This audio message effectively details the benefits of returning to the biblical and constitutional tradition and heritage of homeschooling our children.
Homeschooling is an essential component of renewing and maintaining our American republic, functioning under biblical and constitutional principles as a bastion of free, self governing citizens under God.
By Dr. W. David Gamble
Running Time 24 Minutes
This sermon considers some of the conditions that are threatening America’s future. The nation is on fire and there must be a remnant of God’s people to answer the bell and fight these fires before it’s too late.
By Tim Patrick
Isaiah 9:18-9:21
How many of you have ever been near a fire that was raging uncontrollably? This is a scary sight. I can recall at least two such occasions in my life. One occurred when I was a boy. A fire burned about 20 acres of pasture land on our family farm. We had to fight that fire. It was a scary scene. The other occasion was the time I found a neighbor and fellow church member’s home burning. The house burned to the ground before the fire department could get to the fire. I have also read stories of fire fighters who have fought forest fires out west and in America’s northwest. Sometimes those fire fighters lost their lives in such blazes. Fire is a frightening thing.
In the Bible, we find wickedness compared to a fire. We understand the analogy. Isaiah used such a comparison. Look at Is. 9:18-20. “For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, And kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke. Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts The land is burned up, And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother.” The reason I use this text is because we celebrate independence day this week. However, I wonder how long this will continue. I see wickedness burning like a flame across America.
Join me in making the comparison. Isaiah had witnessed the corruption and degradation of the Israelite people. He had seen the jaws of sinful pride sink her teeth into this great people. As he witnessed her downfall he described what he
saw as burning like a fire. I believe that the same fires which destroyed Israel may well be flickering in the background in America. Let’s examine God’s word and think about the comparison for a few moments.
I want to share a simple outline tonight. I want to examine four conditions that were present when God judged the nation of Israel. These conditions were present when the fires of judgment were ignited. We will pull these principles directly from the text.
1. The first condition was a people filled with pride. Look at verses 9 & 10. The people “say in pride and arrogance of heart: The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.” (NKJV) God was sending judgment on the Israelite people. They made two mistakes. First, they ignored the cause of the calamities. Second, they arrogantly boasted that they would rebuild. It is as if they thought they did not need God.
The Bible says “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov. 16:18 NKJV) The Bible tells us “God is opposed to the proud.” (I Pet. 5:5 NKJV). “A man’s pride shall bring him low.” (Prov. 29:23 NKJV)
Illustration: I once read a story about a little frog that wanted to go south for the winter. It was too far to hop and he did not have wings to fly. Two birds felt sorry for the frog and together they came up with a plan. The birds would hold each end of a stick in their beaks, the frog would clamp down on the stick with his mouth and the birds would carry him to his destination. The sky was clear and everything seemed hopeful for the frog and his two new found friends. Two farmers were standing in a field and saw the birds carrying the frog. One said to the other, “That was a brilliant idea, I wonder who came up with the plan.” The frog couldn’t keep his mouth shut and he said, “I-I-I-I-I-I”. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut. However, his pride got the best of him.
(Contributed by Robert Travis )
Illustration: In 1972, America had a young swimmer named Mark Spitz who predicted he would win five gold medals at the Olympics. He came home with none. His pride stood in his way.
As I look at America I see an extremely proud people. We are proud of being Americans but we are also arrogant toward other people in our world. In addition, we are blind when bad things happen to us. We wander along showing little concern for the tragedies that strike us.
Listen to what Abraham Lincoln said of us almost 150 years ago. “We’ve grown in numbers and wealth and power as no other nation has grown. We’ve vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our own hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient, too proud to pray to the God that made us.” (p. 80, as quoted in America, Return to God; edited by Thomas Wang)
2. A second condition was internal confusion. Look at verse 16. “For those who guide this people are leading them astray; And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion.” This concept is repeated in verse 19. “No man shall spare his brother.” This refers to anarchy. Thus, there was poor leadership from their national leaders, confusion and anarchy among the people.
Illustration: Dr. James Dobson has said, “We are involved in nothing less than a civil war of values, a collision between two ways of seeing life. This is not an issue of two alternatives from which to choose, but a life and death struggle. One value system is going to predominate. One is going to rule the country.” (James Dobson as quoted in America, Return to God; edited by Thomas Wang; p. 97)
3. A third condition was ignoring warning signs. When conditions are ripe for a forest fire, our forestry officials will issue warnings concerning the danger. They will discourage people from burning trash, building camp fires or the like. When people neglect those warnings and build fires they are flirting with danger. Look at verse 13. “For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.” I believe, by and large, we have gotten to the place where we do not heed the warnings of God’s judgment.
If God is consistent, in his dealings with America, the way he has always been consistent throughout history, he will warn us of approaching judgment. In speaking of the end of the age, Jesus spoke of the warning signs we should notice. He said, before God judges He will warn of the approaching judgment. Jesus said the times before His second coming would include warnings. He reminds us to keep our eyes on the fig tree, which is Israel. When it begins to blossom you know the end is near.
Israel is the historical miracle in world civilization. She had been extinct as a nation for over 1,900 years, ever since Titus and the Roman legions marched into Jerusalem in 70 AD and nearly obliterated the Jewish people, forcing them out of their own country. The people were slaughtered and Israel died as a nation that day. But she was born again in one day. Isaiah predicted it would happen. On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again. David Ben Gurion signed the Declaration of Independence. Jesus said when the fig tree buds the kingdom is at hand.
(Contributed by James O. Davis, Co-Founder/President Global Pastors Network)
Illustration: This happened in Nazi Germany. People tried to warn them what was happening. A man named Martin Niemoller tried to warn the people. He saw the warning signs on the horizon. Listen to what he said:
“First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.”
4. A fourth condition was a progressive worsening of wickedness. Notice verse 18. “For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, and kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke.”
Illustration: When my boys were small I would often carry them camping. I remember teaching them how to start a camp fire. We would take dried grass, twigs, paper and the like for our kindling. Once we got those items burning we would move to sticks and progressively move to larger items until we were able to place logs on the fire.
Illustration: In 1947, sociologist and historian Dr. Carle Zimmerman studied the deterioration and ultimate disintegration of various cultures. He found that in each society the disintegration of the culture was preceded by the disintegration of the family. He discovered 11 common elements that were always present. Let me mention five of those eleven common elements:
1) An increase in rapid, easy and “faultless” divorce.
2) Fewer children, and less respect for parents and parenthood.
3) A break down of most inhibitions against adultery.
4) The rapid rise and spread of juvenile delinquency.
5) Common acceptance of all forms of sexual perversion.
(Carle Zimmerman, Family and Civilization, (New York: Harper and Brothers) 1947. pp 776-77)
What can we do?
1. We can pray and ask God to send revival.
Illustration: In January 1996 Rev. Joe Wright prayed a prayer in the Kansas Senate that should stir us. It should stir us to pray. This prayer inflamed many liberals but it was the truth. Listen to his prayer.
“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good’, but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that,
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism;
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism;
We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle;
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery;
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare;
We have killed our unborn and called it choice;
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable;
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem;
We have abused power and called it politics;
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition;
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression;
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will and to openly ask these things in the name of your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen
2. We can get involved in reshaping our nation.
Illustration: A man by the name of Richard Hogue said something about our involvement that we need to heed.
