The Making of a Great America Where...

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

Are "Republican" & "Christianity" Synonomous?

1 Timothy 6:17-18 “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.” James 1:27 (NIV) “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Proverbs 14:31 “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” Proverbs 19:17 “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Proverbs 22:9 “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” Proverbs 28:27 “Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.” Proverbs 31:8-9 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” The Bible says the rich should be “rich in good works, ready to distribute.” That we all should care for widows, orphans, and the poor. Trump has turned these principles upside down and perverted them. Any Republican WON’T do. Be a Republican but stop equating Trumpism with Christianity.

Book Excerpt

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

These are excerpts from the chapter "Any Republican Will Do:"

When I considered Romney, I thought he represented a new type of Republican, one whose main focus was the economy and the interests of the wealthy. For me, he was the embodiment of the "any Republican will do" mentality. For the first time, I abstained in the vote for President; I didn't check a box. I could not, at that time, cast a vote for President Obama because of his stance on abortion, but I also couldn't get enthusiastic about the "any Republican will do" candidate, Mitt Romney.

The Republican Party seems determined to go down with the sinking ship, taking anyone on the ballot with an "R" next to his or her name down with it...

Jeff Flake said something else that I found very telling. He said, "There is no love for the President among Senate Republicans, and they aspire to do more than answer questions about his every tweet and issue. But they know this is the President's party and the bargain's been made." I asked myself what's the bargain? Here’s my conclusion: if you keep proving that you can win, we will back you no matter what you do because for Republicans winning is all that matters.

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

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Ivan G Thompson