Take a stand before God for America

7.4.2021

Today, America celebrates its 245th birthday as a nation.

Introduction

Today, I want to stoke your prayer life and encourage you to regularly pray for our nation.

People all over the world look at the USA as an example of freedom that they long to have too.

We have been given the gift of freedom, and it is a fragile gift, and we can easily lose it. And right now, our freedoms are being challenged!

God challenged His people in Israel to repent and pray when their nation lost their focus and went the wrong way.

When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 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 (2 Chronicles 7:13-14-NKJV).

Today, we have the New Testament promise:

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19).

God holds the church in a nation responsible for the sins of its nation.

I wrote this in one of my blogs a couple of weeks ago:

The challenges we face in our culture today must be owned by us in the church of Jesus Christ.

If we are preaching the truth as we should from our pulpits, then the results will be conviction and lifestyle change in our country.

In a lot of churches truth has been replaced by a message void of strong conviction that challenges our culture’s problem’s and sins.

There are of course many churches that do preach and teach the unbiased truth of God’s word!

But in many, the seeker friendly message has taken the punch out of Biblical truth that is designed by God to produce conviction of sin.

Don’t get me wrong, we certainly should not preach or teach in a mean spirited fashion, but the Bible cuts right to the core of the fleshly and self centered tendencies we all have. And we can speak the truth in love.

God holds the church in a nation responsible for the problems in a nation..

Listen to Charles Finney speaking to pastors about their responsibility to speak into the sins of a culture:

From Decay of Conscience, by Charles Finney:

Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it. Let us not ignore this fact, my dear brethren; but let us lay it to heart, and be thoroughly awake to our responsibility in respect to the morals of this nation.“

Again, it’s time for us to own up to our responsibilities as the church of Jesus, get on our knees, and ask God to forgive our nation for its sins.

To whom much is given, much is required.

There is a scheme to remove our freedoms and have America join a global government.

For many years now, there are those with a communist and socialist agenda that have been seeking to take over America and move it to leave its constitutionally based government by the people and for the people and join a global government.

It is an antiChrist spirit!

Lack of national border enforcement; police challenged; our laws not enforced equally for all; devaluation of human life; abortion; free speech censored; freedom of assembly challenged; indoctrination of children with amoral thinking, etc.

There is a sinister plan to take away our freedoms.

I wrote this on Thursday:

The land of the free and the home of the brave is in a huge crisis; a crisis of choosing darkness over light and cursing over blessing. There are people with nefarious motives who are pushing agendas that divide the USA. They want to divide us spiritually, by passing laws that keep us from assembling together and that create hate speech out of differences of opinion; politically, by spreading lies and half truths about the issues we face as Americans; financially by introducing socialism and communism in the name of free money distribution and by engineering crisis after crisis that closes small businesses and cuts out the middle class; morally, by introducing ridiculous ideologies that disregard the two birth genders of male and female and replaces them with a list of mixed of pathetic ideas of bizarre human relations that are amoral and family destroying; racially, by fostering a dialogue of anger and deception designed to pit one race against another, and by introducing curriculum in our schools that lies about the reasons our country was founded, and blames our forefathers for our current media driven race issues; historically, so that the foundations of faith, valor, and integrity are removed from public life by removing statues of those who helped found this great land; and socially so that we accuse, blame, gossip, and lie instead of loving, believing the best, encouraging, supporting, defending, and helping.

Friends, we are in deep trouble!

People in our nation are beginning to wake up and resist all these things. Get involved. Kindly challenge wrong thinking and beliefs.

The SCOTUS has declared that same sex marriage should have an equal status as traditional heterosexual marriage.

The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that gender orientation and transgender rights are equal to the rights afforded to male and female genders.

They have changed thousands of years of human relationship with the stroke of a pen! Do you really think God will overlook this?

We have aborted over 63,000,000 babies because we love sex more than the life it creates. Can God overlook that? I don’t think so.

***God is allowing this. It is as though He has stepped aside and allowed us to reap the fruit of our own way. What we are seeing is only a foretaste of a future in America where God will on purpose step aside and allow us to harm ourselves and our prosperous way of life. We’ve left Him out, now God will leave us alone.

***The Ten Commandments have been removed from our public life. They give a moral basis for living and give sinful human beings a moral compass for living together in a nation. Without them, there is nothing to hold a culture together.

1 Timothy 1:8-11 (NLT)

We know that the law is good when used correctly. 9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

The end result is loss of freedom!