“If our country survives, and I realize that’s a big IF, it will be because there is an awakening in the lives of committed Christians across our nation who finally begin to realize that it is not only their opportunity but also their absolute responsibility to be intricately involved in the political process of our country and to use that involvement to turn this nation once again to the Lord. For much too long we have allowed our government to grow farther and farther away from the direction that God has always demanded our nation to take.
At the same time we have yielded the control of our country to a godless, secular, humanistic philosophy that has absolutely zapped the strength and spiritual vitality America has always had. Never before, in the history of Christendom, have so many believers been willing to forfeit their liberty and freedom without even putting up a struggle. (Richard Hogue as quoted in America, Return to God; edited by Thomas Wang; p. 127)
A huge archive of influential election day sermons. Study how preachers and elected officials re-enforced the importance of morality, integrity, character and biblical principles as high standards for all electoral candidates.
Wallbuilders
This sermon lays out the facts of where we are as a nation and how it is up to the church and God’s people to get us back on the right track. The attack on Christianity has turned into an all-out “take no prisoners” war. In order to get control over people and make everyone dependent on the government, Christianity has to go.
In order to have a successful socialist nation, you cannot have people who have a faith in a loving God that supplies all of our needs. That’s why the atheists, agnostics, progressives and now Muslims are attacking us on all sides.
By Tim Crooks
I am passionate about restoring America to its greatness. I want to see this country go back to being the nation of yesterday, one that worked hard, gave freely and invested in our future. I have been really thinking lately how I don’t want to be like Eli. Reading this, you are probably wondering who Eli is or at the very least wondering what a priest from Ancient Israel has to do with restoring our nation. In 1 Samuel 3:1-14, the bible gives us the story of a Jewish Priest named Eli. Eli did a great job of ministering to Samuel and raising him up to be a great prophet. Eli was so laser-focused on Samuel he ended up neglecting his own children. He did not give them enough guidance and they ended up, quite literally, going to hell.
As for me, I know I don’t want to spend so much time serving in church or at work that I fail my children and have them end up taking the same road Eli’s children did. In the same way, I am watching our nation also go the same way as Eli’s children. As a nation we are turning our backs on God, His laws, commandments and His love. We are becoming a pagan nation; one that is headed for destruction and ruin, and it will be self-inflicted. But, we can still turn this around, and avoid the destruction and ruin.
In this article, I want everyone to walk away understanding where we are now, how we got here, and what we can do to change the path we are on. Right now, we are on the path to socialism. It’s progressiveness these days, but it’s still just socialism. We are creating a dependency on government. We are over taxing the middle and rich classes and redistributing that money to the poor. The poor are being dumbed down, becoming dependent and losing what work skills needed to be self-sufficient. We are heading for socialized medicine and yet more taxes to cover those costs. There is more government regulation. As of right now, no one is for sure how many federal regulations there are, but it is estimated that there are over 8,000 of them.
At the same time, the attack on Christianity has turned into an all-out “take no prisoners” war. Why? It’s simple, really. In order to get control over people and make everyone dependent on the government, Christianity has to go. In order to have a successful socialist nation, you cannot have people who have a faith in a loving God that supplies all of our needs. That’s why the atheists, agnostics, liberal left progressives, and now Muslims are attacking us on all sides.
Everywhere we turn we are facing persecution for our beliefs. If you are a Christian Conservative in America, you will be called names like bigot, intolerant, hater, and many more I won’t mention here. True Christ followers are nothing like that. Christ followers are the most giving (time, talent and treasure) to help the poor, the fatherless, the widows and orphans, and nations devastated by wars, famines, droughts, etc.True Christ followers are not bigots, but love everyone, because God created us, not because we have to. True Christ followers do not hate people because of lifestyle choices, drug and alcohol addictions, and pornography addictions. True Christ followers take the path Jesus took – we hate the sin, but love the sinner.
We have been facing an epidemic of mass proportions in this country due to our lack of moral values in this nation. Our moral values should be dictated by the Bible, but are now dictated by Hollywood, the media, and politicians that cannot be faithful to their spouses. How can we trust leaders in public service, the media and movies if they can’t keep a promise to someone they love? Do you really think that they have our best interest in mind? We are strangers to these people, and they treat the common people like peasants.
The question I have been wondering for years is how did we get here? This is not an all-encompassing list, but our educational system, development of a promiscuous society, use of movies and television for the moral decay of families and the use of some music has helped bring us to this point. It didn’t just happen overnight. It’s been a well-thought out, planned attack going back at least fifty years or even longer. The removal of God and His Word from our schools began in the early 1960s. In the Engel v. Vitale case (1962), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-1 against New York’s “Regents’ prayer,” a “non-denominational” prayer which state education officials had composed for public schoolchildren to recite.
In 1951 the New York State Board of Regents (the State board of education) approved a 22-word “nondenominational prayer” for recitation each morning in the public schools of New York. It read: “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country.” The Regents believed that the prayer could be a useful tool for the development of character and good citizenship among the students of the State of New York. The prayer was offered to the school boards in the State for their use, and participation in the “prayer-exercise” was voluntary. In New Hyde Park, New York, the Union Free School District No. 9 directed the local principal to have the prayer “said aloud by each class in the presence of a teacher at the beginning of the school day.”
The parents of ten pupils in the New Hyde Park schools objected to the prayer. They filed suit in a New York State court seeking a ban on the prayer, insisting that the use of this official prayer in the public schools was contrary to their own and their children’s beliefs, religions, or religious practices. The State appeals court upheld the use of the prayer, “so long as the schools did not compel any pupil to join in the prayer over his or his parents’ objection.” The Court found the New York Regents’ prayer to be unconstitutional.
Schools were originally created so that children could learn to read and write, but specifically to be able to read the Bible. The first book in the classroom was the Bible. It was central to a child’s education, not only for its content, but the way it was used to build skills. Students learned how to read using the Bible. Much of the school day was devoted to memorizing and reciting passages from it, and passages were copied to learn penmanship. Now, our educational system is set up to train children in the way they shouldn’t go, whether that is to become an atheist, agnostic, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim or some other pagan religion, anything but Christianity. We have also been “dumbing down” our children the past couple of generations, especially since the federal government’s creation of the department of education.
Under President Jimmy Carter, the federal government created the Department of Education. Since inception in the late 1970’s, American children’s test scores have steadily declined and America is not the best educated nation in the world anymore. Chances are, not many high school graduates could pass a basic 8th grade test administered in 1900.Yes, there may be more children in America getting educated in colleges now, but the overall intelligence of our younger generations are not as strong as previous generations. A degree on the wall isn’t nearly as important as what is really on the inside of the minds of the current generation, and the lack of knowledge of the basics has brought us to the point where many teenagers now cannot function without the use of technology.
In the early 1960’s, “The Pill”, for birth control was invented, which was one step further to the development of a promiscuous society. The pill doesn’t prevent conception, but literally makes the environment for the fertilized egg so inhospitable that it cannot possibly survive. The U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare defined abortion in 1963 as follows:
“All the measures which impair the viability of the zygote at any time between the instant of fertilization and the completing of labor constitute, in the strict sense, procedures for inducing abortion.”
