That’s My America
2 Chron 7:14
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. NKJV
This verse is not only God’s message to Solomon for Israel, it is also God’s message for us today and America.
George Washington made this statement in his FIRST presidential proclamation on Oct. 3, 1789: “It is the Duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God.”
He also said: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.
Patrick Henry said: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Tom Clark, Associate Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court said: “Our Founding Fathers believed devoutly that there was a God and that the inalienable rights of man were rooted – not in the state, nor the legislature, nor in any other human power – but in God alone.”
These words express the America I know and have grown up in.
That’s My America
AMERICA is not only a nation founded by Godly people, it is a nation that is unique among all nations. This nation is the only nation where you can rise from poverty to the highest position you desire to obtain.
Do you recognize this individual:
In Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, a little boy named Gordon was only a few weeks old when he was abandoned by his parents. Within weeks the little boy was adopted by John and Mary, an evangelical preacher, and his wife. Attending church, family prayer, and the daily reading of the bible was a great part of little Gordon’s life.
• He had no contact with his natural parents or his sister or two brothers since he was abandoned. He said this could have been worse, he could have been aborted.
• He graduated form San Diego State University where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
• He had one of the longest marriages of any celebrity in America
• He and his wife Lois, had five children
• As a good friend of Walt Disney, he spoke at the opening of Disney Land in 1955 and at the age of 93 he also helped celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2005
• His daughter Diane died on Oct. 4, 1969 by jumping out of her sixth floor kitchen window – after having a flashback from an LSD trip
• His son Robert died in an automobile accident
• He authored over 16 books and recorded one record entitled, We Love You Call Collect
Wealth and fame was his but that was not what he desired. Art Linkletter just wanted to the world to know that Kids Say the Darndest Things.
SHOW VIDEO: Kids Say the Darndest Things
SHOW PICTURE OF ART LINKLETTER
Art Linkletter will be remembered with other successful men that feared God.
Men such as the man who started this store:
SHOW JC PENNY STORE
Do you recognize this Logo?
SHOW JC PENNY LOGO
This is the man (SHOW JC PENNY) that started as a stock clerk and built and empire – continuing to teach his Sunday Class and also giving devotions on his own radio program.
Another man with the same reverence for God started this store:
SHOW MACY’S DEPT STORE
This is the man (SHOW R H MACY) who invented the department store.
I could also tell you of those who fell from a high position to total failure in AMERICA but I would rather introduce two other people that were a part of the AMERICA I like to think of. That’s why I say:
That’s My America
Do you recognize this individual:
He was born to a large farming family. His father was an alcoholic and died when Lyman was only 4 years old.
• At his father’s death he had 5 older brothers and 1 younger sister
• A twin brother and sister were born one month after his fathers death
• His mother could not support the family all except the new born twins were sent off to work for their room and board
• When he turned 17, he moved to Boston to work in his uncle’s shoe store
• One of his uncle’s requirements was that he attend church
• One day a Sunday School teacher talked to him about how much God loved him and he accepted Christ as his Savior
• He decided to join the church but his first application was rejected
• He was not allowed membership for one year
• He moved to Chicago and became an active member of the Congregational Church
• He began to minister to sailors, gamblers and thieves through a Sunday School class he had begun
• Within a year his Sunday School class had an average attendance of 650
• In 1871 Ira D. Sankey became his music director and assisted Dwight L. Moody minister to thousands all over the world
SHOW PICTURE OF DWIGHT L MOODY
The AMERICA that God created – and hear me – God created AMERICA
Our Founding Fathers came to form a nation that would allow freedom of worship.
What better country for a Holy Ghost outpouring than AMERICA!
That’s My America
If there can be a Holy Ghost outpouring in Jerusalem – where worship was organized and orchestrated by the priest – there can be a Holy Ghost outpouring in AMERICA again Today.
Let me ask you – WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO START A HOLY GHOST OURPOURING IN AMERICA TODAY?
Think about.
There can’t be a HOLY GHOST OUTPOURING unless you start it.
What did our text say?
2 Chron 7:14
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. NKJV
I think the men and women who came to AMERICA were humble people. They were praying people. They sought God.
They were moral and decent people who turned from their wicked ways believing that God would hear them.
What do you believe?
Do you believe we need to humble ourselves? SAY AMEN!
Do you know what the Hebrew definition of Humble is?
- To bend the knee
- To bow in REVERENCE and RESPECT to GOD
- Then we need to PRAY
Do you believe we need to PRAY? SAY AMEN!
- This PRAY is not making intercession or request – it means to consider the circumstances; take thought of everything that is going on; carefully consider things
- We seldom do this before we talk to GOD
Then we are told to “seek My face”
Do you believe we need to SEEK HIS FACE? SAY AMEN!
- That is when we start making supplication / petition / talking to God
- We SEEK his ATTENTION / His PRESENCE
Do you believe we need to TURN FROM OUT WICKED WAYS? SAY AMEN!
- Wicked ways is defined in Hebrew as
- Turn from your ADVERSITY / AFFLICTION / CALAMITY / EVIL / GRIEF / HURT / MISCHIEF
- Turn from that which you are doing that causes ADVERSITY / AFFLICTION / CALAMITY / EVIL / GRIEF / HURT / MISCHIEF
ONLY THEN WILL THERE BE AN OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
ONLY THEN WILL GOD
- Hear from Heaven
- Forgive Sin
- Heal the Land
Are you ready for an OUTPOURING of the HOLY SPIRIT?
Then –
2 Tim 1:6
stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. KJV
REKINDLE the gift of God that you received by the laying on of hands
That’s My America
Where you have the FREEDOM to experience the gift of God?
There are nations around this WORLD that do not have the FREEDOM to experience the gift of God – They have to hide their experience
In 1950, Supreme Court Justice William Douglas wrote in one opinion the following words:
We are a religious people – whose institutions pre-suppose a supreme being.
We should place emphasis on being RELIGIOUS people.
2 Tim 1:6
stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. KJV
Not only do our FREEDOMS allow us to do this – AMERICA needs us to do this – AMEN????
He was born on a dairy from near Charlotte, North Carolina.
- He was raised in the Presbyterian church by his parents
- He was not interested in church while attending the Presbyterian church
- But as a teenager - during an old time Revival meeting conducted by Mordecai Ham – he was saved
- He attended Bob Jones College but was told he would never amount to much as a minister
- He transferred to a private evangelical college in Florida
- While attending college he would often row a small boat to an island down the river and preach to the animals and return to the taunting of other students
- In 1949, his crusade in Los Angeles originally planned for 3 weeks lasted 8 weeks and Billy Graham became known around the world
SHOW PICTURE OF BILLY GRAHAM
That’s My America
Where the Spirit is free to reign in anyone who will HUMBLE themselves and PRAY and SEEK HIS FACE and TURN FROM EVIL -
The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected. William O. Douglas
