Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
My Sermon - Thank God for America
Here is a sermon I preached on Thursday, March 5, 2009 in the upper-school chapel at Master's Academy.
________________________________________
Thank God for America
Turn in your Bibles to Psalm 33:12-18.
“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,”
Two moose hunters were flown deep into the Alaskan tundra. As the pilot prepared to land on the small dirt runway, he said to the two men, “Now I’ll be back to pick you up in a week, but remember that this plane is small and I can only take out you two, your gear, and one moose.” The plane landed and he let them off. A week later he returned and he saw them at the end of the runway. Surprisingly, they BOTH had a moose! He landed and taxied to where they were and said, “I told you I only had room for one moose! This plane just can’t make it with those big animals inside it.” The two men said, “Well, last year we came hunting in this same area. We both got a moose. The plane was the same size as yours and the pilot allowed us to load both of them on the plane.” The pilot didn’t want to look like a less skilled pilot and told them okay “Okay”. So, the pilot loaded up both animals, pushed the gear in, and squeezed both men in. He got to the end of the runway, revved the motor up, accelerated down the runway and lifted off. It looked as though they were going to make it. But at the last minute the plane hit a tree limb, flipped over, and crashed. There was debris and moose limbs flying everywhere as the plane crashed along the ground. Finally the dust settled, and one of the hunters poked his head up between two limbs and he said “Where are we?” The other hunter poked his head up through debris and said, “I’m not sure, but I think we’re about 150 yards father than last year.”
Those who fail to learn from history are determined to repeat it. If there is one lesson we need to learn from history, it is this - the stability of the country is dependent on the morality of the people. That’s the reason behind Psalm 33 when it says “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” God has kept His promise to this nation. God has fulfilled His promise to America for over 200 years.
In the past, some Americans have gone to the extreme of deifying the nation and equating patriotism with Christianity. For those of you who don’t know, I’ll tell you what “deify” means. The 1828 definition of “deify” is “To make a god; to exalt to the rank of a heathen deity; to enroll among the deities;”
I know believers who get very upset if the American flag is not displayed properly, but don’t ever notice if the Bible is misquoted or misinterpreted.
God is not an American. He is the God of every tongue, tribe and nation. Our allegiance to Jesus Christ is above our allegiance to the state. If the government gives directions contrary to what we know to be God’s will, Christians must follow Peter and John’s example, who, when commanded by the civil authorities to keep silent about
Jesus, said, in Acts 5:29, “We must obey God rather than men!”.
But in recent years, an increasing number of Christians are going to the opposite extreme. They have complete disregard for the country. In some Christian circles, they ridicule any patriotic celebration and they call it improper for believers in Christ because we are “strangers and foreigners” in this world and our “citizenship is in heaven”. After all, they reason, America is a corrupt government based on a greedy capitalistic system, and to praise it is naïve at best, and idolatrous at worst.
But what is right?
I will give you three reasons why being patriotic and expressing allegiance to our country is appropriate.
Reason number 1: We are to Obey our authorities.
The Bible commands us in 1 Peter 2:17 to “honor the king”. That command was written when Palestine was under a corrupt Roman government which persecuted Christians. Christians are to show respect for those whom God has placed in positions of authority. That means that regardless of whether or not your candidate of choice won this past election season, we are to obey their leadership.
If that command to honor the king and be patriotic was legitimate in the days of the apostles, who had limited freedoms, how much more true is it to us today?
Think about how blessed we are to be Americans.
Think about our abundant resources and lush landscape. I know EVERYONE here has been to the beach. But how many of us have been to the Smoky Mountains, Alaska, Cape Cod, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Yeehaw Junction in Florida? We have a continent full of wonders like none else.
Think about our courageous forefathers.
Five signers of the Declaration of Independence were captured by the British and tortured. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. One lost his son in the Revolutionary Army. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died during the war. What kind of men were these signers? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners. They signed and pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
Thomas McKean was so hounded and harassed by the British that he lost all his property and possessions. He served in Congress without pay and he lived in poverty for most of his life.