(emphasis added)
Although 1.6 million surgical abortions take place each year in the U.S., Dr. Bogomir Kuhar, a pharmacist concerned about chemical abortion, has calculated that in combining all forms of induced abortion — the IUD, Depo-Provera, Norplant, surgical, and the Pill (and injectables, implants, and oral products that work in a similar fashion), between 9.6 and 13.4 million young lives are terminated in the U.S. alone each year.(Lawrence Roberge, The Cost of Abortion. La Grange, GA: Four Winds, 1995, p 7. )
Abortion, what I call infanticide, came about in 1973, and even though it is technically not legal in the United States, our government has allowed this to happen. Just these two issues have caused millions of American women to surrender their bodies, hearts and minds to a lifestyle that God had not meant for women. Sex has become so casual amongst strangers that social diseases have been running rampant for over 40 years.
The modern feminist movement was also born during this time. Feminists are in full support of both the pill and abortion because they believe it’s a woman’s right. They also hide the truths behind what the pill and abortion do to women, both physically and emotionally. If this movement really cared about women, they wouldn’t try changing the God created natural role for women, but would support the fact that God created women with skills only women possess, in God’s image.
Men also have been under scrutiny for the past 50 years or so. Once upon a time, men had role models like Andy Griffith, Ward Cleaver and plus other fathers in shows like Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, and The Waltons as role models. What have we had in the past 25 years? Shows full of dolts that cannot provide for their families and who seemingly don’t know how to function. Men are portrayed as dummies and their wives are always proving them wrong and chastising him. Examples are easy to find. Just look at Married With Children, The Simpsons, and The King of Queens to mention a few.
Even one of my favorite actors, Jim Belushi was in a show called According to Jim where his character was a dumb-downed buffoon that was always in trouble or coming up with hair-brained schemes to get himself out of the stupid situations he got into. What has this been teaching men over the last quarter of a century? We have learned that no matter what, we are just beer drinking, meat eating dummies that cannot function in society without our wives. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that the relationship between a man and a woman is important; the most important relationship one will have outside one’s relationship with Jesus, but get real people. Husbands and wives are to submit to each other, we need to be the husbands and wives of Ephesians 5, not Al and Peg Bundy.
It’s not just television though; it’s in our movies as well. The amount of sex, violence, drug use, alcohol abuse and the use of foul language is affecting all of us that watch movies that contained too much of the above. Seems like movies today all have to have some type of hero that is going to save the world, but that hero isn’t Jesus. It’s Die Hard, Superman, Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, Armageddon, and so on that have these “supernatural” humans that save the earth, and make you believe that God is not needed.
There was once in a time, back in the 1950’s and 1960’s that movie makers focused a lot on patriotic movies (think of movies that starred John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Henry Fonda, etc.), biblical based movies (Moses, 10 Commandments, Ben Hur, etc.) and just good plain old family entertainment movies from Disney. With the exception of the Kendrick Brothers (Facing The Giants, Fireproof, Courageous), and a few other positive movie influences are few and far between.
Lastly, most in our media have succumbed to the wishes of the progressive movement and support the anti-Christian hatred spread by socialists. Except for the weather, I just about cannot stand what is given to us as news anymore. I really don’t want the opinions of any newscaster, no matter how famous they are or how much money they make. I am not a dumb man, just give me the facts and let me form the opinions on my own. When the media feels like it has to tell us what our thoughts should be on topics, you know that socialism is knocking on America’s door. We need to return to having news anchors give us the facts of the story and not inject their personal or political agendas into the nightly news.
So, what are we going to do about this? Some may believe that America is too far gone to turn back now. I don’t believe that. This isn’t the Titanic, it’s America. God has blessed us, and though we are an imperfect nation, God is willing to help us turn this around. It is in our court now, the ball is in our hands and strength in numbers will succeed.
First, if you are an American citizen that can vote, we can start now by voting in those that really want to restore America, and vote out those worthless lifelong senators and representatives that have done nothing but lined their own pockets and screwed the American people over. We can send a strong message to the court systems throughout the nation; we won’t tolerate legislation from the bench. Follow the federal constitution; follow your state’s constitution. If they cannot follow those, we the people, your bosses will remove you from office and properly charge you with treason.
We need to demand that our federal government and state governments need to be downsized, stop spending money, and stop over-taxing the citizens of this great nation. It’s time to give business and industry more freedom, less regulation, less taxes and more incentive to build, expand and create jobs in this country. Put American pride back in American industry again. It’s not the government that creates jobs. Job creation is the result of hard working American people that start a business on an idea or invention that created this wonderful nation, and God blessed us for it.
It’s time to send the IRS packing. Take America to a flat tax of 5% with no deductions, no refunds. If the federal government cannot live on that money raised, better stop spending. Put more focus on securing our borders, providing a strong military and protect us. Give more power back to the states and let the states make more decisions on their own. Put education back where it belongs, in the hands of the states. No national healthcare, no national welfare, no national unemployment. Let the states provide for their citizens, not by giving handouts, but by helping pick people up on their feet, get them working, and instill American pride back into the citizens.
Next, term limits for Congress. Both the House and Senate serve 4 year terms, at a pay of $50,000 per year. Turn Walter Reed hospital into a dorm for them while Congress is in session. , if you want your own place, fine, pay for it yourself. No retirement paid out of our Social Security. The President’s salary should be reduced to $100,000, a two-term limit and no retirement plan.
Elected officials holding federal offices and their staff should not be allowed to invest in the stock market. If you are caught investing and conducting in insider trading, you get the same fate as Gordon Gecko in Wall Street; a prison sentence. You will be a felon with no chance of being pardoned. It’s time to send a message; you go to Washington to serve and work for the people, period.
I believe in the 1st amendment, so I will let Hollywood create what they want, even if I disagree with what they do. But, we the people can put a ban on movies by not going to see the movie, rent it or buy it. Same thing with television shows. If they put garbage out on television, we stop watching the show, write letters to the network and more importantly write letters to the sponsors, and let them know we will not purchase your products due to your support of this show or movie.
Businesses will change who they sponsor when we the people choose not to spend our money on their products. Once we get their attention, well you know how it works, money talks. We can get shows created like The Waltons, etc. again. There’s power in numbers and if we all pray to God to change the hearts of Washington and Hollywood, we can change the direction.
Same with music, I believe in the 1st amendment, but if some numbskull is going to put out garbage that supports violence, rape, drug or alcohol abuse, and violence toward children, stop buying their music. Start calling radio stations, asking them to stop playing the garbage. Send letters to the sponsors of the radio shows and let them know you will no longer buy their products. I love music, but let’s get real, there is too much junk out there that is bad, let’s focus on keeping it real, keeping it clean and putting God first again.
We need more positive influences like the Irish band U2. My wife introduced me their music years ago, and I have become a huge fan. They are a band of Christian men, spreading the Word that we can have heaven on this earth until Jesus comes again. They have a song that I love listening to; it’s called “The Hands That Built America”. It’s a wonderful song, very relaxing to listen to.
What strikes me funny is this – U2, a bunch of Irish-born musicians, understands what America is really about more than most Americans. Our founding fathers formed this nation, and it has become successful because we are a melting pot. Bono mentions that the hands that built America are; Russian, Sioux, Dutch, Hindu, Polish, Irish, German, Italian, Blacks, Chinese, Jews, Korean, Hispanic, Muslim and Indian. This is true, even though we are a Christian nation; God has used the whole world to build this great country.
Bono’s statement that really makes me think though is this one: Of all the promises, is this one we can keep? Of all the dreams is this one still out of reach?
