It was right after WWII that our country recognized the enemy of Communism. We built a military capability to defeat this enemy. As we know from the experiences of recent years, the threat of communism has not diminished. However, during those times and even more today, there was another enemy that is destroying our nation. This enemy penetrates every facet of life in our country. The government, the workplace, the schools. Even many churches have fallen away from the truth of God’s Word. In reality, it is nothing new in the world; it has been around since the Garden of Eden. It is a lie, propagated by Satan himself, and presented to Adam and Eve in the garden.
What is this lie? “Humanism”, a belief that man must be his own Lord, with a sovereign right to determine what is good or evil as he wishes. The desire to remove God from his life and be his own lord.
History and society prove that as man places himself above God and becomes self-sufficient, free of moral restraints, he plunges to the depths of moral and spiritual confusion and social breakdown. A confused and distorted process begins to develop in the mind of man:
If you don't want it, kill it
If it feels good, do it
If you are tired of it, divorce it
If you can't handle it, drug it
We are absolutely destroying ourselves from within and in the light of what you have just read, what are your feelings? If you were to be asked right now the question: Do you have a heart for America? How would you respond? Do we really understand what is going on in our country today?
Just as Jeremiah, Daniel, Amos, and Elijah each of these great heroes of faith, we must be aware of what is going on in our nation. In Matthew 5:13-14, Jesus said that we are to be the salt and the light of the world.
Salt flavors and enhances; salt entices and preserves. Light illuminates and protects; light directs and secures. We have a responsibility to this nation.
There are 4 qualities that I believe God wants each of us to have in order that we are able to be the salt and light Jesus said we are to be in Matthew 5:13-14 NKJV-
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
1) God’s people need to have a: definite consciousness of their call from God
Jeremiah 1:4-5 NKJV
4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
We need to get serious about the call of ministry in our life. When was the last time that you seriously considered what it was that God has called you to do? You see; God has called us to give our lives to Him, all that we are, we belong to Him totally. We are to be obedient whenever He calls.
2) God's people need to have a habit of spending time privately with Him each day
Daniel 6:10-13 NKJV
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12 And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.”
13 So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is [b]one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
Daniel went to the Lord three times daily. He knew that his life was in danger if he did so. He sought God, he fasted and he prayed. I want you to understand, that when you spend more time alone with God it has a greater impact. What you do has more meaning, the fruit of your life has deeper roots. God desires that we be fruitful. He takes the responsibility for the outcome of your life if you are faithful.
3) God’s people need to have a: message from God for a lost and dying world
Amos 5:6 NKJV
Seek the Lord and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it,
Amos 5:14 NKJV
Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken.
The question is: Are you willing to go before God, receive His blessing, and then affect this nation for Him? Time alone with God keeps our understanding of His vision, it makes us aware of how helpless we are without Him, and that same aloneness gives us the power to know we have a message from God.
People today are hungry and seeking the truth of God and every child of God should be seeking Him. We have the message for this nation and its people. They are listening, hungry, and dying for hope.
If we do not tell them, then who will? We are not responsible for whether or not the people listen. We are responsible to proclaim the Word of God.
Today in this country, we have elected leaders who have no respect for God or the Bible. I think that it is a part of human nature, that sinful nature, which always wants to find someone to blame?
-Can we blame the unbeliever? No, because they are blind to the truth.
-Who has seen the truth, and knows the principles of the Word of God? We do as Christians.
-Can we really blame someone else? Actually, no we cannot.
-We are guilty of letting others vote for us. A mistake that we must correct as we go forward.
Many Christians today do not take the responsibility of voting seriously. Some might say: “I can’t be involved politically because of God’s work”. God’s work is what is going on in this country and in this government.
Remember what Jesus said in Matthew, You are to be Salt, You are the Light.
4) God’s people need to have awillingness to proclaim the ungodly actions of the nation's leaders
Elijah did so during the reign of Ahab, Israel's most wicked king. There was actually a double evil; Ahab was married to Jezebel.
In 1 Kings 21:25 NKJV God told Elijah-
25 But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.
Ahab did more to provoke the Lord than all the kings before him. In our country, today there needs to be a wake-up call. If we do not wake up, our children will have nothing to wake up to. Ahab said that Elijah was the troublemaker.
Many today say, that the church is the troublemaker. Now that there is no external enemy for our country to war against, the church has become the enemy. The world today would neutralize the church. To silence the men of God in pulpits all over this nation today. Intimidate them, make them cowards, and then shut them up.
It is so important to this Pastor and to others that God’s people continually intercede on our behalf. As Pastors, we must speak the truth with boldness and courage.
God’s people have been silent too long. Understand your call from God, spend time with Him in privacy, proclaim the message of God, and proclaim the ungodly actions of the nation's leaders.
Isaiah had a deep love for God and for Israel. The prophet will speak forth the truth from God.
God’s people have been silent too long. God’s people have worried about what others will think.
Priorities have been confused, let’s get them in order.
God’s people need to have a heart that burns with a passion for God and a compassion for people and they need to pray a prayer like this:
“God would you raise up a generation of Pastors who would be courageous men, who have a heart for You, who would bring the message from You, anointed by You, with A Heart for America.
God would you raise up a generation of Christians who would be courageous men and women, who have a heart for You, who would bring the message from You, anointed by You, with A Heart for America.”
On this weekend that leads to our nation's birthday of July 4th, please pray this prayer and continue to pray it each day of the week, each week of the year, and month of the year. Do so until the Lord brings you home or His Son comes for His bride the church.
Have a safe and blessed July 4th and pray with A Heart for America.
In God's Grace,
Elbert Nasworthy
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