s mercy for the nation have, as Lincoln put it, “vainly imagined … that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.”

Anyone who doesn't recognize the need for national repentance is completely out of touch with the spiritual component of our national heritage. To think we can survive, not to mention thrive, without God is to embrace a mindset that is far removed from that of the majority of our founders. Thankfully, not everyone is following the national trend. Thankfully, some are courageously going against the grain in this regard. Recently, the state legislature of Tennessee, in a joint resolution, called upon all Tennesseans to unite in a season of prayer and fasting. This resolution, in part, says: 

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE CONCURRING, that the period of July 1, 2024, through July 31, 2024, be recognized as a time of prayer and fasting in Tennessee. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we recognize that God, as Creator and King of all Glory, has both the authority to judge and to bless nations or states.... We, as public servants in the Tennessee General Assembly, seek God's Mercy upon our land and beseech Him to not withdraw His Hand of blessing from us. We recognize our sins and shortcomings before Him and humbly ask His Forgiveness. ... we ask the Lord to heal our land... (and) that the Holy Spirit fill our halls of government, our classrooms, our places of business, our churches, and our homes with peace, love, and joy.

May it be that others will follow this example and that the people of this nation would humble themselves, seek His face and pray that our land might be healed.

In light of the upcoming election and the horrifying events that transpired in Butler PA, it should be obvious that America is teetering on the brink of catastrophe; the time for national repentance is now. With all due respect to those who want to make the nation great again, the nation’s problems cannot be solved without the favor, aid and blessing of the Almighty. I have said it for years and will continue to say it: there is no politician, no personality or political philosophy that will, in and of itself, secure the blessings of liberty and bring healing to America and here's why: our primary problem is not political in nature.

Our national ills cannot be defined as being social, economic or even philosophical; our nation has an acute spiritual deficiency and that is why we are in such turmoil politically, economically and otherwise. Former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, commenting on Trump's brush with death said this recently: “I’ll get mocked for saying this, but the battle we’re in is not political, it’s spiritual.” I agree with the governor, and I know that many of you agree as well. We are in the midst of another civil war but this time it isn't about North and South, state's rights or slavery. This war is is about whether or not we have decided to completely turn our back on God. It is war to define America’s soul and consequently, our very existence. 

Though most of the battles will be fought in courtrooms, in state legislatures, in the town square, in churches and millions of homes -- in other words, not necessarily with bullets and bombs -- the stark reality is, actual blood has been drawn. We would be foolish to ignore the possibility of even more bloodshed. There are people in this land who actively seek to rid the country of God and are stepping up efforts to silence those who call upon Him. It is written, “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.” Consequently, if all his other efforts fail to secure his objective, the Godless man will turn to violence to advance a lawless agenda. 

Couple this aggression with the widespread apathy, indifference and inclination to remain silent on the part of others, and the result is a recipe for an explosion of violence across the land. And so it is that the single greatest threat to our national existence is not the Chinese, Putin or Iran. Our greatest foe is not overseas. Our greatest enemy is the one within – the enemy that says “God has no place here.” The enemy that says, “We have no need of God; we can do this ourselves.” The enemy that says, “Let us break His bonds in pieces and cast away His cords from us.” 

President Abraham Lincoln said: “If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher.” I pray that is not the case; I pray that, instead of stumbling headlong into destruction, we would return to the God of our fathers and humble ourselves before Him. If we are to survive our present crisis and be restored as “one nation under God,” then we must look unto the “Author and Finisher of our faith” in humility and with repentant hearts.

Bill Cloud was raised in a traditional Christian home in South Georgia. Yet it was a trip to Israel to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, in 1990, that truly provoked him to become more interested in his faith. It was during this “appointed time” that God gave him a deep love for the land, the people and the language.

Soon thereafter, Bill began learning Hebrew under the tutelage of a local rabbi and has since spent many hours studying, not only the Hebrew text, but the Hebraic roots of Christianity as well. This interest in the language is tied to Bill’s desire to unlock the hidden treasures within the Word of God and to teach them, along with our Hebraic roots, to believers in Messiah. Furthermore, this insight has allowed Bill to better understand the prophetic element of Scripture. As a result of this study, Bill has developed a variety of media resources dealing with prophetic themes as well as teachings related to our lost Hebraic heritage.

Bill is a featured speaker in venues throughout the country and has appeared with notable teachers such as Perry Stone, Jonathan Cahn, Joel Richardson and Hal Lindsay. He has also made several appearances on a variety of television broadcasts seen on different Christian networks throughout the world. Recently Bill, along with his wife, Beth, and their children started a fellowship in the Cleveland TN area.

Through Shoreshim Ministries, Bill and his family strive to re-introduce Christians to the Jewish Yeshua and to educate believers in the Hebraic roots of their faith. As a result of this information, disciples of the Messiah can more accurately interpret end-time events and better discern our role in these last days.
Bill and his family reside in Cleveland, Tennessee.