Introduction
-Jesus warned us that in end times there would be wars and rumors of wars. According to the JCTV show Ask God, one person per minute dies in wars in the world today. That is men, women, children, all of the soldiers and the “collateral damage.”
-The Bible warns us abortion is murder. Since 1973 over 47.000,000 babies have been butchered in the name of “freedom”, and it averages 1 in four deaths is an abortion.
-The Bible says blessed is the nation whose Lord is God, but according to our President, Barak “Insane” Obama:
Obama, June 28, 2006 (as delivered): Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation – at least, not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.[i]
It is amazing how far we have fallen from the times of the Pilgrims and the Mayflower compact till now:
In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc.
Having undertaken, for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together into a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini 1620[ii]
Can God save America? Yes, but He will not start there.
Where Does God Begin?
Judgment
If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; (2 Chronicles 7:13)
-He begins with judgment. No rain: a judgment of sin, Locust devouring the land, a judgment of Egypt, Pestilence: but the call does not go out to the world.
A Call to His People
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
-If My People Who Are Called by my Name
This referred to Israel in the Old Testament no doubt, but whom now bears the name of the Lord God in their hearts and souls: The Christian, think about it even the name Christ-an means “little Christ.”
So the main question is: are we His? Are we even attempting to fulfill all the things God wants for us? Are we living the normal Christian life or the nominal Christian life? (Nominal means in name only). Do we take the name of God in vain by claiming to be His while just doing our own thing? We need to choose, will we serve God or man?
Because God gives us a choice here, we do not have to do any of this, He does say if: if my people. We have a choice in front of us just as God had given to the children of Israel many years ago:
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deuteronomy 30:19)
We need to choose. Choose what kind of life we want, what kind of nation we want.
-Shall Humble Themselves
If we refuse to humble ourselves we are without hope.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)
Humble-NT:5013 tapeinoo (tap-i-no’-o); from NT:5011; to depress; figuratively, to humiliate (in condition or heart): KJV - abase, bring low, humble (self).[iii]
If we humble ourselves, put ourselves under the authority of God He will lift us up but if we insist on doing it all by our ourselves and for our own glory God will not interfere with our will. He resists the proud but He will lift up the humble.
One sign of the humble spirit is the understanding we cannot do it all ourselves. We need to leave our troubles at the feet of Jesus, casting our cares upon Him. The trouble is we cast like we are fishermen (we toss out our habits but no Lord, we can handle them and we take them back in and try to deal with it ourselves. That family situation that we keep leaving at God’s feet and taking it back up again, leave it there!) We throw it out then we reel it back in and as long as we continue doing that we tie God’s hands. We need to let God be God and let Him deal in the situations we cannot.
-Pray
Not an option. God said and pray but humility comes first for without it our prayers do not leave the ceiling:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:10-14)
-The Pharisee prayed with himself. God was not in his prayer. And see how good he was, shouldn’t God have been impressed?
-Humility, repentance touch the heart of God, not our accomplishments. Realizing the sinner he was the publican threw himself on the mercy of God and he was forgiven.
-Seek My Face
We have a problem in America. I remember in the ministry I currently serve in, there was a question asked in one of the chapters of Revelation and it asked: are we like the Church in Philadelphia and why? Short answer is no, we are more like Ephesus who left their first love.
We are more like Laodicea who has a name that we live and are dead. We have much in material things and think we have much but we are blind, poor and retched.
You see we as Americans by enlarge have come to the point where we seek the blessings and not the Blesser. We need to have the luxury car and the 5000 sq. ft. house and if we don’t have this we are not blessed of God and there is a problem with our faith. No there is not, not that it is a bad thing to have nice things as long as the nice things do not have you. Everything we own is either a tool or an idol and we need to make sure that they are tools for God to use for His glory.
-Turn From Their Wicked Ways
I can stand here and preach: we need to change and everyone would say Amen! I could stand here and say nobody is perfect and change is needed and everybody would say Amen!
But let me say: God needs to deal with your anger, your pride, and your greed and now I am not preaching, I am medalling in your affairs.
The fact is God needs us to change, and we are so busy looking at the faults in others God cannot get our attention to change us where we need changing. It starts with the man in the mirror, asking him to change his ways.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:28-29)
So as we go through our lives and our trails and temptations we can learn what God needs us to learn to become more like His Son or we can keep going through these trials over and over again.
So we humble ourselves to God, pray to Him, seek God’s face he will show us the things we need to give up, where we need to change. And we need to be willing to make those changes.
God’s Response
Once we have done our part, then God does His.
-Hear From Heaven
God cannot hear us if we have willful, unconfessed sin in our lives.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: (Psalms 66:18)
If you love your sinful ways so much that you will not turn from them then God cannot hear your prayers but if we turn to our Heavenly Father, forsaking our sinful ways, not desiring to sin anymore. (as Charles Spuergon use to say: I play all the cards I want to, I go to the theater as much as I want to, I drink as much as I want to, but I don’t want to! We need to ask God to change our wanter! It is not we do not sin anymore but the desire of our hearts should change).
-Forgive Their Sins
If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9
Part of the plan of God is to forgive our sins. They are no longer on our account; Jesus paid the price for them all on Cavalry. We have to accept His salvation and His forgiveness. We can go about living defeated lives because even though we have accepted His wonderful gift of salvation we refuse to forgive ourselves because our sin is too awful and does not deserve to be forgiven. I got good news for you if you are saved today: it is too late, He has already forgiven you and there is not a thing you can do about it so you need to go ahead and forgive yourself.
-Heal Their Land
Now we get around to the healing of the land, all the wrongs being made right so yes God can save America but he will start with His church.
I am not talking about the sanctuaries around America but the church, His people. One at a time as they seek after Him for the revival needed in this nation.
-So What Can I Do?
So what can I do, after all I am only one person? So was Jonathan Edwards, so was DL Moody, so was Billy Sunday. Do not sell yourself short, but start at the beginning:
-Are you saved? If you are not you are missing the whole point. You cannot be revived unless you are alive in the first place. I got good news for you: God loves you just as you are and He wants to save you now. If that is the desire of your heart, why not come down now and I would love to introduce you to my Jesus.
-Maybe like me you fall short in one or more of the areas we have discussed today. Lack of humility, of prayer life, not seeking after the right things, a stubborn unwillingness to turn from sin to God. Whatever our situation is we need to turn from it to God and the alter is open to you. We cannot expect to see America change if we are unwilling to.
Pray for our nation and our leaders. Vote for responsible candidates that will reflect our Christian values. We need to do right if the stars fall (as one famous preacher once said).
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[i] Barak Obama from FactCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_obama_say_we_are_no_longer.html
[ii]The Mayflower Compact Text, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower_Compact#Text_of_the_Mayflower_Compact
[iii] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.