Remember our heritage. Almost all of us, except for Native Americans, have ancestors that came to America. They didn’t come here for handouts and welfare. They came to escape socialism, monarchies, communists, anti-Christian atheists and ruthless dictators. They came to start families, worship God, and spread the gospel to the entire world. They made sacrifices to establish a home for future generations to live, love, thrive, survive and bless someone else. They laid their lives on the line to give us what we have today; we owe it to them to lay our lives on the line to keep what they passed down to us. They were the hands that built America.
We are standing at a crossroads here in America. Family is no longer regarded as the cornerstone of this country. It’s no wonder that this is happening in America. The decline of true Christianity has led us away from God; away from all that is good. As a whole, Americans have become like Eli in the Old Testament.
How have most Americans become like Eli? Eli was a priest, who focused on his student (Samuel), but did not give his children what they needed. Is this still happening now? Yes and at an alarming rate. How many family members and friends of yours have put their careers first in life? How many people have not gotten married so they could work on their careers? How many have given up their marriages and children for their careers? I can imagine you probably know at least 4-5 people who have done this. That is the “Eli Syndrome”, focusing on your work, not on what matters.
So, what does matter? In order for us to put our families first, we must follow this order; God must be first, our spouses second, our children third (family right after God), then our careers/ministries. That’s how we can do it. We restore the true family structure first.
We can all get back to the basics of this simply by starting in our homes. If each one of us focuses on our own families, raising our children properly, eliminating the garbage from our homes and put patriotism, faith, hope, and love back into our own families. We can put our nation back on the path to righteous and then, God will bless America again. Only then will this generation be able to answer Bono’s question by being “The Hands That Restored America”.
A powerful, no-holds-barred sermon on the duty and responsibility of Christian preachers and churches to participate and influence the political and social climates and conditions of our culture.
By Dave Kinney
Romans 13:1-13:7
What are our duties, responsibilities and rights in America? Why have so many Christians dropped out of sight and stepped back from speaking out on the major issues America faces today?
4 reasons why Christians have dropped out from the social issues plaguing our nation:
1. They see their involvement as “Social Gospel”. They say, “We can’t substitute culture for Calvary!” But isn’t Calvary for the culture?
2. They have given up hope. Isn’t that a hunker down mentality?
3. They Are Intimidated.
4. They see politics as dirty. They say, “Our kingdom is not this world.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses take this thinking! The great tennis player Serena Williams told reporters at Wimbledon last week that she was excited about Barrack Obama’s presidency. However, she won’t vote for anyone since she is a Jehovah’s Witness, and said “We don’t get involved in politics.”
So, why don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses vote? It’s because of their misinterpretation of John 17:14 where Jesus says of his followers, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
The ACLU has puffed up and blown us out of sight. The ACLU has accomplished a major goal – making Christians think we have no rights! Social tyrants and religious terrorists want us to sit down, shut down and stay in our little stain glass prisons!
If anyone of these points describes your thinking today, I ask, “Where do we get the answers to our problems?” Politicians? Humanist Atheists? Demonic philosophers? Muslims and terrorist? God forbid!
Get this – Australia Prime Minister John Howard finally had enough of being told what Australia should do by Muslims who want to live under Sharia Law! He spoke out last week on television saying, “Immigrants, not Australians must adapt. Take it or leave it. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom. We speak mainly English, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language! Most Australians believe in God.
This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don’t care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others. This is our country, our land, and our lifestyle, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag, our pledge, our Christian beliefs, or our way of life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom – the right to leave!”
1. Human Government Exists To Ordain Rulers.
Daniel 2:21, “As He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings.”
Romans 9:17, “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
Pontius Pilate washes his hands of the issue regarding Jesus and his pending death. As Jesus said in John 19:11, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given to you from above.”
Even under the wicked Roman government rule of the day of the Bible, Paul says, “If you resist the authority you resist the ordinance of God!”
2. Human Government’s Responsibilities.
To Restrain Evil. How many of you have heard the statement, “You can’t legislate morality”? This is absolutely true! There’s not a law on this earth that can make you moral! We’ve got this mixed up. For too long we’ve been trying to make government make us good! Only God can do that! Think of it this way; there’s not a law on this earth to make you love me, but there is a law to keep you from killing me!
KEY: We must get back to legislating against immorality!
May I go on the record as saying it is high time we begin saying something good about police officers across this country! I ran across this editorial in the Sacramento Bee and I think it says it so well, “A police man is many things, a son, a brother, a father, an uncle. He is a protector in times of need and a comforter in times of sorrow. His job calls him to be a diplomat, psychologist, a lawyer and an inspiration. Too often, acts of heroism go unnoticed and the truth is buried under all the criticism.”
“A police officer is an ordinary guy who is called upon to do extra-ordinarily brave things for us. He is a man who faces a half crazed gunman in the streets, schools or shops, rescues lost children, challenges a mob and risks his neck more than we realize.
He is the reason why your home has not been burned or burglarized. Thank God for all the little boys who said they would be a policeman and they kept their promise.”
Folks, from the President of the United States to the police officer on the street, all are to be ministers of God, men and women of righteousness and protectors of freedom!
I have to say in all honesty; sometimes government must take life in order to protect life!
“Bear the sword in vain”
Exodus 20:13 “Thou shall not kill.”
“Kill” = murder, personal vengeance, premeditated taking of life.
Exodus 21:12 “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.”
Keep in mind that the codling of a murderer is really cruelty to society! If someone was about to take your families life, are you going to tell me that you’re going to say “Peace Brother!”
3. To Reward Good.
1 Peter 2:13, 14 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.”
4. To Promote Religious Freedom.
1st Amendment to the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
I will give anyone here an all expense vacation to Hawaii if they can find in the Constitution the phrase “Separation of Church and State”.
No national denomination to rule the religious thought in America! Listen, I’m just as afraid of a Baptist Pope as I am a Catholic Pope! The church is to preach the gospel and the government is to protect us from evil and tyranny. It’s that simple!
Life Point: The state is not the master of the church and the church is not the master of the state. The church is the conscience of the state and salt and light in society!
5 Duties For Every Christian Citizen:
a. Pay For Our Government. Customs and taxes are here to stay because they are the best way to pay the bills of government. But a nation is in trouble, it’s truly on its last leg, when half the nation thinks the other half should support them or when we get the idea that the government is a cow to be milked instead of a watchdog to be fed!
b. Pray For Our Government. 1 Timothy 2:1-3, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone; for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.”
c. Praise Our Government. 1 Peter 2:17, “Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” Some think it’s cool to destroy our flag. To that I say you’re wrong! We should praise our government for keeping us free from another terrorist attack since 9/11. For keeping us a free nation for 232 years and for standing up to evil dictators around the world.
d. Preach To Our Government. Listen, we need to be civil but not silent! The Bible is filled with examples when leaders and governments need to be preached to. For example:
• Elijah preached to king Ahab
• Eliazar preached to king Jehoshaphat
• Daniel preached to Nebuchadnezzar
• Moses preached to Pharaoh
• John the Baptist preached to Herod
• Jesus preached to Pontius Pilate
• Paul preached to King Agrippa
May I remind all of us, as long as our leaders are aborting the pre-born we should preach to them. As long as we have leaders trying to normalize sexual perversion we should preach to them. As long as we have Americans who cannot pray wherever they want, we need to keep preaching! We must continue to preach from the highest hill top whatever is morally wrong is not politically right!
e. Participate In Our Government. “Render taxes”. We have a government that our Founding Fathers envisioned all people would be involved. That’s why the Constitution says, “Of the people, by the people and for the people.” If we don’t vote, we are not participating. It is inconceivable that God would have ordained government and then have His people stay out of it! And if we stay out of it, then I ask – who does that leave running this country? Use your head!
