Blessings, Brittany Happy 4th of July!
Happy 4th of July! This week we will celebrate our country's 237th birthday day. We will be proud to be Americans and we will be thankful to God for our great country!
I think if God recorded the history of America today (like He did the history of Israel), it might go like this:
The Pilgrims left the religious tyranny of England that required them to worship a god who was impersonal and distant. ...They came to the new world to worship in freedom in accordance with the way the Holy Spirit of God led them. And God was pleased with the work of their hands and hearts and blessed them because they glorified His name.
About 175 years later their sons and daughters founded a new nation, America whose creed was "One nation under God". They put that creed on their money, which showed God that He was their treasure. At the start of every school day, their children pledged allegiance to their country, one nation under God. And God was pleased with their nation and blessed it among all other nations of the world from sea to shining sea, because they sought His face and blessing. He blessed them with prosperity, technology, medical advances, and abundant comforts in their pleasant homes. They had military victory over all their enemies.
About 235 years later their president declared that America was no longer a Christian nation, and even the remnant of true Christ followers had to agree with Him.
The people of America believed it was good to be "tolerant" of false religions, because Christians love people. They believed a half-truth lie of the Devil. They forgot that the best part of their love was to share the Good News of the gospel of salvation. The people tolerated the glorification of sexual sin because the didn't want to be judgmental. They believed a half-truth lie of the Devil that Christians are not judgmental. The people forgot that they were supposed to be salt and light to protect their nation from the decay of sin. Then because of their tolerance of sexual sin, there were millions of unplanned pregnancies. The people tolerated the sacrifice of aborted babies in the worship of their god Convenience, just as their spiritual ancestors sacrificed their babies in the worship of their god Molech, a detestable practice which caused them to sin deeply against the Lord their God. And because of their tolerance of sexual sin, millions of people contracted horrible diseases that tormented them and killed them slowly and painfully.
Because the people did evil in the eyes of the Lord and forgot that the Lord was their God, He turned the people over to the desires of their heart and allowed the Evil One to torment them to bring them back to Himself. He slowly removed their prosperity. He allowed their enemies to have small victories over them. He used His servants the Taliban and Al-kaida to attack them and terrorize their land just like He used His servant Nebuchadnezzar to discipline His people Israel.
In His mercy He tested the land of America with small judgments hoping they would return to the faith of their fathers and again worship The Lord their God.
Here's what we know...
Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. (Proverbs 14:34 NLT)
Blessed is the nation whose God is The Lord. (Psalm 33:12a NIV)
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. (Psalms 119:45 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. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT)
Notice that it is the obedience of **God's people** that causes Him to hear from Heaven and restore their land. Will you join me in the repentance and obedience that God is longing for?
Here's some good ideas to get you started:
1. Talk to God (lots of times) every day and listen to what He has to tell you...things that you know you didn't come up with on your own. I often hear from God as I am waking up in the morning, before I am fully conscious.
2. Read your Bible EVERY day. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you about how to live...and do it!
3. Make it a habit to praise God IN (not necessarily for) all things...good and bad...and to be thankful. I have come to realize that this is (coincidentally? probably not!) a good cure for depression. You can't be full of thanks and gratitude and keep feeling sorry for yourself.
3. Fill up your radio presets, Ipod playlist, and Pandora shuffle with only songs that glorify God.
4. Stop watching TV shows and movies that portray sexual sin as "normal". Tell other people that you are committed to this. Maybe we can create a new normal.
5. Start serving. God uniquely equipped you with innate skills, talents, abilities, preferences, and gifts to do good works that He has planned for you from the foundation of the earth. Don't know where to start? Find out where God is at work and join him.
6. Join in spreading the gospel... here and to the ends of the earth. People need to know they are sinners that need a Savior...and that God loves them so much He gave His Son to take the punishment for their sin.
7. Be generous with your finances. Give back to God (at least) the 10% you owe Him. Help others as God leads you.
8. Be active and faithful to a small group of Christ followers who can share your joys and sorrows and failures and victories, help keep you accountable to righteousness, and do all the other "one another" things with that God desires for us.
9. Attend a worship service every week...not because God needs to be worshipped, but because God created us to worship Him. You will never be truly satisfied or content in life if you are not worshipping God.
10. Confess your sin daily (hourly?) and ask God to empower you for righteousness.
11. Be careful to not let idols sneak into your life. An idol is anything that knocks God out of first place in your life. We can accidentally make idols out of our children and grandchildren, parents, busy-ness, careers, leisure time activities, and hobbies. I think God hates idolatry more than anything...because He knows we NEED for Him to be our priority.
12. Speak up...respectfully and lovingly...when you see others violating God's commands. Let them know it's not OK with you.
Thanks for letting me share my heart with you! Let's be the the kind of people God wants us to be...humble, repentant, and obedient...so He hears from Heaven and heals our Land of the Free and Home of the Brave!
