Psalm 9:17 (KJV) “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
While driving to Southern Illinois yesterday to attend a funeral, I was listening to the radio. I am quickly bored with most of what is on the radio, so I was (as I often do) letting the radio receiver run on scan. Almost immediately, I noticed a funny thing… someone was saying that the President was destroying our economy and our Nation! Then… scan… it is the Republicans who are destroying our economy and our Nation! No wait! Scan… it is the T.E.A. Party that is destroying our economy and our Nation! No one could agree about whom it is that is destroying our economy and our Nation; but, whoever they thought it was, they were very passionate about it!
I began to wonder if any of them had ever read a Bible! If ever there was a Nation who has forgotten God, this Nation is it! This Nation is awash in every imaginable sin, and several that it is difficult to imagine. Oh, I know that this Nation was never a Theocracy, (it was never intended to be a Theocracy) but, there was a period of time when Jesus Christ was honored and respected in this Nation and His people were encouraged – encouraged mind you, not merely tolerated – to worship and serve Him. That is almost all over in this Nation now!
I am well aware that it is not considered culturally acceptable to say that God is pouring His wrath out upon America, but it is true if the culture likes it or not! It is not even acceptable to state this in the majority of so-called churches in our Nation. The American people have approved, or at least allowed, the killing of nearly 50,000,000 babies on the altar of personal choice… we have normalized many forms of sexual perversion… we are awash in filthy talk… calling evil good… and joyously watching these behaviors played out on our movie and TV screens!
How can this happen? We have forgotten Someone! God!
Apparently, some years ago Rev. Billy Graham said, “if God does not judge America for our sins, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!” I do not know if he really said that, or if he quoted it from someone else; but, whoever said it… it could not be more true!
I passionately love my children and my grandchildren. I love the young people in our Church and their families. I love America and I do not want to witness the judgment of God upon her. But, judgment is coming whether I want to see it or not. By the way, the judgment of God is coming upon this Nation whether anyone believes it, or not! The answer – and I believe, the only answer – is simple: win Americans to faith in Jesus Christ, disciple them, stand against evil, and stand up for good!
In the days of the Old Testament Judges, God gave Israel opportunity after opportunity after opportunity until His patience ran out and He gave them over to their enemies. Will you join me in asking God to give US another chance? Will you join me in working to win Americans to Jesus and discipling them in the Christian faith? Will you do what you can to make sure that this Nation remembers the God of the Bible?
I pray that all of us will.
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
CAN GOD BLESS AMERICA AGAIN?
Deuteronomy 28:1-7
1 "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. 3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. 7 The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
Let me be clear, I am thankful beyond words that the sovereign God of the universe chose to place me in the United States of America. I am thankful for the freedoms we still have in this Nation, and I have happily served this Nation for eight years in the Air Force and one year in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. I served two and one-half years of that time overseas including a year in Viet Nam. I love this land, I have given over ten percent of my life to serving her, and I have put my life on the line for her.
Over our two-hundred plus years as a Nation, we have been a very pro-Christian Nation. Of course, we have never been a theocracy, or what could technically be called a “Christian” Nation, but for most of our history our government has been benevolent to those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ. Sadly, in recent years, we have seen this benevolent attitude toward the followers of Jesus Christ slipping away! Since the beginning of the Twentieth Century, America first became post-Christian; and is now becoming anti-Christian.
I tremble when I think of the kind of Nation this Nation will likely be as my children and grandchildren live out their lives. If God does not send a real revival among His people, those who determine to faithfully follow Jesus Christ are going to pay a very high price for their devotion to Him.
Deuteronomy 28, in the context of God’s promises to Israel, clearly shows the conditional nature of God’s blessings upon a people. While I do believe that Israel is uniquely a people of God, I also believe that God’s blessing upon any people is also conditioned upon that people’s obedience to God, His Word, and, upon their faithful keeping of His covenant with them.
This Sunday is July 3rd. No doubt, we, like most churches, will sing patriotic songs, honor those who serve our Nation, and give thanks to God for the blessing of living in the freest Nation on earth. But, we dare not think that we can disobey the commandments of God, scoff at His Word, and expect His continuing blessings upon us.
Let us pray that God will grant us a season of National repentance and pour out His Spirit upon us, our leaders, and our children. Let us pray that the American people will seek to be a people who bless God in all that we do.
To worship America is idolatry! We will not gather on this Lord’s Day, (or any other Lord’s Day) to worship our Nation; we will gather to worship the One True and Living God. May God forgive us, may He awaken us, and may He turn our hearts to worship Him and Him alone! May we live to see the United States of America once again as a pro-Christian Nation!
1 "And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. 3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. 7 The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
Let me be clear, I am thankful beyond words that the sovereign God of the universe chose to place me in the United States of America. I am thankful for the freedoms we still have in this Nation, and I have happily served this Nation for eight years in the Air Force and one year in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. I served two and one-half years of that time overseas including a year in Viet Nam. I love this land, I have given over ten percent of my life to serving her, and I have put my life on the line for her.
Over our two-hundred plus years as a Nation, we have been a very pro-Christian Nation. Of course, we have never been a theocracy, or what could technically be called a “Christian” Nation, but for most of our history our government has been benevolent to those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ. Sadly, in recent years, we have seen this benevolent attitude toward the followers of Jesus Christ slipping away! Since the beginning of the Twentieth Century, America first became post-Christian; and is now becoming anti-Christian.
I tremble when I think of the kind of Nation this Nation will likely be as my children and grandchildren live out their lives. If God does not send a real revival among His people, those who determine to faithfully follow Jesus Christ are going to pay a very high price for their devotion to Him.
Deuteronomy 28, in the context of God’s promises to Israel, clearly shows the conditional nature of God’s blessings upon a people. While I do believe that Israel is uniquely a people of God, I also believe that God’s blessing upon any people is also conditioned upon that people’s obedience to God, His Word, and, upon their faithful keeping of His covenant with them.
This Sunday is July 3rd. No doubt, we, like most churches, will sing patriotic songs, honor those who serve our Nation, and give thanks to God for the blessing of living in the freest Nation on earth. But, we dare not think that we can disobey the commandments of God, scoff at His Word, and expect His continuing blessings upon us.
Let us pray that God will grant us a season of National repentance and pour out His Spirit upon us, our leaders, and our children. Let us pray that the American people will seek to be a people who bless God in all that we do.
To worship America is idolatry! We will not gather on this Lord’s Day, (or any other Lord’s Day) to worship our Nation; we will gather to worship the One True and Living God. May God forgive us, may He awaken us, and may He turn our hearts to worship Him and Him alone! May we live to see the United States of America once again as a pro-Christian Nation!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)