Matthias Burnett, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Norwalk, preached on May 12, 1803, “Consider well the important trust which God has put into your hands. To God you are accountable for your rights and your ruler. Let not your children have reason to curse you for giving up those rights and institutions which your fathers delivered to you.”
Samuel Adams on April 16, 1781 declared, “Let each citizen remember that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”
John Jay, Founding Father and appointed to the very first Supreme Court by President Washington said, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
Remember, as Christians, we participate not according to visionless policies, useless parties, godless people or purposeless politics. We participate according to God’s principles!
If all 180 million Christians in America took voting and speaking out seriously again, I believe we could turn this nation around in as little as 10 years!
An excellent sermon regarding the decline of our values and standards as a culture and as a nation. Over the past decade, the church has failed to be the “salt and light” it is called to be. The church will be held responsible and accountable for its failures. However, the church can lead America back from the brink of destruction if, and only if, a modern day remnant of “Black Robe Preachers” will rise to stand in the gap and preach the whole truth without fear.
By Mark Beaird
Text: I Chronicles 7:14
Britain’s King George III wrote the day’s activities in his diary: “July 4, 1776–Nothing happened today.”
Nothing happened? America was born that day, King George. Her birth marked an epoch in history for the cause of human freedom.
For 218 years, we have celebrated our independence–our own right to do as we please in governing our own lives. What a wonderful country we live in–despite all its faults and failures. What wonderful freedoms are offered to us as citizens of the USA.
One of those freedoms is what I want to talk about today–FREEDOM OF RELIGION. We can believe or worship anybody or anything we want with no one to tell us differently.
Many thousands of Christians around the world die for that right each and every year. Yet in America–a country established for that very right–many will not give God the time of day, much less their lives.
What has happened that made millions now celebrate the “Freedom from Religion” instead of the “Freedom of Religion?”
Many have tried and succeeded often in getting God kicked out of our schools, sporting events, public places and work places.
It is not the god of the Hindu, Muslims, it’s not the philosophy of reincarnation or the New Age, it’s not homosexuality or condom distribution they want out. It is Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. “Spiritualism” has taken the place of Christianity. Spiritualism puts self on the throne and religion in general. Christianity–the founding guide for America–is under attack.
In the April 1994 edition of Reader’s Digest, an article by former Secretary of Education William Bennett entitled “What Really Ails America” had this to say, “Today, much of society ridicules and mocks those who are serious about their faith. America’s only respectable form of bigotry is bigotry against religious people. And the only reason for hatred of religion is that it forces us to confront matters many would prefer to ignore.”
To a great extent our society has gotten what it wanted – A society without God. But what good has it done? Bennett goes on to say,
“Last year I compiled The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, a statistical portrait of American behavioral trends of the past three decades. Among the findings: Since 1960, while the gross domestic product has nearly tripled, violent crime has increased at least 560 percent. Divorces have more than doubled. The percentage of children in single-parent homes has tripled. And by the end of the decade 40 percent of all American births and 80 percent of minority births will occur out of wedlock.”
These are not good things to get used to.
The United States leads the industrialized world in murder, rape and violent crime. At the same time, our elementary-school students rank at or near the bottom in tests of math and science skills. Since 1960, average SAT scores in our high schools have dropped 75 points.
In 1940, teachers identified the top problems in America’s schools as: talking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise and running in the hall. In 1990, teachers listed drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, suicide, rape and assault.
These are not good things to get used to, either.
We have become inured to the cultural rot that is setting in. People are losing their capacity for shock, disgust and outrage. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Damian Williams was filmed crushing an innocent man’s skull with a brick, while Henry Watson held the victim down.
When Williams was finished, he did a victory dance. Watson and William’s lawyers then built a legal defense on the premise that people cannot be held accountable for getting caught up in mob violence. (“I guess maybe they were in the wrong place at the wrong time”, one juror told the New York Times). When these men were acquitted on most counts, the sound you heard throughout the land was no outrage, but relief.
This is not a good thing to get used to. What is the answer?
Bennett concludes with these words, “Today we must carry on a new struggle for the country we love. We must push hard against an age that is pushing hard against us. If we have full employment and greater economic growth-if we have cities of gold and alabaster-but our children have not learned to walk in goodness, justice and mercy, then the American experiment, no matter how gilded, will have failed.”
“Do not surrender. Get mad. Get in the fight.” “Do not surrender. Get Mad. Get in the fight.”
How can we turn this nation back to God? Can it even be done? Yes! We can make a difference!
II Chronicles 7:14, “If my people which 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.”
I. IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME…
A. There can be no “finger-pointing” when returning to God. He’s talking to us.
B. Judgment always begins at the House of God.
II. …WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE…
A. It is good to be a proud American as long as we can bow to God.
B. Prayer is never obsolete, outdated or too late.
III. …AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS…
A. We are notorious for repenting but not turning. Repentance means to turn.
B. Do we love evil too much to turn from it?
IV. …THEN I (GOD) WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN…
A. God is waiting to hear from us.
B. God longs for America to return to Him.
V. …AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND HEAL THEIR LAND…
A. Forgiveness awaits all who will turn.
B. Healing awaits all who turn.
Can America return to God? If America wants to – YES. Do we want to?
CONCLUSION
God has given us a great blessing in our country. It is a blessing worth preserving through prayer and devotion to God in the face of those who would want to tear it down. Unless we serve God we will live in bondage.
Christianity and patriotism have much in common. It is significant to note that:
Our patriotic hymn “My County, ’Tis of Thee”, was written by a Baptist clergyman, Samuel Francis Smith.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag was written in 1892 by a Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy.
The words, “In God We Trust,” carried on all of our coins, are traced to the efforts of the Rev. W.R. Watkinson of Ridleyville, Pennsylvania. his letter of concern, addressed to the Hon. S.P. Chase, was dated November 13, 1861.
Seven days later Mr. Chase wrote to James Pollock, Director of the U.S. Mint as follows: “No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins. Will you cause a device to be prepared without delay with a motto expressing in the finest and tersest words possible, this national recognition.”
The president of the College of New Jersey, the Reverend John Witherspoon (Presbyterian) was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. He is too much forgotten in our history books: John Witherspoon had a far-reaching influence on democracy. He had personally taught several of the signers of the document, and nine of them were graduates of the little college over which he presided at Princeton.
When he took up his pen to put his name to the document, Witherspoon declared: “There is a tide in the affairs of men, a spark. We perceive it now before us. To hesitate is to consent to our own slavery. That noble instrument upon the table, that insures immortality to its author, should be subscribed this very morning by every pen in this house. He that will not respond to its accents, and strain every nerve to carry into effect its provisions, is unworthy of the name of free man. For my own part, of property I have some; of reputation, more. That reputation is staked, that property is pledged on the issue of this contest; and although these gray hairs must soon descent into the sepulcher, I would infinitely rather they descent thither by the hand of the executioner than desert at this crisis the sacred cause of my country.”
An excellent example of an “Election Day Sermon” in outline form with historical information and relevant verses.