Carter Braxton of Virginia watched all his ships destroyed by the British Navy. He sold his home and property to pay his debts.
Thomas Nelson Jr. lost his home when General Cornwallis took it for British
headquarters. Nelson calmly urged General George Washington to open fire on his house, which was done. The home was badly damaged.
Think about how much better we have it than others before us.
Columbus discovered America in what year? 1492. Have you ever thought about how much better we have it than did the first settlers of America? There was an article in Life Magazine about the 1500’s. It traced some of our popular customs and sayings to life at that time. Supposedly, these are true. Here we go:
At that time, people only took baths once a year. It would usually be done after they planted all of their crops. So when they were incredibly filthy, they would bathe for once that year. A bath consisted of a large tub full of very hot water, much like today. The man of the household would bathe first, then she sons, then the mother, then the daughters. When it was finally time for the baby to be bathed, the water was often times VERY dark and murky. So much so that you could lose a person in it. Hence the saying “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” Most people would get married about a month or two afterwards when they didn’t smell to bad. But brides, not wanting to smell bad at their wedding, would carry flowers with them, hence the Bouquet of Flowers.
Most houses of the time had a floor made of dirt, hence the saying “dirt poor”. The wealthy had slate floors which would get slippery in the winter when wet. So they spread “thresh” on the floor, which were pods of grain, to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on they kept adding more thresh until when you opened the door, the thresh would fall out. So they created a piece of wood to go on the bottom of the door frame to hold the thresh in, hence the saying “threshold”.
Here’s another one: the people of the time ate mostly vegetables, and meat was a real treat for them. When company came over for dinner, they would hang up bacon to show it off. It was considered a real compliment if the man of the house could “bring home the bacon”.
People at the time realized that they were burying some people alive, when they thought that they were dead. So, they tied a string on their wrist and would lead it through the coffin, up through the ground, to a bell on the surface; so if you woke up in your coffin, buried alive, you would ring the bell for help. (How they would help you I have no idea). Someone would have to sit up in the graveyard at night and listen for any bells to ring, hence the term “graveyard shift”. They would know that someone was either “saved by the bell” or was a “dead ringer”. I’m not too sure about that last story, but oh well. I think you get the idea.
As you can see, not many of us would want to live in a time with dirty baths, smelly people, hanging bacon, and being buried alive.
If the people who founded America were able to obey their rulers in the hard conditions that they live in, we should be able to obey ours in our ideal living conditions.
The second reason why being patriotic and expressing allegiance to our country is appropriate is because of Gratitude.
If we fail to give thanks for the United States of America, we are being completely blind to the fact that, although this IS an imperfect nation, it has been especially blessed by God. Contrary to what Revisionist Historians would tell you, this country was founded upon biblical principles. James Madison, one of the chief architects of our Constitution, wrote, “We stake the future of the American civilization not on the power of government…but on the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” That sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it? (For those of you who don’t know, that’s CHRISTIAN SELF-GOVERNMENT.)
Maybe it is time for us to have a Declaration of DEPENDENCE. Here are four ways we depend on God.
*Our Laws depend on God.
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” God’s truth determines what is right and wrong.
*Our Liberty depends on God.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 says, “You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth,” All that we have and that we have created for ourselves depends on God. Our leaders, our constitution, and our founding fathers can’t give us liberty, only God can. And our Founding Fathers recognized that.
*Our Security depends on God.
Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” Our safety and security, both nationally and at home, depend on God.
*Our Future depends on God.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God is wanting and ready, and trying to help us and guide our future.
The third reason why being patriotic and showing allegiance to our country is appropriate is because it Impacts our Christian Witness.
When Christians are disrespectful to their country, good citizens are turned away from Christianity by their attitude. But when Christians are positive, appreciative, and are contributing citizens, it enhances the opportunity to lead others to Christ.
