There is no doubt that our country has wandered away from the principles upon which it was founded. There are three basic ways this has happened.
We have denied the Lord. America was founded upon Christian principles. However, like the Israelites in Judges 1, our nation has turned against the God who blessed us. Christ is not only not honored but also is reviled. Our government has attempted to misuse the separation of church and state to take Christ out of our society. While non-Christian religions are allowed to openly proclaim their faith, we are being forced to remove any sign of Christianity from the public square. Our public schools have denied Christ. Our government has denied Christ. Society, in general, has denied Christ. The Bible says in Psalm 33:12, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD;… Isaiah 60:12 teaches, For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
We have forsaken the law of God. There was a time in our nation when the Ten Commandments were taught in our public school system. They were the foundation of our morality. God’s law, as taught in the Bible, was deemed to be the basis upon which our society was founded. The purpose was not to exclude others from their right to practice their religion. The purpose was to have a nation whose morality and ethics were based upon the Word of God. Proverbs 14:34 says, Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
We have become defiled in our living. Sins that once were rejected by most people are now not only accepted but also forced upon us. Things that were considered to be abominable are now legalized. One of the great sins of our nation is abortion. Millions of unborn babies have been murdered throughout these years since it was legalized. The blessings of God cannot be upon a nation that is defiled in the way it lives. We see the effect of this in Judges 2:11- 12, And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
HOW AMERICA CAN RETURN TO GOD
While II Chronicles 7:14 was not specifically written for America, its principles will work for any nation that will observe it. This passage has been quoted often, but it is seldom put into practice. That is why we see so few revivals taking place. For America to return, God’s people must follow the principles that are given in this passage. The emphasis today is not what America must do to come back to God. The emphasis is what God’s people must do in order for God to heal this land in spite of what the rest of the world has embraced. God always responds to His people when they do the right thing. Only when we recognize the severity of our failure will we return to these principles.
We must humble ourselves.
What exactly does this mean? The context is very important here. Therefore, humility is when we realize that we are not the hope of this country. The hope of our nation is God. It is important for us to teach our students that electing the right people into office will not bring revival. It may stem the tide of some corruption; but, inevitably, we must humble ourselves and realize that we are not the hope to bring America back to God. Anytime we humble ourselves, prayer or our recognition that we need God will follow. Psalm 20:7 says, Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
We must pray.
The missing element in most Christians’ lives is prayer. There are so many passages of Scripture that teach us the importance of prayer. We pray when we realize how desperately we need God. Jeremiah 29:11-12 says. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
We must seek God’s face.
What is the difference between prayer and seeking God’s face? Prayer is the seeking of God’s help. Seeking His face is desiring God’s presence. How do we gain God’s presence in our lives? I Peter 3:12 gives us the answer, For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. When we as God’s people seek first His righteousness, God’s eyes are upon us; and we can enjoy His presence. Matthew 6:33 says, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Seeking God’s face will lead to the final step.
We must turn from our wicked ways.
I Corinthians 6:19- 20 says, What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. What are our wicked ways? The purpose of our lives is to glorify God. We were created to glorify God. The word wicked means twisted. Whenever we twist our purpose from that which was intended, then our ways become wicked. When we live to glorify ourselves or to satisfy or bring pleasure to ourselves, our ways are wicked. God’s people must turn from their wicked ways and live their lives for the purpose for which they were created.
True humility leads to the last three steps. When we are humble enough to seek God’s help, humble enough to seek God’s presence or righteousness, and humble enough to seek His cleansing from our repentance, then God can heal our land. Our land is in desperate need of the hand of God upon us. We have been promised three things if we respond properly to the condition of our country.
- We are promised that God will
- We are promised that God will
- We are promised that God will
First, we must understand the severity of our country’s condition. Second, we must understand our responsibility as God’s people. Then, we can expect God to do His part. We should make our patriotism a spiritual matter, not just a matter of pride of country.
Pastor Neal, through his preaching and his counseling, displays the compassionate heart of a pastor, follows the true leading of the Holy Spirit, and expresses a fervent desire to see lost souls come to know Christ. It is his ultimate desire to see the greater Jacksonville area reached for the cause of Christ and for revival to come to Northeast Florida.