By Pastor Gary Dull
PROVERBS 14:34
INTRO: Today I am going to preach AN ELECTION DAY SERMON. What is AN ELECTION DAY SERMON, you may ask? Well, such a sermon has its roots buried back in the 18th and 19th Centuries in America when, either on the Sunday before Election Day, the day of the election, or on both days, preachers would deliver messages called ELECTION DAY SERMONS. For those sermons, all the elected officials were invited to attend and the pastor would direct his message to both the ELECTED and the ELECTORATE.
The purpose of the ELECTION DAY SERMON was not to tell people who TO VOTE FOR, but rather to proclaim from the pages of scripture what a nation must to in order to experience the blessing of God. Most of the ELECTION DAY SERMONS followed a typical pattern in which it was asserted that CIVIL GOVERNMENT was founded by God with the responsibility to maintain order in society. In addition, the ELECTION DAY SERMON taught both the VOTERS and the RULERS what they must do, according to scripture, to gain the BLESSING OF GOD, relative to both of their circumstances. Both VOTERS and RULERS were charged to PROMOTE VIRTUE, SUPPRESS VICE, AND SUPPORT PEOPLE OF “PROVEN WISDOM, INTEGRITY, JUSTICE AND HOLINESS.”
Many of those sermons were printed and distributed nation-wide in large city newspapers and pamphlets, as there was no radio, TV or Internet back then. (Refer to Daniel Foster’s sermon). History reveals that God used the ELECTION DAY SERMONS to make a positive influence upon the entire nation. When America became more sophisticated, the ELECTION DAY SERMON passed off of the scene. Even though the ELECTION DAY SERMON is basically a thing of the past, today, as we are facing a very crucial election in America, the Lord has led me and some other pastors across America, to resurrect this tradition that God has used for His Glory in such a great way in the past.
QUESTION: WHAT KIND OF A NATION DOES GOD BLESS AND EXALT? I am sure we ALL want a nation that God BLESSES AND EXALTS!
ANSWER: A NATION THAT MAINTAINS RIGHTEOUSNESS! “RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH A NATION, BUT SIN IS A REPROACH TO ANY PEOPLE.” -PROVERBS 14:34
OBSERVATIONS ON PROVERBS 14:34
1) “Righteousness” – RIGHT CHARACTER ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL
2) “Exalt” – TO ELEVATE AND TO REMAIN ELEVATED
3) “Sin” – THE VIOLATION OF THE LAW OF GOD
4) “Reproach” – “TO SHAME AND TO MAKE SMALL WE SHOULD ALL CHOOSE RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR AMERICA!!!
I. THE PLAN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
WHAT IS GOD’S PLAN TO BRING RIGHTEOUSNESS TO SOCIETY?
HIS THREE INSTITUTIONS!
A. The Home – God’s FIRST institution – Genesis 2 & 3.
GOD’S PRIMARY INSTITUTION FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
B. The Government – God’s SECOND Institution – Genesis 9; Romans 13
GOD’S PROTECTIVE INSTITUTION FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
C. The Church – God’s THIRD Institution – Acts 2
GOD’S PROMOTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. IT IS GOD’S WILL FOR ALL THREE OF HIS INSTITUTIONS TO HERALD RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT IT IS UP TO US TO SEE THAT SUCH IS DONE!
ILLUSTRATION:
II. THE PATTERN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
A. Righteousness is Revealed – In the Word of God.
B. Righteousness is Known – Through the Word of God.
C. Righteousness is Experienced – Through Jesus Christ
D. Righteousness is Promoted – By God’s People
ILLUSTRATION:
III. THE PRACTICE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
A. Principle One: The Electorate and the Elected MUST work together as a TEAM if righteousness is to be practiced
1. The Electorate
a. Develop Righteousness – Through a relationship with God in Christ.
b. Determine Righteousness
2. Support God-given Unalienable Rights – Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness.
3. Support God-established Unchangeable Realities – Sanctity of Life, Sanctity of the Family, The Public Expression of God in public spaces.
a. Demand Righteousness – Of self and the elected. Practice personal righteousness and communicate it with the ELECTED.
B. The Elected
1. Develop Righteousness – As your political platform.
2. Determine Righteousness – As the basis of all your legislation
3. Support God-given Unalienable Rights – Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness.
4. Support God-established Unchangeable Realities – Sanctity of Life, Sanctity of the Family, The public Expression of God in public spaces
a. Demand Righteousness – Of self and other elected individuals.
b. Principle Two: The Electorate and the Elected WILL rejoice together as a TEAM when righteousness is practiced – Proverbs 29:2
A brief article relative to how the Founding Fathers knew that Democracy was a horrible system of government so they gave us a Constitutional Republic with balanced sharing of powers and checks and balances to keep the progression of tyranny in check.
The enemies of this nation have been systematically corrupting the language. It’s time to set the record and the truth straight about the words we use.
By Jared Law.
The United States of America is NOT a Democracy; The United States of America is a Constitutional Republic.“…and to the Republic, for which it stands, One Nation, Under God, with Liberty and Justice for All!”
By the 1830?s, what we now call “progressives” had already begun transforming our language. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary is the last one to have fully Biblical/Christian education definition of all words. Nothing since, other than later printings of this edition of this dictionary, has been published, that I am aware of, that didn’t contain some form of word distortion/pollution by those we now call “progressives.”
Those progressives from the early 20th century all knew full well that we are a Constitutional Republic, and they felt that the Constitution of the United States of America was an impediment to their agenda, and one of the myriad of things that was done to combat the Principles of Liberty Enshrined in the Constitution of the United States of America, was to promote the falsehood that we are a democracy, rather than a Republic. This makes it far more easy to frame the argument in terms more agreeable to tyranny and oppression.
By the latter half of the 20th century, most public education resources had adopted this falsehood as if it were reality, and today, the very mention of the fact that we’re a Constitutional Republic is met with scorn by those who know better, but don’t want to admit it, and some who have been misled by our public education system even argue the point.
Whoever controls the language, controls society.
It’s time we took back our country, including our culture! When we use the distorted definitions and false terminology of the American Left (so-called “progressives”), we are fighting the battle with one hand tied behind our backs. Awake and Arise, fellow Patriots! Wake up, America, and realize that liberty is being smothered in the back room!
Let us continue to rally to her defense, even on issues that are seemingly small, such as the definitions of the words we use to discuss principles and issues. If it makes the difference in just a few dozen cases, it’s worth it, but if universally understood, this truth could potentially make the difference in a few hundred thousand, and indirectly, a few million cases, if not more!
An excellent sermon that reminds us of what we often forget, that in declaring our independence from England, our forefathers made an equally strong declaration of dependence upon Almighty God.
By Melvin Newland
Deuteronomy 8:6-8:14
Today the United States is celebrating a crucial moment in the history of our nation – the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And as we look back at that event we need to realize that it was a fateful & very dangerous decision for each man who dared to sign that Declaration.
In fact, as John Adams signed it he said, “Whether we live or die, sink or swim, succeed or fail, I stand behind this Declaration of Independence. And if God wills it, I am ready to die in order that this country might experience freedom.”
It was that kind of patriotism which led men, armed with little more than hunting rifles, to engage in battle with the most powerful nation in the world.
Many of our forefathers paid a terrible price in the Revolutionary War, but finally they won the victory so that you & I might be citizens of this “land of the free & home of the brave.”