From the beginning, America’s greatest resource has been her people. We need to help everyone in all ways possible. Like the Bible says in Matthew 7:12, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Not only do we need to help other people to lead them to Christ, but we especially need to help fellow believers! Galatians 6:9-10 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
I will leave you with one last story:
A pilot was flying a group of basketball players back home after a game. When they were about to land, they were told that the fog was to dense to land right at the moment, and that they were to circle the airport until the fog cleared. So, they circled the airport for about 2 hours. Finally, the voice of the pilot came over the speakers. He said, “I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we are about to run out of gas. The good news is that I’m parachuting down to get more.”
This is NOT the time to bailout on America, this is the time to get more intense with your service. We need to help our community in EVERY way possible. On the back table there are some fliers and papers to sign up to volunteer for different community activities. I encourage all of you to sign up for at least one. Let’s pray.
________________________________________
Thank God for America
Turn in your Bibles to Psalm 33:12-18.
“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,”
Two moose hunters were flown deep into the Alaskan tundra. As the pilot prepared to land on the small dirt runway, he said to the two men, “Now I’ll be back to pick you up in a week, but remember that this plane is small and I can only take out you two, your gear, and one moose.” The plane landed and he let them off. A week later he returned and he saw them at the end of the runway. Surprisingly, they BOTH had a moose! He landed and taxied to where they were and said, “I told you I only had room for one moose! This plane just can’t make it with those big animals inside it.” The two men said, “Well, last year we came hunting in this same area. We both got a moose. The plane was the same size as yours and the pilot allowed us to load both of them on the plane.” The pilot didn’t want to look like a less skilled pilot and told them okay “Okay”. So, the pilot loaded up both animals, pushed the gear in, and squeezed both men in. He got to the end of the runway, revved the motor up, accelerated down the runway and lifted off. It looked as though they were going to make it. But at the last minute the plane hit a tree limb, flipped over, and crashed. There was debris and moose limbs flying everywhere as the plane crashed along the ground. Finally the dust settled, and one of the hunters poked his head up between two limbs and he said “Where are we?” The other hunter poked his head up through debris and said, “I’m not sure, but I think we’re about 150 yards father than last year.”
Those who fail to learn from history are determined to repeat it. If there is one lesson we need to learn from history, it is this - the stability of the country is dependent on the morality of the people. That’s the reason behind Psalm 33 when it says “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” God has kept His promise to this nation. God has fulfilled His promise to America for over 200 years.
In the past, some Americans have gone to the extreme of deifying the nation and equating patriotism with Christianity. For those of you who don’t know, I’ll tell you what “deify” means. The 1828 definition of “deify” is “To make a god; to exalt to the rank of a heathen deity; to enroll among the deities;”
I know believers who get very upset if the American flag is not displayed properly, but don’t ever notice if the Bible is misquoted or misinterpreted.
God is not an American. He is the God of every tongue, tribe and nation. Our allegiance to Jesus Christ is above our allegiance to the state. If the government gives directions contrary to what we know to be God’s will, Christians must follow Peter and John’s example, who, when commanded by the civil authorities to keep silent about
Jesus, said, in Acts 5:29, “We must obey God rather than men!”.
But in recent years, an increasing number of Christians are going to the opposite extreme. They have complete disregard for the country. In some Christian circles, they ridicule any patriotic celebration and they call it improper for believers in Christ because we are “strangers and foreigners” in this world and our “citizenship is in heaven”. After all, they reason, America is a corrupt government based on a greedy capitalistic system, and to praise it is naïve at best, and idolatrous at worst.
But what is right?
I will give you three reasons why being patriotic and expressing allegiance to our country is appropriate.
Reason number 1: We are to Obey our authorities.
The Bible commands us in 1 Peter 2:17 to “honor the king”. That command was written when Palestine was under a corrupt Roman government which persecuted Christians. Christians are to show respect for those whom God has placed in positions of authority. That means that regardless of whether or not your candidate of choice won this past election season, we are to obey their leadership.
If that command to honor the king and be patriotic was legitimate in the days of the apostles, who had limited freedoms, how much more true is it to us today?
