America, Bless God!
1st Chronicles 16:11,12.
This week has been one full of controversy. The ninth circuit court of the United States ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States is unconstitutional because of the words "under God". In this ruling they did not quote the constitution, but quoted former decisions by the courts. This sparked an interest in me as well as “firing me up”, and I did a little reading. I discovered that no where in the constitution does it say “separation of state and church”. The constitution keeps the government from setting up a national religion but does not prohibit the worship of God in public. Also I learned that the judges do not serve for life as people would have you believe. The constitution says that they are to serve as long as they are men of good behavior. To quote some old cases, as the court did, judges have been impeached for cursing in the court, for public drunkenness and other behavior issues. I believe that acting irresponsible as they have done this past week, acting against majority approval, is reason to begin impeachment hearings against these judges. The man who instigated this ruling claims that he did not want his daughter to be coerced into believing in God because she said those words reciting the pledge. I wish that two words could coerce the belief in God. If that were the case we would have a nation full of Christians. Since September 11, 2001 I have heard millions of people recite the pledge but I have not heard of millions turning to a belief in God. That is what we really need today to secure our nation and restore it to favor with God. We need to remember that in only 200 yrs we have become the greatest nation in the world because we were a nation “Under God.” We also must look at history and see from the nation of Israel that no matter how great you are when you feel you don’t need God anymore and turn to other gods then the judgment of God can fall, and you as an individual and collectively as a nation will fall. As the scripture says we need to remember His marvelous works, His Judgment, and to seek his face. In reality we need a revival to fall upon our land. We have had two wake up calls,
(Illustrate with story of drowning man) “ I sent a boat and a helicopter”
What are we waiting for? If we do not return unto God we will drown in our sins. “Seek the Lord” is the answer and we can do that by:
Facing our sins.
The first thing that this nation needs is for people to quit dodging the issue of sin. We try to cover it by renaming it but in the eyes of God, Sin is sin
Homosexuality---It is not another acceptable lifestyle, it is sin.
Abortion----It is not a persons choice, it is sin.
Profanity----It is not modern language, it is Sin.
Vanity seems to be the sin of the day.
This is evidenced by the self help market.
Materialism rules the lives of our people.
Nike, Tommy, Calvin Klein
We need to turn away from our sins.
a. The need for repentance. (Illustrate) Who is General Jackson?
General Andrew Jackson left his home, Heritage, one evening and went to into Nashville for a Methodist Convention meeting. Preaching at this meeting was the evangelist Peter Cartwright. Now the pastor that organized this meeting had some qualms about having Cartwright for a speaker because he was unconventional, it was said that he had knocked people down and drug them to the alter. Anyway the Pastor asked him to come and speak because he was very popular. The service started and Preacher Cartwright began speaking when in the back there was a stir, coming in the door and leaning against a pole was General Andrew Jackson. The pastor tried to get Peter’s attention, he whispered, “General Jackson is here,” Peter continued on without a pause when again, a little louder, the Pastor said, “General Jackson is here!
At this point Peter Cartwright spoke these words, “Who is General Jackson? If he doesn’t repent and get his soul converted God will damn his soul to hell as an unconverted pagan.”
It was suggested that Bro Cartwright get out of town and as for away as possible because General Jackson was notorious for his violent temper. Instead, Cartwright took a meeting next to heritage. General Andrew Jackson had peter Cartwright for Supper.
We need to quit avoiding repentance. God has promised us that he will hear our prayers and that because of the redeeming power of the blood of Christ, and His marvelous grace, he will forgive our sins but he requires a little something from us. That something is for us to admit that we are wrong and to turn away from the things that are not right when measured by the Word of God.
We want to be saved but we try to justify our lifestyle and continue along without change.
We want to avoid repenting and move on but that will not cure the problem, the problem of sin has to be dealt with.
It is told of a boy, Jimmy, who had trouble pronouncing his “r”s. His teacher, trying to help him, gave him a sentence: Robert gave Richard a rap in the rib for roasting the rabbit too rare. She told Jimmy to go home and to practice saying the sentence over and over until he could say it without trouble. After a few days she asked jimmy to repeat the sentence for her. Jimmy, without hesitation, said,” Bob gave Dick a poke in the side for not cooking the bunny enough.”
There are a lot of people today ---including Christians----who go to great lengths to avoid the “R” of repentance.
“If my people will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14
We need to seek God!
He will hear us Rev 3: 20 Jesus says, “I will Hear”.
He will forgive us, Acts 16: 31 says, “ …. believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved….”
He will give us power to be victorious, The Bible teaches, II Timothy 1:7, “ God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Conclusion
We should be out raged at current events. Our great nation is a nation or as Benjamin Franklin referred to it an empire and this empire is founded and was built on Christian principles. Now, it seems, we are getting further and further away from those principles. Why? It is because we are getting further and further away from God in our lives. The strength of this nation lies in its relationship with God. Dan Cathey of Chik-fil-let made the statement that he was a Christian and ran his business according to Biblical principles but that his business was not a Christian business because it was an entity. The point he was trying to make is that the position of the company concerning Christ depended on the people in the company and their relationship with Christ. This holds true for the United States of America. It in itself cannot have a relationship with God for it is only an entity that exists because of the agreement of the people. Man that was created in God’s image is the only creature with the ability to commune with God. It was man, you and me that God loved so much that he watched His only begotten Son die for. It was us that victory over death was claimed by Jesus in His resurrection. It is us that Jesus, sitting on the right hand of the father, makes intercession for. Have you called on him? In Rev. 3:20 Jesus states, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” To be “One Nation Under God” We must be individuals “UNDER GOD”.
“Seek the Lord and his strength, seek His face continually”