But what we often forget is that in declaring their independence from England, our forefathers made an equally strong “Declaration of Dependence” upon Almighty God.
I. THEY DECLARED THEIR DEPENDENCE UPON GOD
The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins with these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The closing words of their Declaration solemnly states: “With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes & our sacred Honor.”
It is important that we remember this declaration of their dependence upon God, for in a time of world turmoil, the United States today is rapidly forgetting the God of our fathers, the God who gave this nation its birth & its greatness.
I trust that all of you recognize the name of Patrick Henry. But I’m afraid many of our school children know almost nothing of him at all. Patrick Henry was a famous statesman of colonial Virginia. In 1764, he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses where he became a champion of the frontier people, supporting their rights against the arrogant exercise of power by the aristocracy. In 1774 he was a delegate to the First Continental Congress. In 1775, before the Virginia Provincial Convention, which was deeply divided between those who supported England & those who desired freedom, he uttered his most famous words, “Give me liberty or give me death!”
During the Revolutionary War he became commander-in-chief of Virginia’s military forces. He was a member of the Second Continental Congress. He helped draw up the first constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, & was primarily responsible for drawing up the amendments to our Constitution known as the Bill of Rights. He became Virginia’s first governor, & was re-elected 3 more times. Then he retired from public life. But despite his strong objections, the people went ahead & elected him Governor for the 5th time. But he meant what he said, so he refused to take the office. He was offered a seat in the U.S. Senate, & posts as ambassador to Spain & to France. President George Washington asked him to join his cabinet & become Secretary of State, & later wanted to appoint him the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But he refused all such honors & recognitions.
Now why do I mention these things about Patrick Henry? It is because I want you to realize that he was an important & respected leader in those days when our nation came into being.
Now listen to his words. He 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.”
His Last Will & Testament was filed in the Brookneal County courthouse in Virginia. Read his Will & you’ll see that he bequeathed everything to his children, just as most people do. But the last paragraph in his Will is especially interesting. He wrote, “I have now given everything I own to my children. There is one more thing I wish I could give them & that is Christ. Because if they have everything I gave them & don’t have Christ, they have nothing.”
I love reading about Patrick Henry & George Washington & John Adams & Thomas Jefferson & John Jay & many of the other patriots who gave of themselves so valiantly that we might enjoy the freedoms that are ours. But we also need to be reminded again of the solemn warning that God gave to another nation which was experiencing the thrill of independence after centuries of slavery in Egypt. Although it was written over 3,000 years ago, this warning could very well apply to the United States today.
In Deuteronomy 8:7-14, Moses tells the people, “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land where you shall eat food without scarcity. When you have eaten & are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.”
Now listen to His warning: “Beware. . .lest, when you have eaten & are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them and your silver and your gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart becomes proud, and you forget the Lord your God.” Do we today have a reason to be concerned about this warning?
II. WATCH OUT THAT WE DON’T FORGET GOD
The testimony of history has made it abundantly clear that not only nations, but also individuals, need to heed that warning. The greatness of a nation is not measured by its military power, technological advancements, or national wealth. Righteousness & justice are the determining factors.
Solomon, the wisest of men, said: “Righteousness exalts a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)
Someone wrote: “What in the world is happening with our kids today? Let’s see…I think it started when Madalyn Murray O’Hair complained that she didn’t want any prayer in our schools.” And our Supreme Court said, “Okay.”
Then someone said ,“You had better not read the Bible in school” – the Bible that says, “Thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And our nation said, “Okay.”
Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. So we said, “Okay, we won’t spank them.”
Then someone said that teachers & principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. And our administrators said, “No one in this school is to touch a student when he misbehaves because we don’t want any bad publicity. And we surely don’t want to be sued.”
Then someone said, “Let’s provide our children with condoms so they can have all the ‘fun’ they desire.” And our nation said, “That’s a great idea.” Someone else said, “Let’s provide abortions for underage girls, and they won’t even have to tell their parents.” And our nation said, “That’s another great idea.”
Then some of our top officials said that it doesn’t matter what we do in private. And we said, “As long as I have a job, it doesn’t matter to me what anyone does in private.”
So now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with “We reap what we sow.” Wow! What a concept!
III. DON’T LET OUR FREEDOM GET OUT OF HAND
We have sung, “I’ve gotta be free,” but sometimes our proclaimed freedom has become the very thing that enslaves us.
In Titus 3:3, Paul says, “At one time we were foolish, disobedient, deceived and entangled by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”
This is the enslaving and deceiving nature of sin. People who are caught up in sin think they are free, but in reality they are enslaved to sin.
Go to the wino on the street and say, “I want to set you free from alcoholism.” He will say, “I’m not a slave to anything. Give me back my bottle.”
The prodigal son came to his father and said, “I want to be free. Give me what is mine.” Then he wandered into the far country, saying, “I’m free! I’m free!” But his freedom was brief. His friends left him when his money ran out, and he found himself enslaved to a Gentile taskmaster and to a group of hogs in the hog wallow.
It was not until he came home and submitted to the father that he really found freedom.
IV. OUR REAL FREEDOM COMES IN CHRIST
So when we stand back and look at this land of the free we begin to wonder, “Is there any real freedom anywhere?”
But thank God, as Christians, we have a greater freedom than any Constitution can grant us. We have the freedom that is offered in Christ Jesus.
There is a word for freedom in the New Testament. It is the word “redemption.” “Redemption” means “to be set free.” It means that we have been bought with a price, that we have been freed of our bondage, and now we are really free.
In Paul’s letter to Titus he tells us that we have been set free from the bondage of sin. “For the grace of God teaches us to say ’No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, Godly lives in this present age. . . Jesus Christ. . .gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.” [Titus 2:11-14]
If you really are concerned about America; if you earnestly want God to bless her, then live a life in harmony with the will of God. Only then does one truthfully have the right to sing:
God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her, Through the night, with the light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam. God bless America, my home sweet home.
So, as we celebrate again the birth of our nation, pray that our country might have a new birth of freedom; not a freedom from God, which always leads to license and ultimate slavery, but rather a freedom built upon God and His commandments.
Also, may each one of us, as individuals, reaffirm our dependence upon God so that, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” we might experience the freedom He gives not only from worry, doubt and fear, but also from all those sins which do “so easily beset us.”
Then, as did the founding Fathers of our country, we will find in Him our life, liberty, and true happiness.
Listen to this story:
The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he’d told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.
It had been a year since Susan, 34, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis, she had lost her sight and was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, frustration, anger, and self-pity. And all she had to cling to was her husband, Mark.
Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again.
Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to go by herself. So Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city.
At first, this comforted Susan who was so insecure about herself now. Soon, however, Mark realized the arrangement wasn’t working. “Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again,” he admitted to himself. “But she is still so insecure, so angry – how will she react?”
Just as he feared, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. “I’m blind!”, she responded bitterly. “How am I supposed to know where I am going? I feel like you’re abandoning me.”
It broke Mark’s heart when he heard these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened.
For 2 solid weeks, Mark accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, especially her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment.
Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, and his love.
She said “Goodbye,” and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself!
On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying the fare to exit the bus, the driver said, “Boy, I sure do envy you.” Susan wasn’t sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year?
Curious, she asked the driver, “Why do you say that you envy me?” The driver responded, “It must feel good to be taken care of and protected like you are.” Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about and again asked, “What do you mean?”