Think about how blessed we are to be Americans.
Think about our abundant resources and lush landscape. I know EVERYONE here has been to the beach. But how many of us have been to the Smoky Mountains, Alaska, Cape Cod, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Yeehaw Junction in Florida? We have a continent full of wonders like none else.
Think about our courageous forefathers.
Five signers of the Declaration of Independence were captured by the British and tortured. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. One lost his son in the Revolutionary Army. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died during the war. What kind of men were these signers? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners. They signed and pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
Thomas McKean was so hounded and harassed by the British that he lost all his property and possessions. He served in Congress without pay and he lived in poverty for most of his life.
Carter Braxton of Virginia watched all his ships destroyed by the British Navy. He sold his home and property to pay his debts.
Thomas Nelson Jr. lost his home when General Cornwallis took it for British
headquarters. Nelson calmly urged General George Washington to open fire on his house, which was done. The home was badly damaged.
Think about how much better we have it than others before us.
Columbus discovered America in what year? 1492. Have you ever thought about how much better we have it than did the first settlers of America? There was an article in Life Magazine about the 1500’s. It traced some of our popular customs and sayings to life at that time. Supposedly, these are true. Here we go:
At that time, people only took baths once a year. It would usually be done after they planted all of their crops. So when they were incredibly filthy, they would bathe for once that year. A bath consisted of a large tub full of very hot water, much like today. The man of the household would bathe first, then she sons, then the mother, then the daughters. When it was finally time for the baby to be bathed, the water was often times VERY dark and murky. So much so that you could lose a person in it. Hence the saying “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” Most people would get married about a month or two afterwards when they didn’t smell to bad. But brides, not wanting to smell bad at their wedding, would carry flowers with them, hence the Bouquet of Flowers.
Most houses of the time had a floor made of dirt, hence the saying “dirt poor”. The wealthy had slate floors which would get slippery in the winter when wet. So they spread “thresh” on the floor, which were pods of grain, to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on they kept adding more thresh until when you opened the door, the thresh would fall out. So they created a piece of wood to go on the bottom of the door frame to hold the thresh in, hence the saying “threshold”.
Here’s another one: the people of the time ate mostly vegetables, and meat was a real treat for them. When company came over for dinner, they would hang up bacon to show it off. It was considered a real compliment if the man of the house could “bring home the bacon”.
People at the time realized that they were burying some people alive, when they thought that they were dead. So, they tied a string on their wrist and would lead it through the coffin, up through the ground, to a bell on the surface; so if you woke up in your coffin, buried alive, you would ring the bell for help. (How they would help you I have no idea). Someone would have to sit up in the graveyard at night and listen for any bells to ring, hence the term “graveyard shift”. They would know that someone was either “saved by the bell” or was a “dead ringer”. I’m not too sure about that last story, but oh well. I think you get the idea.
As you can see, not many of us would want to live in a time with dirty baths, smelly people, hanging bacon, and being buried alive.
If the people who founded America were able to obey their rulers in the hard conditions that they live in, we should be able to obey ours in our ideal living conditions.
The second reason why being patriotic and expressing allegiance to our country is appropriate is because of Gratitude.
If we fail to give thanks for the United States of America, we are being completely blind to the fact that, although this IS an imperfect nation, it has been especially blessed by God. Contrary to what Revisionist Historians would tell you, this country was founded upon biblical principles. James Madison, one of the chief architects of our Constitution, wrote, “We stake the future of the American civilization not on the power of government…but on the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” That sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it? (For those of you who don’t know, that’s CHRISTIAN SELF-GOVERNMENT.)
Maybe it is time for us to have a Declaration of DEPENDENCE. Here are four ways we depend on God.
*Our Laws depend on God.
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” God’s truth determines what is right and wrong.
*Our Liberty depends on God.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 says, “You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth,” All that we have and that we have created for ourselves depends on God. Our leaders, our constitution, and our founding fathers can’t give us liberty, only God can. And our Founding Fathers recognized that.
