ONE NATION UNDER GOD

Proverbs 11:11

Government and The Heart of Man

Throughout the history of our nation, we’ve not been perfect. We, as a country, have walked through all sorts of trials and been the cause of many issues. From corruption, idolatry, greed, division, a civil war, slavery, and excessive immorality. All of these, at one time or another, have heavily influenced our nation in detrimental ways.

One thing that is encouraging is that we have also seen some major shifts and adjustments in the history of our nation. There have been times in America where we as a nation have called out to God and in response to our crying out to him, He has answered our pleas.

The church is not a political movement but it is meant to influence culture by the changing of people’s hearts. This one is true in regards to government: “Men will govern themselves based on the conditions of their hearts“.

The whole point of government is to determine how we govern ourselves as a society. Anytime we gather, we are going to naturally want to govern ourselves. Even somewhere as simple as a picnic, there is someone there telling us when we are going to eat. This government is necessary for a functioning society.

As a nation is formed, men have to figure out how they are going to govern themselves, and that government will be established based on the condition of their hearts. It will be determined by what is central to that government. What really matters to the people is what produces the type of governing that is created.

This is always a true statement regarding government: “Either man will be the center of government, or God will“.

If God is at the center of the government, His values are what determine how they govern themselves. The values of the nation are established by Him. One of the greatest examples of this is when Israel is released from Egypt in the book of Exodus. There were three million refugees with no social system, no judicial system, no military, no economic system.

Right after Exodus, the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy are about God Himself discipling a nation. God was showing the Israelites how they should govern themselves with Him being central to who they are. This wasn’t about political policies and debates: It was about a people being in relationship with God.

America: A Foundation of Faith

When you look at the foundation of our nation, in our infancy, we were influenced by two great awakenings. The first in the 1700s and the second in the 1800s. Our values as a country were shaped by these two great awakenings. For the first time, the individual colonies had commonality with the other colonies. They all had something higher than policy that they agreed upon and unified around.

After they had received in part freedom from inward sin, they sought freedom from external tyrants. This established a fire in the hearts of the colonials to fight for true freedom from the British parliament.

Most people haven’t realized this, but one of the models of the revolutionary war was this phrase: “No King but King Jesus“. The foundation of America was formed on biblical principles and its truth. Over the last 250 years we have seen ourselves drift away from God as a nation. We, as a nation, are far from this powerful claim that our only king is Christ.

We shifted in many ways from a biblical worldview to a cultural worldview. Our own ideas, perceptions, and opinions have begun to rule our lives. There was a gallup poll that was taken for individuals that were professing Christians. These were the results:

64% said all paths move toward God. (Other religions and ideals)
52% believe that moral truth is up to each individual. (No absolute truths, or truth that is relative)
68% believe that premarital sex is acceptable.

If this is the result of people who claim to follow Christ, we are far off from what the bible teaches. We must find our way back to the truth of God ruling our hearts. This is the only way for America to return again to the things of God.

Proverbs 11:11 says this: “By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.”

Every empire and nation is blessed as it is committed to being upright. Committed to the truth of the gospel, but when it is committed to immorality and wickedness, it spins into turmoil.

The book of proverbs is saying this: When the righteous rise up to stand for truth, the city is exalted. When the wicked rise up and are unrestrained, that same city is overthrown.

The Way Back

Though our nation has drifted, there is the hope of God that lives within us! Hope that causes people to send a country into a powerful move of the spirit.

The way back to God is simple: We need a great awakening. The only way we are going to see our nation have such an adjustment is the Christians rising up an pleading for their country to be saved!

These three things are essential for our nation to follow God again.

1. Returning to Prayer.
   We must have individuals willing to PRAY the price for our country to turn to God again.
2. The value of Sacrifice being restored.
   Christianity is about sacrifice. Christ willingly gave his life for us, so that we could willingly give ourselves away for the sake of the kingdom! This is how we achieve total victory like Jesus did on the cross.
3. Christians being willing to be the voice of truth.
   Believers willing to speak the truth into the world. In our climate today, it is not enough to just live the truth. When the voice of immorality is louder than ever, we need believers to stand up and speak the truth. To be willing to be the voice of truth and be willing to be God’s voice on the earth.

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