Let this be for You a Memorial
Independence Day 2006
Text: Leviticus 23:23-25
Was this a prophecy of America’s day of celebrating it’s independence? “Seventh month”, “first day” – okay, it’s close. “It’s a day off” “blowing trumpets” – okay, it’s not exactly a piccolo and drum, “you shall offer an offering of fire” – FIRE WORKS!!! Could it be!..... No but it is a Jewish memorial. The Books of the Old Testament are filled with passages where God is telling someone to write something down, set up a feast or stack up some stones “as a memorial”.
See, God knows us all to well. He knows that our memory, once just like His, perfect and everlasting – but now permanently damaged from the overdose of that “apple” – sometimes needs some help remembering. And it seems like the farther each generation has gotten from the garden the worse our memory has gotten. And America, today, is about as far as one could get from remembering some things. We need a renewal of some memorials.
Take our flag. “It’s just an emblem” “a symbol”. Not according to the , U.S. Code, Title 36 Section 176, Respect for the flag “The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing."
Yet this week, in the Land of the Free, 34 of our Senators could not muster the backbone to protect her from being turned into some rock star’s cloak or the kindling for some activist’s fiery protest. What does it say about some of our elected leaders who are so afraid to stand for our beloved country that they hide behind “freedom of speech” – Freedom that hundreds of thousands have given their lives to protect, just so a few can play with fire!
There are some other facts that are being forgotten today; Facts that are being written out of our children’s history classes.
• How many of you know that as you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world’s law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view... know who it is? It is Moses holding up the Ten Commandments!
• As you enter the U.S. Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.
• Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid Christian preacher, whose salary has been paid by U.S. taxpayers since 1777.
• 52 of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of the established Christian churches in the colonies.
• Thomas Jefferson worried that the U.S. courts would overstep their authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law
• When the 100 year project of the construction of the Washington Monument was completed in Washington DC in 1875 congress decreed that no other structure was to supersede the monuments height of 555 feet. And etched into the East side of the Capstone are the words Laus Deo “Praise be to God”. Think of it, at the highest pentacle of the world’s most powerful nation is an acknowledgement to the only Source that made it all possible, God Almighty. There may be legislators who don’t know that. There may be presidents who don’t know that. There may be Supreme Court justices who don’t know that. But at the very top, the pinnacle of our nation’s capitol are these words, "Praise Be To God."
Liberals today would have you believe that our founding fathers were religious – yes, but Christian, questionable. They’d like for you to think that they had only gave vague recognition to a “supreme being”. There’s a little bit of a problem with that rendition of history. Listen to the words of those founding fathers themselves:
• James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement: "We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."
• Patrick Henry, that patriot and founding father of our country 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."
• The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said: "Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."
I’ll promise you, your children are not going to hear those facts of history any time soon in their Social Studies class. But you must tell them!
It’s up to you and I to teach our children the facts of our American, Christian, heritage.
But can we, just a drop in the population bucket of this great nation, do anything that will turn the course of America’s wayward destination? What can so few do to overpower the seeming godlessness of our nation?
Solomon had the answer? And recorded in Holy Scripture we have it too.
2 Chronicles 7:14
“My people” not the whole world, “Called by My name”, not the population of the whole nation”. “will humble themselves” Just the Church, the Bride, you and I.
What’s it take to start a fire? One spark. A flood happens when individual drops of rain join together.
The question is not, “can America return to God” but rather, “will the Church”.
• Will we stop excusing sin for the sake of non-offence?
• Will we focus less of motivation and more on sanctification?
• Will we do less entertaining and more interceding?
• Will we start spending time in Worship instead of worshiping time?
• Will we turn off the x-box and turn to the Bible?
• Will we stop calling the shots and start calling on God?
“If My People….”
It time for the Church to stop watching the fireworks and start calling down the fire!
The question’s not “will America see revival” – the question is will you allow revival to be seen through you?
While our nation celebrates it’s independence you and I need to declare our dependence…
• Dependence on Salvation through Grace
• Dependence on the written Word of God
• Dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit
• Dependence on the fellowship of the Brethren
• Dependence on Jesus Christ the Head of the Church!
Let this be a memorial to you!
Psalm 33:12-22
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A note from Pastor Terry,
Thanks so much for looking over this message. I trust that, in some way, you were blessed, encouraged and empowered on your own walk with Christ. Every message I prepare is bathed in prayer that God will draw, inspire, and challenge my listeners (or readers) into a more meaningful and power-filled walk with Him.
Pastors, how we need one another! We need to be encouraged, strengthened and built up in order to encourage, strengthen and build up. It’s my personal prayer that the message you’ve just reviewed has done that for you in a personal way. Use what you can on this message, toss what you can’t and above all, let God’s Spirit inspire it all!
Sometimes I feel like Peter and John at the Temple steps…”Silver and gold; I don’t have but what I do – I give to you”
Grace and peace to you, your family and the Flock you tend.
Pastor Terry
