Nehemiah 9:1-6
At the beginning America had a solid foundation. It wasn’t perfect, but the foundation was rock solid. Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by emphasizing the importance of foundation, and he made a solid foundation with the Word of God: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” Matthew 7:24.
Let’s reflect on our nation’s foundation and see if it was on the rock. Did our forefathers practice what Christ preached? On May 17, 1776, Congress actually appointed a day of fasting and prayer for the colonies, so that they might by sincere repentance. “Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. For democracy to work, the majority of the people have to be religious and moral at their core, or it falls apart.” It wasn’t just the people who honored God back then; the institutions did as well. In fact, 106 of the first 108 schools in America were founded on the Christian faith.
Our Constitution is under attack from all sides. Even though the Constitution grants us freedom of speech and freedom of religion, how can the rules change in a public setting for what is constitutionally acceptable? I wonder what the patriots of the Revolutionary War would say about that. The reason they broke away from England and started America is so that people could have freedom to practice their religion without the fear of being arrested.
What’s happened to our country? The change has sunk us into a false sense of security, while all around us our moral standards, our American values, our Biblical principles, and common sense are quickly fading. Was there some demonic activity that is responsible for shaking up the morals and values of our culture? Some people would point to a moment in 1962, when the Supreme Court ruled that voluntary prayer at the start of each school day was unconstitutional. It was labeled offensive.
Can I read for you the prayer that was typically said? This is from New York, one of the more liberal states, and this is what students would recite to start the school day in 1961: “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence on Thee and we beg Thy blessing over us, our parents, our teachers, and our nation.” That was it. That simple prayer came under fire and went to the Supreme Court for decision.
Restore our nation
Let’s restore our nation. Can we relive the history and the foundation of our country? We live in the 21st century now. We can’t restore something if we don’t know how it was built. And at the heart of the building of America, of this nation was God’s Word, prayer, and holiness.
Since the founding of America school children had been allowed to call on the Lord before the start of each school day. Families used to pray at their dinner table and at sporting events. Now is a great opportunity to turn things around for our children’s children, but God’s people must act.
So how do we restore our nation to a level of doing right and being of right character? Well, we need godly people to run for office. We need Christians to register to vote. But it goes further than that. Christians must look at those issues where the Bible speaks and allow God’s Word to guide their choices. We need people of honorable character who believe in Christian values to be elected into government. Once elected, we need them to stay true to those values and virtues, to always remember why they chose to be a public servant.
That is not God’s first thought. In fact, the list that God gives us is quite different. The things I shared with you are good things, but God Himself shared a list for the nation of Israel when they saw their foundation and desired restoration. God’s list is much better. The Lord says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14.
We have become so conditioned to point fingers of blame: “It’s Congress’s fault! It’s the Senate’s fault!” “It’s the Republicans.” “It’s the Democrats.” “We blame President (fill in the blank).”
We blame the Government officials for condition of the country, but the people played a part, too, but God takes the focus off of the individual and he places the spotlight on all believers, and he says, “If my people, those who follow me, who bear my name ….” That’s us.
So instead of blaming politicians or criticizing the media, take a look at our own lives. The people are the foundation of a nation, and then we had better pour spiritual principles into us. We had better be heeding God’s advice on this massive restoration project that we have before us. Second Chronicles says we must humble ourselves. That means to empty ourselves of pride and selfish ambition. It’s not about us; it’s about Him. You don’t vote your feelings; you vote your principles. And as individuals and people, we are told to pray, to have a conversation with God, to share our hearts with him. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 that we are commanded to pray for our leaders, for our government leaders, our communities, and for our country.
We pray and we seek God’s face. We draw close to him without indifference. We turn from our wicked ways. We turn to God’s direction and say “no” to our carnal cravings, our own desires, and our fleshly lusts. If we do those things individually, and if we do them collectively as a nation, the God of the universe promises to forgive our sins. He promises to heal our land. For our first century as an existing nation, our strength as a nation was our morals, not our manpower. It was our convictions, not our connections. It was our faith, not our finances. It mirrored what King David said in Psalm 20:7: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
Our hope is in God! We look to him for direction and guidance. Our government is not the answer. It is not realistic to think that spiritual revival is going to start at the White House; it’s got to start in our homes. We’ve got to stand for biblical truth.
Don’t worry about Washington D.C. until you have taken a look at our own heart. Renewal of the United States cannot take place unless there is a true turning from sin, responding to the Law of God. We need to be a nation that asks for that touch, which worships Christ, falling on our knees and acknowledging him, living by his standards, we must repent.
Our country desperately desires a spiritual revival where Christians have Bibles opened on their laps rather than being a decoration on their tables; where a handshake is a legal contract; where husbands and wives actually mean, “’til death do us part;” where Christians are more prone to fall on their knees than puff their chests; where there are Bible-believing churches which the gates of Hell cannot prevail. A restoration can only come through the power of God, but it begins with prayer, with humility, and with repentance. Will we return to our roots as a nation, or will we continue our descent on a slippery slope? We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
We have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us. It behooves us, to humble ourselves and confess our national sins, and to pray for forgiveness.
WHOSOEVER WILL WORSHIP MINISTRIES
www.wwwmjesus.net
Assoc: Pastor Wesley Fulton
429 Bayou Rd, La Marque, Tx.77568
Need prayer Ch. Ph: 409/933-9878
