Once again I will interrupt our series, Who is this Jesus? (from the perspective of John) for this Independence Day presentation. We will resume that series next week. I hope you enjoy today’s presentation.
As we enter our 241st Independence Day celebration, I hope it is a time when we all reflected on the true meaning of this day, and take time to thank God and a Veteran for the privilege of living in a country that is free. As we partake of various parades, concerts, festivals, family BBQs, perhaps even a memorial service or a patriotic speech, I hope the truth of this statement, “freedom isn’t free” becomes ablaze in your heart and inspires you to embrace it as a “gift” rather than a bumper-sticker slogan.
Unfortunately these are perilous times in which we are living, and freedom itself seems to be in jeopardy. Contributing culprits include today’s hostile political climate; A Liberal-Progressive agenda that will stop at nothing to achieve its end; a world news that tells us we are facing a formidable foe that hates us and wants to destroy us; our country’s economic uncertainty; and the sense of despair that sets in when we are not sure what to believe or who to trust. Now couple that with the downward spiral of our culture’s moral values and it’s easy to see how all of these factors can contribute to a sense of uneasiness…even hopelessness.
But the good news is…we don’t have to look at the world through that lens. Oh yes, those issues are today’s reality, but I believe if we look up for a solution rather than down at the cesspool in which we are standing, we can find hope. I’m still an optimist, so when we stand on the only truth that will never forsake us, I believe we can become energized once again as individuals and as a nation.
I love America. I believe in America. I was proud to serve my country, and I still believe that with all our faults and shortcomings, America is the greatest country the world has ever seen. It was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and the founding fathers even bowed in prayer on April 30, 1789 at St. Paul’s Chapel to consecrate this new nation’s future to God. No other nation in modern times has been so blessed, but to whom much is given, much is expected.
Throughout the Bible, God has spoken through prophets and delivered a Proclamation to both man and nations. That Proclamation was always the same: “Repent! Turn from your sin and turn to God.” (ie. Ezekiel 18:21-23) I believe the psalmist David not only captured the heart of God in Psalm 37, but when superimposed over our present day malaise, it should give us nothing but hope for our future. It tells us not to worry about the evil we see around us, but to patiently trust the Lord. He is sovereign, and we who believe in Him will prosper and the wicked will stand in judgment for their evil ways. Let’s enjoy verses 1-11:
“Don’t worry about the wicked. Don’t envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like springtime flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop your anger! Turn from your rage! Do not envy others – it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
In a little while, the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone.
Those who are gentle and lowly will possess the land; they will live in prosperous security.
The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance.
But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.
I know it’s easy to look around and see the dramatic changes that define America today and ask yourself, “how did we ever get in this mess?” Truth be told…there are as many opinions and answers to that question as there are people asking the question. But let’s look at just one Biblical principle that can provide one answer on many levels.
Throughout the Bible when God’s chosen people (the Israelites) were in line with his will, he blessed them. When they were not following His will for their lives, there was calamity in many forms: famines, floods, earthquakes, pestilence, wars etc. There are two sets of scripture that specifically address the above situation. Romans 1:25, 28, 32: “ Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies…When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. They were fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway.” And concerning his covenant with a nation, we are told in Jeremiah 18: 9-10: “But if I announce that I will build up and plant a certain nation or kingdom, making it strong and great, but then the nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless that nation as I had said I would.”
Do you get any clue from those scriptures concerning America’s standing in terms of fulfilling God’s purpose? To me the scripture from Jeremiah could not be clearer. America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Therefore the removal of prayer and the Ten Commandments from its public life would most certainly be out of line with God’s will. Add to that the 55 million aborted babies since Roe vs Wade in 1973; our acceptance of sexual immorality as the new norm; and our tolerance for lying, cheating and stealing as “just the way it is today”, and it isn’t difficult to see why God would be grieved by our disobedience. All one has to do is backtrack through the Bible and look at the history of nations that have ignored God’s Proclamation. That little excursion can give us ample reason to be concerned about the direction of our country.
But the good news can be found in 2Chronicles, 7:14: “then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” James 2:10 also gives us reason to be hopeful: “If you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.” In my mind our calling is clear.
1John 4:4 reminds all Christ-followers of our identity in Christ. “He (the Holy Spirit) that is in me is greater than he (satan) that is in this world. When addressing the holy people in Ephesus who were struggling with their culture, Apostle Paul clearly points out satan’s activities in Ephesians 2:2, 4: “You used to live like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life…through Jesus Christ.”
As Christ-followers we are called to carry His message of truth into the world and to be his shining light in on the hill. When we call on the Holy Spirit to empower us with his wisdom, strength, courage and patience, we can fulfill that calling and resist the enemy in these evil times. His Word says He will bless our effort as we continue to stand up for the same freedom that was endowed by the Creator himself! Therefore, if there was ever a time for intercessory prayer, it is now.
I believe our role is to pray for revelation and enlightenment in the mind and hearts of those who want to steer us away from the Judeo-Christian principles on which our great country was founded. I don’t believe the answer will be found in a Republican, Democrat, or Independent, but rather through the miracle of enlightenment and repentance. My hope is that all Christ-followers will stand on that truth and answer His call, because in my opinion, our country needs to hear His Proclamation every bit as much today as Nineveh did a few thousand years ago… and we all know what happened at Nineveh, right? I believe our great country too can be transformed and restored to its former greatness. Why? Because “nothing is impossible with God!” (Luke 1:37), and because God DID bless America.
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May God bless you, and Happy July 4th, 2017!.
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
From an Old Viet Nam Combat Veteran- Brother Dan the nail on the head and his insight is amazing, God Has Blessed me and my family where everything else and everyone else has failed, if it wasn’t for the Lord and his goodness i wouldn’t have made it thus far, His Goodness is lasing forever. God Bless America Iam proud to have served and iam proud to be a Christian — James Kirkwood USAF retired