Listen to Billy Graham

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Ivan G Thompson

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The Making of a Great America Where the Church and the Founding Fathers Fell Short

Religion & Spirituality

synopsis

Synopsis
"Make America Great Again" has quickly become one of the most divisive phrases in our nation. It most certainly begs the questions when was America great, what things made it great, and what things need to be done to restore its greatness? The answers to the questions above have driven me back to study the Founding Fathers' vision of America and what they set out to achieve. I am a born-again Christian. As such, I share the belief that America's greatness is inextricably connected to its foundational aim, as expressed in the pledge of allegiance, to be "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." I know that for non-Christians, these words may have a myriad of interpretations. This book is not written for them. This book is written for those who profess the lordship of Jesus Christ and acknowledge the inerrant doctrinal authority of the Bible: 2 Tim 3:16 (NKJV) "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Pet 1:16, 20-21 (NKJV) "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty…knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Scriptural principles reflected in the pledge of allegiance were valid long before it was created and are still relevant today. As I study the Founding Father's application of these principles; however, I believe that they did not go far enough in their pursuit of the tenets of liberty and justice for all. Though these Founding Fathers were great visionaries, likely the greatest visionaries our country has ever known, their revelation of God's plan for our nation was incomplete. I will show in this book how the Founding Fathers had difficulty extending the application of these principles outside themselves (British settlers). They had difficulty extending these principles to native Americans, enslaved Africans and even to other European immigrants (Irish, German, etc.) Why would I go to the trouble of pointing this out? I do so to point out that many of the issues that we are dealing with today (division along racial lines, racism, distrust of immigrants) are not new issues. Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NKJV) says, "That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." The central point of this book is that America will never achieve the greatness that God envisioned if today's leaders in government and the church make the same mistakes as the leaders of America at the time of the Founding Fathers.

bio

Author Biography

Ivan is a seasoned author with over 35 published titles. His books are available on Amazon.com, and many are available as audiobooks on Audible.com. Ivan’s Christian books give Scriptural advice on such topics as being a Christian in the workplace, being a better father, discovering your purpose, finding the “Next” step in your purpose, God’s healing power, growing in confidence, recovering from brokenness and increasing your skills and abilities in any area. Several of these books and audiobooks are also available in Spanish.
Ivan’s three exceptional books about diversity in the Air Force books have garnered rave reviews and are available on Amazon (one also on Audible). Ivan has over 25 years of experience consulting, conducting senior leadership off-sites, and strategic planning sessions. He served as Deputy Director of the Defense Business Practice Implementation Board. As the Deputy, he helped facilitate Task Groups for the Secretary of Defense comprised of senior DoD civilians and retired and active Fortune 500 CEOs.
Ivan is also a singer/songwriter, actor, business consultant, and inventor. He is a retired Air Force officer with five adult children and resides in New York City. He graduated with military distinction and as the Outstanding Cadet in Organizational Behavior from the United States Air Force Academy in 1986 and earned his Master’s in Management from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1995.

Follow Ivan on Instagram/Tik Tok at ivanlive360 or on Twitter at Ivan Thompson.

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Author Insight

Listen to Billy Graham

I wrote the first book in this series wondering if the people I had identified with since I was 18, Republicans and Christians, would vote for Trump again in 2020. How, with everything we discovered about Trump in his first term, could they support him in 2020? Trump’s withholding aid from Ukraine and his first impeachment were at the forefront of politics. Who knew then that Trump’s withholding of aid from Ukraine could play a factor in the invasion of Ukraine? Who could’ve foreseen stolen election claims, election tampering, a second impeachment, and incitement of an insurrection? The Republican party has fallen off a cliff, into a ditch, and down a deep hole. But what about Christians? Will they continue to try to prop up Trump as a man of character, integrity, and family values? “Since 2016, CPAC has been a celebration of all things Donald Trump and all things MAGA. I myself have sat in the ‘press’ section of the conference area of the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland and marveled at the extent to which Matt and Mercedes Schlapp had hitched their wagon to Trump’s ‘star.’ Well, that was three elections ago…But Trump will not go quietly, nor will CPAC, despite evidence that perhaps the Republican Party would be better off without them.”https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/03/donald-trump-cpac-ron-desantis

Book Excerpt

The Making of a Great America Where the Church and the Founding Fathers Fell Short

This is an excerpt from the chapter "Any Republican Will Do":

Billy Graham was a spiritual advisor to President Nixon when Watergate erupted. The things that came out during the investigation caught him by surprise. He told Christianity Today in January 2011 that he wishes he hadn't been so political during parts of his career, "I also would have steered clear of politics. I'm grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places; people in power have spiritual and personal needs like everyone else, and often they have no one to talk to. But looking back I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I wouldn't do that now."

I believe today's Christian leaders could benefit from the wisdom that Billy Graham gained in his dealings with the White House. It is also my hope that Christian leaders would cease to be silent on the moral character and misconduct of the President. Many of our national leaders have "crossed the line," as Billy Graham said and used their pulpits, television shows, and other avenues to support/endorse and prematurely pardon the President.

Even after his impeachment, many Christian leaders stand firmly in support of the president. In doing so, they have diminished the credibility of their position by holding the "any Republican will do flag" higher than the ideals and values they teach from the Bible.
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Ivan G Thompson

The Making of a Great America Where the Church and the Founding Fathers Fell Short

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

Book Excerpt

The Making of a Great America Where the Church and the Founding Fathers Fell Short

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