Monday, June 26, 2017

June 27, 2017

"Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy."   Psalms 33:1-3

God raised up the nation of Israel to be a people who would worship Him! He raised up a nation of people through whom He could demonstrate His great power and grace. He formed a nation out of whom a Savior could be born.

Many Bible scholars believe this Psalms refers only and directly to the nation of Israel. That may be true, but no serious student of history can deny that one of the driving forces behind the founding of America and then the establishment of the United States was a desire to have a place where the citizens could worship freely.

With the Founders freely acknowledging that rights and freedom devolve from God, how could they then deny their citizens the right to worship freely - or not to worship at all?

Consider some of these quotes:

"Every man "ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience." - George Washington (Letter to the United Baptist Churches in Virginia in May, 1789)

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religion but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We shall not fight alone. God presides over the destinies of nations." - Patrick Henry

"He said, “We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self‐government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” - James Madison

The desire to worship as a man chooses found expression in the First Amendment of the national constitution, part of the United States' Bill of Rights: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

William Bradford wrote that they [the Pilgrims] were seeking:

“a better, and easier place of living”; and that “the children of the group were being drawn away by evil examples into extravagance and dangerous courses [in Holland]“

“The great hope, and for the propagating and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world”

"I. . . [rely] upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.

The name of the Lord (says the Scripture) is a strong tower; thither the righteous flee and are safe [Proverbs 18:10]. Let us secure His favor and He will lead us through the journey of this life and at length receive us to a better.

I conceive we cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler of the world . . . that the confusions that are and have been among the nations may be overruled by the promoting and speedily bringing in the holy and happy period when the kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and the people willingly bow to the scepter of Him who is the Prince of Peace.

He also called on the State of Massachusetts to pray that . . .

the peaceful and glorious reign of our Divine Redeemer may be known and enjoyed throughout the whole family of mankind.

we may with one heart and voice humbly implore His gracious and free pardon through Jesus Christ, supplicating His Divine aid . . . [and] above all to cause the religion of Jesus Christ, in its true spirit, to spread far and wide till the whole earth shall be filled with His glory.

with true contrition of heart to confess their sins to God and implore forgiveness through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior. - Samuel Adams

Have you taken time to worship God today? Have you thanked Him for the Founding Fathers who were used by Him to establish this great nation that has blessed so many people across the world?

The ability and freedom to worship God as you see fit is one of the great blessings you have as a believer in Jesus Christ!

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord...."














June 26, 2017

"Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,  to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you." Psalm 33

I understand that the immediate context of these verses applies to the nation of Israel but I can see the "big idea" that looks like what America became. See what you think.

The Purpose of Our Nation, Vv. 1-3

God raised up the nation of Israel to be a people who would worship Him! He raised up a nation of people through whom He could demonstrate His great power and grace. He formed a nation out of whom a Savior could be born.

While I will be developing this thought throughout the week, I believe the freedom to worship God without pressure or interference from the government was a driving force toward the founding of this nation.

The Principles of Our Nation, Vv. 4-11

Two of the foundational principles upon which our great nation was established are mentioned here: righteousness and justice. Righteousness essentially means that we look to God to determine what is right and wrong and justice is the implementation of right and wrong. A sincere wholesale return to righteousness and justice would sure help restore our nation today!

The Protection of Our Nation, Vv. 12-19

Where should we look for national security in a post-911 world of terrorists who are developing nuclear weapons? Ours is a world governed by the aggressive use of force, is it realistic to think that trusting God can keep us safe?

God did a good job of protecting His nation, Israel when they trusted Him. But Israel maintained an army, too. But I think the big point here is that security comes from the inside out. Like everything else in our world, it is fundamentally a spiritual issue.

The Promise of Our Nation, Vv. 20-22

Is fundamental change really the hope of our future? Doesn't it make more sense to understand what has worked for us in the past and project that forward? Should we not rediscover the roots of our greatness and replant the seeds of our success?


"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD" ..........