Thursday, July 3, 2014

Celebrate God & Country



What an awesome privilege God has given Americans to live in such a great land. With all its difficulties, America is still the greatest country on earth!

As America honors God, He will honor her as a nation. As she blesses Israel, God will bless her (Gen.12:3). Woe to the country who turns its back on God's chosen people! May America ever be a friend to Israel.

Our loving, faithful God birthed America into existence so that His precious Gospel could be propagated around the globe. Many of America's founding fathers understood this mission. May America rise to the challenge of her godly calling!

May believers in the Lord Jesus Christ carry His torch in these needy, desperate times! With broken homes and broken hearts, Americans are searching for a relationship that lasts! Jesus is the answer to that compelling need!

The best way American believers can celebrate God and country this July 4th is to share Jesus with at least one other person. Maybe with a neighbor you can invite to a backyard barbeque and begin to establish a relationship with. Maybe a co-worker you can invite to a July 4th community gathering. As you talk about the "day," share why God established America in the first place. Keep the godly roots of America alive as you share with folks around you.

May American believers never forget the godly heritage upon which their country was founded. Like a candle in the darkness, may each one shine brightly with God's love and truth at home, in the neighborhood, at work, at church, in the community, on vacation, and in the secret places of his/her heart.

May each Christian parent instill within his children and grandchildren a love and respect for God and country. May each child come to understand that a country in which individuals do whatever is right in their own eyes, as in the days of the Old Testament Judges, is destined to failure, but a country in which individuals submit to authority under God prospers.

Each day, Americans stand at a crossroads. A choice must be made before leaving the front door:  Will I serve God today, or will I serve other gods? Success. Power. Materialism. Humanism. Me.

It is the same message Joshua delivered to the Israelite children so long ago. Following a history lesson of God's faithful dealings and deliverance of His children, Joshua sums up with these words:

"Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:14-15)

What is your choice today? Your answer will greatly impact America, either for good or for ill. Your answer will determine how you celebrate this July 4th. Just another cookout or a commitment to God's agenda.

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