Are you in?
I think if God recorded the history of America today (like He did the history of Israel), it might go like this:
The Pilgrims left the religious tyranny of England that required them to worship a god who was impersonal and distant. ...They came to the new world to worship in freedom in accordance with the way the Holy Spirit of God led them. And God was pleased with the work of their hands and hearts and blessed them because they glorified His name.
About 175 years later their sons and daughters founded a new nation, America whose creed was "One nation under God". They put that creed on their money, which showed God that He was their treasure. At the start of every school day, their children pledged allegiance to their country, one nation under God. And God was pleased with their nation and blessed it among all other nations of the world from sea to shining sea, because they sought His face and blessing. He blessed them with prosperity, technology, medical advances, and abundant comforts in their pleasant homes. They had military victory over all their enemies.
About 235 years later their president declared that America was no longer a Christian nation, and even the remnant of true Christ followers had to agree with Him.
The people of America believed it was good to be "tolerant" of false religions, because Christians love people. They believed a half-truth lie of the Devil. They forgot that the best part of their love was to share the Good News of the gospel of salvation. The people tolerated the glorification of sexual sin because the didn't want to be judgmental. They believed a half-truth lie of the Devil that Christians are not judgmental. The people forgot that they were supposed to be salt and light to protect their nation from the decay of sin. Then because of their tolerance of sexual sin, there were millions of unplanned pregnancies. The people tolerated the sacrifice of aborted babies in the worship of their god Convenience, just as their spiritual ancestors sacrificed their babies in the worship of their god Molech, a detestable practice which caused them to sin deeply against the Lord their God. And because of their tolerance of sexual sin, millions of people contracted horrible diseases that tormented them and killed them slowly and painfully.
Because the people did evil in the eyes of the Lord and forgot that the Lord was their God, He turned the people over to the desires of their heart and allowed the Evil One to torment them to bring them back to Himself. He slowly removed their prosperity. He allowed their enemies to have small victories over them. He used His servants the Taliban and Al-kaida to attack them and terrorize their land just like He used His servant Nebuchadnezzar to discipline His people Israel.
In His mercy He tested the land of America with small judgments hoping they would return to the faith of their fathers and again worship The Lord their God.
Here's what we know...
Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. (Proverbs 14:34 NLT)
Blessed is the nation whose God is The Lord. (Psalm 33:12a NIV)
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. (Psalms 119:45 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. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT)
Notice that it is the obedience of **God's people** that causes Him to hear from Heaven and restore their land. Will you join me in the repentance and obedience that God is longing for?
Here's some good ideas to get you started:
1. Talk to God (lots of times) every day and listen to what He has to tell you...things that you know you didn't come up with on your own. I often hear from God as I am waking up in the morning, before I am fully conscious.
2. Read your Bible EVERY day. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you about how to live...and do it!
3. Make it a habit to praise God IN (not necessarily for) all things...good and bad...and to be thankful. I have come to realize that this is (coincidentally? probably not!) a good cure for depression. You can't be full of thanks and gratitude and keep feeling sorry for yourself.
3. Fill up your radio presets, Ipod playlist, and Pandora shuffle with only songs that glorify God.
4. Stop watching TV shows and movies that portray sexual sin as "normal". Tell other people that you are committed to this. Maybe we can create a new normal.
5. Start serving. God uniquely equipped you with innate skills, talents, abilities, preferences, and gifts to do good works that He has planned for you from the foundation of the earth. Don't know where to start? Find out where God is at work and join him.
6. Join in spreading the gospel... here and to the ends of the earth. People need to know they are sinners that need a Savior...and that God loves them so much He gave His Son to take the punishment for their sin.
7. Be generous with your finances. Give back to God (at least) the 10% you owe Him. Help others as God leads you.
8. Be active and faithful to a small group of Christ followers who can share your joys and sorrows and failures and victories, help keep you accountable to righteousness, and do all the other "one another" things with that God desires for us.
9. Attend a worship service every week...not because God needs to be worshipped, but because God created us to worship Him. You will never be truly satisfied or content in life if you are not worshipping God.
10. Confess your sin daily (hourly?) and ask God to empower you for righteousness.
11. Be careful to not let idols sneak into your life. An idol is anything that knocks God out of first place in your life. We can accidentally make idols out of our children and grandchildren, parents, busy-ness, careers, leisure time activities, and hobbies. I think God hates idolatry more than anything...because He knows we NEED for Him to be our priority.
12. Speak up...respectfully and lovingly...when you see others violating God's commands. Let them know it's not OK with you.
Thanks for letting me share my heart with you! Let's be the the kind of people God wants us to be...humble, repentant, and obedient...so He hears from Heaven and heals our Land of the Free and Home of the Brave!
Are you in?