The driver answered, “Every morning for the past week, a fine-looking man in a military uniform has been standing across the street watching you as you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss and walks away. You are one lucky lady!”
Tears of happiness poured down Susan’s cheeks. For although she couldn’t see him, she had always seemed to feel Mark’s presence. She was lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift that she didn’t need to see to know – the gift of his love.
A vast collection of quotes by our founding fathers relating to their Christian faith, their love for Jesus Christ and their reliance on divine providence.
Samuel Adams – Father of the American Revolution, Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“I . . . recommend my Soul to that Almighty Being who gave it, and my body I commit to the dust, relying upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.” (From the will of Samuel Adams)
Charles Carroll – Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“On the mercy of my Redeemer I rely for salvation and on His merits; not on the works I have done in obedience to His precepts.” (From an autographed letter in our possession written by Charles Carroll to Charles W. Wharton, Esq., on September 27, 1825, from Doughoragen, Maryland.)
William Cushing – First Associate Justice Appointed by George Washington to the Supreme Court
“Sensible of my mortality, but being of sound mind, after recommending my soul to Almighty God through the merits of my Redeemer and my body to the earth.” (From the will of William Cushing)
John Dickinson – Signer of the Constitution
“Rendering thanks to my Creator for my existence and station among His works, for my birth in a country enlightened by the Gospel and enjoying freedom, and for all His other kindnesses, to Him I resign myself, humbly confiding in His goodness and in His mercy through Jesus Christ for the events of eternity.” (From the will of John Dickinson)
John Hancock – Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“I, John Hancock, . . . being advanced in years and being of perfect mind and memory-thanks be given to God-therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die [Hebrews 9:27], do make and ordain this my last will and testament…Principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it: and my body I recommend to the earth . . . nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mercy and power of God.” (From the will of John Hancock)
Patrick Henry – Governor of Virginia, Patriot
“This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.” (From the will of Patrick Henry)
John Jay – First Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court
“Unto Him who is the author and giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His manifold and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by His beloved son. He has been pleased to bless me with excellent parents, with a virtuous wife, and with worthy children. His protection has companied me through many eventful years, faithfully employed in the service of my country; His providence has not only conducted me to this tranquil situation but also given me abundant reason to be contented and thankful. Blessed be His holy name!” (From the will of John Jay)
Daniel St. Thomas Jenifer – Signer of the Constitution
“In the name of God, Amen. I, Daniel of Saint Thomas Jenifer . . . of disposing mind and memory, commend my soul to my blessed Redeemer.” (From the will of Daniel St. Thomas Jenifer)
Henry Knox – Revolutionary War General, Secretary of War
“First, I think it proper to express my unshaken opinion of the immortality of my soul or mind; and to dedicate and devote the same to the supreme head of the Universe – to that great and tremendous Jehovah, – Who created the universal frame of nature, worlds, and systems in number infinite . . . To this awfully sublime Being do I resign my spirit with unlimited confidence of His mercy and protection.” (From the will of Henry Knox)
John Langdon – Signer of the Constitution
“In the name of God, Amen. I, John Langdon, . . . considering the uncertainty of life and that it is appointed unto all men once to die [Hebrews 9:27], do make, ordain and publish this my last will and testament in manner following, that is to say-First: I commend my soul to the infinite mercies of God in Christ Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father, who died and rose again that He might be the Lord of the dead and of the living . . . professing to believe and hope in the joyful Scripture doctrine of a resurrection to eternal life.” (From the will of John Langdon)
John Morton – Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“With an awful reverence to the great Almighty God, Creator of all mankind, I, John Morton . . . being sick and weak in body but of sound mind and memory-thanks be given to Almighty God for the same, for all His mercies and favors-and considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the times thereof, do, for the settling of such temporal estate as it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life.” (From the will of John Morton)
Robert Treat Paine – Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“I desire to bless and praise the name of God most high for appointing me my birth in a land of Gospel Light where the glorious tidings of a Savior and of pardon and salvation through Him have been continually sounding in mine ears.”(From Robert Treat Paine, The Papers of Robert Treat Paine, Stephen Riley and Edward Hanson, editors (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 1992), Vol. I, p. 48, March/April, 1749.)
“When I consider that this instrument contemplates my departure from this life and all earthly enjoyments and my entrance on another state of existence, I am constrained to express my adoration of the Supreme Being, the Author of my existence, in full belief of his providential goodness and his forgiving mercy revealed to the world through Jesus Christ, through whom I hope for never ending happiness in a future state, acknowledging with grateful remembrance the happiness I have enjoyed in my passage through a long life.” (From the will of Robert Treat Paine)
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney – Signer of the Constitution
“To the eternal, immutable, and only true God be all honor and glory, now and forever, Amen!” (From the will of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney)
Rufus Putnam – Revolutionary War General, First Surveyor General of the United States
“First, I give my soul to a holy, sovereign God Who gave it in humble hope of a blessed immortality through the atonement and righteousness of Jesus Christ and the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit. My body I commit to the earth to be buried in a decent Christian manner. I fully believe that this body shall, by the mighty power of God, be raised to life at the last day; for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.” (From the will of Rufus Putnam)
Benjamin Rush – Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“My only hope of salvation is in the infinite, transcendent love of God manifested to the world by the death of His Son upon the cross. Nothing but His blood will wash away my sins. I rely exclusively upon it. Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!” (From Benjamin Rush, The Autobiography of Benjamin Rush, George Corner, editor (Princeton: Princeton University Press for the American Philosophical Society, 1948), p. 166, Travels Through Life, An Account of Sundry Incidents & Events in the Life of Benjamin Rush.)
Roger Sherman – Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Signer of the Constitution
“I believe that there is one only living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. . . . that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are a revelation from God. . . . that God did send His own Son to become man, die in the room and stead of sinners, and thus to lay a foundation for the offer of pardon and salvation to all mankind so as all may be saved who are willing to accept the Gospel offer.” (From Lewis Henry Boutell, The Life of Roger Sherman (Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1896), pp. 272-273.)
Richard Stockton – Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“I think it proper here not only to subscribe to the entire belief of the great and leading doctrines of the Christian religion, such as the Being of God, the universal defection and depravity of human nature, the divinity of the person and the completeness of the redemption purchased by the blessed Savior, the necessity of the operations of the Divine Spirit, of Divine Faith, accompanied with an habitual virtuous life, and the universality of the divine Providence, but also . . . that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom; that the way of life held up in the Christian system is calculated for the most complete happiness that can be enjoyed in this mortal state; that all occasions of vice and immorality is injurious either immediately or consequentially, even in this life; that as Almighty God hath not been pleased in the Holy Scriptures to prescribe any precise mode in which He is to be publicly worshiped, all contention about it generally arises from want of knowledge or want of virtue.” (From the will of Richard Stockton)
Jonathan Trumbull Sr. – Governor of Connecticut, Patriot
“Principally and first of all, I bequeath my soul to God the Creator and Giver thereof, and body to the Earth . . . nothing doubting but that I shall receive the same again at the General Resurrection through the power of Almighty God; believing and hoping for eternal life thro the merits of my dear, exalted Redeemer Jesus Christ.” (From the will of Jonathan Trumbull)
John Witherspoon – Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“I entreat you in the most earnest manner to believe in Jesus Christ, for there is no salvation in any other [Acts 4:12]. . . . If you are not reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, if you are not clothed with the spotless robe of His righteousness, you must forever perish.”
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