*Our Security depends on God.
Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” Our safety and security, both nationally and at home, depend on God.
*Our Future depends on God.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God is wanting and ready, and trying to help us and guide our future.
The third reason why being patriotic and showing allegiance to our country is appropriate is because it Impacts our Christian Witness.
When Christians are disrespectful to their country, good citizens are turned away from Christianity by their attitude. But when Christians are positive, appreciative, and are contributing citizens, it enhances the opportunity to lead others to Christ.
From the beginning, America’s greatest resource has been her people. We need to help everyone in all ways possible. Like the Bible says in Matthew 7:12, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Not only do we need to help other people to lead them to Christ, but we especially need to help fellow believers! Galatians 6:9-10 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
I will leave you with one last story:
A pilot was flying a group of basketball players back home after a game. When they were about to land, they were told that the fog was to dense to land right at the moment, and that they were to circle the airport until the fog cleared. So, they circled the airport for about 2 hours. Finally, the voice of the pilot came over the speakers. He said, “I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we are about to run out of gas. The good news is that I’m parachuting down to get more.”
This is NOT the time to bailout on America, this is the time to get more intense with your service. We need to help our community in EVERY way possible. On the back table there are some fliers and papers to sign up to volunteer for different community activities. I encourage all of you to sign up for at least one. Let’s pray.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
North American Union, Part 1
Here are 3 names you should already know:
President of the United States - Barack Obama
Prime Minister of Canada - Stephen Harper
President of Mexico - Felipe Calderon
*As you know, there are only three countries in North America - Canada, USA, and Mexico. These three countries are looking to form a union of the three, known as the North American Union.
You need to know that this plan to create the North American Union is NOT admitted by current leaders, but is in progress.
The North American Union will have one common currency, the "Amero", (an American version of the Euro).
*The former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, is quoted as saying a "convergence of our two economies, convergence on the basic and fundamental variables of the economy, convergence on rates of interest, convergence on income of people, convergence on salaries." He saw that if the convergence occured between the United States of America and Mexico, it would "erase that border, open up that border for [the] free flow of products, merchandises, [and] capital as well as people".
*The Trans-Texas Corridor, (aka, the NAFTA Superhighway) was first proposed by Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2002. It consists of a 1,200 foot (366 m) wide highway that also carries utilities such as electricity, petroleum, and water, as well as railway track and fiber-optic cables. Ron Paul called it "the NAFTA Superhighway" and framed it within "the ultimate goal" of creating a North American Union. NASCO denies a new proposal for a "NAFTA superhighway" saying, "it exists today as I-35."
**************************
This is just the first part of a series in which I will be sheading light on the audacities of the proposed North American Union.
President of the United States - Barack Obama
Prime Minister of Canada - Stephen Harper
President of Mexico - Felipe Calderon
*As you know, there are only three countries in North America - Canada, USA, and Mexico. These three countries are looking to form a union of the three, known as the North American Union.
You need to know that this plan to create the North American Union is NOT admitted by current leaders, but is in progress.
The North American Union will have one common currency, the "Amero", (an American version of the Euro).
*The former President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, is quoted as saying a "convergence of our two economies, convergence on the basic and fundamental variables of the economy, convergence on rates of interest, convergence on income of people, convergence on salaries." He saw that if the convergence occured between the United States of America and Mexico, it would "erase that border, open up that border for [the] free flow of products, merchandises, [and] capital as well as people".
*The Trans-Texas Corridor, (aka, the NAFTA Superhighway) was first proposed by Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2002. It consists of a 1,200 foot (366 m) wide highway that also carries utilities such as electricity, petroleum, and water, as well as railway track and fiber-optic cables. Ron Paul called it "the NAFTA Superhighway" and framed it within "the ultimate goal" of creating a North American Union. NASCO denies a new proposal for a "NAFTA superhighway" saying, "it exists today as I-35."
**************************
This is just the first part of a series in which I will be sheading light on the audacities of the proposed North American Union.
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