Return to Righteousness, America!

Passage: Psalm 33:11-20

Key Verse:

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” v.12 (NASB)

“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her fertile fields and boundless forests, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her public school system and her institutions of learning, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good America will cease to be great.”  

 

This famous quote was used in a sermon on Labor Day weekend in September 1922 by reverend John McDowell in New York City. It is not known for sure where he got the quote; however the sentence “America is great because she is good” has been attributed by many American Presidents to a French political thinker, Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859). Being a foreigner myself, I find it absolutely possible that someone who was born and lived in a different country would have written this quote.

I love these United States. I became an American in September 2005 and I am so very proud to call this country home. I also love my country of origin, Brazil, but America's ingenuity and friendly embrace quickly conquered my heart. For Christians who live in this nation and were raised in a different country, it becomes very evident that America has been blessed in a super-natural way above any country on earth. As I studied the beginning of its history, I became more and more convinced of the fact that America’s greatness has been directly linked to its founding fathers and subsequent leaders’ general desire to honor the One true God.

I visited Washington D.C. a couple of years ago and verified to be true something which has been increasingly discredited by the media and many of our representatives: in spite of the fact that our constitution respects any religion’s freedom to worship, America’s foundation was based on Judeo-Christian principles. I saw bible verses in most of our monuments. I saw God’s hand in the history of this nation. From its very foundation, our country has attributed its strength as coming from Yahweh, the God of Israel. For centuries, American presidents and leaders would not dare to credit its greatness as coming from anything but Almighty God. And therefore, God has blessed America because we, as a nation and society, in our laws and statues, have sought to honor God and live in righteousness. One only has to do some research to find out. Below are only a few of the countless quotes from former American presidents:

"While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian." President George Washington

“The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite, and these Principles only could be intended by them in their address, or by me in my answer. And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all these Sects were United: And the general Principles of English and American Liberty, in which all those young Men United, and which had United all Parties in America, in Majorities sufficient to assert and maintain her Independence.” President John Adams

 “The fundamental basis of this nation’s law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teaching we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul. I don’t think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don’t have the proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in the right for anybody except the state.” President Harry Truman

 The Decline of Christianity in America

“The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; From His dwelling place He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works. The king is not saved by a mighty army; a warrior is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a false hope for victory; nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness, to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine.” v.13-19 (NASB)

It is no wonder politicians and liberals claim that America is not a Christian nation. Christian values have become increasingly unpopular in the past forty years. Many people attribute the hardships that we are currently experiencing only as a result of the decisions of the current administration, but that is simply not true. Just read about Israel's decline in the Old Testament and you will see the correlation. We are experiencing the consequences of God slowly withdrawing His hand of protection and prosperity because of our sin. As the verses above remind us, our strength as a nation does not come from our “horses”. Our power does not come from our mighty army. Our strength, prosperity and power come from a God who has blessed a people that honored Him. Likewise, the decline has been allowed by a loving and merciful God who has been trying to call His children's attention to turn from their wicked ways and return to righteousness.

Starting in the 1960's, we have been changing our laws in order to “accommodate” our sin. Since Row vs. Wade in 1973, it is estimated that over 50 million babies have been aborted. We have made violation of God’s commandments a non-issue. You can probably observe each one of the Ten Commandments violated within less than a day of watching our TV shows, as people applaud and ask for more.  We don’t flinch when people around us curse. We laugh at funny jokes on movies, even though the Lord’s name was placed in between the lines. Indeed America has been in a slow, steady moral decline for many years. But what bothers me the most is that we, the Christians of this nation, are passively watching America turn away from God and doing very little. Many of us have chosen to blend with the rest of society. We’re no longer salt like we used to be.

In the name of whatever it may be, whether it is trend, fun, acceptance, friendship, being cool, “love”, we have allowed ourselves and our children to watch and participate in things that are completely against God and His Word. We have actually voted for leaders who stand against God's principles and commandments. We, the Christians have. Each politician elected, from the local level all the way to the highest federal levels, has been voted into power by many Christians, not just by the Buddhists, atheists or Muslims. We, God's people voted them in. Why? Because we have compromised and allowed our hearts to become desensitized to the things that God hates. We have become lukewarm to His truth.

Case in point: I have watched people get up and leave church because the pastor candidly pointed out that our government has taken unrighteous stands in critical issues, not based on his opinion, but rather based on facts regarding individual politicians’ records against Scripture.  Because of personal preference, we have elected officials who support, point by point, everything that is against God's law and commandments. We have not spoken out and very often we have silenced because we are afraid of what individual groups will accuse us of. Or, worse yet, we have silenced because we have forgotten who we are in the first place: not Americans, not rich or poor, not black or white, but children of God!!

 If My People....

“If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14  (NASB)

Notice that God is not talking to just anyone. He is talking to HIS people. He is talking to you and me, the Christians of this nation. We are America’s lighthouse. God is America’s hope and we are His representatives. We are His prayer warriors and we vote.

My prayer these days for America goes beyond a change in government. I am praying for a change of heart that will start within the church. I am praying that we, as His people, called by His Name, will allow the Holy Spirit to speak louder than our personal preference, our race, or personal history. I am praying that we will be careful to silence our hearts and be sensitive to sift everything that we allow in our minds and lives through God’s grid: Does it glorify Him? Does it honor Him and His Word? And not: “How will this help ME?”

And finally, my prayer is that when we vote in less than 7 days, we vote with our God-given conscience. We must defend, with our ballot, the freedoms which made this country great: free enterprise, the ability to live the American dream with hard work and ethics, the sanctity of life and marriage, to name a few. It is simply wrong to separate our Christian values from our ballot. We do not have to blend with society. We never should! Salt does not blend – it seasons. Light does not blend with darkness – it puts an end to it!

To Whom Much is Given… (Luke 12:48)

One day, we will stand before the Lord and give an account of each one of the decisions we made in life. I don't see how our vote would not be one of them. We have been blessed with the freedom to vote and help change and determine the future of our great nation. Our children's future. We have the power, in our hands, to speak up and help preserve our Constitution, our rights and our freedoms. My prayer is that our vote as God's people will honor Him, that His hand of protection will continue to rest upon us.

As President Thomas Jefferson warned us almost two hundred years ago:

 "God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever; That a revolution of the wheel of fortune, a change of situation, is among possible events; that it may become probable by Supernatural influence! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in that event."

 May we heed the call…. Return to Righteousness, AMERICA!