[Darris McNeely] The last presidential debate of the election season was held last night (Monday, October 22, 2012), and perhaps the most important question that was asked of both candidates was "What is the greatest national security threat to the United States of America today?" Both candidates answered by identifying Iran and its drive to obtain a nuclear weapon, the continued threat of terrorism around the world, especially Islamic terrorism, and then the economic problems that America and also the West are currently enduring as a very severe threat to national security as well. All of these are true, but are they the biggest national security threat to the United States of America? I don't think so.

[Steve Myers] I think he set the scene here for something that's so important. Sometimes we look at so many peripherals, the things surrounding issues, that we really miss the key to solving that issue. We see the symptoms, but we really don't get right down to the cause. And they missed the cause when it comes to our national security threats. They missed it.

[Darris McNeely] The answer to the question is - "What is the biggest national security threat to America?" - is America's moral decay and moral slide. The problems we are facing morally in this country are being exported to the world and are having an impact in all parts of the world. Perhaps two of the most important ones that are always front and center in the national debate deal with abortion and the threat to traditional, biblically defined roles of marriage - both topics that we have covered extensively on BT Dailies and Beyond Today television programs.

[Steve Myers] Yeah and as you look at that, you cannot deny the fact that these are at the heart of the issue. The candidates seem to come back to economics. Yeah, we can't protect ourselves unless we have the funds to do it. Boy, that is just wrong thinking when you really get down to how to look at a problem from God's point of view. 

[Darris McNeely] And any nation that claims to be under God, or claims to be worshipping the God of Abraham that is defined in Scriptures cannot ignore the very plain teaching of Deuteronomy chapter 28 in two verses that we can just focus on here that mention this. It says in verse 1 that, "It shall come to pass that if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God to observe carefully all His commandments, which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth" (Deuteronomy 28:1). And he goes on here to define those blessings and how God will protect, care for, and provide for a nation under Him. And in verse 7 he says, "The Lord will cause your enemies to rise against you to be defeated before your face. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways" (Deuteronomy 28:7). The problems from enemies externally, such as Iran, terrorism, and even the internal problems are addressed in this section as well in Deuteronomy 28, would be taken care of if we had these moral issues in line with the commandments and the teachings of God.

[Steve Myers] If you were to say that just a little bit differently, there's just a very short Proverb. You go over to the Proverbs it says basically the same thing. But in Proverbs 14:34 here's what it says, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." It's getting right down to the heart of morality and what governs our thinking. And if it's not God at the center of our lives - that's what exalts us when we follow Him, if we don't then we're a reproach.

[Darris McNeely] America and many other parts of today's world are at a crossroads. The American election, less than two weeks away now, is just one part of this dynamic that is working in the world and among the nations at this time to produce a tipping point perhaps of problems and issues that unless there's a national turn of repentance and turning back to God, the very national security of this nation and many other Western nations are at stake.

[Steve Myers] So if it doesn't happen in our nation, we better make sure it happens personally for us that we find our personal security in God.

[Darris McNeely] That's BT Daily. Join us next time.