God set in motion both blessing and cursing. A nation chooses which one it gets.

Listen to the terse words that God gives to those who hear Him but refuse to live by God’s standards. This is America right now:

Proverbs 1:24-33 (Passion Translation)

I’ve called to you over and over; still you refuse to come to me. I’ve pleaded with you again and again, yet you’ve turned a deaf ear to my voice. (25) Because you have laughed at my counsel and have insisted on continuing in your stubbornness, (26) I will laugh when your calamity comes and will turn away from you at the time of your disaster. Make a joke of my advice, will you?Then I’ll make a joke out of you! (27) When the storm clouds of terror gather over your head, when dread and distress consume you and your catastrophe comes like a hurricane,(28) you will cry out to me, but I won’t answer. Then it will be too late to expect my help. When desperation drives you to search for me, I will be nowhere to be found. (29) Because you have turned up your nose at me and closed your eyes to the facts and refused to worship me in awe— (30) because you scoffed at my wise counsel and laughed at my correction— (31) now you will eat the bitter fruit of your own ways. You’ve made your own bed; now lie in it! So how do you like that? (32) Like an idiot you’ve turned away from me and chosen destruction instead. Your self-satisfied smugness will kill you. (33) But the one who always listens to me will live undisturbed in a heavenly peace. Free from fear, confident and courageous, you will rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 -NKJV

Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: (27) the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; (28) and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.

Jesus introduced to us the concept that Satan is a thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy life, happiness, and property.

When we obey God, the curse of the broken law cannot come near us. But, if we disobey, we inherit the natural default of the fallen world, Satan and ruin.

Isaiah 63:10

But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them.

Nature turns against those who disobey God’s moral law.

Blessings are replaced by problems when a nation moves away from God and His moral compass.

Hosea 4:1-6 (NLT)

Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel! The Lord has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. (2) You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere— one murder after another. (3) That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing. (4) “Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you. (5) So you will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you in the night. And I will destroy Israel, your mother. (6) My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God,

I will forget to bless your children.

When a nation allows God and His Word to rule, then demons, darkness, Satan, sin and all its results diminish and blessing comes.

When a nation forsakes God’s laws, His ways, and His Word, demons, darkness, Satan, sin and all the results they bring increase and a decline in the quality of life in a nation results.

Action Points:

4 Ways You Can Make a Difference:

Would you join me in repentance for where we the church have allowed our nation to go?

Would you be willing to take some time every day to devote to praying for revival that begins with a repentant church in America? We will determine the future move of the Holy Spirit in America by what we the church chooses to do, or refuses to do.

Light a candle instead of cursing the darkness!

1. Be a light to others – show them a different way to live by walking with God!

Bless and encourage others with your words, be unselfish, choose sexual purity, be truthful, treat others the way you want to be treated.

Matthew 5:16 -NKJV

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

2. Pray for our nation.

2 Chronicles 7:14 -NLT

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 restore their land.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT)

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

1 Corinthians 4:5 (NKJV)

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts…

3. Live in a way that makes Jesus interesting.

People are looking for what is real, truthful, and bare bones honest.

1 Peter 3:15-17 -NIV

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, (16) keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (17) It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

1 Peter 3:15-17 (TPT)

But give reverent honor in your hearts to the Anointed One and treat him as the holy Master of your lives. And if anyone asks about the hope living within you, always be ready to explain your faith 16 with gentleness and respect. Maintain a clean conscience, so that those who slander you for living a pure life in Christ will have to lie about you and will be ashamed because of their slander. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if it is in God’s plan, than for doing evil.

4. Tell people what Jesus has done for you.

(True life.org cards!)

1 John 1:3 -NLT

We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Don’t be afraid for people to disagree with you.

Matthew 28:18-20 -NLT

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. (19) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (20) Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:15-16 -NLT

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

(16) Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 -NLT

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. (19) For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.(20) So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

Colossians 1:28-29 -NLT

So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.(29) That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

We as the church of Jesus Christ must own the problems of America and repent on behalf of our nation.

Service conclusion:

1)Video.

2) Pledge Allegiance to the flag.

It represents our freedoms that are given to us by our constitution.

It is not political. It stands for an idea. An idea of one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

According to custom and tradition, the colors of the flag represent:

red – hardiness and valor;

white – signifies purity and innocence;

blue – signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

Stripes – original 13 colonies

3)Prayer for America

4) by faith sing God bless America…